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ToastyPigeon

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SpringDragon

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Just because he's acting reckless doesn't mean you're going to, you're going to play upon your strengths and keep as far away as you can. You ride your horse around the outskirts of the village, readying your bow the whole time. When you can, you fire at the Quillar attackers. As quick as they are, they aren't really paying attention to you and you manage to get in some good shots. A couple of head shots even. At first they don't realize where the all the arrows are coming from, since Wessel is giving them a hard enough time with the chain lightning. You're sort of glad you decided to stay on the outskirts. Wessel is having such a "good time" blasting the Quillars, he's probably causing a lot more collateral damage in the process. Eventually the Quillars start to retreat. This is when you get into a little more trouble as you happen to be right in the direction of where they're running! They still look scary and they get even moreso as they get closer. The worst has to be their shrieks. It's unpleasant to hear to say the least. You ride out of the way, but your horse isn't fast enough and is peppered by quills. You catch a few in the leg yourself and you're thrown from the horse as it reels in pain, before collapsing. Feeling the pain you scramble for cover behind a nearby rock. Fortunately the quills don't penetrate that. Most of them are content on just running away, but one straggler decides to try to get one more kill before leaving. That kill of course happens to be you. The Quillar makes its high pitch shriek as it runs towards the rock. You don't have time to ready your bow before its high jumped over the rock and on the other side of you. You quickly draw your weapon and swing it blindly as you turn around. Luckily your blade catches the side of its head, killing it. At last you collapse from the pain in your leg. While you're pulling out quills, Wessel and another Zalan soldier come to meet you. Wessel doesn't look any worse for wear, but the soldier looks very tired and obviously has wounds of his own. "There you are, lying down on the job I see." Wessel mocks. "Are you alright?" the other soldier asks. "Yeah…Agh. I've gotten bitten in the leg by a Kobold before. Feels nearly the same except these quills go in a lot deeper." "Glad you guys came when you did. We were just doing a routine patrol when these quill bastards came out of nowhere! They're getting bolder and attacking in greater number, we need more reinforcements." "Yeah, well good luck with that. The Tulan border is the primary concern. Besides I'm here now, I predict that this infestation will be over soon now." Wessel boasts. "Any…way. My name's Tylir. I'd introduce you to the rest of my squad, but they're all dead now. Even though it was the heat of battle, I couldn't help notice how well you picked off several of those Quillars with one shot. That was pretty impressive." "Thanks." "Hey! What about me? I'm the one who noticed you getting attacked in the first place! I'm also the one who saved your ass!" Wessel interrupts again, he's starting to get annoying at this point, but Tylir doesn't seem bothered by him. "Everyone did their part. Okay, since I'm here I'll take you to see Captain Vhalat, I'm sure that's who you were sent to report to, oh and wizard while your skills may be appreciated here, I'd advise you to cut down on the boasting. Captain Vhalat isn't fond of it, and to be quite honest the other two wizards we had here were more experienced and they still got killed." "Hmm, well perhaps they lacked the natural skill that I of course possess." At this point you and Tylir just roll your eyes and get moving. You travel through a couple of other villages and it's pretty depressing. You see stacks of bodies being buried in mass graves while most of other Retlad citizens look thoroughly defeated. A few look in your direction, but don't look too much, it's like they don't really expect you to succeed. Not exactly inspiring. Soon you arrive in the town of Glaf. It would appear that the Zalan contingency sent here is staying in one of the bigger Retlad towns rather than the capitol. Ryan also says that the Quillar infestation is worse around here too, so the captain suspects that whatever lair they're crawling out of is nearby and can hopefully located and cleansed. The town itself resembles a small Zalan fort rather than a proper Retlad town, as a sturdy wall has been erected around it. The people seem to look a little more hopeful though. Tylir goes on to say that he thinks that the Retlad citizens are actually starting to prefer Zalan presence especially since their on government has been pretty ineffectual about the whole invasion. The Retlad army has only focused on defending the capitol. The Retlad royals appear to find their lives more important than anyone else's. Eventually you're brought before Captain Vahlat himself. He looks up from the map he's inspecting and addresses you and Wessel. "Ah, I see the Empire has seen fit to send me reinforcements…wow, twice as many as I thought I'd get. Private Tylir where's the rest of your squad?" "Um…dead sir." "Of course. (sigh) So what's your problem private? Why is your leg wrapped up?" Vahlat asks you. "Got into a fight with the Quillars sir." You answer. "Oh?" Tylir at this point interrupts and tells of what happened. Wessel looks like he wants to expand upon his deeds, but Vahlat's appearance is a little imposing and he was already warned once, so he keeps his mouth shut. Vahlat soon addresses you again. "Well it would seem you two have already proven yourselves useful. A lot more useful that what passes for the Retlad army, but of course that isn't hard. Wizard, I certainly hope you don't intend to use this place as a chance to show off all the skills you learned in your fancy Nuro college. One of your predecessors did that as well, and as you can see he's no longer here. As for you, I hope that you can do a better job of keeping out of the way of the quills next time. Most don't get a second chance. Alright that's all for now. Our group is being housed for free at the Inn down the street. Free food as well, but don't go overboard, its being rationed. You want more food or anything else you'll have to pay like everyone else. I suggest though that you don't do any heavy carousing. This is a high alert situation and we could be going to battle at anytime. Dismissed." You, Wessel and Tylir all leave at this point. Tylir goes on to show you where the Inn is and a couple of other places, but after today you just want to rest and retire to your room early. You rest your leg and begin practicing your lute. This puts you in better spirits. 6 months pass… The Quillar invasion has nearly been eradicated. Most of the major lairs have been located and cleansed and you certainly contributed greatly to this effort. Besides your combat abilities, your tracking skills definitely came in handy a lot. You've become somewhat recognized among Retlad citizens due to your actions and the lives you've saved. The word "hero" has been used a few times though you definitely don't think of yourself as one. In your free time you spoke with the citizens, a lot more than your fellow soldiers though. A few of them even convinced you to play for them when they noticed your lute. It took a little prodding, but eventually you gave in fully expecting to get booed, but to your surprise, you got applauded instead. Your playing didn't just boost your spirits it seemed. Whenever you could you played a little bit for people in what little free time you had. Never did you think that you'd be playing for any kind of audience, let alone an appreciative one. It definitely hasn't been all sunshine though; you've seen a lot of people die. More than you ever wanted to actually. You'd made friends with Tylir shortly after your first meeting and he died only a couple months later. You'll be glad when every one of these Quillar creatures are all dead though, all they've done is cause misery. You've got them on the run now though. You're preparing for an attack on another one of their lairs, when Captain Vahlat calls everyone to see him, he doesn't look enthusiastic about whatever it is he has to tell you. "All right I'll be brief. As much as I hate leaving a mission unfinished, we're getting pulled out of here effective immediately. Major news is that Nuro has undergone a fucking disaster that needs to be put down like yesterday! All governments friendly to the City State of Nuro that can spare the manpower are to send help. We would be one of those. I hope the Retlad army is just competent enough to finish up what we started in their own country." Wessel immediately pipes up upon hearing about this revelation. "What happened in Nuro? What's going on?!" "What's going on? From what I've been told a whole bunch of your kind raised a shitload of undead and unleashed a bunch of hostile demons on the place! The entire city was overrun. Reports are already stating that small packs of demons are running around the nearby countryside. Most likely in the direction of the Tulan Kingdom. Not sure what that means with our border war with them, but I only see it getting bloodier around there. In any case, our job is to head to Nuro, before the undead start following suit. I hope you're all ready for this, because this is going to be a lot different that fighting Quillars." You look around and see a lot of fear wash over faces and rightly so. Necromancers have a bad history on your world. When you were little you still remember hearing the tales of the Great Lich Lord that existed centuries before you were even born. He almost took over the world. Those stories gave you nightmares as a kid. The possibility of having to face something remotely similar even on much smaller scale doesn't make you feel too well. > You stay in the army Despite your fears, you've always had a sense of duty and responsibility, something that probably won't ever completely go away due to how you grew up. You're not running away, you did join to help provide for your family after all. Before your company packs up and leaves Retlad, you write a quick letter to your family and hand it off to a messenger. Many of the Retlad citizens aren't too pleased to see you leave, but they don't really have any say in the matter, just like you don't. There isn't much talking on the trip, though, everyone is pretty silent. Wessel however is doing enough for everyone. "I can't believe something like this happened! Nuro was a beacon of enlightenment and well prepared for situations like this! I…can't believe this didn't occur without some sort of demonic influence. I'll bet that Mr. Demar had something to do with this! I remember taking his class and he was always a creepy bastard. Before I could graduate I had to take his conjuration 101 class and he didn't like me because I had made several logical arguments to as why that branch of magic should be outlawed altogether. And it's obvious by what happened recently that I was right! Nevertheless I did all the required work in the class and I still got a B! Way to fuck up my perfect record! I get the same grade as some bumbling idiot who summoned up a Nurk Beast that he lost control over and bit off someone's hand! Where is the fucking justice?" Once again, Wessel has turned the topic to focus on himself. Happily Captain Vahlat tells him to shut the fuck up. You'll be near Nuro soon and your company makes camp for the night. While all of you are on edge from what will come tomorrow, someone finally says something. "Hey farmboy, play us a song on that thing." "…what did you want to hear?" you ask, not expecting to be called to play under these circumstances. In fact it just occurred to you that you've never played for anyone in your company! You assume that they all knew that you did, but they just were never interested enough to stick around and listen to you before. "I dunno, play whatever it was you used to play for the Retlad citizens…it seemed to make them happy." You pull out your lute and take a deep breath and start playing. At first you're just concentrating on the strings and making sure you don't mess anything up, but when you look up, you can see that everyone in the camp is listening intently to your music, even Wessel. Tensions seem to have decreased. It's like a wave of calmness has struck the camp. You never believed your playing could have that much of an effect on people. Eventually the song ends and the Captain tells everyone who isn't on watch to get some sleep. He then takes you aside. "Heard your playing…damn shame that you're here. You really should be doing that instead." Valhlat remarks. "I know." "Hm. I know you joined mainly to help support your family." "Yeah, I just hope I get to see them again." "Bah, don't start talking like that. I've seen you with a bow, you pluck that thing even better than that lute. You've been in battle before and survived, I see you doing it again." "I sure hope so, its just I dunno…the undead…I've heard stories." "Yeah, everyone's heard the stories, but stories tend to be exaggerated. Now I dunno about what happened centuries ago, since I wasn't there, but I HAVE fought the undead before. One of my first assignments was taking care of some minor undead incursion in a little village. Some asshole stumbled upon an ancient scroll and started reading the goddamn words on it out loud. They look a lot worse than they actually are. Most of the time they're incredibly slow, and easily dispatched. Its mainly a psychological advantage from all the stories people have told about them that cause this quaking fear in most folks." "Well I suppose, but what about the necromancers?" "Feh, they're wizards and just like all the rest their arrogance is their undoing. Most of these so-called necromancers are half-assed ones that get killed by their own undead troops. Anyway, get to sleep; you want to be fully alert for tomorrow's battle. It still won't be a walk in the park, but it's not going to be a death sentence." You take the Captain's words into consideration, but in the back of your mind before you go to sleep, you're thinking "But they can't be that half-assed, they successfully took over Nuro…" The next day arrives and you finish your trip to Nuro and that's when you see the city for the first time. You always wanted to visit it after hearing about it from Wessel, but even from this distance it doesn't look like anything he described. "By the gods…what…" Wessel slowly whispers. The stench of death is thick in the air. You see thousands of bodies outside the city gates and they aren't lying down either. They aren't advancing either though. There just standing there like…well zombies. Your company isn't the only one here though, there are a few others awaiting orders. You see one from the Brot Kingdom and another from the Azi Republic. Thankfully there's another Zalan one as well to boost your numbers. The respective captains acknowledge each other's presence, a short meeting is made and then the inevitable comes. The attack. At first things seem to go well. All ranged troops are ordered to fire upon the enemy who are still just standing there. Arrows pierce zombie brains, gunshots destroy skeleton bones, spells blast at walls and it seems very easy. Then from the battlements of Nuro a few figures begin casting a few offensive spells of their own. It's at this point a charge is made towards the city. "When you get in range aim for the fucking wizards! Don't fear these rotting meat sacks! We're the fucking Zalan army! We don't lose!" Captain Valhlat shouts. Fine words, but they do little to uplift your impending sense of doom. It doesn't help that the sky goes completely dark while you're marching towards a bunch of undead and at the same time hoping you don't get hit by a wizard's spell. In the distance you briefly see a cleric from the Azi Republic riding a horse by himself. He appears to be calling upon some sort of holy might from whatever god he worships since a blue protective sphere appears around him. The next moment he's hit by a black ray that goes straight through the sphere and his life is gone. Not even his god could protect him. As you get closer, you see that the undead soldiers still haven't moved, but there are significantly less of them as they continue to fall from ranged attacks. However, now other undead pop up on the walls of Nuro holding bows of their own. "SHIELDS!" Captain Valhlat shouts. More of your side falls and now you're so close you can smell the death in the air. The undead troops are now finally moving to do battle with your side. You attempt to target the robed figures on the battlements, but of course it's very difficult in all this chaos and your fear. You mostly only get the undead archers. Wessel is a little more successful is downing an enemy wizard. "Ha ha! Don't you realize I graduated top of my class?!" you hear him shout. The gates of Nuro are being broken down and despite the horror you've already seen, this battle still seems hopeful. Then a black cloaked hooded figure sudden appears on the battlements. You see him merely raise his arms briefly and that's when you get the very real feeling that hope is lost. Ghostly spirits come through the walls of Nuro making worse shrieks than when you fought the Quillars. At least they were living creatures. These drain lives at but a touch and there isn't enough magic to fight the incorporeal creatures properly. You see the Brot Kingdom's company break and run, but unfortunately for them and you, your possible retreat has been blocked. All the soldiers on your side that fell have now suddenly been raised, the undead soldiers that were killed have been raised as well. You're fighting in the front, from behind and in some cases from within. It's chaos. "Shit, I'm going to die today…" you whisper to yourself. Captain Valhlat is knee deep in the dead, but this figure who's apparently changed the tide of battle hasn't escaped his attention. He points to the figure and barks orders at the top of his lungs. "KILL HIM! SHOOT THE FUCKER! DO IT! NOW!" > You attempt to shoot the figure You're scared shitless, but somehow you manage to maintain your composure and aim for the hooded figure on top of the battlements. You let an arrow fly and your aim is straight and true, but unfortunately it's blocked by some sort of magical shield. Even Wessel's spell dissipates before it. Now you see that all hope is lost and you attempt to escape, but the precious few seconds you spent aiming your bow on a fruitless killing attempt has resulted in you being surrounded and overwhelmed. You feel the rusty steel of a sword plunge into your side, followed by extreme pain. You turn to strike down the grinning skeleton warrior who's just limited your life span. You strike a couple more corpses before you're brought down by an axe to the skull, splitting your head open and causing your brains to leak out uselessly into the now blood soaked battlefield. You fall and die, only to rise again as just another zombie drone for the growing undead army.

Despite your fears, you've always had a sense of duty and responsibility, something that probably won't ever completely go away due to how you grew up. You're not running away, you did join to help provide for your family after all. Before your company packs up and leaves Retlad, you write a quick letter to your family and hand it off to a messenger. Many of the Retlad citizens aren't too pleased to see you leave, but they don't really have any say in the matter, just like you don't. There isn't much talking on the trip, though, everyone is pretty silent. Wessel however is doing enough for everyone. "I can't believe something like this happened! Nuro was a beacon of enlightenment and well prepared for situations like this! I…can't believe this didn't occur without some sort of demonic influence. I'll bet that Mr. Demar had something to do with this! I remember taking his class and he was always a creepy bastard. Before I could graduate I had to take his conjuration 101 class and he didn't like me because I had made several logical arguments to as why that branch of magic should be outlawed altogether. And it's obvious by what happened recently that I was right! Nevertheless I did all the required work in the class and I still got a B! Way to fuck up my perfect record! I get the same grade as some bumbling idiot who summoned up a Nurk Beast that he lost control over and bit off someone's hand! Where is the fucking justice?" Once again, Wessel has turned the topic to focus on himself. Happily Captain Vahlat tells him to shut the fuck up. You'll be near Nuro soon and your company makes camp for the night. While all of you are on edge from what will come tomorrow, someone finally says something. "Hey farmboy, play us a song on that thing." "…what did you want to hear?" you ask, not expecting to be called to play under these circumstances. In fact it just occurred to you that you've never played for anyone in your company! You assume that they all knew that you did, but they just were never interested enough to stick around and listen to you before. "I dunno, play whatever it was you used to play for the Retlad citizens…it seemed to make them happy." You pull out your lute and take a deep breath and start playing. At first you're just concentrating on the strings and making sure you don't mess anything up, but when you look up, you can see that everyone in the camp is listening intently to your music, even Wessel. Tensions seem to have decreased. It's like a wave of calmness has struck the camp. You never believed your playing could have that much of an effect on people. Eventually the song ends and the Captain tells everyone who isn't on watch to get some sleep. He then takes you aside. "Heard your playing…damn shame that you're here. You really should be doing that instead." Valhlat remarks. "I know." "Hm. I know you joined mainly to help support your family." "Yeah, I just hope I get to see them again." "Bah, don't start talking like that. I've seen you with a bow, you pluck that thing even better than that lute. You've been in battle before and survived, I see you doing it again." "I sure hope so, its just I dunno…the undead…I've heard stories." "Yeah, everyone's heard the stories, but stories tend to be exaggerated. Now I dunno about what happened centuries ago, since I wasn't there, but I HAVE fought the undead before. One of my first assignments was taking care of some minor undead incursion in a little village. Some asshole stumbled upon an ancient scroll and started reading the goddamn words on it out loud. They look a lot worse than they actually are. Most of the time they're incredibly slow, and easily dispatched. Its mainly a psychological advantage from all the stories people have told about them that cause this quaking fear in most folks." "Well I suppose, but what about the necromancers?" "Feh, they're wizards and just like all the rest their arrogance is their undoing. Most of these so-called necromancers are half-assed ones that get killed by their own undead troops. Anyway, get to sleep; you want to be fully alert for tomorrow's battle. It still won't be a walk in the park, but it's not going to be a death sentence." You take the Captain's words into consideration, but in the back of your mind before you go to sleep, you're thinking "But they can't be that half-assed, they successfully took over Nuro…" The next day arrives and you finish your trip to Nuro and that's when you see the city for the first time. You always wanted to visit it after hearing about it from Wessel, but even from this distance it doesn't look like anything he described. "By the gods…what…" Wessel slowly whispers. The stench of death is thick in the air. You see thousands of bodies outside the city gates and they aren't lying down either. They aren't advancing either though. There just standing there like…well zombies. Your company isn't the only one here though, there are a few others awaiting orders. You see one from the Brot Kingdom and another from the Azi Republic. Thankfully there's another Zalan one as well to boost your numbers. The respective captains acknowledge each other's presence, a short meeting is made and then the inevitable comes. The attack. At first things seem to go well. All ranged troops are ordered to fire upon the enemy who are still just standing there. Arrows pierce zombie brains, gunshots destroy skeleton bones, spells blast at walls and it seems very easy. Then from the battlements of Nuro a few figures begin casting a few offensive spells of their own. It's at this point a charge is made towards the city. "When you get in range aim for the fucking wizards! Don't fear these rotting meat sacks! We're the fucking Zalan army! We don't lose!" Captain Valhlat shouts. Fine words, but they do little to uplift your impending sense of doom. It doesn't help that the sky goes completely dark while you're marching towards a bunch of undead and at the same time hoping you don't get hit by a wizard's spell. In the distance you briefly see a cleric from the Azi Republic riding a horse by himself. He appears to be calling upon some sort of holy might from whatever god he worships since a blue protective sphere appears around him. The next moment he's hit by a black ray that goes straight through the sphere and his life is gone. Not even his god could protect him. As you get closer, you see that the undead soldiers still haven't moved, but there are significantly less of them as they continue to fall from ranged attacks. However, now other undead pop up on the walls of Nuro holding bows of their own. "SHIELDS!" Captain Valhlat shouts. More of your side falls and now you're so close you can smell the death in the air. The undead troops are now finally moving to do battle with your side. You attempt to target the robed figures on the battlements, but of course it's very difficult in all this chaos and your fear. You mostly only get the undead archers. Wessel is a little more successful is downing an enemy wizard. "Ha ha! Don't you realize I graduated top of my class?!" you hear him shout. The gates of Nuro are being broken down and despite the horror you've already seen, this battle still seems hopeful. Then a black cloaked hooded figure sudden appears on the battlements. You see him merely raise his arms briefly and that's when you get the very real feeling that hope is lost. Ghostly spirits come through the walls of Nuro making worse shrieks than when you fought the Quillars. At least they were living creatures. These drain lives at but a touch and there isn't enough magic to fight the incorporeal creatures properly. You see the Brot Kingdom's company break and run, but unfortunately for them and you, your possible retreat has been blocked. All the soldiers on your side that fell have now suddenly been raised, the undead soldiers that were killed have been raised as well. You're fighting in the front, from behind and in some cases from within. It's chaos. "Shit, I'm going to die today…" you whisper to yourself. Captain Valhlat is knee deep in the dead, but this figure who's apparently changed the tide of battle hasn't escaped his attention. He points to the figure and barks orders at the top of his lungs. "KILL HIM! SHOOT THE FUCKER! DO IT! NOW!" > You run away There's undead all around you, fear coursing through your body and all you can think of is escape. You see a few others following orders, but their shots do nothing. Apparently the Necromancer has protected himself behind a more powerful magic shield than the cleric you saw die had. Even Wessel's spell dissipates before it. You ignore your orders, you ignore your fellow soldiers, you ignore the attack on Nuro, and you run and you're not a bit ashamed to put your survival first. The chaos of the fighting is bewildering and you don't really pay attention to what direction you're heading, you're just making a beeline to any destination not completely filled with zombies, ghosts, and skeletons. You look back, only to see more death. The hooded figure on top of the battlements calls down some sort of death cloud that begins to envelop the area you were previously in. The screams of the distant victims are horrible. You feel like you're living a nightmare as you constantly bump into corpses, both moving and unmoving. Defensive chops with your sword do nothing to kill the unnatural creatures and only temporarily push them out of your way. It is only by sheer luck that you get away without getting killed. You run further, leaving the carnage behind. You look back again to see if anything is in pursuit, but nothing is to your relief. Still, you're not comfortable and you continue to distance yourself until you can run no further and you must stop to rest. It is at this point, you wonder what you're going to do. You wonder if going back to report to the nearest Zalan commander would be wise. Will they punish you for running away? The situation was hopeless, surely they couldn't...could they? And even if they don't, then what? Send you back in? That's definitely not appealing given what you've seen. At this point you're really regretting your decision to join the army. You wish you could just leave. You want to go home. Going AWOL back in Retlad wasn't really an option; you would've been hunted down. But now? You probably would be listed as a casualty. You could theoretically disappear and attempt to live anonymously and do what you wanted to do in the first place. Just travel and play. Your family would even be compensated for your death, but still…you'd hate to put them through the grief of it, if it isn't true. Before you ponder your future options any further, you suddenly feel a pain in your side…you look down and see that you're bleeding. Apparently you were stabbed and didn't even realize it due to the adrenaline. You're feeling the pain now though and you attempt to stop the bleeding as much as you can. Regardless of what you're going to do in the future, right now you have to find civilization to at least get fixed up. The problem is that you don't know where the hell you are. You look around for some possible landmarks, but you're not seeing anything familiar. Lacking any other ideas, you start walking in the general direction of where you think the Zalan Empire is located. You walk for a few hours and the pain is getting worse. You start thinking that you might not get the chance to worry anymore about your potential future, but a farm house in the distance gives you a little hope and you press on. You get close to the front porch and that's when you stop. The front door is broken off its hinges and a few windows are also broken. You also notice a leg lying in the grass near you. Worse, whatever did this is apparently still around judging by the loud voices you're hearing from inside. "Ha ha! Human women are such squealers! Not as much fun as elven women though!" "Oh that's real original. Why is everyone always got such a fucking hard on for elven women? Too damn fragile if you ask me." "Go fucking rape a troll girl then." "Huh. Easier said than done my unimaginative friend. I tried that once and almost got married." "HAHAHAHA! See I told you this would be more fun than following Velzix…hey you smell that?" "Yes, I did sense the smell of fresh human blood in the air. Do you suppose we missed one?" "Only one way to find out!" At this point you start to back away as quickly as you can. You can't even run due to the pain, but you try your best. Your best isn't good enough though, as the dwellers of the farmhouse have exited and seen you. And as with everything that's been fucked up today, the ones that just exited the farmhouse happen to be demons. One is a bigger brutish looking sort, while the other is smaller yet definitely still more muscular than you. "Well what do we have here? Wounded meat? I say he gets to that rock before you can catch him and pull out his heart." "Hah! I'll take that bet!" The bigger one starts to walk towards you, but will undoubtedly quicken his pace soon. > You try to outrun the demon Fear griping your heart, you struggle and push yourself to run as fast as you can in your condition. Soon something else is gripping your heart. You look down at your chest and see your bloody still beating heart outside of where it is normally supposed to be. The demon fist holding it squeezes your heart a bit first before crushing it completely before your eyes. You die soon afterwards. "Hah! I told you I could reach him before he got to the rock!" the demon laughs as he lets his arm slide out of your dead slumping body.

There's undead all around you, fear coursing through your body and all you can think of is escape. You see a few others following orders, but their shots do nothing. Apparently the Necromancer has protected himself behind a more powerful magic shield than the cleric you saw die had. Even Wessel's spell dissipates before it. You ignore your orders, you ignore your fellow soldiers, you ignore the attack on Nuro, and you run and you're not a bit ashamed to put your survival first. The chaos of the fighting is bewildering and you don't really pay attention to what direction you're heading, you're just making a beeline to any destination not completely filled with zombies, ghosts, and skeletons. You look back, only to see more death. The hooded figure on top of the battlements calls down some sort of death cloud that begins to envelop the area you were previously in. The screams of the distant victims are horrible. You feel like you're living a nightmare as you constantly bump into corpses, both moving and unmoving. Defensive chops with your sword do nothing to kill the unnatural creatures and only temporarily push them out of your way. It is only by sheer luck that you get away without getting killed. You run further, leaving the carnage behind. You look back again to see if anything is in pursuit, but nothing is to your relief. Still, you're not comfortable and you continue to distance yourself until you can run no further and you must stop to rest. It is at this point, you wonder what you're going to do. You wonder if going back to report to the nearest Zalan commander would be wise. Will they punish you for running away? The situation was hopeless, surely they couldn't...could they? And even if they don't, then what? Send you back in? That's definitely not appealing given what you've seen. At this point you're really regretting your decision to join the army. You wish you could just leave. You want to go home. Going AWOL back in Retlad wasn't really an option; you would've been hunted down. But now? You probably would be listed as a casualty. You could theoretically disappear and attempt to live anonymously and do what you wanted to do in the first place. Just travel and play. Your family would even be compensated for your death, but still…you'd hate to put them through the grief of it, if it isn't true. Before you ponder your future options any further, you suddenly feel a pain in your side…you look down and see that you're bleeding. Apparently you were stabbed and didn't even realize it due to the adrenaline. You're feeling the pain now though and you attempt to stop the bleeding as much as you can. Regardless of what you're going to do in the future, right now you have to find civilization to at least get fixed up. The problem is that you don't know where the hell you are. You look around for some possible landmarks, but you're not seeing anything familiar. Lacking any other ideas, you start walking in the general direction of where you think the Zalan Empire is located. You walk for a few hours and the pain is getting worse. You start thinking that you might not get the chance to worry anymore about your potential future, but a farm house in the distance gives you a little hope and you press on. You get close to the front porch and that's when you stop. The front door is broken off its hinges and a few windows are also broken. You also notice a leg lying in the grass near you. Worse, whatever did this is apparently still around judging by the loud voices you're hearing from inside. "Ha ha! Human women are such squealers! Not as much fun as elven women though!" "Oh that's real original. Why is everyone always got such a fucking hard on for elven women? Too damn fragile if you ask me." "Go fucking rape a troll girl then." "Huh. Easier said than done my unimaginative friend. I tried that once and almost got married." "HAHAHAHA! See I told you this would be more fun than following Velzix…hey you smell that?" "Yes, I did sense the smell of fresh human blood in the air. Do you suppose we missed one?" "Only one way to find out!" At this point you start to back away as quickly as you can. You can't even run due to the pain, but you try your best. Your best isn't good enough though, as the dwellers of the farmhouse have exited and seen you. And as with everything that's been fucked up today, the ones that just exited the farmhouse happen to be demons. One is a bigger brutish looking sort, while the other is smaller yet definitely still more muscular than you. "Well what do we have here? Wounded meat? I say he gets to that rock before you can catch him and pull out his heart." "Hah! I'll take that bet!" The bigger one starts to walk towards you, but will undoubtedly quicken his pace soon. > You stand and fight Demons are a lot faster than the undead and you're wounded, no way are you going to be able to outrun them. You turn around and draw your bow, trying to ignore your pain which is overriding any fear you have at this point. Your weakened state is causing you to have a hard time aiming. "Uh oh, better be careful, looks like this one is going to put up a fight. I'd say by his uniform that he's a soldier." "Hur hur. Good. Hey human, better stop wobbling if you're going to aim that thing properly." You miss the demon completely. "Hah! You want me to walk slower human?" "You sure you should be playing with him like that? Don't you remember what happened earlier today?" "Shut up! I told ya, that bitch musta had some magical powers because…OW!" You hit the demon in the chest, but it doesn't seem much damage. He pulls out the arrow and now begins to quicken his pace. The other demon starts to walk towards you as well. "See, I told you to pay attention." "Bah! If this is the extent of what his little pig sticker can do, I'm not concerned. Hey human, don't you know they're doing great things with gunpower these days? RAAAAGH!" The big demon suddenly charges you, and you let your arrow fly. Right in the eye. "Perfect." You whisper. The demon bellows, but it doesn't slow him down. You narrowly dodge his charge. You roll on the ground and shoot two more arrows in his back. He turns around snarling and bellowing for your blood. More arrows fly into the creature, but at last the demon has reached you and smacks you to the ground. Your bow flies from your hand, and while crawling on the ground you try to draw your sword, but a crushing blow hits you on the back. This might've caused a lot more damage, but miraculously the lute that's still in your pack "softens" the blow. The crunching of wood signifies that it's broken though. "What the fuck, that's a weird noise…what is this? HA HA HA! Hey! You gotta be shittin' me! A fuckin' lute? Check this out! He's carrying a fuckin' lute! What's a fucking soldier doin' with a lute?" the big demon shouts to his acquaintance while he holds up your broken instrument. "Don't talk you idiot! LOOK OUT!" his acquaintance shouts, just as you recover long enough to shove your sword straight into the demon's groin. You push the sword upward in an attempt to do more damage and you succeed. Blood is flying everywhere and the demon howls in pain from the grievous wound. You pull your sword out and then proceed to repeatedly stab the demon until it falls backwards on the ground, dead. You're exhausted; you used all your remaining strength killing the thing. Unfortunately the other demon grabs you by the scruff like a helpless kitten and lifts you up off the ground a few inches. He knocks your sword out of your hand and looks at his fallen comrade. "Hmm, can't say I didn't warn him. Oh well, more meat for me. This may hurt a lot…" Fully expecting the death that you've managed to avoid for so long, you once again evade it when a gunshot rings out and part of the demon's head splatters in your face. You're dropped immediately. The demon's body is still standing though. "Shoot the bastard again!" you hear a gruff voice shout and this time the next shot hits chest and the demon falls. You lay motionless on the ground, looking up in the sky when your saviors come up to you. It's a group of dwarves armed with gun powder weapons. "By the gods, get doc out here! We need to fix this man up! Hey lad, you'll be alright, don't worry…are you a Zalan soldier?" one of the dwarves asks you. "…yeah…Nuro…lost…all dead…" is all you utter before fall into unconsciousness. A few days pass before you're somewhat back to a coherent state. You find yourself in a military outpost and at this point you don't care. You're just happy to be alive. It would seem that during your escape from Nuro, you ran in the direction of the Tulan Kingdom, the dwarven scouts that found you were from a small neutral kingdom trying its best to stay out of the dispute between Tulan and Zalan, but the new threat of demons running all over the nearby countryside caused them to increase patrols. They fixed you up, but dropped you off at the closest Zalan Fort. The Zalan fort that you're in right now is called Virtue and it's on the Tulan border. It seems relatively calm though. Not at all what you thought it would be. When one of the healers comes in to check on you, you begin to ask questions which she tries to answer to get you up to speed. The Tulan Kingdom is currently under attack from the demons now. They've been assaulting the place and even gaining help from some of the evil populace there. The demon citizens there have reverted back to their "bad behavior" and thrown their lot in with the invaders as well. That doesn't surprise you. The Tulan Kingdom pulled back some of their military from the borders so the fighting hasn't been as bad and Zalan's made a little more progress during this time, but the military minds are being cautious not to over extend. There is extreme concern over the recent demon invasion, not to mention the incident at Nuro. Word has already spread about the unsuccessful siege there. The healer also tells you that a few Zalan "high ups" are eager to speak to you soon, as they want to know what exactly happened at Nuro. You're somewhat of an important survivor since as far as anyone knows; you were the only one to successfully escape that killing zone. There's also talk of a "Grand Alliance" being created to counter these new threats. While the healer talks you end up drifting back to sleep wishing you could just escape it all. One year passes… You're still at Fort Virtue and it doesn't look like you'll be leaving the army anytime soon. You couldn't have been more wrong on your belief that you'd get executed for cowardice. You got promoted to sergeant instead, which in light of the current situation, is nearly the same thing. Your promotion came after several Zalan officers spoke to you about Nuro. You even got a medal. Stories and rumors creep around about how against all odds you survived an undead onslaught and fought off a bunch of demons as well. Your past "reputation" from your time in Retlad is exaggerated as well. It doesn't help that the citizens there remember you and are all willing to add to the exaggeration. All of these stories have been woven together in such an elaborate way to make you seem like some kind of hero most likely for propaganda purposes. And you know you're not hero. In fact you try to explain you aren't a hero to people, but they think you're just being modest, eventually you give up. Your assignment at Virtue hasn't been uneventful. There's fighting, but now it's mainly demon commanded enemies rather than Tulan ones. Some demon lord called Velzix killed the royalty there, completely conquered the area and made it his realm. The border war continues under new management except now it's more than just a border that the enemy is looking to take. Your superior, Captain Eckard reminds you of Valhlat except with a different name. You suppose there is a certain "cookie cutter" that occurs within the Zalan army that causes people to act the same. You've briefly wondered if you ever make that rank, you'll act the same way. You then usually laugh at the very fact that you ever would. Fort Virtue hasn't suffered a really bad attack yet, and it's mostly skirmishes, but it's like waiting for the other shoe to drop. You routinely go on patrols and give orders which you didn't think you'd be good at, but you think back to how you used to order your brothers and sisters around and perhaps you always had a bit a leadership skill, you just didn't want it. You thought that you'd be able to at least visit your family, but of course due to recent events, you're ordered to stay put. Your family at least is getting more money from your pay increase. They even send a new lute for you after you told them of the unfortunate event that resulted in the destruction of your last one. This gives you a little pleasure in a relatively joyless assignment. All in all, you still prefer it compared to being in the unsuccessful assaults on Nuro. The Grand Alliance that was formed hasn't been too successful as every one has been a slaughter from what you've heard. You already went through that once. You don't relish the idea of going through it again. One day while you're spending your free time practicing a new song, some new soldiers come into the fort. They look like they've just seen a vicious battle and are here to restock. One of them sees you and gives you a disapproving look. It's a woman with striking good looks, but definitely carrying an air of leadership about her. Her rank signifies her as a captain…yep same cookie cutter, just a little prettier. "You there! What are you doing playing an instrument? Shouldn't you be on watch or doing something more constructive with your time soldier? And you're a sergeant? You should know better!" "I'm not on watch duty right now and…" The woman doesn't even let you finish your explanation. Other soldiers that were sitting in your area are now slowly creeping out of the fray. Even her own soldiers are creeping away. They probably know all too well of how she acts. "So? You think evil is going to wait around for you to be ready for battle? Where is your superior officer? I can't believe they would allow such a relaxed attitude around here considering the importance of this fort! If you were serving under me, I'd have you flogged for your lack of discipline!" > You point her in the direction of your captain Shrugging your shoulders you point her in the direction of Captain Eckard to which she immediately marches off to. You don't think anything will come of it though. You do your job and Eckard's always been alright with you for the most part. At most you'll get him yelling at you for getting into a conflict with a superior officer. Your thoughts are wrong however. When the female captain confronts Eckard, she and he end up getting into a greater argument. Apparently they've been minor rivals in the past and this "lack of discipline" displayed by you just fuels her arguments that he isn't a fit for commanding a fort. She eventually leaves in a huff with her men, but still arguing with Eckard and saying that she'll see that he's relieved of his command and replaced with someone more competent. Captain Eckard is also now pissed at you for bringing this on him, he takes your lute away, breaks it and tells you that you won't be playing anymore and if he catches you doing it again he'll have you whipped. A few months pass as normal, but then the other boot finally drops. Whatever connections the female Captain had she's used them, and Captain Eckard is demoted and transferred out of the fort along with some of the others who seemed to be "disciplinary problems". Guess who's name showed up on that list? You're all transferred to areas where the fighting is a lot worse. You are sent to the Nuro front much to your dismay. Once again you're fighting hordes of undead on a mass scale. Never having fully gotten over your first conflict at Nuro, your nerves and well being in general is always on the verge of breaking with each skirmish and battle. You don't even have your music to keep you in a calm state of mind anymore either. It's actually amazing you survive. You soon hear about how the Grand Alliance outsted a necromancer called Trelik from the Brot Kingdom. That makes you feel somewhat better, but that hopefulness is soon brought low when you hear about the successful attack on Brot that happens soon afterwards. A Necromancer from Nuro reportedly conquered the entire Kingdom with undead giants. Your morale is further lowered when you hear that your company is being sent to help the Grand Alliance take it back again. When you actually see the dead monstrosities, your fragile will shatters completely. When the battle commences, you're just about useless in battle. Your dumb luck also runs out and you're unable to fight or even retreat your way out of this one. The undead giants might be big, but they're also faster than what they appear to be. One of them charges into your company line which at this point is trying to get out of the way and swings his club striking several. You being among them. You eventually land several feet away from the main part of the fighting, broken and bloody. You're unable to move and just quietly moan in pain until you bleed out and die from your extensive wounds. You're not even useful for the Necromancer to raise for his ever growing army.

Demons are a lot faster than the undead and you're wounded, no way are you going to be able to outrun them. You turn around and draw your bow, trying to ignore your pain which is overriding any fear you have at this point. Your weakened state is causing you to have a hard time aiming. "Uh oh, better be careful, looks like this one is going to put up a fight. I'd say by his uniform that he's a soldier." "Hur hur. Good. Hey human, better stop wobbling if you're going to aim that thing properly." You miss the demon completely. "Hah! You want me to walk slower human?" "You sure you should be playing with him like that? Don't you remember what happened earlier today?" "Shut up! I told ya, that bitch musta had some magical powers because…OW!" You hit the demon in the chest, but it doesn't seem much damage. He pulls out the arrow and now begins to quicken his pace. The other demon starts to walk towards you as well. "See, I told you to pay attention." "Bah! If this is the extent of what his little pig sticker can do, I'm not concerned. Hey human, don't you know they're doing great things with gunpower these days? RAAAAGH!" The big demon suddenly charges you, and you let your arrow fly. Right in the eye. "Perfect." You whisper. The demon bellows, but it doesn't slow him down. You narrowly dodge his charge. You roll on the ground and shoot two more arrows in his back. He turns around snarling and bellowing for your blood. More arrows fly into the creature, but at last the demon has reached you and smacks you to the ground. Your bow flies from your hand, and while crawling on the ground you try to draw your sword, but a crushing blow hits you on the back. This might've caused a lot more damage, but miraculously the lute that's still in your pack "softens" the blow. The crunching of wood signifies that it's broken though. "What the fuck, that's a weird noise…what is this? HA HA HA! Hey! You gotta be shittin' me! A fuckin' lute? Check this out! He's carrying a fuckin' lute! What's a fucking soldier doin' with a lute?" the big demon shouts to his acquaintance while he holds up your broken instrument. "Don't talk you idiot! LOOK OUT!" his acquaintance shouts, just as you recover long enough to shove your sword straight into the demon's groin. You push the sword upward in an attempt to do more damage and you succeed. Blood is flying everywhere and the demon howls in pain from the grievous wound. You pull your sword out and then proceed to repeatedly stab the demon until it falls backwards on the ground, dead. You're exhausted; you used all your remaining strength killing the thing. Unfortunately the other demon grabs you by the scruff like a helpless kitten and lifts you up off the ground a few inches. He knocks your sword out of your hand and looks at his fallen comrade. "Hmm, can't say I didn't warn him. Oh well, more meat for me. This may hurt a lot…" Fully expecting the death that you've managed to avoid for so long, you once again evade it when a gunshot rings out and part of the demon's head splatters in your face. You're dropped immediately. The demon's body is still standing though. "Shoot the bastard again!" you hear a gruff voice shout and this time the next shot hits chest and the demon falls. You lay motionless on the ground, looking up in the sky when your saviors come up to you. It's a group of dwarves armed with gun powder weapons. "By the gods, get doc out here! We need to fix this man up! Hey lad, you'll be alright, don't worry…are you a Zalan soldier?" one of the dwarves asks you. "…yeah…Nuro…lost…all dead…" is all you utter before fall into unconsciousness. A few days pass before you're somewhat back to a coherent state. You find yourself in a military outpost and at this point you don't care. You're just happy to be alive. It would seem that during your escape from Nuro, you ran in the direction of the Tulan Kingdom, the dwarven scouts that found you were from a small neutral kingdom trying its best to stay out of the dispute between Tulan and Zalan, but the new threat of demons running all over the nearby countryside caused them to increase patrols. They fixed you up, but dropped you off at the closest Zalan Fort. The Zalan fort that you're in right now is called Virtue and it's on the Tulan border. It seems relatively calm though. Not at all what you thought it would be. When one of the healers comes in to check on you, you begin to ask questions which she tries to answer to get you up to speed. The Tulan Kingdom is currently under attack from the demons now. They've been assaulting the place and even gaining help from some of the evil populace there. The demon citizens there have reverted back to their "bad behavior" and thrown their lot in with the invaders as well. That doesn't surprise you. The Tulan Kingdom pulled back some of their military from the borders so the fighting hasn't been as bad and Zalan's made a little more progress during this time, but the military minds are being cautious not to over extend. There is extreme concern over the recent demon invasion, not to mention the incident at Nuro. Word has already spread about the unsuccessful siege there. The healer also tells you that a few Zalan "high ups" are eager to speak to you soon, as they want to know what exactly happened at Nuro. You're somewhat of an important survivor since as far as anyone knows; you were the only one to successfully escape that killing zone. There's also talk of a "Grand Alliance" being created to counter these new threats. While the healer talks you end up drifting back to sleep wishing you could just escape it all. One year passes… You're still at Fort Virtue and it doesn't look like you'll be leaving the army anytime soon. You couldn't have been more wrong on your belief that you'd get executed for cowardice. You got promoted to sergeant instead, which in light of the current situation, is nearly the same thing. Your promotion came after several Zalan officers spoke to you about Nuro. You even got a medal. Stories and rumors creep around about how against all odds you survived an undead onslaught and fought off a bunch of demons as well. Your past "reputation" from your time in Retlad is exaggerated as well. It doesn't help that the citizens there remember you and are all willing to add to the exaggeration. All of these stories have been woven together in such an elaborate way to make you seem like some kind of hero most likely for propaganda purposes. And you know you're not hero. In fact you try to explain you aren't a hero to people, but they think you're just being modest, eventually you give up. Your assignment at Virtue hasn't been uneventful. There's fighting, but now it's mainly demon commanded enemies rather than Tulan ones. Some demon lord called Velzix killed the royalty there, completely conquered the area and made it his realm. The border war continues under new management except now it's more than just a border that the enemy is looking to take. Your superior, Captain Eckard reminds you of Valhlat except with a different name. You suppose there is a certain "cookie cutter" that occurs within the Zalan army that causes people to act the same. You've briefly wondered if you ever make that rank, you'll act the same way. You then usually laugh at the very fact that you ever would. Fort Virtue hasn't suffered a really bad attack yet, and it's mostly skirmishes, but it's like waiting for the other shoe to drop. You routinely go on patrols and give orders which you didn't think you'd be good at, but you think back to how you used to order your brothers and sisters around and perhaps you always had a bit a leadership skill, you just didn't want it. You thought that you'd be able to at least visit your family, but of course due to recent events, you're ordered to stay put. Your family at least is getting more money from your pay increase. They even send a new lute for you after you told them of the unfortunate event that resulted in the destruction of your last one. This gives you a little pleasure in a relatively joyless assignment. All in all, you still prefer it compared to being in the unsuccessful assaults on Nuro. The Grand Alliance that was formed hasn't been too successful as every one has been a slaughter from what you've heard. You already went through that once. You don't relish the idea of going through it again. One day while you're spending your free time practicing a new song, some new soldiers come into the fort. They look like they've just seen a vicious battle and are here to restock. One of them sees you and gives you a disapproving look. It's a woman with striking good looks, but definitely carrying an air of leadership about her. Her rank signifies her as a captain…yep same cookie cutter, just a little prettier. "You there! What are you doing playing an instrument? Shouldn't you be on watch or doing something more constructive with your time soldier? And you're a sergeant? You should know better!" "I'm not on watch duty right now and…" The woman doesn't even let you finish your explanation. Other soldiers that were sitting in your area are now slowly creeping out of the fray. Even her own soldiers are creeping away. They probably know all too well of how she acts. "So? You think evil is going to wait around for you to be ready for battle? Where is your superior officer? I can't believe they would allow such a relaxed attitude around here considering the importance of this fort! If you were serving under me, I'd have you flogged for your lack of discipline!" > You argue with her You've served in this army well and always done your job regardless of the shitty situations you've been in. You might not like a lot of it, but you've never complained. Lately you've been on edge about a possible all out assault of some big ass demon army that's going to attack any day now, and playing is one of the few pleasures you have to put your mind at ease. Perhaps it's a combination of this and a combination of this unwanted and unnecessary scolding that causes you to speak out of turn. "With all due respect ma'am, I am fully prepared to battle at a moment's notice and so are those under my direct command. But even soldiers need to rest, if only for a minute." The woman looks very surprised you didn't comply with her demand to see your superior officer. "…you DARE speak out of turn like that to me? I'll see you sent to the Nuro Front for that sort of insubordination! Then we'd see just how battle ready you are! How would you like that?" "I wouldn't like it at all. I barely survived the first time." You say trying not to express any fear. "…What? What are you talking about? First time?" Now you're a little surprised she doesn't know who you are considering how some of the high ups exaggerated about how you managed to survive. You explain yourself briefly and she doesn't quite believe you at first, a couple of your troops hiding nearby at least back up your claims before slinking off. "That was YOU? What the hell are you doing here? You should be leading from the front not languishing in some fort that barely sees battle!" "Doesn't see battle? We suffered a small demon raid last week! We see plenty of battle!" "What I mean is, somebody of your obvious combat and survival skills should be assigned on the front lines where you can do more good. Normally I don't question Zalan command, but this is really an oversight on their part." "Well maybe they know better than the both of us, besides this assignment isn't a walk in the fairy fields. I think we'll be suffering a grand scale attack any day now." "Doubt it. Velzix has been having a hard time keeping his unruly mob together. If it wasn't for a lot of the sycophantic Tulan citizens, he'd probably be confined to pure defense, though something will have to be done soon, reports say he's attempting to gate in more demons everyday. Not to mention that supposedly civilized demons from other nations are starting to display their true colors and flock to his banner. Like I always said the only good demon is a dead one!" This causes you to smile a bit and she very faintly smiles back when she sees that you feel the same way. This smile disappears quickly though as she continues her rant. "I wish I wasn't assigned to the Tulan Border though. I'd rather be taking Nuro back. THAT'S the more dangerous threat. The demons will kill themselves with their own chaotic and violent natures, but the undead…they've almost taken over the world before just because of one bastard that lead them. I never thought I'd see a serious threat like this in my lifetime, especially not…" The female captain at this point stops. She even looks away from you as if whatever she was going to say was just too much even for her. She seems to be a lot more battle hardened than you and probably ten times braver. You can't imagine what horror she experienced that would be worse than your own, but you don't find out since she changes the subject. "…Bah! Maybe you're right; a soldier does need to keep their mind occupied on other things every now and then. We aren't undead after all. So what's with the lute? You also a bard or something?" she laughs. "No, I think those dreams are long gone, but my playing seems to boost spirits around here a little, which can only be a good thing in this situation." "Hm. My mother was elven and she used to sing this song to me and my…brother when we were very young. It was very smooth and calming. Beautiful melody." "Yeah, most elven music is like that. When I was assigned in Retlad I learned a few elven songs from a few of the citizens there, you wouldn't happen to know the song would you?" She tells you the name of the song and you know it immediately. One of the first new songs you learned while stationed in Retlad actually. This seems cause her to momentarily revert to a less stand offish behavior. You're about to play it for her, but then a messenger comes running up handing her a note. She reads it and she's all business again. "Alright men! We're moving out!" she shouts and leaves without saying another word to you. You didn't even learn her name. Perhaps it's just as well; you'll most likely never meet again due to one of you dying on the battlefield. You go back to doing what you were doing. Two years pass… Three years since the Nuro Incident and this struggle still continues. You're still stationed Fort Virtue and you've repelled more demon attacks than you would care to count. Velzix has finally gotten his shit together completely. A unified demonic front is in full swing here and its taking its toll. Once again your skills have come in very handy in defense. You are certainly known as a demon slayer, but you still don't feel like a hero of any kind. You're just trying to do your job and survive. You save lives when you can, but you know ultimately it's a futile task as death seems to be everywhere nowadays. As bad as it is on the demon front, its nothing compared to what've you've heard on the undead front. The Necromancer has finally broken out from Nuro, and successfully attacked the Kingdom of Brot. Several undead giants demolished the area. You've never even seen a living giant and they sound intimidating. You can't even imagine an undead one. The power to raise one, let alone several is sort of scary. The Grand Alliance army didn't get there in time to stop him and as usual they were repelled when they arrived. You worry about the Grand Alliance failing to stop the undead horde. You hope it doesn't get any closer to the Zalan Empire where your family might be in danger. Sometimes you worry so much that you can't sleep, not that you do much of that nowadays anyway. Normally you play to keep your mind at ease, but tonight you go to the archery range to keep yourself focused. For a long time you're by yourself, but suddenly you feel a creeping suspicion someone is watching you… You turn around with your bow and see a pale man. He holds up his hands. "Hey now! Don't shoot! Sorry for creeping around like that. Professional habit." He says. "What? Who are you?" you demand. "Warnov. Zalan Intelligence." "You're a spy?" "Well I suppose you could put it that way. I was here to give some info to your Captain Eckard, and I also wanted to take a look around the fort. Didn't think anyone would be on the range though. Nice shooting, I know who you are and heard about your marksmanship with a bow. You're certainly doing your part with the demons around here." Despite the fact that you're talking to a spy, you feel the need to vent your feelings. "Yeah, well I hope the Grand Alliance starts doing its part. I mean what the fuck are they doing? Weren't they created to put a stop to all this shit? I mean am I supposed to worry every day if that undead horde is going to get closer to the Zalan Empire where it can threaten my family?" Warnov doesn't look offended by your words, if anything he looks intrigued. "Well, I can understand why you're venting. Trust me I sympathize. But as part of intel, I can tell you its not that easy…there were a lot of surprises that weren't accounted for. We're doing our best to rectify this situation by gathering as much info as possible. In fact, you could help us…" "Excuse me? How?" Warnov looks around and gets closer before speaking. "Look, as I said, I know all about you and your skills, why you joined, all of it. I know you don't much care for some of the propaganda made about some of your exploits. But it's important to realize that deeds like yours must be blown up a little to give common people hope that ultimately good will win the day. You may not consider yourself a hero of any kind, but your actions aren't without some of those qualities. You obviously care very much about your family, and I've heard how you try to keep the people under your command alive. Sound like heroic qualities to me. Perhaps they're on a smaller scale, but they're there. I'm betting that there's a BIGGER hero in there somewhere, just itching to get out. You think the Grand Alliance isn't doing a good job? Perhaps we can arrange something for you to be transferred into it, or maybe you'd like to take an even more direct approach." "What do you mean?" Warnov suddenly backs away. "Before we go any further. I need to know are you willing to take up the mantle of being a hero. Because if you aren't, then we have nothing more to discuss. I shall require an answer now." > You decline the offer You have to admit, the idea has crossed your mind a bit. A small part of you does wonder about embracing the whole hero image and deliberately doing grand deeds that go beyond the call of your duty. You suppose that you'd at least really feel like one if you did that. However, more often than not real heroes don't live long. You're wondering what exactly this Mr. Warnov has in mind for you and given his demeanor, his appearance and just your own feelings of uncertainty about him, you decline. You know your limitations even if others don't see them. So, no you won't be hunting down some artifact of unlimited power and then single handedly taking out a Demon Lord or Necromancer Lord in their own throne room. "No, I don't think so Mr. Warnov. As I've often said, I'm no hero. I'm just doing my job and providing for my family." Mr. Warnov looks disappointed and sighs, but accepts your decision. "Very well. This is a shame though. Despite your humble birth you seem to have lots of potential. You could've made an excellent addition to our…organization. I've also heard your lute playing wasn't bad either, we don't have any musically talented types anymore…oh well." Mr. Warnov leaves rather quickly after his last statement. Something about him seemed very odd and you're sort of glad you didn't take his offer. You go back to your target practice for awhile when you suddenly hear an alarm cry out loudly through the fort about a small demon army being sighted over the hill. "Well back to work…" you say and prepare for battle once again. Two years pass… It's been five years since the Nuro Incident and things have gotten worse. Both the Necromancer Lord and Velzix have made progress. Too much. The Grand Alliance hasn't been able to do anything except fight them to a stalemate. All three sides are looking to gain an advantage and somehow you don't think it'll be yours. The Zalan Empire has become increasingly totalitarian. It's been increasing its influence over how the Grand Alliance should be run and its strategies. Some of Zalan's officers have been transferred to become more prominent in leading and commanding the bulk of the Grand Alliance army. You're not sure if this isn't a bad idea. Bullying or not, one final voice in matters would probably help the Grand Alliance at this point. There's been some grumbling by other nations though. However it's also begun several repressive internal measures to keep itself safe. Your mom has mentioned in letters back to you of seeing routine patrols now near the farm. Talks of seizing private property for the good of the Empire are being discussed. You don't really like the sound of that, but it's not really like you can do anything about it. You can only take solace in the fact that being part of the Zalan army will at least result in your family not becoming homeless. They would probably still be able to live and work on the farm…it just wouldn't be your family's anymore. There's also talk of a draft. You don't like the sound of that either. Your brother Mallack would certainly be conscripted now. You can't imagine him dealing with the things you've had to face. You hope it doesn't come to that. Your position at Virtue is looking worse and worse each day. Parts of the fort are severely damaged, you're short on man power and you don't even have any decent wizards or healers. You've attempted to talk to Captain Eckard about withdrawing and falling back to a safer position, but he won't hear of it. This fort is NOT to be abandoned. The only good thing is that there's apparently been a small contingent of mercenaries severely messing up things for Velzix in his own territory. They must be incredibly brave or completely mad for Zalan gold to perform such a task. You can't help but think that maybe YOU would be there right along side them, if you'd joined up with that mercenary company years ago. A sobering thought. Time to go on patrol again. You gather up some soldiers and get ready. You look at all of them and wonder which ones won't be coming back this time. You look at yourself and wonder if you will. A few years ago, everyone coming back alive was at least a possibility, but now it's not even certain. You go out and change up your routine path again. Always have to be different, can't become predictable. A couple of imps attack. Nothing to worry about. Easily dispatched. You know you'll encounter worse before the day is over though. A group of Tulan "citizens" led by their demon overseer attacks you next. Made up of hapless slaves and misguided idiots who think serving the demons is going to pan out in the long run. Finally you come across something a little more unusual. A small group of dwarves fighting off a large demon ambush. They look ragged, wounded and in dire need of help. So you help them. You unleash five arrows into the head of an Eviscerator before two of your number are fried by a hellfire blast from a Flame Child. The fighting doesn't get any cleaner from there. You see another one of your members getting shredded, before a path is cleared for the dwarves to follow you back to the fort. One of their own chooses to stay behind to give the rest a chance to escape. As all of you run, a large explosion is heard followed by several yelps, howls and screams. The dwarf has blown himself up with whatever explosives the dwarves are fond of making. Finally you get back to the fort where it's relatively safe, and all you're thinking about is how you'll have to do this all over again tomorrow. You retire to your private room where you play your lute and hope you aren't disturbed by another attack on the fort. Happily, that doesn't happen, but you are disturbed by one of the dwarves you rescued earlier instead. He's come to thank you. "Hey lad, I just want to say thanks to your actions at least a few of us survived from our clan. Such as it is now. Something about you looks very familiar. Normally you humans all look the same but…ah hah! You're that lad who I saved near that farm five years ago! Looks like you returned the favor! Stagir's the name." You didn't realize it either, but then with all the fighting and the chaos you'd barely survived during that particular day, you weren't really paying attention to faces. You were just glad someone came along when they did. "Yeah…small world I guess. So what happened to your clan?" "Wiped out lad." Stagir says mournfully. "At least when you humans were fighting each other you didn't mess with us, but getting caught between the undead and demons…well it's a bit different." "The undead are that far now?" you ask. "Aye. They and the demons have been involved in skirmishes here and there. Got no problem with evil fighting evil, but it was just our bad luck that my clan was caught in the middle. The demons are evil incarnate to be sure, but the undead…I dunno. Something worse about them. In the final days, I had to kill clan members who I once called friends and family because of the fucking necromancers raising them from the dead. Some stayed behind to fight since they refused to run. They'd rather die than run from their home. Normally I'd agree, but after seeing that this was a losing battle, some of us decided that it would be better to run. After all we would just be raised again to be used as puppets of the necromancers when we die. Not even free will to choose, or the threat of a demon's whip. You just become one of them. Can't let that happen to me. Never." You know something of it, having had to do a little of that five years ago at Nuro, but actually killing undead parodies of family members would be pretty horrific. Stagir attempts to lighten the mood a bit by asking you about what you were playing before he interrupted. When you tell him, he tiches and says something about how elven songs are nothing compared to dwarven ones. You never really thought of dwarves having a musical interest before, but Stagir boasts about how they have quite an extensive musical history. He takes the lute from you and shows you a couple of dwarven songs, breaking strings in the process. His insistent singing accompanying the songs isn't exactly pleasant either. He complains about the human made strings not being strong enough to play the songs properly, but thanks you again for saving his life before leaving. Every now and then you play these songs for your new dwarven allies who have taken it upon themselves to strengthen and rebuild the fort the "proper dwarf way". They seem to appreciate it. You're a little more careful with the strings and don't indulge in the singing though. (But unfortunately for the rest of the fort, the dwarves do) A few months pass and the demon attacks seem to decrease. The strengthened fort certainly helps, but something else is going on. Eventually you're seeing less and less of them. Eventually some ragged refugees come to the fort and after a bit of babbling and thanking the gods, a few of them explain. There are a couple of conflicting stories, but it would seem Velzix is dead! He was killed by something or someone. Consensus seems to be that the mercenary leader died in battle with him though. Without Velzix's leadership the demons are fighting amongst themselves and the realm is in complete disarray. The Grand Alliance is taking steps to retake the land immediately before the Necromancer Lord gets it. The Zalan Empire in particular is closer though, so naturally YOUR nation is going to get that land first! While things may be looking up somewhat, they aren't necessarily looking up for you. Captain Eckard has orders to begin an attack immediately. You aren't looking forward to it mainly because you'll probably encounter an undead army in the process. You don't have a choice though except for what role you can serve. Thanks to your skills and rank. You can either lead troops as normal, or be part of a scouting party. > You choose to lead rank and file If its undead you're going to face you decide you don't want to get caught fighting them with only a few men to help you. Captain Eckard is a little surprised by your decision, but chooses a few others to be the reconnaissance group. Your replacements aren't as good as you might've been however. Many times they fuck up and miss a few demon bands that were fleeing from the Tulan Kingdom and ambushing whoever passed by. It's not too bad at first, but the closer you get to the capital, the more powerful these little groups are. The losses get more severe, but Captain Eckard insists on continuing. By the time you get to the capital during most of the citizens there have been so corrupted or beat down by the demons at this point that they've either sold their own souls to Hell or gone completely mad. You're attacked by them and a few of the demon hold outs. Your own ranks have been severely weakened by this point. It's during an ambush that you're suddenly hit by a fireball from a flame demon who was sitting on top of a nearby rooftop. You run around screaming and trying to put out the flames, but a couple of flying imps throw spears into your back ensuring that you lie still as you finish burning to death.

You have to admit, the idea has crossed your mind a bit. A small part of you does wonder about embracing the whole hero image and deliberately doing grand deeds that go beyond the call of your duty. You suppose that you'd at least really feel like one if you did that. However, more often than not real heroes don't live long. You're wondering what exactly this Mr. Warnov has in mind for you and given his demeanor, his appearance and just your own feelings of uncertainty about him, you decline. You know your limitations even if others don't see them. So, no you won't be hunting down some artifact of unlimited power and then single handedly taking out a Demon Lord or Necromancer Lord in their own throne room. "No, I don't think so Mr. Warnov. As I've often said, I'm no hero. I'm just doing my job and providing for my family." Mr. Warnov looks disappointed and sighs, but accepts your decision. "Very well. This is a shame though. Despite your humble birth you seem to have lots of potential. You could've made an excellent addition to our…organization. I've also heard your lute playing wasn't bad either, we don't have any musically talented types anymore…oh well." Mr. Warnov leaves rather quickly after his last statement. Something about him seemed very odd and you're sort of glad you didn't take his offer. You go back to your target practice for awhile when you suddenly hear an alarm cry out loudly through the fort about a small demon army being sighted over the hill. "Well back to work…" you say and prepare for battle once again. Two years pass… It's been five years since the Nuro Incident and things have gotten worse. Both the Necromancer Lord and Velzix have made progress. Too much. The Grand Alliance hasn't been able to do anything except fight them to a stalemate. All three sides are looking to gain an advantage and somehow you don't think it'll be yours. The Zalan Empire has become increasingly totalitarian. It's been increasing its influence over how the Grand Alliance should be run and its strategies. Some of Zalan's officers have been transferred to become more prominent in leading and commanding the bulk of the Grand Alliance army. You're not sure if this isn't a bad idea. Bullying or not, one final voice in matters would probably help the Grand Alliance at this point. There's been some grumbling by other nations though. However it's also begun several repressive internal measures to keep itself safe. Your mom has mentioned in letters back to you of seeing routine patrols now near the farm. Talks of seizing private property for the good of the Empire are being discussed. You don't really like the sound of that, but it's not really like you can do anything about it. You can only take solace in the fact that being part of the Zalan army will at least result in your family not becoming homeless. They would probably still be able to live and work on the farm…it just wouldn't be your family's anymore. There's also talk of a draft. You don't like the sound of that either. Your brother Mallack would certainly be conscripted now. You can't imagine him dealing with the things you've had to face. You hope it doesn't come to that. Your position at Virtue is looking worse and worse each day. Parts of the fort are severely damaged, you're short on man power and you don't even have any decent wizards or healers. You've attempted to talk to Captain Eckard about withdrawing and falling back to a safer position, but he won't hear of it. This fort is NOT to be abandoned. The only good thing is that there's apparently been a small contingent of mercenaries severely messing up things for Velzix in his own territory. They must be incredibly brave or completely mad for Zalan gold to perform such a task. You can't help but think that maybe YOU would be there right along side them, if you'd joined up with that mercenary company years ago. A sobering thought. Time to go on patrol again. You gather up some soldiers and get ready. You look at all of them and wonder which ones won't be coming back this time. You look at yourself and wonder if you will. A few years ago, everyone coming back alive was at least a possibility, but now it's not even certain. You go out and change up your routine path again. Always have to be different, can't become predictable. A couple of imps attack. Nothing to worry about. Easily dispatched. You know you'll encounter worse before the day is over though. A group of Tulan "citizens" led by their demon overseer attacks you next. Made up of hapless slaves and misguided idiots who think serving the demons is going to pan out in the long run. Finally you come across something a little more unusual. A small group of dwarves fighting off a large demon ambush. They look ragged, wounded and in dire need of help. So you help them. You unleash five arrows into the head of an Eviscerator before two of your number are fried by a hellfire blast from a Flame Child. The fighting doesn't get any cleaner from there. You see another one of your members getting shredded, before a path is cleared for the dwarves to follow you back to the fort. One of their own chooses to stay behind to give the rest a chance to escape. As all of you run, a large explosion is heard followed by several yelps, howls and screams. The dwarf has blown himself up with whatever explosives the dwarves are fond of making. Finally you get back to the fort where it's relatively safe, and all you're thinking about is how you'll have to do this all over again tomorrow. You retire to your private room where you play your lute and hope you aren't disturbed by another attack on the fort. Happily, that doesn't happen, but you are disturbed by one of the dwarves you rescued earlier instead. He's come to thank you. "Hey lad, I just want to say thanks to your actions at least a few of us survived from our clan. Such as it is now. Something about you looks very familiar. Normally you humans all look the same but…ah hah! You're that lad who I saved near that farm five years ago! Looks like you returned the favor! Stagir's the name." You didn't realize it either, but then with all the fighting and the chaos you'd barely survived during that particular day, you weren't really paying attention to faces. You were just glad someone came along when they did. "Yeah…small world I guess. So what happened to your clan?" "Wiped out lad." Stagir says mournfully. "At least when you humans were fighting each other you didn't mess with us, but getting caught between the undead and demons…well it's a bit different." "The undead are that far now?" you ask. "Aye. They and the demons have been involved in skirmishes here and there. Got no problem with evil fighting evil, but it was just our bad luck that my clan was caught in the middle. The demons are evil incarnate to be sure, but the undead…I dunno. Something worse about them. In the final days, I had to kill clan members who I once called friends and family because of the fucking necromancers raising them from the dead. Some stayed behind to fight since they refused to run. They'd rather die than run from their home. Normally I'd agree, but after seeing that this was a losing battle, some of us decided that it would be better to run. After all we would just be raised again to be used as puppets of the necromancers when we die. Not even free will to choose, or the threat of a demon's whip. You just become one of them. Can't let that happen to me. Never." You know something of it, having had to do a little of that five years ago at Nuro, but actually killing undead parodies of family members would be pretty horrific. Stagir attempts to lighten the mood a bit by asking you about what you were playing before he interrupted. When you tell him, he tiches and says something about how elven songs are nothing compared to dwarven ones. You never really thought of dwarves having a musical interest before, but Stagir boasts about how they have quite an extensive musical history. He takes the lute from you and shows you a couple of dwarven songs, breaking strings in the process. His insistent singing accompanying the songs isn't exactly pleasant either. He complains about the human made strings not being strong enough to play the songs properly, but thanks you again for saving his life before leaving. Every now and then you play these songs for your new dwarven allies who have taken it upon themselves to strengthen and rebuild the fort the "proper dwarf way". They seem to appreciate it. You're a little more careful with the strings and don't indulge in the singing though. (But unfortunately for the rest of the fort, the dwarves do) A few months pass and the demon attacks seem to decrease. The strengthened fort certainly helps, but something else is going on. Eventually you're seeing less and less of them. Eventually some ragged refugees come to the fort and after a bit of babbling and thanking the gods, a few of them explain. There are a couple of conflicting stories, but it would seem Velzix is dead! He was killed by something or someone. Consensus seems to be that the mercenary leader died in battle with him though. Without Velzix's leadership the demons are fighting amongst themselves and the realm is in complete disarray. The Grand Alliance is taking steps to retake the land immediately before the Necromancer Lord gets it. The Zalan Empire in particular is closer though, so naturally YOUR nation is going to get that land first! While things may be looking up somewhat, they aren't necessarily looking up for you. Captain Eckard has orders to begin an attack immediately. You aren't looking forward to it mainly because you'll probably encounter an undead army in the process. You don't have a choice though except for what role you can serve. Thanks to your skills and rank. You can either lead troops as normal, or be part of a scouting party. > You choose to scout If you've learned one thing, numbers doesn't necessarily imply safety. With all the years of patrolling you've done along with your previous actions in Retlad so long ago, you actually feel more comfortable in smaller groups at this point. Your one and only rank and file battle didn't go well. Your choice isn't surprising, if anything more people feel comfortable with you scouting ahead. As you journey further into former Tulan territory, you don't encounter too much resistance. A few demons and crazed followers here and there, but nothing you can't take care of. It also occurs to you how "planted" you've been for the past five years. While it's true you did leave the fort a lot, you never ventured far from it. This is first time you've actually traveled. Ironic, since one of the reasons why you joined the army was the possibility of traveling to interesting places. However, it seems like you only visit these interesting places after they're already destroyed. You're basically seeing the aftermath of the demon occupation. It sort of reminds you of what you'd seen back in Retlad when the Quillars were killing folks except the landscape is in even worse condition. The demons weren't content on just corrupting their mortal slaves; they were attempting to turn the entire land into their infernal realm. You can only imagine what sort of hell was going on while they were actually here. You get to a small town that's completely wrecked and seemingly deserted. Its night time and normally you'd go back and wait until morning to scout it, but Captain Eckard is insistent on getting to the former Tulan capital as quick as possible. You split up into small groups to scout the town quicker and tell everyone that if they come across anything more then they can handle, to run and alert everyone else. You go building to building not really encountering much of anything. Not even survivors. Lots of half eaten dead bodies in various states of torment though. You expect when Velzix was killed the whole realm descended into anarchy pretty quickly and the demons reverted back to their chaotic natures causing as much mayhem as possible without too much repercussion. You enter a shop with two of your other team members. You hear a creaking sound, which doesn't sound good. One of your team members goes a little further in, and it gets louder. "Step back! The floors is…" you utter and then a large portion of the floor collapses underneath him. You attempt to grab his hand, but fail and the rest of the floor collapses underneath you as well. You don't fall too far, but you definitely feel it. You recover as quick as you can and hear your other subordinate who managed to avoid falling through the floor. "Sarge! Are you alright?" Private Ramusen shouts. "Yeah, yeah private. I'm just a little bruised." "What about Gannon? Is he alright?" You take your tinder box and make a small light. You look around and see that you must be in the basement of some sort of music shop from all the instruments you see. You didn't even notice when you first entered the place, it just looked like any other ransacked shop. Upon further inspection you see a body lying on the floor. It's Private Gannon and he's dead. He didn't land in the "good way" you did and broke his neck. "He's dead." You call up to Ramusen. "Shit! He's fuckin' dead?" "Yeah private, I just said he was! Now let me get the hell out of here…fuck! The damn stairs are completely destroyed. I can't climb up, or even attempt a jump. Ramusen, throw down a rope and make sure you really secure it!" While you wait for Ramusen to complete this task, you take a look at some of the instruments. Lots of flutes and other wind instruments that don't interest you. You grab an old looking mandolin. It's definitely human design, but it seems very ornate though, must've been a specialty piece that wasn't for sale. You pluck at the strings and despite the dirt, grime, and neglect of the instrument; it still manages to produce a fairly pleasing tone. You play for a good five minutes before you realize that Ramusen hasn't thrown down the rope yet. "Private?" is all you utter, when you hear the slumping of a lifeless body, followed by a low voice. "Beautiful…" You grab your bow, when you see a dark figure loom above you. You fire, but miss due to the figure dodging quicker than anything you've ever encountered before. It doesn't help that this same figure has jumped down the hole beside you before you can blink. You're standing right before the figure now. He has a pale, but familiar face, though the blood around the mouth is new and not encouraging. He knocks the bow out of your hand, but does nothing else to you. You wouldn't be quick enough to draw your sword given what you've seen. In fact right now, all you're feeling is fear. "Almost hit me…you would've made a good addition. Maybe you could've even…no. Nobody can. This world is lost now and soon my kind won't even be around to guide your kind to combat the inevitable anymore…" Warnov says. "What…what are you talking about?" you ask unsure what's going to happen next. Warnov looks as if he could tell you more than you'd ever want to know about lots of things, but instead he just shakes his head. "Nevermind human. Telling you the whole story would not help you anyway. Perhaps it's best you hadn't joined us, seeing as I have been marked now. It won't be long before the rest of my kind are hunted down. He's really quite pissed at us, and worse, he can sense us you see…(sigh) I can only imagine what he did to poor Count Rostov…" "Who's pissed?" "Who do you think human? The Necro…I mean the Great Lich Lord of course. Oh yes. He's back…and this one isn't going to lose like the last one did so long ago." You're not following all of Warnov's cryptic speak, but if the last bit he's said is true, he's scared the hell out of you more than he has with his actions. Warnov grabs your shoulder and looks into your eyes. "I do not envy your fate human…the extinction of your species will soon follow my own. My advice to you? Live human! Live while you can, for eventually this whole world will be dead and under his complete control." Sensing that he's brought enough doom and gloom to you, he relents and steps back. "Play me a song human." He says catching you off guard. "…what did you want to hear?" you ask shakily. "I don't know…anything. Play what you were playing before." You slowly pick up the dropped mandolin and begin playing the song that you were playing before and you play as if your life depended on it, though you get the impression that Warnov has no intention on killing you. He sits quietly listening in the darkness, after finishing the song; he leaps back up through the hole. "Beautiful…such talent…such a waste…" A rope is thrown down and the sounds of feet running off are then heard. You wait a minute and then climb up the rope, taking the mandolin with you. You see private Ramusen lying nearby with his throat ripped out and thoroughly drained of blood. You're also just in time to hear other members of your group coming to your position when you exit the shop. What the hell are you supposed to tell them? Death to the world, reborn lich lords…you start thinking, what's the point of all this? Maybe Warnov was right, maybe you should LIVE while there's still time. Granted his information is spotty, but you can't help but thinking he's probably more informed on the situation than most people. You've pondered it several times before, and you've even attempted it once, but deserting is looking very desirable again. In this day and age, who's going to know if were killed or not? > You stay and inform your squad of the situation If the information that the vampire said was true, you think it might be better to inform your superiors of it so that something can be done now. It won't do any good to run off with this vital info and let them find out when it's too late and your "freedom" won't mean anything as death takes over the world. You meet up with the rest of your men who are calling out your name. They ask if you're okay and you reply you are, but you need to inform the captain of the new info you learned. When you return, you tell Captain Eckard exactly what happened, but instead of stopping to assess this new info or taking it immediately to his superior, he dismisses it! He said the vampire was probably just fucking around with you. "That vampire was probably toying with you like a cat would a mouse. He probably has your scent now, so he'll hunt and attack you later. The stories he's told you are probably just to keep your mind occupied with nonsense as well as to give us misinformation. Hell, he's fucking undead! He's probably WORKING with the Lich Lord!" "But…but it was an agent of the Zalan Empire. Agent Warnov. He…" "NO! He LOOKED like Warnov. Vampire can change their form you know! And even if it was the real Warnov, he's undead now and working for the enemy!" "Well if that's the case shouldn't we still inform head quarters immediately? He probably had lots of vital information that…" "Look, the only thing we need to do is take the territory of the former Tulan Kingdom before the undead do! THAT'S our primary concern! So I'll have no more discussion about it sergeant! Get ready to march tomorrow! We're heading for the former capitol!" You leave Eckard's tent and shake your head at his stupidity, but there's not much you can do about it now. You do decide that you're going to inform another high ranking officer when you can though. Soon the company is on the move to its destination. It gets more dangerous the closer you get though. You're getting ambushed by demon bands of them all the time. Not enough to destroy you of course, but certainly enough to whittle your numbers down. Captain Eckard gives you more troops to supply your losses, but by the time you get to the capitol, the whole company has lost at least a third of its original strength. Things don't get any better at the capital. Most of the citizens there have been so corrupted or beat down by the demons at this point that they've either sold their own souls to Hell or gone completely mad. You're attacked by them and a few of the demon hold outs. By the time you subdue and hold the territory, you're down to half of the company's original strength. Then after a few days the undead arrive. Captain Eckard's rather inept handling of things don't get any better. Instead of shoring up the defenses of the capital's gates and walls and waiting for reinforcements which were going to arrive soon, he orders an open attack on the battlefield! You are very reluctant to do this, but again you don't have any choice now. You fight and barely survive long enough to fallback when Captain Eckard calls for a retreat after finally realizing he's hopelessly outmatched. Unfortunately he's just provided more troops for the undead army, as the necromancers in charge raise the recent dead. They also start raising the dead citizens IN the city which haven't been cleared out! It's an ignoble death as you're eventually surrounded, overwhelmed and cut down by zombies and skeletons. You join their ranks soon afterwards.

If you've learned one thing, numbers doesn't necessarily imply safety. With all the years of patrolling you've done along with your previous actions in Retlad so long ago, you actually feel more comfortable in smaller groups at this point. Your one and only rank and file battle didn't go well. Your choice isn't surprising, if anything more people feel comfortable with you scouting ahead. As you journey further into former Tulan territory, you don't encounter too much resistance. A few demons and crazed followers here and there, but nothing you can't take care of. It also occurs to you how "planted" you've been for the past five years. While it's true you did leave the fort a lot, you never ventured far from it. This is first time you've actually traveled. Ironic, since one of the reasons why you joined the army was the possibility of traveling to interesting places. However, it seems like you only visit these interesting places after they're already destroyed. You're basically seeing the aftermath of the demon occupation. It sort of reminds you of what you'd seen back in Retlad when the Quillars were killing folks except the landscape is in even worse condition. The demons weren't content on just corrupting their mortal slaves; they were attempting to turn the entire land into their infernal realm. You can only imagine what sort of hell was going on while they were actually here. You get to a small town that's completely wrecked and seemingly deserted. Its night time and normally you'd go back and wait until morning to scout it, but Captain Eckard is insistent on getting to the former Tulan capital as quick as possible. You split up into small groups to scout the town quicker and tell everyone that if they come across anything more then they can handle, to run and alert everyone else. You go building to building not really encountering much of anything. Not even survivors. Lots of half eaten dead bodies in various states of torment though. You expect when Velzix was killed the whole realm descended into anarchy pretty quickly and the demons reverted back to their chaotic natures causing as much mayhem as possible without too much repercussion. You enter a shop with two of your other team members. You hear a creaking sound, which doesn't sound good. One of your team members goes a little further in, and it gets louder. "Step back! The floors is…" you utter and then a large portion of the floor collapses underneath him. You attempt to grab his hand, but fail and the rest of the floor collapses underneath you as well. You don't fall too far, but you definitely feel it. You recover as quick as you can and hear your other subordinate who managed to avoid falling through the floor. "Sarge! Are you alright?" Private Ramusen shouts. "Yeah, yeah private. I'm just a little bruised." "What about Gannon? Is he alright?" You take your tinder box and make a small light. You look around and see that you must be in the basement of some sort of music shop from all the instruments you see. You didn't even notice when you first entered the place, it just looked like any other ransacked shop. Upon further inspection you see a body lying on the floor. It's Private Gannon and he's dead. He didn't land in the "good way" you did and broke his neck. "He's dead." You call up to Ramusen. "Shit! He's fuckin' dead?" "Yeah private, I just said he was! Now let me get the hell out of here…fuck! The damn stairs are completely destroyed. I can't climb up, or even attempt a jump. Ramusen, throw down a rope and make sure you really secure it!" While you wait for Ramusen to complete this task, you take a look at some of the instruments. Lots of flutes and other wind instruments that don't interest you. You grab an old looking mandolin. It's definitely human design, but it seems very ornate though, must've been a specialty piece that wasn't for sale. You pluck at the strings and despite the dirt, grime, and neglect of the instrument; it still manages to produce a fairly pleasing tone. You play for a good five minutes before you realize that Ramusen hasn't thrown down the rope yet. "Private?" is all you utter, when you hear the slumping of a lifeless body, followed by a low voice. "Beautiful…" You grab your bow, when you see a dark figure loom above you. You fire, but miss due to the figure dodging quicker than anything you've ever encountered before. It doesn't help that this same figure has jumped down the hole beside you before you can blink. You're standing right before the figure now. He has a pale, but familiar face, though the blood around the mouth is new and not encouraging. He knocks the bow out of your hand, but does nothing else to you. You wouldn't be quick enough to draw your sword given what you've seen. In fact right now, all you're feeling is fear. "Almost hit me…you would've made a good addition. Maybe you could've even…no. Nobody can. This world is lost now and soon my kind won't even be around to guide your kind to combat the inevitable anymore…" Warnov says. "What…what are you talking about?" you ask unsure what's going to happen next. Warnov looks as if he could tell you more than you'd ever want to know about lots of things, but instead he just shakes his head. "Nevermind human. Telling you the whole story would not help you anyway. Perhaps it's best you hadn't joined us, seeing as I have been marked now. It won't be long before the rest of my kind are hunted down. He's really quite pissed at us, and worse, he can sense us you see…(sigh) I can only imagine what he did to poor Count Rostov…" "Who's pissed?" "Who do you think human? The Necro…I mean the Great Lich Lord of course. Oh yes. He's back…and this one isn't going to lose like the last one did so long ago." You're not following all of Warnov's cryptic speak, but if the last bit he's said is true, he's scared the hell out of you more than he has with his actions. Warnov grabs your shoulder and looks into your eyes. "I do not envy your fate human…the extinction of your species will soon follow my own. My advice to you? Live human! Live while you can, for eventually this whole world will be dead and under his complete control." Sensing that he's brought enough doom and gloom to you, he relents and steps back. "Play me a song human." He says catching you off guard. "…what did you want to hear?" you ask shakily. "I don't know…anything. Play what you were playing before." You slowly pick up the dropped mandolin and begin playing the song that you were playing before and you play as if your life depended on it, though you get the impression that Warnov has no intention on killing you. He sits quietly listening in the darkness, after finishing the song; he leaps back up through the hole. "Beautiful…such talent…such a waste…" A rope is thrown down and the sounds of feet running off are then heard. You wait a minute and then climb up the rope, taking the mandolin with you. You see private Ramusen lying nearby with his throat ripped out and thoroughly drained of blood. You're also just in time to hear other members of your group coming to your position when you exit the shop. What the hell are you supposed to tell them? Death to the world, reborn lich lords…you start thinking, what's the point of all this? Maybe Warnov was right, maybe you should LIVE while there's still time. Granted his information is spotty, but you can't help but thinking he's probably more informed on the situation than most people. You've pondered it several times before, and you've even attempted it once, but deserting is looking very desirable again. In this day and age, who's going to know if were killed or not? > You sneak off Last time you were wounded and had the misfortune of running into demons. Well you aren't wounded this time and you're pretty sure you won't be running into too many more demons. You'll be able to pull it off this time. You can't do this army shit anymore, as much as you want to help your family out, you've got to live your own life regardless of what the future holds. You aren't even worried about committing an executionable offense. You easily sneak away as you hear your men call out your name looking for you. You're glad you didn't leave too much back at the fort, except your lute, but you've got your newly acquired mandolin to make up for it. Eventually you're away from civilization altogether. While you're out in the wilderness you think about your family again, and you have to at least let them know you're still alive. Maybe you can still do something about them, after all it doesn't sound like the Zalan Empire is becoming a great place to live anymore. Perhaps you could convince them to move? It takes a week of sneaking around and keeping out of sight, but eventually you make it back home. Zalan looks a lot different; hell home looks a lot different. There was a small wooded area near your farm, but most of the trees have been cut down now. You also remember fewer patrols. Your house looks in better condition however. You guess at least your family seems a lot safer, but for how long? You knock on the door in the middle of the night and your sister Randi answers, Not too surprising as she always was a night owl when she was little. At least she used to be little. The passing of the years and she's now a teenager and grown quite a bit. You've been away so long. What does surprise you is the flintlock pistol that she's currently pointing at you! "Whoa! Hold on! It's me, your brother!" you say. "…it is? It is you!" she exclaims and puts down the gun before hugging you. "What the hell are you doing with a pistol?" "The money you sent us allowed to buy new things you know and a traveling merchant was selling this for cheap!" "No I mean, what are YOU doing with one? You'll blow your damn head off with that thing! Those things are unstable." You scold. "What are you doing home? Are you on leave?" "Uh…that's a long story. Wake up the rest of the family; I have to talk to you all." Randi complies while you step inside the house and take in its new look. Eventually your Mom enters, followed by your brother Mallack and finally your youngest brother Calwin and sister Makana. You all sit down at the dining room table. (You realize you haven't done that with your family in years) and you tell them everything. You get a lot of worried reactions. More for you than the other world impending doom stuff though. At least you know that they care. "You gotta get back to the army right now! Say you got captured by something and it took you awhile to escape!" Mallack exclaims. "While I'm sure that MAY work, I just don't want to do it…I can't take this anymore. The whole time I've been in the damn army, my music has kept me sane. I've noticed it have an effect on others as well. Never thought it would. I mean I have talent and…" "…you feel like you've wasted your life?" your mother replies. You pause for a moment. You almost want to say yes, but you can't even if you wanted to. You haven't wasted it, its just you've never really had the chance to do what you've ever wanted to do. "No…I guess I haven't… it's just…" Your mother takes your hand and speaks to you. "I know. It's not fair. It's not right. Life isn't fair and it's starting to get a whole lot less fair. I know I've mentioned it in letters to you, but the Zalan Empire WILL be taking the farm…and it's looking like Mallack's going to be drafted if things are going the way they seem to be." "But…see that's what I'm saying! We could all move! I mean of course I have to go into hiding, maybe Mallack could come with me. And the rest of you could use what money you have left and move to Retlad! It's a nice place. It's away from most of the fighting, and there aren't anymore Quillars there!" Your mother shakes her head. "You must be behind in the news, because Retlad is finally going to become part of the Zalan Empire soon, so going there to live wouldn't make any difference. The Empire can take this farm, but in spirit this will ALWAYS be ours. The Empire has said they will allow us to continue working it and living on the land and even if they didn't they'd have have to drag us all out and stick our heads on pikes before we'd leave. Your father and his father build this farm up to what it is. Our family is going to be here until the end." "That's what I'm afraid of…what about you Mallack? You're probably going to be drafted. You aren't worried about that?" "Sure I am. But what am I going to do, run? Where? From what you described you practically think the whole world is doomed anyway! I might as well take some of the undead bastards out before I go. I was getting bored of the farm anyway. Let Randi take over! Ha ha!" Your mother addresses you again. "Son, you know our family. We've always done the right thing, even if it doesn't coincide with what we want…I think you know what you have to do." And so you do. So you do. You spend one night with your family and make the most of it. You all laugh and joke, trying to put all the problems of the world out of your mind and of course before you leave you play a song for them. Eventually you hug them all goodbye and take your leave. More than a few tears are shed on both sides. > You head back to the army Now you have to figure out a plan that's going to prevent you from getting executed. You figure your brother's plan isn't exactly a bad one. Your record is good enough that you'd probably be believed. You think up a lie explaining that you were captured by a particularly sadistic vampire who was planning on draining you slowly to keep you as ongoing food. He took you to a cave in the hills where you barely killed him and escaped with your life. You would've made your way back sooner, but there were large groups of marauding orc raiders and demons escaping the ruins of the former Tulan kingdom that caused you to be extra cautious and forced you to hide for a few days. Yep, that sounds good. You head out with the plan of meeting up with Captain Eckard's company which is surely at the Tulan Kingdom now. Eventually you reach the same town you were at when you made your decision to try to leave. You find it occupied right now, it's not your company, so you're about to press on, but someone on patrol sees you. "HALT! Where are you supposed to be soldier?!" "Oh…uh…" you say getting caught off guard. You mentally curse yourself for not being more aware. "Speak up! Wow, you look a little worse for wear…what company are you with?" "I was with Captain Eckard…but…" "Captain Eckard's company? Holy shit! We thought they all got killed! The undead reached the Tulan capital first and ambushed them! But why am I telling you? You were there! You must've just barely escaped! Don't worry; you can avenge your friends, we're gathering strength to attack soon!" You don't believe this… The guard begins speaking to you excitedly and asking you how you escaped. You just continue to say you don't know, it all became a blur when the ambush occurred and how you attempted to fight, but it was just too much. The guard sympathizes and tells you that you can explain more to his captain. You notice he isn't wearing Zalan armor, he's wearing Azi Republic armor. You can only assume that perhaps this is a Grand Alliance company. Your ideas come true when you do indeed notice several kinds of troop types, though the Zalan Empire soldiers seem to be leading, as the captain is wearing the armor. Your heart sinks when you recognize her and she recognizes you. It was years ago, but you both remember. "…what are you doing here?" the female captain asks. "Last I heard you were in Captain Eckard's company. A company that was reported to be wiped out completely. Have you managed to avoid death once again? You are the lucky one aren't you?" Suddenly surrounding soldiers start to recognize you more closely. The Zalan ones especially. "Holy shit it's him! You fuckin' survived not one but TWO overwhelming undead hordes! We gotta take him captain, he's obviously good luck!" the guard says a little misguidedly. "Good luck? If you haven't noticed, only HE seems to be getting out alive on these things! I'd say he's bad luck!" someone else says. "Nonsense! I heard how he's killed countless demons with his bow! We could use someone like that in our next attack." another says. "Isn't he the guy that plays the lute really well?" A few people start arguing until the female captain speaks again. "ENOUGH! I'll handle this. You in my office now, I'll speak with you in private. And for the rest of you, get ready to move out. We're attacking tomorrow." She turns away and enters a building; you slowly follow, while everyone else disperses. When you enter the wrecked "office" she closes the door and tells you to sit down, but she doesn't. Instead she stares at you hard at you and draws her sword. "Okay Mr. Survivor. Convince me." "Convince you of what?" "Convince me that you aren't some fucking undead spy!" "WHAT?! How? I mean…" "Easy! In the two encounters you had with the undead on any major scale, you've been the only one to survive. Once, maybe. But twice? Mighty suspicious…" "But I mean…I'm not undead! Look I even walk around in the daylight, I'm not even pale!" "I didn't say you were undead, I said you were a spy. There are few of those misguided traitors that think their necromancer overlords will be kind to them, by killing them last. Madness." "But I'm not a spy! I killed…" you begin to stutter under pressure. "Yeah, yeah, you killed demons. Big deal. The undead and demons weren't friends either. What better way to be a spy than to make yourself a hero?" "But I'm not…" "You're not what?" "I'm not…" "What? More lies? Spit out the truth spy!" she demands pointing her sword at your throat. > You blurt out the truth You can't take it anymore. "I'M NOT A FUCKING HERO! OKAY!? I NEVER WAS AND I NEVER WANTED TO BE! (sob)… I just wanted to go home…(sob)" You weep for a few minutes before the captain speaks again. "Alright then what happened? Tell me the entire truth and maybe you'll avoid the executioner's axe." At this point you have little choice. You're too distraught to say anything else. You give a relatively condensed version of what happened. At Nuro and what happened recently. Your encounter with Warnov seems to surprise her quite a bit. You also go on to explain that it was high ranking Zalan officers that insisted on this hero nonsense. She believes you, like she knows something of it. "(sigh) Yeah there's a statue of my dad in the Zalan capitol…but I know better…" You don't question anymore about this quiet outburst from her since you're still too worried about what's going to happen to you. "So why did you come back? You probably could've gotten away with it." "The same reason why I joined. My family. I guess I just needed a reminder of that first hand. And if there's any hope of changing the tide of this war with the undead then I need to stand by my decision of joining the Zalan Army and making the world safer for them." Once again the captain seems to soften. She almost looks like she's going to tear up as well, but she turns away. "My family…I…" are all she says before taking a deep breath and turning back towards you, with a serious mindset again. "Alright, I shall trust your word for now sergeant, but I will be watching you VERY carefully! Consider yourself lucky for evading death once again, perhaps you do have knack for avoiding it. Let us hope that luck rubs off on the rest of us in the upcoming battle. I'm putting you in charge of the Retlad archery platoon. They'll probably like you. Dismissed." Before you leave she says one last thing. "And sergeant, don't listen to what that bizarre vampire said. We're not going to become extinct. We're going to win and survive a long time. Besides you still have to play that song for me." As you leave you feel a sigh of relief that you won't be dying just yet, but given that you're heading into battle soon with the undead, you're wondering if you just didn't postpone the inevitable. Two years pass… Seven years since the Nuro Incident changed the world into this living hell. Your time served in the Grand Alliance has not really changed much. The Grand Alliance and the Zalan Empire are basically one of the same now thanks to the complete embrace of a totalitarian system. Might makes right. Nations like the Azi Republic protested, but there was little that they could, after all Zalan has been practically defending the world by itself for the past few years. You get the impression that if this war is won; the Zalan Empire is going to throw its hat in to be a one world government. Amazing how power and conspiracy is plotted even when it probably won't happen. "Probably won't" because your superiors and political leaders are a lot more "optimistic" about winning than you are, but then they haven't had to face the horrors you've faced. And horrors are a completely accurate word. You've gotten over your fear of the undead, but it doesn't make it any easier. You're starting to lose ground. Everyday the living lose someone, the Great Lich Lord gains. It's a question of numbers and quite frankly your side doesn't have them. You sort of wish your old captain was here. She was a very good leader and inspirational, but then again that's why she was made a general and sent elsewhere. She asked you to play that song before she left though. Somehow it seemed to make her sadder afterwards. "Captain, undead are on the move, they won't be long now." One of your messengers says. "Yes, I can sense it. Here. You head back to my home. You know where it is by now, and give this message to my family. If you get back here and see undead, well get the fuck out and run back to Zalan territory." Being a captain hasn't really turned you into a copy of the captains you served in the past, but then again you didn't even think you'd ever be promoted to one. Your reign as one has been a little unorthodox as you've applied more guerilla tactics than traditional ones, but given your assignment and your background it makes a hell of a lot more sense. You're currently stationed on what remains of the Garwold Confederacy. It was a relatively peaceful nation made up mostly of Halflings and Gnomes, with lush green fields and flowers. Now it's just slowly becoming another massive graveyard and example of genocide. You've gotten to know quite a few of them and you're always amazed of how they can keep their sense of humor in the face of utter destruction. One of them actually gives you an answer. "To keep from crying." Indeed. You've been playing quite a bit when you're not battling the undead. (The Garwold citizens enjoy your playing a lot) It's gotten to the point where you don't just play anymore to keep your mind off of things, it's like it transports you to a different world. A better world. If only. You often wonder how your brother Mallack is doing. He's been stationed in a relatively safer location back in Zalan territory. You're guessing that it lowers the odds of having your mom lose both of her sons at the same time. Like it makes it any better if she lost them within any length on time of each other. You wonder if the war is going to go on long enough that by the time Calwin grows up he'll be drafted as well. If he even gets the chance to grow up. You can't think about it now. A massive undead horde is coming and there's no where left to hide. There will be open battle and you need to stay focused. You go through the whole order thing, and making sure your strategy is sound. You wish you had more wizards, but they seem to be in shorter supply these days. It's almost like they're being targeted deliberately sometimes…actually you don't think it, you KNOW that they are. You see the undead horde approach. You look through some new fangled dwarven invention called an eye piece and see something makes your job a hell of a lot worse. You don't just see the usual undead. You see fully armored Death Knights. Harder to kill than even a zombie giant. You see Blood Specters. Dark crimson spirits that can cause their victims to bleed from every orifice with their shrieks. Both of those are at the head of this horde, and this isn't even counting that you're severely outnumbered by just the regular zombies, skeletons, ghosts and the like. > You break off into a smaller skirmishing force You know that this is most likely a losing battle, but some hope might be gained, if you can somehow draw out the knights and specters and get them by themselves. As powerful as they are, they're very hard to control even by necromancers and get easily agitated by living creatures. You can't do it alone though. You take your best archers and a couple of your best wizards and mention your plan. You don't ask for volunteers, you just assign. You're in charge and you have to make the hard decisions, even if it might mean you'll die. They don't look enthused, but you aren't either. You tell everyone else to hold their ground while you and your small platoon ride towards the horde. "Ready those blessed silvers men, and you robe wearers melt those dead tin cans!" You get close enough and you unleash as many blessed silver arrows as you can at the Blood Specters. You kill a few. The wizards don't do quite as well with the knights. However, both attacks are enough. You see the Specters and Knights making whatever unearthly noises they do and begin to advance towards you far ahead of the slower yet steady moving horde. It apparent that the necromancer controlling them is attempting to bring them back under control, because they begin to squirm back and forth which gives you some more time to kill a few more during their confusion. Eventually the necromancer must give up total control because they stop squirming and advance upon you once again. You ride back as quickly as possible with the Specters and Knights in full pursuit. You didn't expect those Specters to be so fast. A few of them manage to catch up to some of your men with grisly results. You yourself almost get smacked upside the head by a Death Knight mace. When you get back in range the rest of your awaiting army deals with your pursuers. More blessed arrows fly into the Blood Specters before they can do anymore harm, and eventually the Death Knights are brought down as well. There is no time for a reprieve though, as the main horde is now almost upon you. You order a regrouping as best you can, and face the enemy, telling if possible for someone to aim for the necromancer in all of this rotting mess. Bones and limbs from both sides are broken and hacked off. A zombie skull is smashed, splashing maggots, blood and brains all over you and you're not even thinking about it. You just have a tune in your head to take yourself away from the massacre. Somehow in all of the chaos, you single out the necromancer leading this army, he stands a far piece away from the main fighting, but he's arrogant enough to be close enough for you to hit him with an arrow. And you have to hit him now. You see a Grand Alliance soldier who just took a fatal blow to the chest begin to rise… Not many arrows left and not much time, you just load up and shoot, hoping you hit the bastard. Your shot is straight and true. It strikes the necromancer in the stomach, causing him to fall back, which in turn causes the undead horde to momentarily stop their vicious attacks, giving your side a chance to turn the tide a bit. Then you shoot another arrow when you see the necromancer attempt to get back up, which turns the tide completely in your favor. Zombies and skeletons fall. Ghouls flee at the loss of leadership and any remaining undead are quickly dispatched. You don't take chances though. You walk up to the corpse of the necromancer and shoot your last arrow directly into his head and stab him a few times. You then start laughing. "If this was the Great Lich Lord, I'd be a real hero right now!" You quickly sober up from this macabre outburst when you hear shouting from some of your men and you look up. It's another horde. Just as big. You look behind you and see that your own numbers are completely insufficient. The Garwold citizens are either mostly dead or demoralized at this point. Even when you win…you lose. Having no real options, you sound a retreat to fall back to the Zalan border and suggest that the Garwold citizens do likewise as there is nothing more for them here. The Garwold Confederacy is now just one more loss for the living. The Zalan Empire won't be far behind. Three years pass… Ten years since the Nuro incident and The Grand Alliance is nearly just consisting of the Zalan Empire now, which in turn has had to adapt a siege mentality. There is no "going on the offensive" anymore. You're purely on defense. Your brother Mallack died two years ago. Transferred to a location with more fighting due to lack of manpower. Like it matters. Didn't even get to say goodbye. You can only hope he didn't become one of those things…but you know he probably did. You've been urging your family to run where it's safer, but of course they won't budge. The undead have been penetrating deeper into Zalan territory, you know it's only a matter of time before the Great Lich Lord decides to stop toying with you and makes his full scale attack. Sure enough it happens. Town after town is taken; you're pushed back further and further, and you know there's nothing you can do to stop it. An order is given to everyone to fallback to the capital and help defend it from an upcoming attack, but at this point you're just wondering if the rest of your family is still alive. > You report to the captial Everything tells you that you should go to your family, but you question if they are even still alive. You don't want to think about it really since it's starting to upset you. The thought of your remaining family being killed and turned into undead parodies of themselves, makes you not want to know if that's what happened. You wonder if they might've even fled already like you've been telling them to in your letters. It's certainly possible, even as stubborn as your Mom is, she might've taken your advice at least for the sake of the rest of your brother and sisters. You mind suddenly goes elsewhere… …Yeah…they left already. There's no point in going to your home. It's been abandoned. They're probably all safe in Retlad by now. No need to worry. You'll see them later. Surely this attack on the capitol won't be that bad. You've survived a lot worse. You've got orders and you need to follow them, because if there is any chance at stopping this dead plague, this is going to be a crucial battle. You did join the army to help your family after all, and what better way to help them, then to ensure their future? After having this little delusion, you feel calm again. Oddly so. Even a little hopeful. You head off to the capitol with your troops. When you get there, the general attitude is pessimistic. Most people don't seem to think they're going to win. You're getting that vibe even from the generals of the Grand Alliance. You don't see why. Surely the Great Lich Lord has finally overextended all his resources now. This attack will be a failure and from here you will be able to make a counter attack! Sure it won't be easy, but it can be done. People are finding your optimism a little weird, especially those that have served under you since they know how that really isn't your personality. You don't think you've changed at all though. You just go about following your orders of making sure your troops are prepared in their defense of the south wall, humming little tunes as happy music fills your head. A few days pass and you're visited by your old commanding officer who's constantly making sure everything is in place. She looks very tired; you tell her she needs to think positive. When she asks if you're feeling alright, you just laugh and ask if she'd like to hear a song. She tells you no with a grim look. She also tells you point blank that she wants to get laid one last time before this battle. Being in the somewhat scattered mind frame that you're in right now, you ask who the candidate is. A couple hours later, you have your answer. Before you leave her room, she asks you to play a song for her after all. It's the one she asked to play before. The one her mother sang to her. As you play she noticeably begins to weep. She doesn't attempt to hide it. You stop playing and hold her until she calms down which eventually she does and composes herself. She gives no further information and simply tells you to go back to your post and to carry on as if nothing happened. You do so without pressing the issue. A week passes and the undead horde arrives. It's much bigger than anyone expected, and even worse, the Great Lich Lord himself is leading this attack. Now your mind suddenly comes back to grips with reality. The undead horde surrounds and storms the city. An attempt is made to kill the Great Lich Lord, but he merely gets back up from the hail of gunfire and arrows that strike him. Soon the gates are compromised. You order your troops to take to the streets and fight off the invading hordes with the rest of the soldiers. You do likewise, though now you're really wondering about a way to try to escape. Its no use though, the dead are everywhere butchering anything alive. You kill one walking corpse and five more take its place. In one particular brutal sneak attack, a ghoul jumps from a rooftop and tackles you. You feel a paralyzing bite as it sinks its teeth into you. Darkness soon takes you and you begin you new mindless undead life afterwards.

You know that this is most likely a losing battle, but some hope might be gained, if you can somehow draw out the knights and specters and get them by themselves. As powerful as they are, they're very hard to control even by necromancers and get easily agitated by living creatures. You can't do it alone though. You take your best archers and a couple of your best wizards and mention your plan. You don't ask for volunteers, you just assign. You're in charge and you have to make the hard decisions, even if it might mean you'll die. They don't look enthused, but you aren't either. You tell everyone else to hold their ground while you and your small platoon ride towards the horde. "Ready those blessed silvers men, and you robe wearers melt those dead tin cans!" You get close enough and you unleash as many blessed silver arrows as you can at the Blood Specters. You kill a few. The wizards don't do quite as well with the knights. However, both attacks are enough. You see the Specters and Knights making whatever unearthly noises they do and begin to advance towards you far ahead of the slower yet steady moving horde. It apparent that the necromancer controlling them is attempting to bring them back under control, because they begin to squirm back and forth which gives you some more time to kill a few more during their confusion. Eventually the necromancer must give up total control because they stop squirming and advance upon you once again. You ride back as quickly as possible with the Specters and Knights in full pursuit. You didn't expect those Specters to be so fast. A few of them manage to catch up to some of your men with grisly results. You yourself almost get smacked upside the head by a Death Knight mace. When you get back in range the rest of your awaiting army deals with your pursuers. More blessed arrows fly into the Blood Specters before they can do anymore harm, and eventually the Death Knights are brought down as well. There is no time for a reprieve though, as the main horde is now almost upon you. You order a regrouping as best you can, and face the enemy, telling if possible for someone to aim for the necromancer in all of this rotting mess. Bones and limbs from both sides are broken and hacked off. A zombie skull is smashed, splashing maggots, blood and brains all over you and you're not even thinking about it. You just have a tune in your head to take yourself away from the massacre. Somehow in all of the chaos, you single out the necromancer leading this army, he stands a far piece away from the main fighting, but he's arrogant enough to be close enough for you to hit him with an arrow. And you have to hit him now. You see a Grand Alliance soldier who just took a fatal blow to the chest begin to rise… Not many arrows left and not much time, you just load up and shoot, hoping you hit the bastard. Your shot is straight and true. It strikes the necromancer in the stomach, causing him to fall back, which in turn causes the undead horde to momentarily stop their vicious attacks, giving your side a chance to turn the tide a bit. Then you shoot another arrow when you see the necromancer attempt to get back up, which turns the tide completely in your favor. Zombies and skeletons fall. Ghouls flee at the loss of leadership and any remaining undead are quickly dispatched. You don't take chances though. You walk up to the corpse of the necromancer and shoot your last arrow directly into his head and stab him a few times. You then start laughing. "If this was the Great Lich Lord, I'd be a real hero right now!" You quickly sober up from this macabre outburst when you hear shouting from some of your men and you look up. It's another horde. Just as big. You look behind you and see that your own numbers are completely insufficient. The Garwold citizens are either mostly dead or demoralized at this point. Even when you win…you lose. Having no real options, you sound a retreat to fall back to the Zalan border and suggest that the Garwold citizens do likewise as there is nothing more for them here. The Garwold Confederacy is now just one more loss for the living. The Zalan Empire won't be far behind. Three years pass… Ten years since the Nuro incident and The Grand Alliance is nearly just consisting of the Zalan Empire now, which in turn has had to adapt a siege mentality. There is no "going on the offensive" anymore. You're purely on defense. Your brother Mallack died two years ago. Transferred to a location with more fighting due to lack of manpower. Like it matters. Didn't even get to say goodbye. You can only hope he didn't become one of those things…but you know he probably did. You've been urging your family to run where it's safer, but of course they won't budge. The undead have been penetrating deeper into Zalan territory, you know it's only a matter of time before the Great Lich Lord decides to stop toying with you and makes his full scale attack. Sure enough it happens. Town after town is taken; you're pushed back further and further, and you know there's nothing you can do to stop it. An order is given to everyone to fallback to the capital and help defend it from an upcoming attack, but at this point you're just wondering if the rest of your family is still alive. > You go to your family Really, it's the only thing that makes any kind of sense anymore. This war is lost there's not even any doubt about it. Hope is fleeting and if this is truly it, then it's going to be with the ones you did this for in the first place. Your small groups of soldiers wonder where you're going and you flat out tell them, in fact you tell them more than that. "I'm going home, and I suggest if any of you have any family you go to them as well. This is it folks, there's no happy ending here. It's been a pleasure serving with all of you." You then ride home as quickly as possible. The farm is scattered with undead. They attack and in some cases eat the livestock, while attempting to get into your house. Dead Zalan soldiers can be seen, except they aren't properly dead like they should be. The farmhouse is being attacked and you can see your sister firing her pistol at the zombies from one of the broken windows. You trample a couple of the zombies with your horse and kill couple more with your bow, but eventually you dismount and chop up the remaining ones near the farm house, since you want to save your arrows for anything potentially more dangerous. "Quick get inside through this window, the door is barricaded." your sister Randi shouts when she sees you. "No! It's a death trap to stay now! This place is lost! You all have to come with me!" you shout back, keeping an eye on the advancing zombies. "Can't Mom's hurt pretty bad. Got stabbed by one those corpses. We can't move her. Help's gotta come soon…" "NO, it won't Randi! The capitol of Zalan is being attacked as we speak! I came home to get your guys! This is the fucking end! We've lost! We just gotta…" You're interrupted when you have to cut down an advancing zombie. Your sister fires a shot at another one. Suddenly a scream from the house is heard, followed by another. That has to be Calwin, and Makana. Randi rushes from the window and you cut down another zombie before bashing the door down with relative ease. More screaming is heard along with growling this time. You look around and run down the hallway where Randi is standing motionless. She's dropped her pistol. You push her aside and see your other sister Makana dead on the floor and then a quick scan to the left and you see your mother eating Calwin. She's one of those things… You act where Randi failed and give a killing blow to the thing that was once your mother. "I'm sorry." You whisper and her blood splashes across your face. Now you're ready to get the hell out of the house, but Randi is still standing there motionless. "COME ON! WE GOTTA GET THE FUCK OUTTA HERE!" you shout. "Yeah...okay…" Randi says and begins to move like she's in slow motion and picks up her flintlock. You run past Randi in the hallway who's still moving slowly. "Randi get your ass mov…" You hear a gunshot behind you. Followed by the slumping of a lifeless body. You don't even turn around, you don't want to see. When you get outside, surprisingly the undead haven't become unmanageable yet, and you cut down another couple with relative ease. Your horse unfortunately has run off, you're on foot from here. You don't even know where to go. Where is it going to be safe? Nowhere, but you lack any other ideas, so you just head for unclaimed wilderness. After about a day of running, hiding and maneuvering, you're in a relatively safe location and that's when you finally allow yourself to grieve for the loss of your family. You weep. You've lost everything now. Everything you did was basically for them, and now they're all gone. You don't know if you can even continue. What would be the point? The world seems to be doomed anyway. But then after you think about it, you decide that if death is taking over the world, you're not going to make it easy. Death has already taken everything away from you except your life, and you're going to hold on to that as long as possible. You're going to live for your family and all the others that can't any longer. You're going to survive, because ultimately that's what you've always done. You've cheated death more than once already and you'll continue to do it. Death itself is going to have to hunt you down if it wants your life. After reaching this conclusion, you try to think of where you should go next. Going to any type of centers of civilization is out of the question now. You'd only have to move again, them being targets now. So it's the life of wanderer now. The question is where would be best? The forests aren't exactly safe, but you're more familiar with surviving in them. The mountains might be a little safer, but living in them is going to be a lot harsher. > You stick to the forests Running from the undead, only to die of starvation and the cold in the mountains isn't your idea of survival. You're sticking to familiar terrain. You travel further away from civilization and ultimately deeper into a large forest. You're not exactly sure of where you're at, but you know you've left the Zalan borders. You're probably in the unclaimed area north of the Retlad province. You never patrolled that far when you were stationed there, so you're unsure of what to expect. You'll certainly have to be alert though. A few weeks pass and you've got the hang of it. A few close calls with an Eberaw Hunter, but you've managed to make somewhat of a home for yourself. You mainly sleep in the trees. You get water from springs and small streams and as for food, well you always were good at hunting. You pass the time playing your mandolin and just basically keeping watch. As the days pass by though, you get the impression that someone is watching YOU. It's not any undead though. You haven't seen any in weeks. You haven't come across any living creatures of higher intelligence either, but then again that doesn't mean they aren't around… "Hello stranger. Do you like our forest?" you hear a small voice say. You look around, but see nothing. You guess who ever it is, is invisible, and you nearly go for your weapon. "Please, no need for that. You are among friends here, musical one." The voice says and then you see your unseen host appears before you. She's very small and probably only comes up to ankle. You've heard of fairies before, but you've never seen one. "Are you a fairy?" you ask. "We go by many different names. Technically I am a pixie, but if you prefer, fairy will do. We heard you playing over the weeks and I thought it was about time we told you our appreciation for it. We didn't know you big people had gifts for it. You are human are you not?" "Yes, and thanks." "So, what brings you out here? Are you a ranger perhaps? You seem to have skills about you that are useful in this environment." "No, not a ranger. Just trying to escape death like everyone else I suppose." "Hmm, you realize as beautiful as this forest is, it's not without its dangers. Death is here as well, but I'm sure you know that." "Yes, but its at least reasonable. There aren't zombies and wraiths terrorizing the place…well at least not yet…" "What are you talking about stranger?" the pixie asks quizzically, you look a little surprised yourself. "The Great Lich Lord of course. He's destroying everything, and I dunno how he's going to be stopped. I don't think he can." Your words immediately make the pixie's cheerful demeanor change immediately. "…he's returned?! But he was killed centuries ago! My clan has told the stories for generations!" "Well, he's back, or someone like him…you really didn't know? I mean this war with him has been going on for years now. Ten to be precise. Don't you leave this forest?" "You must understand stranger, we have everything we want here. There is no need to leave. We also live in illusions, what you see now, is not necessarily what is. We remain hidden in our illusions so nobody may ever harm us and we can live our lives in relative isolation. It is only on rare occasions that we reveal ourselves." "But I've heard stories about your kind being elsewhere or even in cities." You say. "Well we are not the only fairy folk you know! Perhaps the others you heard of were sprites, or brownies or even a different clan of pixies. I can only speak for my clan and as far as I know we are the only fairy folk that live in this particular forest. There are other denizens of course, but thanks to our illusions we stay safely hidden. Even the occasional human or goblinoid that has wandered in here has not disturbed us. Quite frankly, you'd be the first person in centuries that we've revealed ourselves to." "There aren't any elves in this forest?" you ask, sort of figuring that some might have retreated or made a home here, forests being their natural homes and all. Your question is met with slight annoyance. "Most certainly not! This place has been elf free for millennia and hopefully stays that way! I'll speak no more of this elven nonsense!" You don't press the issue, but up until now you figured fairy folk and elves were all friends, guess not. The pixie changes the subject since she wants to know more about this Great Lich Lord business and says her name is Qweet. Qweet tells you that she will return with the rest of her clan, as she will not reveal their home of course. In a somewhat playful yet firm tone she also warns you not to try to follow her, though as good of a tracker you are you doubt if you could anyway since she turns invisible again. While you wait, you still can't believe she and the rest of her clan don't know anything about what's going on; you almost envy them for living in blissful ignorance for the last ten years. You also feel like you've ruined things for them. Eventually more pixies return and you tell them what's been going on. They are saddened, but maintain a confident demeanor. They are certain that they will survive this plague due to their illusions. They explain that if need be they can hide the entire forest, which with the new grim information you gave them they are very inclined to do. They still have to discuss it. In the meantime they say they hope you'll stick around for awhile as they still enjoy your playing and you aren't destroying the forest. You're just glad you've met some friendly people that aren't trying to kill you. It's a nice change and after what you've been through recently, you welcome it. One year passes… Your time in the pixie forest has been relatively safe. Other than the occasional aggressive forest beasts, you haven't had to do much combat. It's been a relief. You've enjoyed the company of the pixies as well. However, your natural curiosity has gotten the better of you on occasion and you have made a few trips outside of the forest. You travel as far as the Retlad province and the first obscure village you stumble across is completely decimated, with undead roaming around. The scary part about it is this is very recent looking, which means they're starting to head your way. It'll start with the occasional zombie or skeleton wandering in. Then more will come. How long before an army arrives? Again due to your information, Qweet and the rest of her clan have made the final decision to hide their forest entirely. They tell you that they would like you to stay. You would even be allowed to see their true home. The only stipulation is that you would not be able to leave. The illusion wouldn't just hide the forest, but it would create a barrier preventing entry or exit. You can't imagine how it would look to those on the outside of the forest. Appealing to be sure, but as much as you like the company of the pixies, you don't think it will be safe to dwell in their forest for too much longer, illusions or not. The Gnomes back in the Garwold Confederacy had some excellent illusionists as well, and it didn't help them. > You stay in the forest This is probably the most satisfied you've been in a long time. Why bother running anymore? You're not going to be any happier elsewhere as you eek out an existence. This is a place where you can play your music and have a regular appreciative audience. Perhaps the pixie illusion will fail, perhaps it won't, but this is your home now. "Queet, I'm staying." "That's wonderful!" she squeaks. The pixies go through with their plan of hiding the entire forest. They explain that for everyone else it will look like a rock mass and the magic shield will prevent entry in case someone bumps into the "rock". Creatures inside will only see more forest outside the barrier and will probably be baffled to as why they can't go any further, but will probably not make any serious attempt to do so even if they could. The pixies also allow you to enter their little village. Naturally you're much bigger, but a special arrangement is made so that you can stay nearby and they build you a tree-house of sorts and provide meals and drink for you. Life with the pixies full time is relatively nice. Of course a few are prone to play jokes on you sometimes, you don't get mad about it and they usually make up for it later. A few years pass and it gets to the point where you almost forget about what's going on outside the forest since almost everyday is a pixie party filled with merriment and music. There's one particular time when there was a brief magical disturbance in the illusion, but the pixies managed to correct it. It does cause you to get concerned, but the pixies still insist that you not worry. After fifteen some odd years pass, the forest begins to signs of unnatural decay, and forest creatures seem to be dying way before their time. Some of the pixies have made comments of not feeling themselves, which is very odd since being fairy creatures they don't normally get sick. You haven't been feeling up to your usual standards either. You at first chalked it up to age, but you know that it's more than that. The Great Lich Lord's influence has finally penetrated the illusion. Death is creeping in. The months pass and the illusion begins to break down despite attempts to keep it up. At last for the first time in years you see the "outside world" again. It's desolate and bleak. The Great Lich Lord has been thorough in his conquest of the world and with this new found green patch, it won't be long before it becomes as dead as the rest of the landscape. Perhaps because they're magical creatures of nature, the pixies cannot withstand this death aura as well as you can, and they begin dying. Their illusions and happy lush world utterly destroyed. "Wh…why is this happening?" are Queet's last delirious words before she expires. One by one they all die. You weep as you can do nothing for them. Nobody can. Once again you've lost another family. You wish you'd left the damn forest long ago just so you hadn't deluded yourself and gotten so attached to the pixies only to watch them die. However, you decide that this place will be your last stand as well and you're too tired to run even if there was anywhere safe to run to anyway. You fight off undead creatures for a couple months as you attempt to survive in this now dying forest, but ultimately you're overwhelmed and killed. Sadly, unlike your pixie friends, you are not allowed to rest in peace as you wander the landscape in search of the last remnants of life to destroy in the Great Lich Lord's service.

Running from the undead, only to die of starvation and the cold in the mountains isn't your idea of survival. You're sticking to familiar terrain. You travel further away from civilization and ultimately deeper into a large forest. You're not exactly sure of where you're at, but you know you've left the Zalan borders. You're probably in the unclaimed area north of the Retlad province. You never patrolled that far when you were stationed there, so you're unsure of what to expect. You'll certainly have to be alert though. A few weeks pass and you've got the hang of it. A few close calls with an Eberaw Hunter, but you've managed to make somewhat of a home for yourself. You mainly sleep in the trees. You get water from springs and small streams and as for food, well you always were good at hunting. You pass the time playing your mandolin and just basically keeping watch. As the days pass by though, you get the impression that someone is watching YOU. It's not any undead though. You haven't seen any in weeks. You haven't come across any living creatures of higher intelligence either, but then again that doesn't mean they aren't around… "Hello stranger. Do you like our forest?" you hear a small voice say. You look around, but see nothing. You guess who ever it is, is invisible, and you nearly go for your weapon. "Please, no need for that. You are among friends here, musical one." The voice says and then you see your unseen host appears before you. She's very small and probably only comes up to ankle. You've heard of fairies before, but you've never seen one. "Are you a fairy?" you ask. "We go by many different names. Technically I am a pixie, but if you prefer, fairy will do. We heard you playing over the weeks and I thought it was about time we told you our appreciation for it. We didn't know you big people had gifts for it. You are human are you not?" "Yes, and thanks." "So, what brings you out here? Are you a ranger perhaps? You seem to have skills about you that are useful in this environment." "No, not a ranger. Just trying to escape death like everyone else I suppose." "Hmm, you realize as beautiful as this forest is, it's not without its dangers. Death is here as well, but I'm sure you know that." "Yes, but its at least reasonable. There aren't zombies and wraiths terrorizing the place…well at least not yet…" "What are you talking about stranger?" the pixie asks quizzically, you look a little surprised yourself. "The Great Lich Lord of course. He's destroying everything, and I dunno how he's going to be stopped. I don't think he can." Your words immediately make the pixie's cheerful demeanor change immediately. "…he's returned?! But he was killed centuries ago! My clan has told the stories for generations!" "Well, he's back, or someone like him…you really didn't know? I mean this war with him has been going on for years now. Ten to be precise. Don't you leave this forest?" "You must understand stranger, we have everything we want here. There is no need to leave. We also live in illusions, what you see now, is not necessarily what is. We remain hidden in our illusions so nobody may ever harm us and we can live our lives in relative isolation. It is only on rare occasions that we reveal ourselves." "But I've heard stories about your kind being elsewhere or even in cities." You say. "Well we are not the only fairy folk you know! Perhaps the others you heard of were sprites, or brownies or even a different clan of pixies. I can only speak for my clan and as far as I know we are the only fairy folk that live in this particular forest. There are other denizens of course, but thanks to our illusions we stay safely hidden. Even the occasional human or goblinoid that has wandered in here has not disturbed us. Quite frankly, you'd be the first person in centuries that we've revealed ourselves to." "There aren't any elves in this forest?" you ask, sort of figuring that some might have retreated or made a home here, forests being their natural homes and all. Your question is met with slight annoyance. "Most certainly not! This place has been elf free for millennia and hopefully stays that way! I'll speak no more of this elven nonsense!" You don't press the issue, but up until now you figured fairy folk and elves were all friends, guess not. The pixie changes the subject since she wants to know more about this Great Lich Lord business and says her name is Qweet. Qweet tells you that she will return with the rest of her clan, as she will not reveal their home of course. In a somewhat playful yet firm tone she also warns you not to try to follow her, though as good of a tracker you are you doubt if you could anyway since she turns invisible again. While you wait, you still can't believe she and the rest of her clan don't know anything about what's going on; you almost envy them for living in blissful ignorance for the last ten years. You also feel like you've ruined things for them. Eventually more pixies return and you tell them what's been going on. They are saddened, but maintain a confident demeanor. They are certain that they will survive this plague due to their illusions. They explain that if need be they can hide the entire forest, which with the new grim information you gave them they are very inclined to do. They still have to discuss it. In the meantime they say they hope you'll stick around for awhile as they still enjoy your playing and you aren't destroying the forest. You're just glad you've met some friendly people that aren't trying to kill you. It's a nice change and after what you've been through recently, you welcome it. One year passes… Your time in the pixie forest has been relatively safe. Other than the occasional aggressive forest beasts, you haven't had to do much combat. It's been a relief. You've enjoyed the company of the pixies as well. However, your natural curiosity has gotten the better of you on occasion and you have made a few trips outside of the forest. You travel as far as the Retlad province and the first obscure village you stumble across is completely decimated, with undead roaming around. The scary part about it is this is very recent looking, which means they're starting to head your way. It'll start with the occasional zombie or skeleton wandering in. Then more will come. How long before an army arrives? Again due to your information, Qweet and the rest of her clan have made the final decision to hide their forest entirely. They tell you that they would like you to stay. You would even be allowed to see their true home. The only stipulation is that you would not be able to leave. The illusion wouldn't just hide the forest, but it would create a barrier preventing entry or exit. You can't imagine how it would look to those on the outside of the forest. Appealing to be sure, but as much as you like the company of the pixies, you don't think it will be safe to dwell in their forest for too much longer, illusions or not. The Gnomes back in the Garwold Confederacy had some excellent illusionists as well, and it didn't help them. > You leave The pixies have almost made you forget about what's really going on in the rest of the world…but you still know it's going on. Perhaps it's easier for them, as they have not had to experience the tragedies you've faced, but you know the destruction that's eventually going to come. You don't see any hope in their plan and if you stayed, and you still would never be able to completely relax. You could possibly be trapped as well. However, you have no wish to bring more despair to these people. Let them live in illusions for as long as they can, You wish you could. It is with great regret that you tell them that you cannot stay. They attempt to convince you to do otherwise, but you've already made up your mind. Finally they accept your decision, but insist on repaying you for all your musical entertainment. They give you a small magical amulet. They tell you it can make you invisible for short periods of time. You thank them and assure them that it will most definitely come in handy. You leave the forest and head further away from the undead plague. Nine years pass… Twenty years of surviving this living hell. Living in a cave in the mountains isn't as easy as it was in the Pixie forest, but it's probably a lot safer as far as undead are concerned. The biggest threats you've had to face are a few Cragmaws and Mountain Trolls. Once you ran into a couple of dwarves, so you assume that there may be an underground settlement somewhere in the area. You attempted to speak, but they just shot at you with their crossbows and told you to go away, saying that humans were the cause of the problem going on right now. Your use your amulet when you can as it seems that the living have been just as willing to kill you as the undead. Then again, that's nothing new. Every now and then you travel and scout around the area taking in the untainted countryside. You figure you should do it now before it's claimed eventually. The living exist here, which means death can only eventually follow. You just wonder how long it will take. Sometimes you walk along the shore that's nearby. You look out past the vast blue and begin to wonder if there are any other places out there. You briefly entertain the idea of building a boat. You know that the globe was thoroughly charted centuries ago and that this is the only continent, but still you wonder if something wasn't missed. Of course you're probably just holding on to the false hope that you could theoretically go someplace else where death wasn't everywhere. But there isn't such a place. Lately something very odd has been happening and you have no idea what it is. You could swear that the landscape has been subtlety altering itself from time to time. Not permanently, but it seems to look "wavy" or "warped" briefly. You initially chalk it up to your prolonged isolation and seeing things because of it, however you soon find out that it's more than just your mind playing tricks on you. One day after you've done some hunting and bringing your catch back to your cave, you start noticing a severe slow down in your actions. "What the fuck…" you say to yourself, except it comes out a lot slower. You don't experience for long, but the worst is yet to come. A portal opens up in the sky and you immediately feel ill. You see a creature that you've never seen before and it's huge but it feels incredibly unnatural and it definitely isn't of this world. The dead animal that you're carrying suddenly melts into a black goo like substance. You jump back and nearly fall off the side of the mountain, which now feels like jelly under your feet rather than sturdy rock. You don't know what's going here and you don't want to know. All you know is reality is starting to be seriously warped and you're ready to puke. The tentacled creature doesn't seem to notice you, it's just surveying and floating in the air as the area around and beneath it changes. That still doesn't mean it won't attack eventually when it does notice you. You immediately attempt to use your amulet, but nothing is happening. The creature or something else is nullifying your magic item. Right now you're caught out in the open, your cave is close, but you're still not sure if you can get there in time and even if you do, would you be any safer? The other alternative is to make you way back down the mountain and try to escape that way. The problem with that plan is that everything is very wobbly right now and you're not feeling very steady. > You run to your cave The creature is too big to fit in the cave if it tries to attack and you need to hide as soon as possible. You make a run for it, gagging and stumbling the whole time. Eventually you do get to the cave. You don't think the creature even saw you. You continue to fumble around in the dark cave that you call home. You can still hear weird noises coming from outside and you're desperate to drown them out as you feel like its doing something to your mind. In fact, you're feeling a little deranged. "WHAT?! WHAT?! UNDEAD WEREN'T ENOUGH?! NOW THIS?! HAHAHAHA! YOU CAN'T KILL ME! I'LL SURVIVE! I SURVIVE EVERYTHING! Who am I here? Who goes there?" You look around the cave and start seeing the rocky walls transform into writhing masses of worms. You grab your sword and start hacking away, only to fall to the ground half laughing and half crying. "You don't understand…I've lost it all…(sob) why? WHERE ARE THE GODS? WHY HAVEN'T YOU STOPPED THIS?! DAMN YOU FUCKING ALL! Ha ha ha ha!" You look into the small fire that lights your cave and see it change into a blue color. You begin to think you see faces in it. "Randi? Is that you? I'm sorry…I could still save…" You burn your hand badly when you shove it into the flames in some misguided attempt to save your sister who is not there. It's at this point; you realize you're losing your mind. You didn't survive this long just to lose that. You start trying to block out the sounds, but it's relentless. And that's when you see your mandolin on the floor nearby. Music. It always takes you to another place. A better place. You can't play it right now with your burned hand, but your music is always with you. In your mind. You begin to focus on one particular song in your head. You close your eyes think of yourself playing. The tune is nearly drowned out by the noise, but eventually the music gets louder and the creature's noise is getting quieter, until finally that's all you can hear. You have no idea how long you do this for, but eventually you open your eyes again, and everything is normal. The walls are rock, the fire is red. Your hand still hurts, but it will heal. You stay in the cave for days, unsure of what to make of all this. Ultimately you leave to explore cautiously, and everything outside seems normal as well. There is no sign that the creature was ever around. You don't know if it moved on, disappeared, or what. Did you go temporarily insane? Did all of this really happen? You do know you burned your hand, so you're pretty sure it did on some level. In any event, you never want to encounter anything like that ever again. Death almost seems preferable than complete madness. You're still shaken up by the experience for months to come but eventually you get over it. Just like you have with every other hardship you've faced. Twenty years pass… Forty years have passed and you feel death closer than ever. Old age has been taking its toll and while you're somewhat fit for your age you can't stop the ravages of time. Still, it's not just that. It's the world in general. The place has slowly become a dead world, quite literally from what you've seen during your travels. Eventually you abandoned your cave in the mountain when the dead began to congregate in the area. The dwarven settlement was probably attacked. You don't know, you didn't stick around. You continued to stay on the move. After a few years of wandering, you noticed dead trees. Not unusual in the lands of the Great Lich Lord, but you were sticking to places at least on the outskirts of his domain. But it didn't seem to matter. His influence was obviously extending. The magic in your amulet no longer works, and you briefly thought of the pixies. You know they didn't survive. Soon grass was no longer growing. Hunting was becoming scarce. Animals were dying out. It almost reminded you of when the farm was going through a rough patch, but this time there would be no recovery. You walked along another shoreline and saw fish and other sea creatures washed up dead in massive quantities. You've had to fight undead monsters at almost every turn, always having to stay one step ahead before you're overwhelmed. Even the air itself feels like it's harder to breathe no matter where you go. Right now you're very far north, where nothing ever existed save ice and snow. You're living in yet another cave, but you're pretty sure this one is going to be your tomb. You haven't eaten in days, as you haven't spotted a living creature in days. You haven't seen another intelligent living creature in years. It's very cold, and all you want to do is sleep now. You think you might have one or two more days left tops. However, you're not allowed to leave just yet… While you're drifting in and out of consciousness in your weakened state, you suddenly see a dark hooded figure by the fire. You know who it is. "So…you've come for me personally? I didn't think I was important enough." you ask. "You aren't really. Let's just say that I have a lot of free time and with less and less living now, I take a more personal approach whenever I can. Besides, given how remote this place is, I doubt if any of my necromancers could've found you anyway. That is if I hadn't killed them all." The Great Lich Lord's voice doesn't sound anything like you thought it might. It's actually not very scary at all. Almost calm. "Heh. I killed a necromancer once…" you say. "You have my thanks then, one less treacherous fool that I didn't have to deal with." "You didn't really need to come all this way you know, I think I was dying before you got here." At this point the Great Lich Lord begins walking around your cave looking at your meager possessions. He immediately notices your very worn mandolin and picks it up. "Please feel free to take it. I won't be needing it anymore." You say. "Not sure what I'd do with it. I'm not musically inclined at all. I'm pretty much only good at killing things as you can tell." "Yeah, you're great at that." "My mistress Catalina likes music though; perhaps she might find it interesting. This looks very old, where did you get it?" "Oh in a town that the demons destroyed when they lost their leader Velzix." "Hah. Demons. I think everyone was glad when I got rid of those assholes." The Great Lich Lord remarks. "That thing probably saved my life when I found it. Some weird ass vampire called Warnov wanted me to play for him. Said you were after him or something…" "Yes. Vampires weren't my favorite people. Arrogant creatures. Well they're dead now. Excuse me, but did you say Warnov?" "That was his name. Yes." The Great Lich Lord is silent for a moment and then speaks again. "I know who you are. I can't believe it's you, but I know who you are. I remember before I tracked down and killed old Warnov, he stated that he was glad he heard you play before he died. He also said that if I ever encountered you that I should insist that you play for me before I killed you. Something about your playing being beautiful or something. You also served in the Zalan Empire army. Weren't you supposed to be a hero or something?" You laugh weakly. "Mostly or something." You reply. "Hm. I wonder if you ever met…" the Great Lich Lord then pauses for a moment. "…nevermind. It's the past and that no longer matters. So can you still play this thing?" "Well of course, but…" "Good. We're leaving this place then, got a job for you." Before you can speak another word, you feel yourself teleported. > One last song... You find yourself in a very ornate yet definitely dark chamber. All manner of symbols related to death exist here. You could only be in the Great Lich Lord's tower in Nuro. You never thought you'd ever be here. The last time you were anywhere near Nuro was forty years ago and things were much different. "Welcome to Aftermath, my musical guest. As I said, I'm not much for music, but Catalina is and I'm sure she would love to hear you play. She…" The Great Lich Lord pauses again. "She hasn't been feeling well lately and I think this would help out. Just take seat in that chair over there. Here's your mandolin." This almost surreal. You didn't expect your last moments on this world to be like this. Lacking any other ideas you slowly go over to sit on the chair, while the Great Lich Lord goes to get his mistress Catalina. They better hurry up because you feel like you've done more than knocking on death's door; you're quite literally in his home. The proximity of being so close to the Great Lich Lord is speeding up your death. The Great Lich Lord soon arrives with Catalina and you look upon her. She's very beautiful. You had heard stories about her before decades ago when you were still serving in the army. She looks young, though she has to be much older. However, you can tell she's not exactly moving very fast and taking her time. It's apparent that despite her skill in necromancy that she's suffering from the effects of the Great Lich Lord's death aura. She must be powerful indeed to be able to withstand his proximity everyday. She must also love him very much to do it. You briefly think of how someone could ever love such a being, or how such a being is even capable of love. But given how you see them interact, there it is. This also starts to make you angry. Why are they allowed such a thing? They're the bad guys here. You never did anything wrong and you lost everyone you ever loved or cared about. You begin to tear up, but it's in frustration rather than sadness. All the past pain and suffering that you've ever experienced has come back to hurt you one last time. "Okay, start playing." The Great Lich Lord says. "No." you remark. "What?" "You heard me. No." "I don't think you're in any position to defy me." "Oh I think I'm in every position. What the hell are you going to do to me? I'm fuckin' dead already! You've already taken everything away from me! My friends and acquaintances died because of you! I lost my home because of you! My family and loved ones died because of you! I had to kill my own mother because she became one of your undead minions! My siblings, all fuckin' dead! All I have left is my music! And now you want me to give that away to you too? NO! I'll DIE with it!" After this outburst the Great Lich Lord replies in kind. "Insolent mortal! Do you forget who I am? You think dying will save you? Think again! I will kill you and raise you as a fucking zombie and MAKE you play for us in a pink dress if it so amuses me! Now play and perhaps that won't be your fate!" The Great Lich Lord's voice now sounds more menacing. More like what you thought, but you don't care, you've got nothing to lose at this juncture. It is at this point Catalina steps in. "I don't think that will be necessary dear. You just let me handle this. You go in the next room and cool off or something." The Great Lich Lord agrees to this and hugs Catalina, before walking off. Catalina now walks towards you. "You'll have to forgive my beloved's outburst. He goes a little over the top when it comes to me. Especially now. So much has happened. He's changed so much and continues to change even now. He doesn't express it, but I think it's always gotten to him." "I don't have to forgive shit. Am I supposed to feel sympathy? He's caused all this…and you too! How can you stand by him? You're still alive! You could probably kill him and stop this before the entire world is dead!" "Oh I doubt if I could, even if I so desired, which I don't. My feelings for him and the reasons…well the heart wants, what the heart wants. I sometimes worry about what he will do after I'm gone though. He's in great denial. He knows I cannot fight off his overwhelming aura forever. I suppose in some ways, bringing you here to play for me was some vain hope of making me feel better. And it will, in its own way…" You still can't believe that she's trying to make them out to be the victims. "Look I don't care about what the hell you two death freaks want, I know what the hell I've gone through and it's all your fault. Fuck the both of you. You haven't had to deal with the pain I've gone through." "Perhaps not. But do you think you are the only one on this world who's suffered? What makes your life and those close to you so special? Nothing. You and everyone else whoever lived on this dying world are equal. You, your family, even me. The only person who isn't equal, is in the next room. We've all lost those close to us at some point. Yes, even my beloved and he'll lose another when I'm gone. We'll all be long dead and he'll probably still be on this world by himself with nothing to do. And that, I'm convinced will be the greatest suffering of all. Life without end? No thank you. When my time comes, I will embrace it." You're very surprised to hear a necromancer say that. "My beloved cannot help what he is. For whatever reason, he was gifted with the art of death. He's become it. It's his nature. You can't be angry with a force of nature. It has to simply be." You want to argue, you want to fight, you want to bring up every moral debate you can think of, but to be quite honest you can't. Part of it is it wouldn't make any difference. Part of it is you're tired of fighting, you can't do it anymore and you don't have strength at this point. The other part is that in a way what she's said makes some sense and is correct. It also makes you think about your "nature". It was to play music. You never got to live the life you wanted, but during your lifetime, music always seeped in somehow. It always found a way. Catalina continues to speak. "Now you certainly don't have to play. That's your choice. I will make sure that my beloved does not turn you into dress wearing zombie though. It would be a shame though. You are not completely unfamiliar to me. I do have some knowledge of who you are and I have heard stories of your playing. I would like to hear it played while you still had the passion and energy behind it. The living spark that can only invoke such things." "…I'll play…" you say with a heavy breath that took some effort for you. "You will?" "Yes…what did you want to hear?" Catalina smiles. "I don't know, whatever you like I suppose. Just as long as it has a nice soothing melody." "Okay then." "Hold on, I must get my beloved before you start. I must ask though, what changed your mind to play?" "Nothing. It's my nature." Catalina soon returns with the Great Lich Lord and they both sit in their respective thrones. Catalina tells you to play, which you do so. You watch the pair of them look at each other as you play. You would appear that Catalina is pleased with her "gift". You don't know about the Great Lich Lord, since you can't see his face, but you assume that if she's happy, then he's happy. You see them hold hands and look at each other as you enter the second verse of the song. At this point you begin to close your eyes and just let the music and instinct guide your fingers. You can feel your life slip away, but it doesn't matter. You've been taken to a different place. A better place. You smile and wave to your family. You can see them all so clearly. All of them are there. You're getting closer. They're ready to accept you with open arms. Last verse. Not much energy left, but you're nearly there. You won't have to worry about anything anymore. Heart slowing down. You're with them now. Everything will be so good again. Your music has saved you one last time. One last note. One last breath. You're home. "Well, he certainly looked happier than he did earlier." "Yes, yes he did. Set his body on fire dear." "You don't want him around to play for you later?" "No, I don't think that performance could ever be replicated."

The pixies have almost made you forget about what's really going on in the rest of the world…but you still know it's going on. Perhaps it's easier for them, as they have not had to experience the tragedies you've faced, but you know the destruction that's eventually going to come. You don't see any hope in their plan and if you stayed, and you still would never be able to completely relax. You could possibly be trapped as well. However, you have no wish to bring more despair to these people. Let them live in illusions for as long as they can, You wish you could. It is with great regret that you tell them that you cannot stay. They attempt to convince you to do otherwise, but you've already made up your mind. Finally they accept your decision, but insist on repaying you for all your musical entertainment. They give you a small magical amulet. They tell you it can make you invisible for short periods of time. You thank them and assure them that it will most definitely come in handy. You leave the forest and head further away from the undead plague. Nine years pass… Twenty years of surviving this living hell. Living in a cave in the mountains isn't as easy as it was in the Pixie forest, but it's probably a lot safer as far as undead are concerned. The biggest threats you've had to face are a few Cragmaws and Mountain Trolls. Once you ran into a couple of dwarves, so you assume that there may be an underground settlement somewhere in the area. You attempted to speak, but they just shot at you with their crossbows and told you to go away, saying that humans were the cause of the problem going on right now. Your use your amulet when you can as it seems that the living have been just as willing to kill you as the undead. Then again, that's nothing new. Every now and then you travel and scout around the area taking in the untainted countryside. You figure you should do it now before it's claimed eventually. The living exist here, which means death can only eventually follow. You just wonder how long it will take. Sometimes you walk along the shore that's nearby. You look out past the vast blue and begin to wonder if there are any other places out there. You briefly entertain the idea of building a boat. You know that the globe was thoroughly charted centuries ago and that this is the only continent, but still you wonder if something wasn't missed. Of course you're probably just holding on to the false hope that you could theoretically go someplace else where death wasn't everywhere. But there isn't such a place. Lately something very odd has been happening and you have no idea what it is. You could swear that the landscape has been subtlety altering itself from time to time. Not permanently, but it seems to look "wavy" or "warped" briefly. You initially chalk it up to your prolonged isolation and seeing things because of it, however you soon find out that it's more than just your mind playing tricks on you. One day after you've done some hunting and bringing your catch back to your cave, you start noticing a severe slow down in your actions. "What the fuck…" you say to yourself, except it comes out a lot slower. You don't experience for long, but the worst is yet to come. A portal opens up in the sky and you immediately feel ill. You see a creature that you've never seen before and it's huge but it feels incredibly unnatural and it definitely isn't of this world. The dead animal that you're carrying suddenly melts into a black goo like substance. You jump back and nearly fall off the side of the mountain, which now feels like jelly under your feet rather than sturdy rock. You don't know what's going here and you don't want to know. All you know is reality is starting to be seriously warped and you're ready to puke. The tentacled creature doesn't seem to notice you, it's just surveying and floating in the air as the area around and beneath it changes. That still doesn't mean it won't attack eventually when it does notice you. You immediately attempt to use your amulet, but nothing is happening. The creature or something else is nullifying your magic item. Right now you're caught out in the open, your cave is close, but you're still not sure if you can get there in time and even if you do, would you be any safer? The other alternative is to make you way back down the mountain and try to escape that way. The problem with that plan is that everything is very wobbly right now and you're not feeling very steady. > You run back down the mountain You're having difficulty concentrating, but you decide that it would be better to distance yourself from the creature rather than trapping yourself in a cave. You attempt to head down the mountain, but you really are feel very sick and dizzy, in fact you're beginning to feel worse. The ground underneath you doesn't even feel like jelly now, you're actually sinking into it like quicksand! "What the fu…" you say before a sudden powerful wave of nausea that hits you causes you to vomit immediately. You try to stop the sinking, but it's futile and soon you've sank all the way it. Oddly you can still breathe; but the terrain has turned to worms and maggots. You can feel them crawling all over you, in your ears and every other orifice of your body. You begin to laugh insanely (while the maggots crawl all in it) since your mind has become severely warped at this point and madness has overtaken you as you sink further through the maggot mountain. You're unsure of how long this goes on for since you've lost your mind, but whatever was going on eventually stops and everything returns to normal. Unfortunately that doesn't really help you since you're still in the mountain which has returned to solid rock where you are now completely embedded in. You die instantly, putting an end to your madness.

Really, it's the only thing that makes any kind of sense anymore. This war is lost there's not even any doubt about it. Hope is fleeting and if this is truly it, then it's going to be with the ones you did this for in the first place. Your small groups of soldiers wonder where you're going and you flat out tell them, in fact you tell them more than that. "I'm going home, and I suggest if any of you have any family you go to them as well. This is it folks, there's no happy ending here. It's been a pleasure serving with all of you." You then ride home as quickly as possible. The farm is scattered with undead. They attack and in some cases eat the livestock, while attempting to get into your house. Dead Zalan soldiers can be seen, except they aren't properly dead like they should be. The farmhouse is being attacked and you can see your sister firing her pistol at the zombies from one of the broken windows. You trample a couple of the zombies with your horse and kill couple more with your bow, but eventually you dismount and chop up the remaining ones near the farm house, since you want to save your arrows for anything potentially more dangerous. "Quick get inside through this window, the door is barricaded." your sister Randi shouts when she sees you. "No! It's a death trap to stay now! This place is lost! You all have to come with me!" you shout back, keeping an eye on the advancing zombies. "Can't Mom's hurt pretty bad. Got stabbed by one those corpses. We can't move her. Help's gotta come soon…" "NO, it won't Randi! The capitol of Zalan is being attacked as we speak! I came home to get your guys! This is the fucking end! We've lost! We just gotta…" You're interrupted when you have to cut down an advancing zombie. Your sister fires a shot at another one. Suddenly a scream from the house is heard, followed by another. That has to be Calwin, and Makana. Randi rushes from the window and you cut down another zombie before bashing the door down with relative ease. More screaming is heard along with growling this time. You look around and run down the hallway where Randi is standing motionless. She's dropped her pistol. You push her aside and see your other sister Makana dead on the floor and then a quick scan to the left and you see your mother eating Calwin. She's one of those things… You act where Randi failed and give a killing blow to the thing that was once your mother. "I'm sorry." You whisper and her blood splashes across your face. Now you're ready to get the hell out of the house, but Randi is still standing there motionless. "COME ON! WE GOTTA GET THE FUCK OUTTA HERE!" you shout. "Yeah...okay…" Randi says and begins to move like she's in slow motion and picks up her flintlock. You run past Randi in the hallway who's still moving slowly. "Randi get your ass mov…" You hear a gunshot behind you. Followed by the slumping of a lifeless body. You don't even turn around, you don't want to see. When you get outside, surprisingly the undead haven't become unmanageable yet, and you cut down another couple with relative ease. Your horse unfortunately has run off, you're on foot from here. You don't even know where to go. Where is it going to be safe? Nowhere, but you lack any other ideas, so you just head for unclaimed wilderness. After about a day of running, hiding and maneuvering, you're in a relatively safe location and that's when you finally allow yourself to grieve for the loss of your family. You weep. You've lost everything now. Everything you did was basically for them, and now they're all gone. You don't know if you can even continue. What would be the point? The world seems to be doomed anyway. But then after you think about it, you decide that if death is taking over the world, you're not going to make it easy. Death has already taken everything away from you except your life, and you're going to hold on to that as long as possible. You're going to live for your family and all the others that can't any longer. You're going to survive, because ultimately that's what you've always done. You've cheated death more than once already and you'll continue to do it. Death itself is going to have to hunt you down if it wants your life. After reaching this conclusion, you try to think of where you should go next. Going to any type of centers of civilization is out of the question now. You'd only have to move again, them being targets now. So it's the life of wanderer now. The question is where would be best? The forests aren't exactly safe, but you're more familiar with surviving in them. The mountains might be a little safer, but living in them is going to be a lot harsher. > You head to the mountains Better to get accustomed to them now, since you figure you might have to live in them in the future anyway. You head further north and traverse the harsh terrain. As far as undead are concerned you're in no danger, however the mountain trolls and cragmaws living there are just as dangerous. You eventually find a suitable cave to live in. To keep yourself entertained you play your music in between your survival. It's a rough life, but you persevere for a few years. Unfortunately the day comes when a particularly large mountain troll tribe decides to finally get organized enough to eliminate you from being a nuisance. You awaken one night to see several large figures enter your cave. You spring to action immediately, which causes the trolls to laugh. This buys you time to kill at least one of them, but only one. You're outnumbered, trapped and there's nowhere to hide. The trolls savagely butcher you and even smash your mandolin over your head before you head to permanent unconsciousness. The only good thing is that trolls do such a thorough job of eating your body that not even your bones are left to be reanimated when the Great Lich Lord's influence reaches the area.

You know that this is most likely a losing battle, but some hope might be gained, if you can somehow draw out the knights and specters and get them by themselves. As powerful as they are, they're very hard to control even by necromancers and get easily agitated by living creatures. You can't do it alone though. You take your best archers and a couple of your best wizards and mention your plan. You don't ask for volunteers, you just assign. You're in charge and you have to make the hard decisions, even if it might mean you'll die. They don't look enthused, but you aren't either. You tell everyone else to hold their ground while you and your small platoon ride towards the horde. "Ready those blessed silvers men, and you robe wearers melt those dead tin cans!" You get close enough and you unleash as many blessed silver arrows as you can at the Blood Specters. You kill a few. The wizards don't do quite as well with the knights. However, both attacks are enough. You see the Specters and Knights making whatever unearthly noises they do and begin to advance towards you far ahead of the slower yet steady moving horde. It apparent that the necromancer controlling them is attempting to bring them back under control, because they begin to squirm back and forth which gives you some more time to kill a few more during their confusion. Eventually the necromancer must give up total control because they stop squirming and advance upon you once again. You ride back as quickly as possible with the Specters and Knights in full pursuit. You didn't expect those Specters to be so fast. A few of them manage to catch up to some of your men with grisly results. You yourself almost get smacked upside the head by a Death Knight mace. When you get back in range the rest of your awaiting army deals with your pursuers. More blessed arrows fly into the Blood Specters before they can do anymore harm, and eventually the Death Knights are brought down as well. There is no time for a reprieve though, as the main horde is now almost upon you. You order a regrouping as best you can, and face the enemy, telling if possible for someone to aim for the necromancer in all of this rotting mess. Bones and limbs from both sides are broken and hacked off. A zombie skull is smashed, splashing maggots, blood and brains all over you and you're not even thinking about it. You just have a tune in your head to take yourself away from the massacre. Somehow in all of the chaos, you single out the necromancer leading this army, he stands a far piece away from the main fighting, but he's arrogant enough to be close enough for you to hit him with an arrow. And you have to hit him now. You see a Grand Alliance soldier who just took a fatal blow to the chest begin to rise… Not many arrows left and not much time, you just load up and shoot, hoping you hit the bastard. Your shot is straight and true. It strikes the necromancer in the stomach, causing him to fall back, which in turn causes the undead horde to momentarily stop their vicious attacks, giving your side a chance to turn the tide a bit. Then you shoot another arrow when you see the necromancer attempt to get back up, which turns the tide completely in your favor. Zombies and skeletons fall. Ghouls flee at the loss of leadership and any remaining undead are quickly dispatched. You don't take chances though. You walk up to the corpse of the necromancer and shoot your last arrow directly into his head and stab him a few times. You then start laughing. "If this was the Great Lich Lord, I'd be a real hero right now!" You quickly sober up from this macabre outburst when you hear shouting from some of your men and you look up. It's another horde. Just as big. You look behind you and see that your own numbers are completely insufficient. The Garwold citizens are either mostly dead or demoralized at this point. Even when you win…you lose. Having no real options, you sound a retreat to fall back to the Zalan border and suggest that the Garwold citizens do likewise as there is nothing more for them here. The Garwold Confederacy is now just one more loss for the living. The Zalan Empire won't be far behind. Three years pass… Ten years since the Nuro incident and The Grand Alliance is nearly just consisting of the Zalan Empire now, which in turn has had to adapt a siege mentality. There is no "going on the offensive" anymore. You're purely on defense. Your brother Mallack died two years ago. Transferred to a location with more fighting due to lack of manpower. Like it matters. Didn't even get to say goodbye. You can only hope he didn't become one of those things…but you know he probably did. You've been urging your family to run where it's safer, but of course they won't budge. The undead have been penetrating deeper into Zalan territory, you know it's only a matter of time before the Great Lich Lord decides to stop toying with you and makes his full scale attack. Sure enough it happens. Town after town is taken; you're pushed back further and further, and you know there's nothing you can do to stop it. An order is given to everyone to fallback to the capital and help defend it from an upcoming attack, but at this point you're just wondering if the rest of your family is still alive. > You letters to home (Last letter...) Dear Mom, We're falling back again. No surprise there. I've had a lot on my mind lately, but not for any of reasons you'd know, so I'll tell you. Normally this would be something I would've told Mallack, but since he's dead, I feel like I should tell you. I really miss Mallack. I was in contact with a woman by the name of Helena. She was a traveling merchant who I met years ago during my tour in Retlad. We had a relationship of sorts I suppose. We met whenever she was in the area I was stationed in. Dunno why I never told you about her, I guess I just felt weird about telling you. Silly now that I think about it. Anyway, she was in the city of Edat a few months ago when it was utterly destroyed. I suggested that she should just stay in the Retlad province since the fighting wasn't as bad there, but she said there was a big deal to be made in Edat, so she went. Reports say there were no survivors. Of course reports have been wrong before and I have used some of my connections to find out for certain but considering the carnage that occurred I hold little hope. I'll miss her. I can only hope that like Mallack, she wasn't turned into one of those things. The word "hero" gets thrown around far too much and I should know first hand, but I'll use it here: Where are the "heroes" to stop this? Shouldn't some party of adventurers been able to slip through the Great Lich Lord's defenses and chop his head off by now? Wasn't that how the first one was stopped? Isn't that how it's supposed to go? Where are the gods? Why aren't the good ones doing something to stop the utter destruction of their worshippers?! Hell, the evil ones would even suffice at this point! I mean just to know that SOMETHING is looking out for us in some fashion! If they haven't abandoned this world, they better do something quick, because I feel like we're in the last hours here. Actually I think we're on borrowed time. We're getting a report that we might have to fall back to the heart of the empire soon. At this point I'm not sure if I'm even going to do it. I know I've been duty bound this long with only a few falters along the way, but now? In the face of extinction? What's the point? Sure there may be nowhere to run from death, but perhaps I can evade him for as long as possible. But I haven't forgotten about all of you. I'd never do that. Even if I have to drag you all out of that infernal farmhouse kicking and screaming. Leave a light on for me, I may be coming home. I love you all. Your son

You can't take it anymore. "I'M NOT A FUCKING HERO! OKAY!? I NEVER WAS AND I NEVER WANTED TO BE! (sob)… I just wanted to go home…(sob)" You weep for a few minutes before the captain speaks again. "Alright then what happened? Tell me the entire truth and maybe you'll avoid the executioner's axe." At this point you have little choice. You're too distraught to say anything else. You give a relatively condensed version of what happened. At Nuro and what happened recently. Your encounter with Warnov seems to surprise her quite a bit. You also go on to explain that it was high ranking Zalan officers that insisted on this hero nonsense. She believes you, like she knows something of it. "(sigh) Yeah there's a statue of my dad in the Zalan capitol…but I know better…" You don't question anymore about this quiet outburst from her since you're still too worried about what's going to happen to you. "So why did you come back? You probably could've gotten away with it." "The same reason why I joined. My family. I guess I just needed a reminder of that first hand. And if there's any hope of changing the tide of this war with the undead then I need to stand by my decision of joining the Zalan Army and making the world safer for them." Once again the captain seems to soften. She almost looks like she's going to tear up as well, but she turns away. "My family…I…" are all she says before taking a deep breath and turning back towards you, with a serious mindset again. "Alright, I shall trust your word for now sergeant, but I will be watching you VERY carefully! Consider yourself lucky for evading death once again, perhaps you do have knack for avoiding it. Let us hope that luck rubs off on the rest of us in the upcoming battle. I'm putting you in charge of the Retlad archery platoon. They'll probably like you. Dismissed." Before you leave she says one last thing. "And sergeant, don't listen to what that bizarre vampire said. We're not going to become extinct. We're going to win and survive a long time. Besides you still have to play that song for me." As you leave you feel a sigh of relief that you won't be dying just yet, but given that you're heading into battle soon with the undead, you're wondering if you just didn't postpone the inevitable. Two years pass… Seven years since the Nuro Incident changed the world into this living hell. Your time served in the Grand Alliance has not really changed much. The Grand Alliance and the Zalan Empire are basically one of the same now thanks to the complete embrace of a totalitarian system. Might makes right. Nations like the Azi Republic protested, but there was little that they could, after all Zalan has been practically defending the world by itself for the past few years. You get the impression that if this war is won; the Zalan Empire is going to throw its hat in to be a one world government. Amazing how power and conspiracy is plotted even when it probably won't happen. "Probably won't" because your superiors and political leaders are a lot more "optimistic" about winning than you are, but then they haven't had to face the horrors you've faced. And horrors are a completely accurate word. You've gotten over your fear of the undead, but it doesn't make it any easier. You're starting to lose ground. Everyday the living lose someone, the Great Lich Lord gains. It's a question of numbers and quite frankly your side doesn't have them. You sort of wish your old captain was here. She was a very good leader and inspirational, but then again that's why she was made a general and sent elsewhere. She asked you to play that song before she left though. Somehow it seemed to make her sadder afterwards. "Captain, undead are on the move, they won't be long now." One of your messengers says. "Yes, I can sense it. Here. You head back to my home. You know where it is by now, and give this message to my family. If you get back here and see undead, well get the fuck out and run back to Zalan territory." Being a captain hasn't really turned you into a copy of the captains you served in the past, but then again you didn't even think you'd ever be promoted to one. Your reign as one has been a little unorthodox as you've applied more guerilla tactics than traditional ones, but given your assignment and your background it makes a hell of a lot more sense. You're currently stationed on what remains of the Garwold Confederacy. It was a relatively peaceful nation made up mostly of Halflings and Gnomes, with lush green fields and flowers. Now it's just slowly becoming another massive graveyard and example of genocide. You've gotten to know quite a few of them and you're always amazed of how they can keep their sense of humor in the face of utter destruction. One of them actually gives you an answer. "To keep from crying." Indeed. You've been playing quite a bit when you're not battling the undead. (The Garwold citizens enjoy your playing a lot) It's gotten to the point where you don't just play anymore to keep your mind off of things, it's like it transports you to a different world. A better world. If only. You often wonder how your brother Mallack is doing. He's been stationed in a relatively safer location back in Zalan territory. You're guessing that it lowers the odds of having your mom lose both of her sons at the same time. Like it makes it any better if she lost them within any length on time of each other. You wonder if the war is going to go on long enough that by the time Calwin grows up he'll be drafted as well. If he even gets the chance to grow up. You can't think about it now. A massive undead horde is coming and there's no where left to hide. There will be open battle and you need to stay focused. You go through the whole order thing, and making sure your strategy is sound. You wish you had more wizards, but they seem to be in shorter supply these days. It's almost like they're being targeted deliberately sometimes…actually you don't think it, you KNOW that they are. You see the undead horde approach. You look through some new fangled dwarven invention called an eye piece and see something makes your job a hell of a lot worse. You don't just see the usual undead. You see fully armored Death Knights. Harder to kill than even a zombie giant. You see Blood Specters. Dark crimson spirits that can cause their victims to bleed from every orifice with their shrieks. Both of those are at the head of this horde, and this isn't even counting that you're severely outnumbered by just the regular zombies, skeletons, ghosts and the like. > You stand your ground You need to have a fully cohesive unit you think. "Ready those blessed silvers men, and you robe wearers melt those dead tin cans!" you order. Arrows fly towards the Blood Specters first seeing as they're your greatest threat, the wizards unleash magic attack on the Death Knights. Your side manages to eliminate most of them before the horde reaches you. Unfortunately this isn't enough. While your side fights valiantly, you're outnumbered as usual and don't really have the raw power to at least fight them off properly. Indeed that's been the whole problem with the Garwold defense. Gnomes and Halflings have never been the best fighters in a straight up battle. Doesn't take long before your dead are rising to join the enemy. You attempt to target the enemy necromancer, but you can't get a clear shot, and it won't help with the second dead army that is now heading over the hill now. You sound a retreat, but you won't be joining few survivors left as a Death Knight smashes you in the side of the head with a swing of his fail. You fall to the ground dazed and bloody. As you attempt to get up, your mind begins to fill music. A little tune to take you away from this place… You look up just in time to see a blurry outline of the Death Knight who finishes the job and crushes your skull completely.

You can't take it anymore. "I'M NOT A FUCKING HERO! OKAY!? I NEVER WAS AND I NEVER WANTED TO BE! (sob)… I just wanted to go home…(sob)" You weep for a few minutes before the captain speaks again. "Alright then what happened? Tell me the entire truth and maybe you'll avoid the executioner's axe." At this point you have little choice. You're too distraught to say anything else. You give a relatively condensed version of what happened. At Nuro and what happened recently. Your encounter with Warnov seems to surprise her quite a bit. You also go on to explain that it was high ranking Zalan officers that insisted on this hero nonsense. She believes you, like she knows something of it. "(sigh) Yeah there's a statue of my dad in the Zalan capitol…but I know better…" You don't question anymore about this quiet outburst from her since you're still too worried about what's going to happen to you. "So why did you come back? You probably could've gotten away with it." "The same reason why I joined. My family. I guess I just needed a reminder of that first hand. And if there's any hope of changing the tide of this war with the undead then I need to stand by my decision of joining the Zalan Army and making the world safer for them." Once again the captain seems to soften. She almost looks like she's going to tear up as well, but she turns away. "My family…I…" are all she says before taking a deep breath and turning back towards you, with a serious mindset again. "Alright, I shall trust your word for now sergeant, but I will be watching you VERY carefully! Consider yourself lucky for evading death once again, perhaps you do have knack for avoiding it. Let us hope that luck rubs off on the rest of us in the upcoming battle. I'm putting you in charge of the Retlad archery platoon. They'll probably like you. Dismissed." Before you leave she says one last thing. "And sergeant, don't listen to what that bizarre vampire said. We're not going to become extinct. We're going to win and survive a long time. Besides you still have to play that song for me." As you leave you feel a sigh of relief that you won't be dying just yet, but given that you're heading into battle soon with the undead, you're wondering if you just didn't postpone the inevitable. Two years pass… Seven years since the Nuro Incident changed the world into this living hell. Your time served in the Grand Alliance has not really changed much. The Grand Alliance and the Zalan Empire are basically one of the same now thanks to the complete embrace of a totalitarian system. Might makes right. Nations like the Azi Republic protested, but there was little that they could, after all Zalan has been practically defending the world by itself for the past few years. You get the impression that if this war is won; the Zalan Empire is going to throw its hat in to be a one world government. Amazing how power and conspiracy is plotted even when it probably won't happen. "Probably won't" because your superiors and political leaders are a lot more "optimistic" about winning than you are, but then they haven't had to face the horrors you've faced. And horrors are a completely accurate word. You've gotten over your fear of the undead, but it doesn't make it any easier. You're starting to lose ground. Everyday the living lose someone, the Great Lich Lord gains. It's a question of numbers and quite frankly your side doesn't have them. You sort of wish your old captain was here. She was a very good leader and inspirational, but then again that's why she was made a general and sent elsewhere. She asked you to play that song before she left though. Somehow it seemed to make her sadder afterwards. "Captain, undead are on the move, they won't be long now." One of your messengers says. "Yes, I can sense it. Here. You head back to my home. You know where it is by now, and give this message to my family. If you get back here and see undead, well get the fuck out and run back to Zalan territory." Being a captain hasn't really turned you into a copy of the captains you served in the past, but then again you didn't even think you'd ever be promoted to one. Your reign as one has been a little unorthodox as you've applied more guerilla tactics than traditional ones, but given your assignment and your background it makes a hell of a lot more sense. You're currently stationed on what remains of the Garwold Confederacy. It was a relatively peaceful nation made up mostly of Halflings and Gnomes, with lush green fields and flowers. Now it's just slowly becoming another massive graveyard and example of genocide. You've gotten to know quite a few of them and you're always amazed of how they can keep their sense of humor in the face of utter destruction. One of them actually gives you an answer. "To keep from crying." Indeed. You've been playing quite a bit when you're not battling the undead. (The Garwold citizens enjoy your playing a lot) It's gotten to the point where you don't just play anymore to keep your mind off of things, it's like it transports you to a different world. A better world. If only. You often wonder how your brother Mallack is doing. He's been stationed in a relatively safer location back in Zalan territory. You're guessing that it lowers the odds of having your mom lose both of her sons at the same time. Like it makes it any better if she lost them within any length on time of each other. You wonder if the war is going to go on long enough that by the time Calwin grows up he'll be drafted as well. If he even gets the chance to grow up. You can't think about it now. A massive undead horde is coming and there's no where left to hide. There will be open battle and you need to stay focused. You go through the whole order thing, and making sure your strategy is sound. You wish you had more wizards, but they seem to be in shorter supply these days. It's almost like they're being targeted deliberately sometimes…actually you don't think it, you KNOW that they are. You see the undead horde approach. You look through some new fangled dwarven invention called an eye piece and see something makes your job a hell of a lot worse. You don't just see the usual undead. You see fully armored Death Knights. Harder to kill than even a zombie giant. You see Blood Specters. Dark crimson spirits that can cause their victims to bleed from every orifice with their shrieks. Both of those are at the head of this horde, and this isn't even counting that you're severely outnumbered by just the regular zombies, skeletons, ghosts and the like. > You letters to home (Grand Alliance...) Dear Mom, Well I'm sure you've heard by now that I'm officially part of the Grand Alliance. I don't know just how to feel about it either. How I even got roped into it, is all by chance and luck. That seems to be a staple in my life. I tried to desert the army once and I ended up getting promoted. I do it again, and even get called on it and I get even more responsibility! The world has gone completely mad. I'm sure of it now. Though who knows for how long. The woman responsible for putting me in my new position says we're going to win, but as each day wears on, I lose faith that we will. I've gotten over my fear of death and the undead, but now it's been replaced by a numbness to it. I don't know if that's worse. I heard about Mallack getting drafted. I sure hope he'll be okay. And I hope you'll be able to manage the farm without him, but I guess you'll be alright now that the government has taken control of the farm. I really wish that hadn't happened, but what can we do right? At least you won't need to protect the livestock anymore with all the guard patrolling it though. It would seem the Zalan Empire is everywhere nowadays though. Well, everywhere there isn't undead of course. We're going to try to retake the Brot Kingdom soon, dunno if it'll be successful. Give my love to the rest of the family. Your son

You can't take it anymore. "I'M NOT A FUCKING HERO! OKAY!? I NEVER WAS AND I NEVER WANTED TO BE! (sob)… I just wanted to go home…(sob)" You weep for a few minutes before the captain speaks again. "Alright then what happened? Tell me the entire truth and maybe you'll avoid the executioner's axe." At this point you have little choice. You're too distraught to say anything else. You give a relatively condensed version of what happened. At Nuro and what happened recently. Your encounter with Warnov seems to surprise her quite a bit. You also go on to explain that it was high ranking Zalan officers that insisted on this hero nonsense. She believes you, like she knows something of it. "(sigh) Yeah there's a statue of my dad in the Zalan capitol…but I know better…" You don't question anymore about this quiet outburst from her since you're still too worried about what's going to happen to you. "So why did you come back? You probably could've gotten away with it." "The same reason why I joined. My family. I guess I just needed a reminder of that first hand. And if there's any hope of changing the tide of this war with the undead then I need to stand by my decision of joining the Zalan Army and making the world safer for them." Once again the captain seems to soften. She almost looks like she's going to tear up as well, but she turns away. "My family…I…" are all she says before taking a deep breath and turning back towards you, with a serious mindset again. "Alright, I shall trust your word for now sergeant, but I will be watching you VERY carefully! Consider yourself lucky for evading death once again, perhaps you do have knack for avoiding it. Let us hope that luck rubs off on the rest of us in the upcoming battle. I'm putting you in charge of the Retlad archery platoon. They'll probably like you. Dismissed." Before you leave she says one last thing. "And sergeant, don't listen to what that bizarre vampire said. We're not going to become extinct. We're going to win and survive a long time. Besides you still have to play that song for me." As you leave you feel a sigh of relief that you won't be dying just yet, but given that you're heading into battle soon with the undead, you're wondering if you just didn't postpone the inevitable. Two years pass… Seven years since the Nuro Incident changed the world into this living hell. Your time served in the Grand Alliance has not really changed much. The Grand Alliance and the Zalan Empire are basically one of the same now thanks to the complete embrace of a totalitarian system. Might makes right. Nations like the Azi Republic protested, but there was little that they could, after all Zalan has been practically defending the world by itself for the past few years. You get the impression that if this war is won; the Zalan Empire is going to throw its hat in to be a one world government. Amazing how power and conspiracy is plotted even when it probably won't happen. "Probably won't" because your superiors and political leaders are a lot more "optimistic" about winning than you are, but then they haven't had to face the horrors you've faced. And horrors are a completely accurate word. You've gotten over your fear of the undead, but it doesn't make it any easier. You're starting to lose ground. Everyday the living lose someone, the Great Lich Lord gains. It's a question of numbers and quite frankly your side doesn't have them. You sort of wish your old captain was here. She was a very good leader and inspirational, but then again that's why she was made a general and sent elsewhere. She asked you to play that song before she left though. Somehow it seemed to make her sadder afterwards. "Captain, undead are on the move, they won't be long now." One of your messengers says. "Yes, I can sense it. Here. You head back to my home. You know where it is by now, and give this message to my family. If you get back here and see undead, well get the fuck out and run back to Zalan territory." Being a captain hasn't really turned you into a copy of the captains you served in the past, but then again you didn't even think you'd ever be promoted to one. Your reign as one has been a little unorthodox as you've applied more guerilla tactics than traditional ones, but given your assignment and your background it makes a hell of a lot more sense. You're currently stationed on what remains of the Garwold Confederacy. It was a relatively peaceful nation made up mostly of Halflings and Gnomes, with lush green fields and flowers. Now it's just slowly becoming another massive graveyard and example of genocide. You've gotten to know quite a few of them and you're always amazed of how they can keep their sense of humor in the face of utter destruction. One of them actually gives you an answer. "To keep from crying." Indeed. You've been playing quite a bit when you're not battling the undead. (The Garwold citizens enjoy your playing a lot) It's gotten to the point where you don't just play anymore to keep your mind off of things, it's like it transports you to a different world. A better world. If only. You often wonder how your brother Mallack is doing. He's been stationed in a relatively safer location back in Zalan territory. You're guessing that it lowers the odds of having your mom lose both of her sons at the same time. Like it makes it any better if she lost them within any length on time of each other. You wonder if the war is going to go on long enough that by the time Calwin grows up he'll be drafted as well. If he even gets the chance to grow up. You can't think about it now. A massive undead horde is coming and there's no where left to hide. There will be open battle and you need to stay focused. You go through the whole order thing, and making sure your strategy is sound. You wish you had more wizards, but they seem to be in shorter supply these days. It's almost like they're being targeted deliberately sometimes…actually you don't think it, you KNOW that they are. You see the undead horde approach. You look through some new fangled dwarven invention called an eye piece and see something makes your job a hell of a lot worse. You don't just see the usual undead. You see fully armored Death Knights. Harder to kill than even a zombie giant. You see Blood Specters. Dark crimson spirits that can cause their victims to bleed from every orifice with their shrieks. Both of those are at the head of this horde, and this isn't even counting that you're severely outnumbered by just the regular zombies, skeletons, ghosts and the like. > You letters to home (Battle at Garwold...) Dear Mom, I'm still in Garwold and each day I see more of this once beautiful land die under the hordes of the Great Lich Lord. I wish I could've seen this place before all of this. I think I probably could've made a living here as a bard under different circumstances. Playing for the downtrodden militias and fleeing refugees during the few free moments is one of the few pleasures I get anymore. We're expecting a big undead push soon, and I don't see how we can hold on to the remaining territory we have left here. I know you probably won't, but if we lose Garwold, I want you and the rest of the family to SERIOUSLY consider abandoning the farm. It's not even ours anymore. Why stay there in the face of oncoming danger? But I know you'll probably stay regardless. Maybe it doesn't matter, because at this point where is there to run? Give my love to the rest of the family. Your son

Now you have to figure out a plan that's going to prevent you from getting executed. You figure your brother's plan isn't exactly a bad one. Your record is good enough that you'd probably be believed. You think up a lie explaining that you were captured by a particularly sadistic vampire who was planning on draining you slowly to keep you as ongoing food. He took you to a cave in the hills where you barely killed him and escaped with your life. You would've made your way back sooner, but there were large groups of marauding orc raiders and demons escaping the ruins of the former Tulan kingdom that caused you to be extra cautious and forced you to hide for a few days. Yep, that sounds good. You head out with the plan of meeting up with Captain Eckard's company which is surely at the Tulan Kingdom now. Eventually you reach the same town you were at when you made your decision to try to leave. You find it occupied right now, it's not your company, so you're about to press on, but someone on patrol sees you. "HALT! Where are you supposed to be soldier?!" "Oh…uh…" you say getting caught off guard. You mentally curse yourself for not being more aware. "Speak up! Wow, you look a little worse for wear…what company are you with?" "I was with Captain Eckard…but…" "Captain Eckard's company? Holy shit! We thought they all got killed! The undead reached the Tulan capital first and ambushed them! But why am I telling you? You were there! You must've just barely escaped! Don't worry; you can avenge your friends, we're gathering strength to attack soon!" You don't believe this… The guard begins speaking to you excitedly and asking you how you escaped. You just continue to say you don't know, it all became a blur when the ambush occurred and how you attempted to fight, but it was just too much. The guard sympathizes and tells you that you can explain more to his captain. You notice he isn't wearing Zalan armor, he's wearing Azi Republic armor. You can only assume that perhaps this is a Grand Alliance company. Your ideas come true when you do indeed notice several kinds of troop types, though the Zalan Empire soldiers seem to be leading, as the captain is wearing the armor. Your heart sinks when you recognize her and she recognizes you. It was years ago, but you both remember. "…what are you doing here?" the female captain asks. "Last I heard you were in Captain Eckard's company. A company that was reported to be wiped out completely. Have you managed to avoid death once again? You are the lucky one aren't you?" Suddenly surrounding soldiers start to recognize you more closely. The Zalan ones especially. "Holy shit it's him! You fuckin' survived not one but TWO overwhelming undead hordes! We gotta take him captain, he's obviously good luck!" the guard says a little misguidedly. "Good luck? If you haven't noticed, only HE seems to be getting out alive on these things! I'd say he's bad luck!" someone else says. "Nonsense! I heard how he's killed countless demons with his bow! We could use someone like that in our next attack." another says. "Isn't he the guy that plays the lute really well?" A few people start arguing until the female captain speaks again. "ENOUGH! I'll handle this. You in my office now, I'll speak with you in private. And for the rest of you, get ready to move out. We're attacking tomorrow." She turns away and enters a building; you slowly follow, while everyone else disperses. When you enter the wrecked "office" she closes the door and tells you to sit down, but she doesn't. Instead she stares at you hard at you and draws her sword. "Okay Mr. Survivor. Convince me." "Convince you of what?" "Convince me that you aren't some fucking undead spy!" "WHAT?! How? I mean…" "Easy! In the two encounters you had with the undead on any major scale, you've been the only one to survive. Once, maybe. But twice? Mighty suspicious…" "But I mean…I'm not undead! Look I even walk around in the daylight, I'm not even pale!" "I didn't say you were undead, I said you were a spy. There are few of those misguided traitors that think their necromancer overlords will be kind to them, by killing them last. Madness." "But I'm not a spy! I killed…" you begin to stutter under pressure. "Yeah, yeah, you killed demons. Big deal. The undead and demons weren't friends either. What better way to be a spy than to make yourself a hero?" "But I'm not…" "You're not what?" "I'm not…" "What? More lies? Spit out the truth spy!" she demands pointing her sword at your throat. > You attempt to lie Quickly remembering the lie you thought up on the way, you sputter it out with some stress. "I…I was captured by a vampire! A really fucking sadistic one! He killed my scouting party and took me to say he was going to drain me slowly for fun! He took me to some cave in the hills and it was only by luck that I managed to kill him and escape! I would've made my way back sooner, but their were large groups of marauding orc raiders and demons escaping the ruins of the former Tulan Kingdom, so I was extra cautious and…" At this point the Captain bashes you in the head with the hilt of her sword. You fall off the chair and onto the floor. "LIAR! You expect me to believe this horse shit? I've had patrols going all through this area and there aren't any orcs in the damn area. They all fled further north long ago and the remaining demons mostly ran to the west! Not to mention the closest hills have no caves! You obviously think so low of me that you thought you could fool me OR you're just a complete idiot as well as a coward! Either way you haven't convinced me, and you're fit only for execution! You're a deserter at best and a spy at worst!" "No…wait…" are your last words before the Captain severs your head from your body.

Last time you were wounded and had the misfortune of running into demons. Well you aren't wounded this time and you're pretty sure you won't be running into too many more demons. You'll be able to pull it off this time. You can't do this army shit anymore, as much as you want to help your family out, you've got to live your own life regardless of what the future holds. You aren't even worried about committing an executionable offense. You easily sneak away as you hear your men call out your name looking for you. You're glad you didn't leave too much back at the fort, except your lute, but you've got your newly acquired mandolin to make up for it. Eventually you're away from civilization altogether. While you're out in the wilderness you think about your family again, and you have to at least let them know you're still alive. Maybe you can still do something about them, after all it doesn't sound like the Zalan Empire is becoming a great place to live anymore. Perhaps you could convince them to move? It takes a week of sneaking around and keeping out of sight, but eventually you make it back home. Zalan looks a lot different; hell home looks a lot different. There was a small wooded area near your farm, but most of the trees have been cut down now. You also remember fewer patrols. Your house looks in better condition however. You guess at least your family seems a lot safer, but for how long? You knock on the door in the middle of the night and your sister Randi answers, Not too surprising as she always was a night owl when she was little. At least she used to be little. The passing of the years and she's now a teenager and grown quite a bit. You've been away so long. What does surprise you is the flintlock pistol that she's currently pointing at you! "Whoa! Hold on! It's me, your brother!" you say. "…it is? It is you!" she exclaims and puts down the gun before hugging you. "What the hell are you doing with a pistol?" "The money you sent us allowed to buy new things you know and a traveling merchant was selling this for cheap!" "No I mean, what are YOU doing with one? You'll blow your damn head off with that thing! Those things are unstable." You scold. "What are you doing home? Are you on leave?" "Uh…that's a long story. Wake up the rest of the family; I have to talk to you all." Randi complies while you step inside the house and take in its new look. Eventually your Mom enters, followed by your brother Mallack and finally your youngest brother Calwin and sister Makana. You all sit down at the dining room table. (You realize you haven't done that with your family in years) and you tell them everything. You get a lot of worried reactions. More for you than the other world impending doom stuff though. At least you know that they care. "You gotta get back to the army right now! Say you got captured by something and it took you awhile to escape!" Mallack exclaims. "While I'm sure that MAY work, I just don't want to do it…I can't take this anymore. The whole time I've been in the damn army, my music has kept me sane. I've noticed it have an effect on others as well. Never thought it would. I mean I have talent and…" "…you feel like you've wasted your life?" your mother replies. You pause for a moment. You almost want to say yes, but you can't even if you wanted to. You haven't wasted it, its just you've never really had the chance to do what you've ever wanted to do. "No…I guess I haven't… it's just…" Your mother takes your hand and speaks to you. "I know. It's not fair. It's not right. Life isn't fair and it's starting to get a whole lot less fair. I know I've mentioned it in letters to you, but the Zalan Empire WILL be taking the farm…and it's looking like Mallack's going to be drafted if things are going the way they seem to be." "But…see that's what I'm saying! We could all move! I mean of course I have to go into hiding, maybe Mallack could come with me. And the rest of you could use what money you have left and move to Retlad! It's a nice place. It's away from most of the fighting, and there aren't anymore Quillars there!" Your mother shakes her head. "You must be behind in the news, because Retlad is finally going to become part of the Zalan Empire soon, so going there to live wouldn't make any difference. The Empire can take this farm, but in spirit this will ALWAYS be ours. The Empire has said they will allow us to continue working it and living on the land and even if they didn't they'd have have to drag us all out and stick our heads on pikes before we'd leave. Your father and his father build this farm up to what it is. Our family is going to be here until the end." "That's what I'm afraid of…what about you Mallack? You're probably going to be drafted. You aren't worried about that?" "Sure I am. But what am I going to do, run? Where? From what you described you practically think the whole world is doomed anyway! I might as well take some of the undead bastards out before I go. I was getting bored of the farm anyway. Let Randi take over! Ha ha!" Your mother addresses you again. "Son, you know our family. We've always done the right thing, even if it doesn't coincide with what we want…I think you know what you have to do." And so you do. So you do. You spend one night with your family and make the most of it. You all laugh and joke, trying to put all the problems of the world out of your mind and of course before you leave you play a song for them. Eventually you hug them all goodbye and take your leave. More than a few tears are shed on both sides. > You go into hiding As much as you still want to help out your family, you have to live your own life while there is still time. They'll still get money from your supposed death and they know you're still alive. You figure this will be the last time you see them though, as you can't risk contacting them anymore. The first order of business is to change your identity as much as you can. And head to a place where you can play for an audience, but the probability of someone ratting you out is low if you're recognized. You head to the Garwold Confederacy. It's a relatively peaceful nation made up mostly of Halflings and Gnomes, with lush green fields and flowers. They've surprisingly managed to stay out of most of the fighting; only volunteering a few of their militia and illusionists to the Grand Alliance. They're also known to appreciate the simpler things in life. Eventually you make a place for yourself there in one of the small villages. You make a living playing at the local tavern there. Most of the patrons know that you have some sort of past that you're trying to hide from. Some of them and the owner know that you're that Zalan "hero" that they've heard about. But just like you thought, they don't bring it up or say anything about it and just enjoy your music. A year passes and you're happy. Nobody from the Zalan Empire comes looking for you, as it's assumed you're dead and everyone's too busy fighting the undead for the most part. When the Grand Alliance armies pass through, you keep a low profile though. You even meet a pretty Halfling girl to be with. The next year isn't so pretty however. The Great Lich Lord's armies have been defeating the Grand Alliance's attempts to stop them and now those armies finally turn their attention to the Garwold Confederacy. Within a month half of Garwold has been turned into a graveyard. The Grand Alliance as well as the Garwold militia have been doing their best, but it's not going to be enough. You help defend the little village that you've made your home in and you can't afford to keep a low profile anymore despite the Grand Alliance presence (Which is now mainly made up of Zalan Empire troops) but it hardly matters at this point. Survival of the living is You make plans to leave, and to try to convince your girlfriend and your other new friends that you've made here to leave as well. You know they're all very home bound, but tomorrow you're going to really try. Unfortunately a group of Blood Specters attacks the village that night. You awaken to hear blood curling screams ring throughout the village. You look out the window and see the vile red ghosts stalking the streets. You've become too attached to these people to not help; you immediately grab your weapons and prepare for battle. You head to your girlfriend's home first, but sadly she's already been killed and completely drained of blood. You don't have time to morn as you're immediately attacked by the Blood Specter that was still lingering in the house. You manage to kill it with a couple silver arrows, but its dying shrieks alert others to your area. You slay a couple more of them as you try to look for the necromancer who has to be in the area to even control these creatures, but you can't keep your eye on all the incorporeal creatures and you suddenly feel a slight pain in your back which reaches forward into your heart as one of them thrusts its hand into you to drain your blood. You collapse soon after, only to rise later to join the ranks of the ever growing undead armies.

If you've learned one thing, numbers doesn't necessarily imply safety. With all the years of patrolling you've done along with your previous actions in Retlad so long ago, you actually feel more comfortable in smaller groups at this point. Your one and only rank and file battle didn't go well. Your choice isn't surprising, if anything more people feel comfortable with you scouting ahead. As you journey further into former Tulan territory, you don't encounter too much resistance. A few demons and crazed followers here and there, but nothing you can't take care of. It also occurs to you how "planted" you've been for the past five years. While it's true you did leave the fort a lot, you never ventured far from it. This is first time you've actually traveled. Ironic, since one of the reasons why you joined the army was the possibility of traveling to interesting places. However, it seems like you only visit these interesting places after they're already destroyed. You're basically seeing the aftermath of the demon occupation. It sort of reminds you of what you'd seen back in Retlad when the Quillars were killing folks except the landscape is in even worse condition. The demons weren't content on just corrupting their mortal slaves; they were attempting to turn the entire land into their infernal realm. You can only imagine what sort of hell was going on while they were actually here. You get to a small town that's completely wrecked and seemingly deserted. Its night time and normally you'd go back and wait until morning to scout it, but Captain Eckard is insistent on getting to the former Tulan capital as quick as possible. You split up into small groups to scout the town quicker and tell everyone that if they come across anything more then they can handle, to run and alert everyone else. You go building to building not really encountering much of anything. Not even survivors. Lots of half eaten dead bodies in various states of torment though. You expect when Velzix was killed the whole realm descended into anarchy pretty quickly and the demons reverted back to their chaotic natures causing as much mayhem as possible without too much repercussion. You enter a shop with two of your other team members. You hear a creaking sound, which doesn't sound good. One of your team members goes a little further in, and it gets louder. "Step back! The floors is…" you utter and then a large portion of the floor collapses underneath him. You attempt to grab his hand, but fail and the rest of the floor collapses underneath you as well. You don't fall too far, but you definitely feel it. You recover as quick as you can and hear your other subordinate who managed to avoid falling through the floor. "Sarge! Are you alright?" Private Ramusen shouts. "Yeah, yeah private. I'm just a little bruised." "What about Gannon? Is he alright?" You take your tinder box and make a small light. You look around and see that you must be in the basement of some sort of music shop from all the instruments you see. You didn't even notice when you first entered the place, it just looked like any other ransacked shop. Upon further inspection you see a body lying on the floor. It's Private Gannon and he's dead. He didn't land in the "good way" you did and broke his neck. "He's dead." You call up to Ramusen. "Shit! He's fuckin' dead?" "Yeah private, I just said he was! Now let me get the hell out of here…fuck! The damn stairs are completely destroyed. I can't climb up, or even attempt a jump. Ramusen, throw down a rope and make sure you really secure it!" While you wait for Ramusen to complete this task, you take a look at some of the instruments. Lots of flutes and other wind instruments that don't interest you. You grab an old looking mandolin. It's definitely human design, but it seems very ornate though, must've been a specialty piece that wasn't for sale. You pluck at the strings and despite the dirt, grime, and neglect of the instrument; it still manages to produce a fairly pleasing tone. You play for a good five minutes before you realize that Ramusen hasn't thrown down the rope yet. "Private?" is all you utter, when you hear the slumping of a lifeless body, followed by a low voice. "Beautiful…" You grab your bow, when you see a dark figure loom above you. You fire, but miss due to the figure dodging quicker than anything you've ever encountered before. It doesn't help that this same figure has jumped down the hole beside you before you can blink. You're standing right before the figure now. He has a pale, but familiar face, though the blood around the mouth is new and not encouraging. He knocks the bow out of your hand, but does nothing else to you. You wouldn't be quick enough to draw your sword given what you've seen. In fact right now, all you're feeling is fear. "Almost hit me…you would've made a good addition. Maybe you could've even…no. Nobody can. This world is lost now and soon my kind won't even be around to guide your kind to combat the inevitable anymore…" Warnov says. "What…what are you talking about?" you ask unsure what's going to happen next. Warnov looks as if he could tell you more than you'd ever want to know about lots of things, but instead he just shakes his head. "Nevermind human. Telling you the whole story would not help you anyway. Perhaps it's best you hadn't joined us, seeing as I have been marked now. It won't be long before the rest of my kind are hunted down. He's really quite pissed at us, and worse, he can sense us you see…(sigh) I can only imagine what he did to poor Count Rostov…" "Who's pissed?" "Who do you think human? The Necro…I mean the Great Lich Lord of course. Oh yes. He's back…and this one isn't going to lose like the last one did so long ago." You're not following all of Warnov's cryptic speak, but if the last bit he's said is true, he's scared the hell out of you more than he has with his actions. Warnov grabs your shoulder and looks into your eyes. "I do not envy your fate human…the extinction of your species will soon follow my own. My advice to you? Live human! Live while you can, for eventually this whole world will be dead and under his complete control." Sensing that he's brought enough doom and gloom to you, he relents and steps back. "Play me a song human." He says catching you off guard. "…what did you want to hear?" you ask shakily. "I don't know…anything. Play what you were playing before." You slowly pick up the dropped mandolin and begin playing the song that you were playing before and you play as if your life depended on it, though you get the impression that Warnov has no intention on killing you. He sits quietly listening in the darkness, after finishing the song; he leaps back up through the hole. "Beautiful…such talent…such a waste…" A rope is thrown down and the sounds of feet running off are then heard. You wait a minute and then climb up the rope, taking the mandolin with you. You see private Ramusen lying nearby with his throat ripped out and thoroughly drained of blood. You're also just in time to hear other members of your group coming to your position when you exit the shop. What the hell are you supposed to tell them? Death to the world, reborn lich lords…you start thinking, what's the point of all this? Maybe Warnov was right, maybe you should LIVE while there's still time. Granted his information is spotty, but you can't help but thinking he's probably more informed on the situation than most people. You've pondered it several times before, and you've even attempted it once, but deserting is looking very desirable again. In this day and age, who's going to know if were killed or not? > You letters to home (Moving out from Virtue...) Dear Mom, This will be a quick letter, we're moving out and I can't say I'm thrilled with it. Last time I wrote, I was talking about how bad the recent demon attacks were, well I'm sure you already heard about the demon lord Velzix being killed. I suppose this is a good thing, since its one less enemy to worry about, but I'm being sent to retake the lands previously owned by him and reports say the Necromancer is as well. I still haven't gotten completely over what happened at Nuro. I need to be strong though since I'm probably going to be doing a lot of combat with the undead in the future. Oddly I'm not even worried about myself so much right now; I'm more concerned about you guys. I know the Zalan Empire has been creating a lot of rules lately. Talks of seizing private property and drafts cause me to worry about you all. Never thought that on the eve of possibly facing undead hordes again, it's our own government that I have concerns about. Argh! This is something I'd rather discuss with you in person, of course if I ever got a chance to visit every once in awhile! Okay, the Captain's starting to call everyone. Give my love to the rest of the family. Your son

You have to admit, the idea has crossed your mind a bit. A small part of you does wonder about embracing the whole hero image and deliberately doing grand deeds that go beyond the call of your duty. You suppose that you'd at least really feel like one if you did that. However, more often than not real heroes don't live long. You're wondering what exactly this Mr. Warnov has in mind for you and given his demeanor, his appearance and just your own feelings of uncertainty about him, you decline. You know your limitations even if others don't see them. So, no you won't be hunting down some artifact of unlimited power and then single handedly taking out a Demon Lord or Necromancer Lord in their own throne room. "No, I don't think so Mr. Warnov. As I've often said, I'm no hero. I'm just doing my job and providing for my family." Mr. Warnov looks disappointed and sighs, but accepts your decision. "Very well. This is a shame though. Despite your humble birth you seem to have lots of potential. You could've made an excellent addition to our…organization. I've also heard your lute playing wasn't bad either, we don't have any musically talented types anymore…oh well." Mr. Warnov leaves rather quickly after his last statement. Something about him seemed very odd and you're sort of glad you didn't take his offer. You go back to your target practice for awhile when you suddenly hear an alarm cry out loudly through the fort about a small demon army being sighted over the hill. "Well back to work…" you say and prepare for battle once again. Two years pass… It's been five years since the Nuro Incident and things have gotten worse. Both the Necromancer Lord and Velzix have made progress. Too much. The Grand Alliance hasn't been able to do anything except fight them to a stalemate. All three sides are looking to gain an advantage and somehow you don't think it'll be yours. The Zalan Empire has become increasingly totalitarian. It's been increasing its influence over how the Grand Alliance should be run and its strategies. Some of Zalan's officers have been transferred to become more prominent in leading and commanding the bulk of the Grand Alliance army. You're not sure if this isn't a bad idea. Bullying or not, one final voice in matters would probably help the Grand Alliance at this point. There's been some grumbling by other nations though. However it's also begun several repressive internal measures to keep itself safe. Your mom has mentioned in letters back to you of seeing routine patrols now near the farm. Talks of seizing private property for the good of the Empire are being discussed. You don't really like the sound of that, but it's not really like you can do anything about it. You can only take solace in the fact that being part of the Zalan army will at least result in your family not becoming homeless. They would probably still be able to live and work on the farm…it just wouldn't be your family's anymore. There's also talk of a draft. You don't like the sound of that either. Your brother Mallack would certainly be conscripted now. You can't imagine him dealing with the things you've had to face. You hope it doesn't come to that. Your position at Virtue is looking worse and worse each day. Parts of the fort are severely damaged, you're short on man power and you don't even have any decent wizards or healers. You've attempted to talk to Captain Eckard about withdrawing and falling back to a safer position, but he won't hear of it. This fort is NOT to be abandoned. The only good thing is that there's apparently been a small contingent of mercenaries severely messing up things for Velzix in his own territory. They must be incredibly brave or completely mad for Zalan gold to perform such a task. You can't help but think that maybe YOU would be there right along side them, if you'd joined up with that mercenary company years ago. A sobering thought. Time to go on patrol again. You gather up some soldiers and get ready. You look at all of them and wonder which ones won't be coming back this time. You look at yourself and wonder if you will. A few years ago, everyone coming back alive was at least a possibility, but now it's not even certain. You go out and change up your routine path again. Always have to be different, can't become predictable. A couple of imps attack. Nothing to worry about. Easily dispatched. You know you'll encounter worse before the day is over though. A group of Tulan "citizens" led by their demon overseer attacks you next. Made up of hapless slaves and misguided idiots who think serving the demons is going to pan out in the long run. Finally you come across something a little more unusual. A small group of dwarves fighting off a large demon ambush. They look ragged, wounded and in dire need of help. So you help them. You unleash five arrows into the head of an Eviscerator before two of your number are fried by a hellfire blast from a Flame Child. The fighting doesn't get any cleaner from there. You see another one of your members getting shredded, before a path is cleared for the dwarves to follow you back to the fort. One of their own chooses to stay behind to give the rest a chance to escape. As all of you run, a large explosion is heard followed by several yelps, howls and screams. The dwarf has blown himself up with whatever explosives the dwarves are fond of making. Finally you get back to the fort where it's relatively safe, and all you're thinking about is how you'll have to do this all over again tomorrow. You retire to your private room where you play your lute and hope you aren't disturbed by another attack on the fort. Happily, that doesn't happen, but you are disturbed by one of the dwarves you rescued earlier instead. He's come to thank you. "Hey lad, I just want to say thanks to your actions at least a few of us survived from our clan. Such as it is now. Something about you looks very familiar. Normally you humans all look the same but…ah hah! You're that lad who I saved near that farm five years ago! Looks like you returned the favor! Stagir's the name." You didn't realize it either, but then with all the fighting and the chaos you'd barely survived during that particular day, you weren't really paying attention to faces. You were just glad someone came along when they did. "Yeah…small world I guess. So what happened to your clan?" "Wiped out lad." Stagir says mournfully. "At least when you humans were fighting each other you didn't mess with us, but getting caught between the undead and demons…well it's a bit different." "The undead are that far now?" you ask. "Aye. They and the demons have been involved in skirmishes here and there. Got no problem with evil fighting evil, but it was just our bad luck that my clan was caught in the middle. The demons are evil incarnate to be sure, but the undead…I dunno. Something worse about them. In the final days, I had to kill clan members who I once called friends and family because of the fucking necromancers raising them from the dead. Some stayed behind to fight since they refused to run. They'd rather die than run from their home. Normally I'd agree, but after seeing that this was a losing battle, some of us decided that it would be better to run. After all we would just be raised again to be used as puppets of the necromancers when we die. Not even free will to choose, or the threat of a demon's whip. You just become one of them. Can't let that happen to me. Never." You know something of it, having had to do a little of that five years ago at Nuro, but actually killing undead parodies of family members would be pretty horrific. Stagir attempts to lighten the mood a bit by asking you about what you were playing before he interrupted. When you tell him, he tiches and says something about how elven songs are nothing compared to dwarven ones. You never really thought of dwarves having a musical interest before, but Stagir boasts about how they have quite an extensive musical history. He takes the lute from you and shows you a couple of dwarven songs, breaking strings in the process. His insistent singing accompanying the songs isn't exactly pleasant either. He complains about the human made strings not being strong enough to play the songs properly, but thanks you again for saving his life before leaving. Every now and then you play these songs for your new dwarven allies who have taken it upon themselves to strengthen and rebuild the fort the "proper dwarf way". They seem to appreciate it. You're a little more careful with the strings and don't indulge in the singing though. (But unfortunately for the rest of the fort, the dwarves do) A few months pass and the demon attacks seem to decrease. The strengthened fort certainly helps, but something else is going on. Eventually you're seeing less and less of them. Eventually some ragged refugees come to the fort and after a bit of babbling and thanking the gods, a few of them explain. There are a couple of conflicting stories, but it would seem Velzix is dead! He was killed by something or someone. Consensus seems to be that the mercenary leader died in battle with him though. Without Velzix's leadership the demons are fighting amongst themselves and the realm is in complete disarray. The Grand Alliance is taking steps to retake the land immediately before the Necromancer Lord gets it. The Zalan Empire in particular is closer though, so naturally YOUR nation is going to get that land first! While things may be looking up somewhat, they aren't necessarily looking up for you. Captain Eckard has orders to begin an attack immediately. You aren't looking forward to it mainly because you'll probably encounter an undead army in the process. You don't have a choice though except for what role you can serve. Thanks to your skills and rank. You can either lead troops as normal, or be part of a scouting party. > You letters to home (She's still alive!) Hey Mallack! This letter is directly for you again. Glad you've been keeping these between us. Anyway, I know it seemed silly to worry about a girl I just had a brief encounter with years ago for one night. But when I heard about the Brot Kingdom being destroyed by the Necromancer, I did wonder about Helena. Well, I found out she's still alive! She stopped off in Fort Virtue not too long ago! She wasn't in Brot when all that shit went down. She was trading in the Azi Republic at the time. When she arrived in Fort Virtue to trade, I recognized her and she seemed pleased to see me. She mentioned that she was pleased to see a familiar face for once and we spent a lot of time together for as long as she stayed. (And yes, we did THAT several times too.) I wish things were different, or at least not the way they are right now. I definitely would want to pursue a more permanent relationship with her because we get along really well, but alas that's not to be. At least not at this time. She told me she was heading to the Retlad Kingdom next; I hope she stays there because there's less fighting going on. Definitely no more Quillars there anymore. I dunno, I know it's minor and doesn't really make sense, but this little bit of info sort of put me in a better mood. I guess I'll be writing Mom a more upbeat letter as well soon. Okay, well I hope everything's going good with you too. Keep watching out for the Kobolds and keep 'em out of that chicken coop! Your brother

You have to admit, the idea has crossed your mind a bit. A small part of you does wonder about embracing the whole hero image and deliberately doing grand deeds that go beyond the call of your duty. You suppose that you'd at least really feel like one if you did that. However, more often than not real heroes don't live long. You're wondering what exactly this Mr. Warnov has in mind for you and given his demeanor, his appearance and just your own feelings of uncertainty about him, you decline. You know your limitations even if others don't see them. So, no you won't be hunting down some artifact of unlimited power and then single handedly taking out a Demon Lord or Necromancer Lord in their own throne room. "No, I don't think so Mr. Warnov. As I've often said, I'm no hero. I'm just doing my job and providing for my family." Mr. Warnov looks disappointed and sighs, but accepts your decision. "Very well. This is a shame though. Despite your humble birth you seem to have lots of potential. You could've made an excellent addition to our…organization. I've also heard your lute playing wasn't bad either, we don't have any musically talented types anymore…oh well." Mr. Warnov leaves rather quickly after his last statement. Something about him seemed very odd and you're sort of glad you didn't take his offer. You go back to your target practice for awhile when you suddenly hear an alarm cry out loudly through the fort about a small demon army being sighted over the hill. "Well back to work…" you say and prepare for battle once again. Two years pass… It's been five years since the Nuro Incident and things have gotten worse. Both the Necromancer Lord and Velzix have made progress. Too much. The Grand Alliance hasn't been able to do anything except fight them to a stalemate. All three sides are looking to gain an advantage and somehow you don't think it'll be yours. The Zalan Empire has become increasingly totalitarian. It's been increasing its influence over how the Grand Alliance should be run and its strategies. Some of Zalan's officers have been transferred to become more prominent in leading and commanding the bulk of the Grand Alliance army. You're not sure if this isn't a bad idea. Bullying or not, one final voice in matters would probably help the Grand Alliance at this point. There's been some grumbling by other nations though. However it's also begun several repressive internal measures to keep itself safe. Your mom has mentioned in letters back to you of seeing routine patrols now near the farm. Talks of seizing private property for the good of the Empire are being discussed. You don't really like the sound of that, but it's not really like you can do anything about it. You can only take solace in the fact that being part of the Zalan army will at least result in your family not becoming homeless. They would probably still be able to live and work on the farm…it just wouldn't be your family's anymore. There's also talk of a draft. You don't like the sound of that either. Your brother Mallack would certainly be conscripted now. You can't imagine him dealing with the things you've had to face. You hope it doesn't come to that. Your position at Virtue is looking worse and worse each day. Parts of the fort are severely damaged, you're short on man power and you don't even have any decent wizards or healers. You've attempted to talk to Captain Eckard about withdrawing and falling back to a safer position, but he won't hear of it. This fort is NOT to be abandoned. The only good thing is that there's apparently been a small contingent of mercenaries severely messing up things for Velzix in his own territory. They must be incredibly brave or completely mad for Zalan gold to perform such a task. You can't help but think that maybe YOU would be there right along side them, if you'd joined up with that mercenary company years ago. A sobering thought. Time to go on patrol again. You gather up some soldiers and get ready. You look at all of them and wonder which ones won't be coming back this time. You look at yourself and wonder if you will. A few years ago, everyone coming back alive was at least a possibility, but now it's not even certain. You go out and change up your routine path again. Always have to be different, can't become predictable. A couple of imps attack. Nothing to worry about. Easily dispatched. You know you'll encounter worse before the day is over though. A group of Tulan "citizens" led by their demon overseer attacks you next. Made up of hapless slaves and misguided idiots who think serving the demons is going to pan out in the long run. Finally you come across something a little more unusual. A small group of dwarves fighting off a large demon ambush. They look ragged, wounded and in dire need of help. So you help them. You unleash five arrows into the head of an Eviscerator before two of your number are fried by a hellfire blast from a Flame Child. The fighting doesn't get any cleaner from there. You see another one of your members getting shredded, before a path is cleared for the dwarves to follow you back to the fort. One of their own chooses to stay behind to give the rest a chance to escape. As all of you run, a large explosion is heard followed by several yelps, howls and screams. The dwarf has blown himself up with whatever explosives the dwarves are fond of making. Finally you get back to the fort where it's relatively safe, and all you're thinking about is how you'll have to do this all over again tomorrow. You retire to your private room where you play your lute and hope you aren't disturbed by another attack on the fort. Happily, that doesn't happen, but you are disturbed by one of the dwarves you rescued earlier instead. He's come to thank you. "Hey lad, I just want to say thanks to your actions at least a few of us survived from our clan. Such as it is now. Something about you looks very familiar. Normally you humans all look the same but…ah hah! You're that lad who I saved near that farm five years ago! Looks like you returned the favor! Stagir's the name." You didn't realize it either, but then with all the fighting and the chaos you'd barely survived during that particular day, you weren't really paying attention to faces. You were just glad someone came along when they did. "Yeah…small world I guess. So what happened to your clan?" "Wiped out lad." Stagir says mournfully. "At least when you humans were fighting each other you didn't mess with us, but getting caught between the undead and demons…well it's a bit different." "The undead are that far now?" you ask. "Aye. They and the demons have been involved in skirmishes here and there. Got no problem with evil fighting evil, but it was just our bad luck that my clan was caught in the middle. The demons are evil incarnate to be sure, but the undead…I dunno. Something worse about them. In the final days, I had to kill clan members who I once called friends and family because of the fucking necromancers raising them from the dead. Some stayed behind to fight since they refused to run. They'd rather die than run from their home. Normally I'd agree, but after seeing that this was a losing battle, some of us decided that it would be better to run. After all we would just be raised again to be used as puppets of the necromancers when we die. Not even free will to choose, or the threat of a demon's whip. You just become one of them. Can't let that happen to me. Never." You know something of it, having had to do a little of that five years ago at Nuro, but actually killing undead parodies of family members would be pretty horrific. Stagir attempts to lighten the mood a bit by asking you about what you were playing before he interrupted. When you tell him, he tiches and says something about how elven songs are nothing compared to dwarven ones. You never really thought of dwarves having a musical interest before, but Stagir boasts about how they have quite an extensive musical history. He takes the lute from you and shows you a couple of dwarven songs, breaking strings in the process. His insistent singing accompanying the songs isn't exactly pleasant either. He complains about the human made strings not being strong enough to play the songs properly, but thanks you again for saving his life before leaving. Every now and then you play these songs for your new dwarven allies who have taken it upon themselves to strengthen and rebuild the fort the "proper dwarf way". They seem to appreciate it. You're a little more careful with the strings and don't indulge in the singing though. (But unfortunately for the rest of the fort, the dwarves do) A few months pass and the demon attacks seem to decrease. The strengthened fort certainly helps, but something else is going on. Eventually you're seeing less and less of them. Eventually some ragged refugees come to the fort and after a bit of babbling and thanking the gods, a few of them explain. There are a couple of conflicting stories, but it would seem Velzix is dead! He was killed by something or someone. Consensus seems to be that the mercenary leader died in battle with him though. Without Velzix's leadership the demons are fighting amongst themselves and the realm is in complete disarray. The Grand Alliance is taking steps to retake the land immediately before the Necromancer Lord gets it. The Zalan Empire in particular is closer though, so naturally YOUR nation is going to get that land first! While things may be looking up somewhat, they aren't necessarily looking up for you. Captain Eckard has orders to begin an attack immediately. You aren't looking forward to it mainly because you'll probably encounter an undead army in the process. You don't have a choice though except for what role you can serve. Thanks to your skills and rank. You can either lead troops as normal, or be part of a scouting party. > You letters to home (Random thoughts...) Dear Mom, I meant to tell you this weird man from Zalan Intelligence offered me a job, a few months ago. Said I could be a "real" hero and a bunch of other stuff. Part of it sounded appealing, but something about him made me feel really uncomfortable. I wonder if I'm just avoiding my "potential." Like perhaps I am supposed to be some great general or warrior, or whatever. But I just don't feel that desire within me. Now if I had been offered to give up all this army stuff and play at the Emperor's Palace as a regular job then I might've accepted! Over these years as I've played for others and mainly for myself, I truly believe I really was meant to play music in this world. Just events didn't work out for me I guess, but even within this situation, I've still found a way to indulge in my passion and I suppose it's better than never being able to at all. Who knows? Perhaps one day all of this will be over and I'll come out of this alive and manage to pursue music without hindrance. I know that sounds a little uncharacteristically optimistic from me, but I guess I still have a little hope left after all. Give my love to the rest of the family Your son

You've served in this army well and always done your job regardless of the shitty situations you've been in. You might not like a lot of it, but you've never complained. Lately you've been on edge about a possible all out assault of some big ass demon army that's going to attack any day now, and playing is one of the few pleasures you have to put your mind at ease. Perhaps it's a combination of this and a combination of this unwanted and unnecessary scolding that causes you to speak out of turn. "With all due respect ma'am, I am fully prepared to battle at a moment's notice and so are those under my direct command. But even soldiers need to rest, if only for a minute." The woman looks very surprised you didn't comply with her demand to see your superior officer. "…you DARE speak out of turn like that to me? I'll see you sent to the Nuro Front for that sort of insubordination! Then we'd see just how battle ready you are! How would you like that?" "I wouldn't like it at all. I barely survived the first time." You say trying not to express any fear. "…What? What are you talking about? First time?" Now you're a little surprised she doesn't know who you are considering how some of the high ups exaggerated about how you managed to survive. You explain yourself briefly and she doesn't quite believe you at first, a couple of your troops hiding nearby at least back up your claims before slinking off. "That was YOU? What the hell are you doing here? You should be leading from the front not languishing in some fort that barely sees battle!" "Doesn't see battle? We suffered a small demon raid last week! We see plenty of battle!" "What I mean is, somebody of your obvious combat and survival skills should be assigned on the front lines where you can do more good. Normally I don't question Zalan command, but this is really an oversight on their part." "Well maybe they know better than the both of us, besides this assignment isn't a walk in the fairy fields. I think we'll be suffering a grand scale attack any day now." "Doubt it. Velzix has been having a hard time keeping his unruly mob together. If it wasn't for a lot of the sycophantic Tulan citizens, he'd probably be confined to pure defense, though something will have to be done soon, reports say he's attempting to gate in more demons everyday. Not to mention that supposedly civilized demons from other nations are starting to display their true colors and flock to his banner. Like I always said the only good demon is a dead one!" This causes you to smile a bit and she very faintly smiles back when she sees that you feel the same way. This smile disappears quickly though as she continues her rant. "I wish I wasn't assigned to the Tulan Border though. I'd rather be taking Nuro back. THAT'S the more dangerous threat. The demons will kill themselves with their own chaotic and violent natures, but the undead…they've almost taken over the world before just because of one bastard that lead them. I never thought I'd see a serious threat like this in my lifetime, especially not…" The female captain at this point stops. She even looks away from you as if whatever she was going to say was just too much even for her. She seems to be a lot more battle hardened than you and probably ten times braver. You can't imagine what horror she experienced that would be worse than your own, but you don't find out since she changes the subject. "…Bah! Maybe you're right; a soldier does need to keep their mind occupied on other things every now and then. We aren't undead after all. So what's with the lute? You also a bard or something?" she laughs. "No, I think those dreams are long gone, but my playing seems to boost spirits around here a little, which can only be a good thing in this situation." "Hm. My mother was elven and she used to sing this song to me and my…brother when we were very young. It was very smooth and calming. Beautiful melody." "Yeah, most elven music is like that. When I was assigned in Retlad I learned a few elven songs from a few of the citizens there, you wouldn't happen to know the song would you?" She tells you the name of the song and you know it immediately. One of the first new songs you learned while stationed in Retlad actually. This seems cause her to momentarily revert to a less stand offish behavior. You're about to play it for her, but then a messenger comes running up handing her a note. She reads it and she's all business again. "Alright men! We're moving out!" she shouts and leaves without saying another word to you. You didn't even learn her name. Perhaps it's just as well; you'll most likely never meet again due to one of you dying on the battlefield. You go back to doing what you were doing. Two years pass… Three years since the Nuro Incident and this struggle still continues. You're still stationed Fort Virtue and you've repelled more demon attacks than you would care to count. Velzix has finally gotten his shit together completely. A unified demonic front is in full swing here and its taking its toll. Once again your skills have come in very handy in defense. You are certainly known as a demon slayer, but you still don't feel like a hero of any kind. You're just trying to do your job and survive. You save lives when you can, but you know ultimately it's a futile task as death seems to be everywhere nowadays. As bad as it is on the demon front, its nothing compared to what've you've heard on the undead front. The Necromancer has finally broken out from Nuro, and successfully attacked the Kingdom of Brot. Several undead giants demolished the area. You've never even seen a living giant and they sound intimidating. You can't even imagine an undead one. The power to raise one, let alone several is sort of scary. The Grand Alliance army didn't get there in time to stop him and as usual they were repelled when they arrived. You worry about the Grand Alliance failing to stop the undead horde. You hope it doesn't get any closer to the Zalan Empire where your family might be in danger. Sometimes you worry so much that you can't sleep, not that you do much of that nowadays anyway. Normally you play to keep your mind at ease, but tonight you go to the archery range to keep yourself focused. For a long time you're by yourself, but suddenly you feel a creeping suspicion someone is watching you… You turn around with your bow and see a pale man. He holds up his hands. "Hey now! Don't shoot! Sorry for creeping around like that. Professional habit." He says. "What? Who are you?" you demand. "Warnov. Zalan Intelligence." "You're a spy?" "Well I suppose you could put it that way. I was here to give some info to your Captain Eckard, and I also wanted to take a look around the fort. Didn't think anyone would be on the range though. Nice shooting, I know who you are and heard about your marksmanship with a bow. You're certainly doing your part with the demons around here." Despite the fact that you're talking to a spy, you feel the need to vent your feelings. "Yeah, well I hope the Grand Alliance starts doing its part. I mean what the fuck are they doing? Weren't they created to put a stop to all this shit? I mean am I supposed to worry every day if that undead horde is going to get closer to the Zalan Empire where it can threaten my family?" Warnov doesn't look offended by your words, if anything he looks intrigued. "Well, I can understand why you're venting. Trust me I sympathize. But as part of intel, I can tell you its not that easy…there were a lot of surprises that weren't accounted for. We're doing our best to rectify this situation by gathering as much info as possible. In fact, you could help us…" "Excuse me? How?" Warnov looks around and gets closer before speaking. "Look, as I said, I know all about you and your skills, why you joined, all of it. I know you don't much care for some of the propaganda made about some of your exploits. But it's important to realize that deeds like yours must be blown up a little to give common people hope that ultimately good will win the day. You may not consider yourself a hero of any kind, but your actions aren't without some of those qualities. You obviously care very much about your family, and I've heard how you try to keep the people under your command alive. Sound like heroic qualities to me. Perhaps they're on a smaller scale, but they're there. I'm betting that there's a BIGGER hero in there somewhere, just itching to get out. You think the Grand Alliance isn't doing a good job? Perhaps we can arrange something for you to be transferred into it, or maybe you'd like to take an even more direct approach." "What do you mean?" Warnov suddenly backs away. "Before we go any further. I need to know are you willing to take up the mantle of being a hero. Because if you aren't, then we have nothing more to discuss. I shall require an answer now." > You accept the offer You have to admit, the idea has crossed your mind a bit. A small part of you does wonder about embracing the whole hero image and deliberately doing grand deeds that go beyond the call of your duty. You suppose that you'd at least really feel like one if you did that. "Okay Mr. Warnov. I'll do it." You exclaim. "You sure?" "Not really, but if I'm already in the shit, I might as well go all the way with it. What do I do next?" Warnov looks around again to see if anyone is about before answering. "Well just take a deep breath, relax and uh… brace yourself!" "Huh?" Before you can react Warnov moves faster than you've ever seen anything move. In fact you don't really see him move at all before he's biting your neck! He puts his other hand over your mouth so you can't yell out and easily knocks your hand away from feebly attempting to draw a weapon. You fall into unconsciousness as your blood is drained from you at a rapid rate. Death soon follows… A few minutes later you wake up outside the fort. "Ah you're up. Sorry about surprising you like that, but I had to work quickly. Someone else could've popped up and that would've gotten complicated…" You quickly check your neck which is completely healed now, but you know what's just occurred! You feel a cold numbness throughout your body and you freak out. "I'M DEAD! I'M FUCKIN DEAD! And you're a vampire!" "Shhhh! Keep your voice down! Yeah, you figured it out. Nice detective work, now let's get down to this hero business. Though we should really get to Rostov's and talk about all this." "I'm…I'm dead! I'm one of you! I don't want to be an undead thrall for the Necromancer Lord!" "What? No, no, no, we're not… look I'll explain later, let's just…" You pull away from Warnov when he tries to help you up. You feel your reflexes are much quicker. This temporary curiousity in your new found abilities allows Warnov to calm you down. "WAIT! Just stop! (Sigh) Okay look I'll try to give you the condensed version right now. We vampires aren't on the side of the Necromancer Lord. If anything he's fucking things up for us. We like to keep a balanced order as it were. The last time we sided with some megalomaniacal necromancer it nearly resulted in our extinction. Never again. In fact we've been manipulating shit for centuries just to make sure something like this didn't happen. Somebody really fucked up in the observation department on this one!" Warnov goes on to explain that his superior, Lord Rostov will be able to explain better and in more detail, but that you have to come with him now. > You go with Warnov While this is all a lot to take in, you manage to calm down. "Okay. Okay. I'm calm, but…man this is a lot of shit." You reply. "Heh, well you did say you might as well go with it! Don't worry; it'll all be second nature soon. Okay let's go see Lord Rostov." Warnov pulls out a black cube and teleports you to what seems to be the inside of a castle. "Alright, YOU stay right here in the foyer! Don't go wandering around, I'm serious! You're not quite in the fold yet, I have to go straighten this out and explain all this to Lord Rostov. I'll be back to come get you later. Everything will be explained in full detail soon." Not wishing to piss off anyone and being completely out of your element you stay put. The foyer has enough to keep you occupied though, you begin examining many of the paintings and statues to pass the time. Soon, Warnov returns with a very regal looking vampire. You can only assume that this is Lord Rostov. "Welcome, I'm sure you have ask many questions for me as I have for you, so we'll just get right to it. We'll walk and talk on the way to the throne room. Don't worry about anyone listening. There are no secrets here." Lord Rostov says. "Okay…I…" "BUT! Remember to address me as Lord Rostov if you are going to address me by name." Lord Rostov adds with authority. You take notice and obey, though Lord Rostov has such a commanding presence that you would be hard pressed not to obey him. Your questions are typical for someone brought into the fold. Rostov goes on about how his kind have been manipulating the mortal world for centuries just like Warnov said before. Several of the known governments have at least one vamp keeping an eye on things. Apparently many high ranking political types in your own Zalan Empire are vampires! The Grand Alliance is even a tool of the vampires. While Lord Rostov goes on about this fascinating history lesson, you look at some of his "court" as you walk through his castle. Some of them are more "mortal looking" than others. Some look down right hideous. You always thought vampires were supposed to be ultra attractive, but you can see that isn't necessarily the case. When you get to his throne room Lord Rostov stops and turns to you. "So I hear you want to be a real hero eh? Well this is the place where they're made." "What do you mean?" "Why do you think most heroes are always storming dungeons and doing impossible things? They don't get those abilities without some help. The supernatural skill comes into play and dungeons aren't exactly beacons of light!" Lord Rostov laughs. "Y…you mean ALL the heroes in the world are vampires?!" "Hah! I wish that was the case. No, there are many regular mortal heroes that do their part I suppose, but if you want the really legendary ones that have done impossible deeds, well chances are there was a vampire involved. Sadly we haven't been too much more successful than the mortals in the heroics department lately." "What's been going on exactly?" "That little annoying necromancer lord, or whatever he thinks he is, has been proving to be a lot cleverer than what was previously believed. His armies have been growing in strength and I'm sure you know about the undead giant business and crushing the Brot Kingdom. What isn't commonly known is how he accomplished it. He had help from one of our kind. A loathsome outcast known as the Ghoul King. (Sigh) Should've killed him long ago really, but…bah, it's a long story. We'll deal with him when the time comes. What's more alarming is that we've sent assassins…or heroes to kill the necromancer lord and his bitch and he's somehow managed to kill all of them. I mean I can somewhat understand them being killed by that brutish demon tyrant Velzix, but a fucking necromancer? He's a fucking mortal! And from what we know of him, he wasn't even that good of a wizard to begin with!" Suddenly Lord Rostov flies into a rage, yelling and punches a hole into the solid brick wall. Many of his court, as well as you and Warnov back away. He then stops and composes himself. "My apologies to you all. It's been a trying time with upstart mortals and traitors and other annoyances. And to you, the newest member of our fold." "Uh, no need to apologize to me Lord Rostov. It's your home after all" You say which causes him to smile. "Carefully chosen words. Not overly sycophantic, yet still displaying the right subservient mindset. You should fit in very well here." "But I meant it…" "Ha ha! And honest too! You're more interesting than how Warnov described you. I have heard that you were one of those minor mortal heroes I was talking about earlier, but more interesting to me, is apparently you have talent in the musical field?" "So I've been told." "Well, play something for me! All of us!" "What did you want to hear?" "Surprise me, if you're able!" Lord Rostov sits on his throne while his court whispers among themselves and then go quiet waiting for you to play. You pull out your lute and try to think of a song that they might like. You think of an old song that once was very popular among the aristocracy. Seems like a perfect crowd… You begin to concentrate on the music and nothing but the music. You play as if your life was in danger, which you're somewhat certain that it isn't, but it doesn't hurt to play your best right now. Your new supernatural reflexes certainly come in handy as you're able to hit notes and play faster than you normally would've been able to as a mortal. When you're finished you look around the room which is still silence until Lord Rostov gets off his throne and begins clapping. Everyone else follows suit. "That was magnificent! I heard the original bard who performed that piece three hundred years ago and even he couldn't have done a better job! Warnov, this man is too valuable to make into a hero!" "Lord Rostov?" "While this man may have combat skills as you described, he is obviously a musician! Such talent such not be wasted in battle! Beautiful playing!" "While I agree he is a good musician Lord Rostov, I think we should consider the matter of the necromancer…" "(Sigh) Warnov, I was feeling good until you mentioned that mortal again! Nevertheless you are right. But still, this shall be HIS choosing. Not ours." Lord Rostov turns to you. "The decision shall be yours broodling. You may if you wish under go extensive training to prepare yourself for an encounter with that little necromancer lord. If you succeed, your name will be known, and you will become a legend. However, I can sense that such things are probably not your nature. Music is. I can see that you would be content to just play your music for an appreciative crowd. You could do that here. You could also learn songs that I have possession of, but sadly unable to play with the same spirit that you obviously have." "What about my family? And my job and all that?" "Ah, your mortal life. I'm sure Warnov will already be taking steps to explain that you have been transferred from your current assignment. Considering he's part of intelligence, nobody will ask too many questions, even if they bothered to. As for your family, they will be taken care of as you will still officially be part of the Zalan army. If you wish you may stay in contact with them through letters. Possibly arrangements can be made for you to visit them. During the night of course. But under NO circumstances will you tell them about any of this. Doing so would ruin my generous offer and be extremely bad for you. I don't think we need to dwell on such depressing things because I know you're smarter than that right?" "Yes Lord Rostov." "Good, now what is it that you would like to do?" > You be a hero While the offer of playing for what could possibly be eternity is tempting, part of you has been affected by world events and the war going on. You have come to realize that the Necromancer (and the demons) need to be stopped. If you can take an active role in that, then you'll know for sure that your family will be safe in the near future. You did do all this for your family after all, and while your path has definitely undergone a change, you're still going to put them first. Besides, you're a vampire now, you're sure that you'll have tons of time to play later if all goes well. You're definitely nervous about this decision, but you're going to make it. "Lord Rostov, I wish to begin your advanced combat training." You say. "Very well, though I almost hoped that you wouldn't. Your playing was just divine and you won't be able to play again for a long time during your extensive training time. Possibly never if you fail…but let us hope that you do not fail! It would be a loss for all of us. Warnov escourt him to the lower dungeons." "Yes, Lord Rostov." Warnov takes you into the lower dungeons of the castle just as Lord Rostov commanded. Warnov tells you that this isn't going to be easy and that you better condition your mind to almost a pure instinctive level because you could very well die in training! Finally you reach a large barren room with a pair of large doors on the far end. "This is it. Just keep an eye on the large door over there and well, brace yourself!" You half expect to get bitten again after hearing those words, but instead Warnov quickly steps out of the room and locks the door leaving you alone. The large doors on the other side of the room start to open. And you just realized that you don't have a weapon… A year passes… You survive your rigorous training. You have fought all manner of dangerous beasts with and without weapons. (And feasting on their blood for survival) You have undergone pain you didn't think possible even in your new undead state. You're definitely a better killing machine than you were. You were allowed to write letters to your family which were overlooked first by Lord Rostov of course to make sure you weren't saying something you shouldn't. You barely know what to tell them except keeping your lies to a minimum about your supposed new job with Zalan intelligence. You have dedicated and conditioned yourself to combat so much that you don't even think about music. You briefly wonder if you've "lost" something, but you then dismiss such things as you must focus on battle. During this time you have been informed that the Necromancer Lord as well as Velzix have grown in power. Lord Rostov says though that he believes the demons will pose no serious threat if a concentrated effort can be made on them by the mortals. However, for that to happen, the Necromancer Lord must die and that's where you come in and what you've been training for. However, you won't be going in by yourself. A band of "heroes" will be necessary for a job like this. You are told you will meet the others in a small abandoned village bordering on the Necromancer's Domain. Another vampire takes you there with the aid of a black teleportation cube. This is a one way trip. You're not coming back unless you win. That and the fact that the black cubes can't possibly be allowed to fall into enemy hands. There you meet the others. They look unimpressed with you, but you're a little surprised to see one of them. She's very well known…a "hero". "You're Deliah the Deathdealer! You fought at the battle of Azark and you also retrieved the Celestial Sword! You're a hero! I didn't know you were…" "Didn't they tell you all this shit when you started training? Sheesh, we gotta get paired up with some broodling…" a brutish vampire interrupts. "Quiet Gorax! I'm sure he was, but meeting a legend is a lot different from basking in their glory in person." Deliah replies. "Gorax!? Gorax the Mighty? You were a barbarian king that held back the orc hordes over a hundred years ago!" you say in amazement. "Huh, fat lot good that did me. I can't take any credit for of my deeds today and barely anyone remembers my past deeds except some useless tribal shamen that now cower from the undead hordes in the Drozz Plains. Feh! Back in my day such men would not allow mere ghouls run them off their lands! I don't know why Rostov won't allow me to go in, seek out, and just chop off that retched Ghoul King's head! He's partially to blame for this mess!" "Oh you know Rostov, he has his reasons. Besides, if we take out the Necromancer lord, the Ghoul King will probably be our next assignment." Another vampire says in a bored tone. This one looks like he was once a Halfling. It almost makes you laugh to think of a vampire Halfling, but there he is. You don't know who he is or was, but given the other two, he was probably important at one time. "So are you ready to go broodling? Or are you going to stand there with a dumb look on your face?" Delilah asks. "Uh sure, let's go!" The trip into the Necromancer's Domain is surprisingly quick and uneventful. You attempt to make conversation as you can't help now but be curious about your companions, but all of them are less than talkative and forthcoming. Deliah eventually takes you aside harshly. "Look broodling, we've got a job to do. A fucking dangerous one at that! We all need to be in focus and not concentrating on anything else! So keep your damn questions to yourself and if you happen to survive this encounter THEN perhaps you may get a little more information from us and our fascinating history. Until then, stay in the fucking dark!" The rest of the trip is silent. At last you reach the city of Nuro and easily scale its walls and onto the battlements while remaining undetected the whole time. This is a lot different from what it was when you arrived here as a mortal. That memory still gives you a bit of pause. You remember how scared you were back then. "Hurry up broodling! These walking corpses might not be able to detect us, but the Necromancer will soon! We need to get the advantage as soon as possible! Gorax, Wally you go through the front of the main tower. I'm sure you two can handle that. While whatever guards rush to defend their master, me and the broodling will scale the tower and go in through one of the top windows. "You sure about that Delilah? Would you rather I go with you than some broodling?" Wally asks. "Yeah, but if I leave him with Gorax he'll probably get killed in the fighting and be useless. At least if he's with me, he can serve as an extra body for the Necromancer Lord to draw his attention to." "HEY! I'm right here y'know!" you exclaim indignantly which causes Deliah to smack you in the face hard. You didn't even see it coming. "Shut the fuck up! You'll draw attention! Look if we pull this off just maybe you'll come out of this alive. I need you to take care of the Necromancer's bitch anyway. She's probably up there with him. Now let's do this!" The plan is set into action. Gorax and Wally make their presence known immediately jumping off the battlements and into the courtyard while yelling at the top of their lungs. "Intruder! Protect the master!" you hear a scratchy voice yell in the distance, while you and Delilah sneak around, jumping onto the rooftops and attempting to avoid the main fighting force. A few flying shadows try to stop you, but they're easily dispatched with your bow and silver arrows. Delilah looks glad that you aren't entirely useless and you and her proceed to scale the walls. "I can't believe this place isn't more protected." You say while climbing. "Heh, he's got his troops all spread out and mostly on his borders, plus he's grown more arrogant and confident. That will be his undoing." She replies quickly. "Funny I was about to say the same for you bloodsuckers." A voice says causing the both of you to look up. A raven haired female leans over the nearby window above Delilah and blast her directly in the face burning it off with a beam of light. You certainly weren't expecting a necromancer to cast any sort of spell like that! You then see Delilah fall…and get impaled through the chest by a weathervane. A fucking weathervane. Unbelievable. You attempt to scale the wall to the nearest window under you and just barely get out of the way of the lady necromancer's next spell. You have no idea where you are in the tower, but you can hear fighting going on outside and a couple of hearty roars which you can only guess is Gorax. A quick scan would indicate that you're in some sort of library. You cautiously proceed and decide that finding stairs that lead up would be the way to go. You just hope you're ready to take him on and his mistress. As you make your way through, you fight all manner of undead sentries: Wraiths, ghosts, skeletal warriors, etc. During one of your moments of hiding a couple of wight guards run by talking in a hoarse tone. "The big one and little one are dead! We must find the last one! Quick Quick!" "Yes Yes! The master must be protected!" You come to the very real feeling of having been in the position before…all alone, surrounded by hostile undead, and in Nuro… Your resolve breaks a little and you wish that you weren't here. You want to go home. Eventually you push yourself forward, but somehow fear has crept back into your own dead heart. To your credit you do reach the top of the tower, but the Necromancer's mistress once again surprises you. A ray of light sears your face off and destroys your vision. You fall to the cold stone floor in extreme pain and can only make out blurry images. You see a blurred black hooded figure approach. You can't see his face, but this could only be who you think it is. You attempt to reach for your sword. "More assassins? I swear something is going to have to be done about these bloodsuckers. The Ghoul King's kin are really starting to get on my nerves. These ones weren't even a challenge. What are you doing bloodsucker? Don't you know that's futile?" The Necromancer Lord unleashes a ball of flame that engulfs your body, putting an end to your undead existence.

While this is all a lot to take in, you manage to calm down. "Okay. Okay. I'm calm, but…man this is a lot of shit." You reply. "Heh, well you did say you might as well go with it! Don't worry; it'll all be second nature soon. Okay let's go see Lord Rostov." Warnov pulls out a black cube and teleports you to what seems to be the inside of a castle. "Alright, YOU stay right here in the foyer! Don't go wandering around, I'm serious! You're not quite in the fold yet, I have to go straighten this out and explain all this to Lord Rostov. I'll be back to come get you later. Everything will be explained in full detail soon." Not wishing to piss off anyone and being completely out of your element you stay put. The foyer has enough to keep you occupied though, you begin examining many of the paintings and statues to pass the time. Soon, Warnov returns with a very regal looking vampire. You can only assume that this is Lord Rostov. "Welcome, I'm sure you have ask many questions for me as I have for you, so we'll just get right to it. We'll walk and talk on the way to the throne room. Don't worry about anyone listening. There are no secrets here." Lord Rostov says. "Okay…I…" "BUT! Remember to address me as Lord Rostov if you are going to address me by name." Lord Rostov adds with authority. You take notice and obey, though Lord Rostov has such a commanding presence that you would be hard pressed not to obey him. Your questions are typical for someone brought into the fold. Rostov goes on about how his kind have been manipulating the mortal world for centuries just like Warnov said before. Several of the known governments have at least one vamp keeping an eye on things. Apparently many high ranking political types in your own Zalan Empire are vampires! The Grand Alliance is even a tool of the vampires. While Lord Rostov goes on about this fascinating history lesson, you look at some of his "court" as you walk through his castle. Some of them are more "mortal looking" than others. Some look down right hideous. You always thought vampires were supposed to be ultra attractive, but you can see that isn't necessarily the case. When you get to his throne room Lord Rostov stops and turns to you. "So I hear you want to be a real hero eh? Well this is the place where they're made." "What do you mean?" "Why do you think most heroes are always storming dungeons and doing impossible things? They don't get those abilities without some help. The supernatural skill comes into play and dungeons aren't exactly beacons of light!" Lord Rostov laughs. "Y…you mean ALL the heroes in the world are vampires?!" "Hah! I wish that was the case. No, there are many regular mortal heroes that do their part I suppose, but if you want the really legendary ones that have done impossible deeds, well chances are there was a vampire involved. Sadly we haven't been too much more successful than the mortals in the heroics department lately." "What's been going on exactly?" "That little annoying necromancer lord, or whatever he thinks he is, has been proving to be a lot cleverer than what was previously believed. His armies have been growing in strength and I'm sure you know about the undead giant business and crushing the Brot Kingdom. What isn't commonly known is how he accomplished it. He had help from one of our kind. A loathsome outcast known as the Ghoul King. (Sigh) Should've killed him long ago really, but…bah, it's a long story. We'll deal with him when the time comes. What's more alarming is that we've sent assassins…or heroes to kill the necromancer lord and his bitch and he's somehow managed to kill all of them. I mean I can somewhat understand them being killed by that brutish demon tyrant Velzix, but a fucking necromancer? He's a fucking mortal! And from what we know of him, he wasn't even that good of a wizard to begin with!" Suddenly Lord Rostov flies into a rage, yelling and punches a hole into the solid brick wall. Many of his court, as well as you and Warnov back away. He then stops and composes himself. "My apologies to you all. It's been a trying time with upstart mortals and traitors and other annoyances. And to you, the newest member of our fold." "Uh, no need to apologize to me Lord Rostov. It's your home after all" You say which causes him to smile. "Carefully chosen words. Not overly sycophantic, yet still displaying the right subservient mindset. You should fit in very well here." "But I meant it…" "Ha ha! And honest too! You're more interesting than how Warnov described you. I have heard that you were one of those minor mortal heroes I was talking about earlier, but more interesting to me, is apparently you have talent in the musical field?" "So I've been told." "Well, play something for me! All of us!" "What did you want to hear?" "Surprise me, if you're able!" Lord Rostov sits on his throne while his court whispers among themselves and then go quiet waiting for you to play. You pull out your lute and try to think of a song that they might like. You think of an old song that once was very popular among the aristocracy. Seems like a perfect crowd… You begin to concentrate on the music and nothing but the music. You play as if your life was in danger, which you're somewhat certain that it isn't, but it doesn't hurt to play your best right now. Your new supernatural reflexes certainly come in handy as you're able to hit notes and play faster than you normally would've been able to as a mortal. When you're finished you look around the room which is still silence until Lord Rostov gets off his throne and begins clapping. Everyone else follows suit. "That was magnificent! I heard the original bard who performed that piece three hundred years ago and even he couldn't have done a better job! Warnov, this man is too valuable to make into a hero!" "Lord Rostov?" "While this man may have combat skills as you described, he is obviously a musician! Such talent such not be wasted in battle! Beautiful playing!" "While I agree he is a good musician Lord Rostov, I think we should consider the matter of the necromancer…" "(Sigh) Warnov, I was feeling good until you mentioned that mortal again! Nevertheless you are right. But still, this shall be HIS choosing. Not ours." Lord Rostov turns to you. "The decision shall be yours broodling. You may if you wish under go extensive training to prepare yourself for an encounter with that little necromancer lord. If you succeed, your name will be known, and you will become a legend. However, I can sense that such things are probably not your nature. Music is. I can see that you would be content to just play your music for an appreciative crowd. You could do that here. You could also learn songs that I have possession of, but sadly unable to play with the same spirit that you obviously have." "What about my family? And my job and all that?" "Ah, your mortal life. I'm sure Warnov will already be taking steps to explain that you have been transferred from your current assignment. Considering he's part of intelligence, nobody will ask too many questions, even if they bothered to. As for your family, they will be taken care of as you will still officially be part of the Zalan army. If you wish you may stay in contact with them through letters. Possibly arrangements can be made for you to visit them. During the night of course. But under NO circumstances will you tell them about any of this. Doing so would ruin my generous offer and be extremely bad for you. I don't think we need to dwell on such depressing things because I know you're smarter than that right?" "Yes Lord Rostov." "Good, now what is it that you would like to do?" > You be a musician This is all you've ever wanted. Just play music. You'll be able to do it now for all eternity if possible. You'd be a fool to turn down such a chance. "Lord Rostov, I wish to play music." Lord Rostov smiles at your response. "Ah yes, I was hoping you'd chose the way of the artiste rather than the warrior. Your talents will be better served here. In the meantime you will be shown to your new room. Ladies, I think you two should escort our new bard. Don't have too much fun, you've got a performance tomorrow!" You are escorted by a couple of female vampires to your room. They say their names are Glasya and Natasha. They seem to make a fuss over you on your way there which you don't find completely unwelcome, but you're still getting used to the whole idea that you're a vampire just like one of them now, despite also being excited over getting to play music on a steady basis with no hindrances. The two vampiresses get even friendlier with you when you get to the room. Natasha begins to take a more aggressive stance and kisses you as the pair of you get on the bed. As the two of you are undressing, Natasha who is on top of you nods to Glasya who leaves the room. Ten minutes later as you're fully engaged in physical pleasure, Glasya enters the room again with what looks to be a captive human girl. She doesn't look very old either. Probably a teenager. Her mouth is gagged so she can't scream out properly. "Wha…what's all this?" "Shhhh, your passage to true vampirehood…" the Natasha says continuing to grind into you. The human girl is dragged over to the bed with fear and tears in her eyes the whole time. Glasya draws out a blade and holds it to her throat. "Would you like me to cut now or would you prefer I prolong the fear? Perhaps remove her gag first so that you may hear her screams? Or maybe you'd even like to sink your teeth into her yourself?" Glasya asks and licks the side of the young girl's face. "What? Shit! No wait!" you say stopping Natasha, and sitting up. "I thought we were just having some fun here! Not killing young girls!" "Why do the two need to be mutually exclusive? Broodling, you have been favored by Lord Rostov, I suggest you count yourself lucky and get with the program…besides you're one of us now, you will need to feed on blood to survive." Glasya says with a frown. You look at the girl and you shake you head briefly realizing what else it means to be a vampire. "Alright, alright, I got it. But can't I like feed on animals first and uh work my way up or something?" "Squeamish broodling! You will take the blood of this girl or Lord Rostov will hear of this weakness! While he may be impressed with your music abilities, he will not tolerate weaklings!" Glasya continues to scold. "Besides, why do you care whether this…mortal lives or dies now? You do not know her and you are now superior to her in everyway. It's your right…" Natasha says while kissing on your body." You don't really have any choice in the matter. You almost curse yourself for getting yourself into this situation. You stay silent for awhile and then speak. "Very well. Slit her throat, but do it quickly." You say. "(Sigh) Very well." Glasya replies disappointedly. The young girl's throat is slashed and blood sprays over you and Natasha who greedily opens her mouth to catch it. Glaysa tosses the girl's dying body onto your chest and begins to undress as well to join you and Natasha in this blood feast. The night is definitely long, memorable and decadent. A little piece of you has "died" namely the vestiges of morality. A few months pass and you don't even hesitate anymore. You enjoy the blood as well as your playing for Lord Rostov's court. A year passes and you've become completely oblivious to the worsening of the "outside world". (Which you don't even think about since you're so rapped up in your own pleasures) Each day the Necromancer Lord and Velzix get stronger and you stopped worrying about your family's future. You don't even write to them anymore. You've become so corrupted in such a short amount of time its actually amazing. Another year passes and you're basically a hedonist. This is what Lord Rostov's "secret fortress" is all about for the most part. Sure there's discussion on what should be done about the outside problems, but pleasures of the flesh and blood are mainly the orders of the night. You don't even realize it, but you ARE literally a "leech" now. All vampires have ever done is leech off of the mortal world. Sure there are the "active ones" but there are far more hedonists. Ironic that the ones who choose to be professional killers, assassins or "heroes" tend to still retain more of their mortalhood. Lord Rostov eventually mentions in passing that he's finally come up with a perfect plan to kill the Necromancer Lord. He's managed to come to some sort of deal with that old outcast The Ghoul King to betray him sometime in the near future. The goal is to lure the Necromancer Lord to the fortress itself and kill him directly. Again you could really care less, and you've become little more than just another hedonist in Lord Rostov's court. Lord Rostov has it all figured out, you don't need to worry. You're safe in this little "world." A few months pass and the plan swings into action. One night while you're playing for the court as usual a loud noise is heard in the foyer and the sounds of shouting and crashing is heard. Lord Rostov takes a few of his concubines and tell everyone else to stay put, though everyone is a little curious. Even you. You go back to playing a little bit and things are starting to return to their "original state" since everyone figures Lord Rostov has the matter well in hand. Soon another noise is heard which sounds like the shrieking and screaming of multiple people. "AAAAAARRRGH!" "LORD ROSTOV! NO!" "GET HIM!" "KILL THE NECROMANCER!" Everyone for once goes into a battle mode to rush to Lord Rostov's aid. A deformed and ugly creature runs into you, while you're trying to wrap your mind around this chaos. "Get outta my way broodling! He's gonna kill us all! I've fucked up…heh, but at least the rest of you fuckers are going to die!" he growls at you while desperately looking for a place to hide. You don't know what to do, but suddenly you feel a presence overcome you. Like someone is controlling your mind. This isn't even like Lord Rostov, its even more powerful and its growing stronger… You continue to hear the screams of vampires as you can't help but approach the way to the slaughter. You see vampires killing each other in the hallway! How is this possible? But you know why, it's HIM… The Necromancer…or whatever he is now has managed to enforce his will even over vampires. You see him in the distance. He's not even dirtying his hands killing all of you himself. You can feel his loathing for your kind and then you're completely pulled into his domination. "And now little blood leech you shall join your brethren…" you hear him whisper in your mind. Another vampire suddenly punches you in the back of the head. You attempt to get up, but then feel a foot to the face followed by a sword going through your back. At this point you feel a something you haven't felt in a long time, fear. Then your head is ripped off in the ensuing bloodbath. Later after total victory has been achieved, the Great Lich Lord burns your body along with the rest of the truly dead vampires.

You have to admit, the idea has crossed your mind a bit. A small part of you does wonder about embracing the whole hero image and deliberately doing grand deeds that go beyond the call of your duty. You suppose that you'd at least really feel like one if you did that. "Okay Mr. Warnov. I'll do it." You exclaim. "You sure?" "Not really, but if I'm already in the shit, I might as well go all the way with it. What do I do next?" Warnov looks around again to see if anyone is about before answering. "Well just take a deep breath, relax and uh… brace yourself!" "Huh?" Before you can react Warnov moves faster than you've ever seen anything move. In fact you don't really see him move at all before he's biting your neck! He puts his other hand over your mouth so you can't yell out and easily knocks your hand away from feebly attempting to draw a weapon. You fall into unconsciousness as your blood is drained from you at a rapid rate. Death soon follows… A few minutes later you wake up outside the fort. "Ah you're up. Sorry about surprising you like that, but I had to work quickly. Someone else could've popped up and that would've gotten complicated…" You quickly check your neck which is completely healed now, but you know what's just occurred! You feel a cold numbness throughout your body and you freak out. "I'M DEAD! I'M FUCKIN DEAD! And you're a vampire!" "Shhhh! Keep your voice down! Yeah, you figured it out. Nice detective work, now let's get down to this hero business. Though we should really get to Rostov's and talk about all this." "I'm…I'm dead! I'm one of you! I don't want to be an undead thrall for the Necromancer Lord!" "What? No, no, no, we're not… look I'll explain later, let's just…" You pull away from Warnov when he tries to help you up. You feel your reflexes are much quicker. This temporary curiousity in your new found abilities allows Warnov to calm you down. "WAIT! Just stop! (Sigh) Okay look I'll try to give you the condensed version right now. We vampires aren't on the side of the Necromancer Lord. If anything he's fucking things up for us. We like to keep a balanced order as it were. The last time we sided with some megalomaniacal necromancer it nearly resulted in our extinction. Never again. In fact we've been manipulating shit for centuries just to make sure something like this didn't happen. Somebody really fucked up in the observation department on this one!" Warnov goes on to explain that his superior, Lord Rostov will be able to explain better and in more detail, but that you have to come with him now. > You try to escape All of this is too much for you to handle. You know you're dead, but you still feel afraid. You don't know what to make of any of the shit Warnov just said and you don't care, all you want to do is run away from all of this. You take off running in a random direction with a confused stated of mind, not really knowing what is going to come next. You're so overwhelmed by confusion and fear that you don't even notice how much faster you're actually moving. You aren't paying attention to too much of anything until you feel Warnov tackle you to the ground. Warnov quickly snaps your neck so you can't move and looks a little mournful as he crouches near you. "I'm sorry human. I should've known better. Not everyone is meant for the gift. It is with great regret that I must now kill you. Such a loss…for both races." Warnov pulls out a silver blade and jams it into your heart before cutting your head off and putting an end to your short undead life.

You've served in this army well and always done your job regardless of the shitty situations you've been in. You might not like a lot of it, but you've never complained. Lately you've been on edge about a possible all out assault of some big ass demon army that's going to attack any day now, and playing is one of the few pleasures you have to put your mind at ease. Perhaps it's a combination of this and a combination of this unwanted and unnecessary scolding that causes you to speak out of turn. "With all due respect ma'am, I am fully prepared to battle at a moment's notice and so are those under my direct command. But even soldiers need to rest, if only for a minute." The woman looks very surprised you didn't comply with her demand to see your superior officer. "…you DARE speak out of turn like that to me? I'll see you sent to the Nuro Front for that sort of insubordination! Then we'd see just how battle ready you are! How would you like that?" "I wouldn't like it at all. I barely survived the first time." You say trying not to express any fear. "…What? What are you talking about? First time?" Now you're a little surprised she doesn't know who you are considering how some of the high ups exaggerated about how you managed to survive. You explain yourself briefly and she doesn't quite believe you at first, a couple of your troops hiding nearby at least back up your claims before slinking off. "That was YOU? What the hell are you doing here? You should be leading from the front not languishing in some fort that barely sees battle!" "Doesn't see battle? We suffered a small demon raid last week! We see plenty of battle!" "What I mean is, somebody of your obvious combat and survival skills should be assigned on the front lines where you can do more good. Normally I don't question Zalan command, but this is really an oversight on their part." "Well maybe they know better than the both of us, besides this assignment isn't a walk in the fairy fields. I think we'll be suffering a grand scale attack any day now." "Doubt it. Velzix has been having a hard time keeping his unruly mob together. If it wasn't for a lot of the sycophantic Tulan citizens, he'd probably be confined to pure defense, though something will have to be done soon, reports say he's attempting to gate in more demons everyday. Not to mention that supposedly civilized demons from other nations are starting to display their true colors and flock to his banner. Like I always said the only good demon is a dead one!" This causes you to smile a bit and she very faintly smiles back when she sees that you feel the same way. This smile disappears quickly though as she continues her rant. "I wish I wasn't assigned to the Tulan Border though. I'd rather be taking Nuro back. THAT'S the more dangerous threat. The demons will kill themselves with their own chaotic and violent natures, but the undead…they've almost taken over the world before just because of one bastard that lead them. I never thought I'd see a serious threat like this in my lifetime, especially not…" The female captain at this point stops. She even looks away from you as if whatever she was going to say was just too much even for her. She seems to be a lot more battle hardened than you and probably ten times braver. You can't imagine what horror she experienced that would be worse than your own, but you don't find out since she changes the subject. "…Bah! Maybe you're right; a soldier does need to keep their mind occupied on other things every now and then. We aren't undead after all. So what's with the lute? You also a bard or something?" she laughs. "No, I think those dreams are long gone, but my playing seems to boost spirits around here a little, which can only be a good thing in this situation." "Hm. My mother was elven and she used to sing this song to me and my…brother when we were very young. It was very smooth and calming. Beautiful melody." "Yeah, most elven music is like that. When I was assigned in Retlad I learned a few elven songs from a few of the citizens there, you wouldn't happen to know the song would you?" She tells you the name of the song and you know it immediately. One of the first new songs you learned while stationed in Retlad actually. This seems cause her to momentarily revert to a less stand offish behavior. You're about to play it for her, but then a messenger comes running up handing her a note. She reads it and she's all business again. "Alright men! We're moving out!" she shouts and leaves without saying another word to you. You didn't even learn her name. Perhaps it's just as well; you'll most likely never meet again due to one of you dying on the battlefield. You go back to doing what you were doing. Two years pass… Three years since the Nuro Incident and this struggle still continues. You're still stationed Fort Virtue and you've repelled more demon attacks than you would care to count. Velzix has finally gotten his shit together completely. A unified demonic front is in full swing here and its taking its toll. Once again your skills have come in very handy in defense. You are certainly known as a demon slayer, but you still don't feel like a hero of any kind. You're just trying to do your job and survive. You save lives when you can, but you know ultimately it's a futile task as death seems to be everywhere nowadays. As bad as it is on the demon front, its nothing compared to what've you've heard on the undead front. The Necromancer has finally broken out from Nuro, and successfully attacked the Kingdom of Brot. Several undead giants demolished the area. You've never even seen a living giant and they sound intimidating. You can't even imagine an undead one. The power to raise one, let alone several is sort of scary. The Grand Alliance army didn't get there in time to stop him and as usual they were repelled when they arrived. You worry about the Grand Alliance failing to stop the undead horde. You hope it doesn't get any closer to the Zalan Empire where your family might be in danger. Sometimes you worry so much that you can't sleep, not that you do much of that nowadays anyway. Normally you play to keep your mind at ease, but tonight you go to the archery range to keep yourself focused. For a long time you're by yourself, but suddenly you feel a creeping suspicion someone is watching you… You turn around with your bow and see a pale man. He holds up his hands. "Hey now! Don't shoot! Sorry for creeping around like that. Professional habit." He says. "What? Who are you?" you demand. "Warnov. Zalan Intelligence." "You're a spy?" "Well I suppose you could put it that way. I was here to give some info to your Captain Eckard, and I also wanted to take a look around the fort. Didn't think anyone would be on the range though. Nice shooting, I know who you are and heard about your marksmanship with a bow. You're certainly doing your part with the demons around here." Despite the fact that you're talking to a spy, you feel the need to vent your feelings. "Yeah, well I hope the Grand Alliance starts doing its part. I mean what the fuck are they doing? Weren't they created to put a stop to all this shit? I mean am I supposed to worry every day if that undead horde is going to get closer to the Zalan Empire where it can threaten my family?" Warnov doesn't look offended by your words, if anything he looks intrigued. "Well, I can understand why you're venting. Trust me I sympathize. But as part of intel, I can tell you its not that easy…there were a lot of surprises that weren't accounted for. We're doing our best to rectify this situation by gathering as much info as possible. In fact, you could help us…" "Excuse me? How?" Warnov looks around and gets closer before speaking. "Look, as I said, I know all about you and your skills, why you joined, all of it. I know you don't much care for some of the propaganda made about some of your exploits. But it's important to realize that deeds like yours must be blown up a little to give common people hope that ultimately good will win the day. You may not consider yourself a hero of any kind, but your actions aren't without some of those qualities. You obviously care very much about your family, and I've heard how you try to keep the people under your command alive. Sound like heroic qualities to me. Perhaps they're on a smaller scale, but they're there. I'm betting that there's a BIGGER hero in there somewhere, just itching to get out. You think the Grand Alliance isn't doing a good job? Perhaps we can arrange something for you to be transferred into it, or maybe you'd like to take an even more direct approach." "What do you mean?" Warnov suddenly backs away. "Before we go any further. I need to know are you willing to take up the mantle of being a hero. Because if you aren't, then we have nothing more to discuss. I shall require an answer now." > You letters to home (War continues...) Dear Mom, Just another letter from me, letting you know I'm still alive. Though I'm sure with my newest title of "Demon Slayer" you probably knew I was. More exaggerations of course. I do my job to be sure, but there are plenty of other men and women my age or even younger that doing just as much as I am and they don't seem to get any credit. Of course many of them have also been killed. I've always tried to keep everyone alive under my command, but I know it's a futile endeavor. The fighting has been getting worse up here, the demons I think have finally gotten more organized. Though what alarms me more is hearing that the Necromancer Lord has finally broken out of Nuro and taken over the Brot Kingdom. I thought the Grand Alliance was supposed to stop this sort of thing. I'm tired of all this. I feel like playing right now, sorry for the short letter. Give my love to the rest of the family Your son

Demons are a lot faster than the undead and you're wounded, no way are you going to be able to outrun them. You turn around and draw your bow, trying to ignore your pain which is overriding any fear you have at this point. Your weakened state is causing you to have a hard time aiming. "Uh oh, better be careful, looks like this one is going to put up a fight. I'd say by his uniform that he's a soldier." "Hur hur. Good. Hey human, better stop wobbling if you're going to aim that thing properly." You miss the demon completely. "Hah! You want me to walk slower human?" "You sure you should be playing with him like that? Don't you remember what happened earlier today?" "Shut up! I told ya, that bitch musta had some magical powers because…OW!" You hit the demon in the chest, but it doesn't seem much damage. He pulls out the arrow and now begins to quicken his pace. The other demon starts to walk towards you as well. "See, I told you to pay attention." "Bah! If this is the extent of what his little pig sticker can do, I'm not concerned. Hey human, don't you know they're doing great things with gunpower these days? RAAAAGH!" The big demon suddenly charges you, and you let your arrow fly. Right in the eye. "Perfect." You whisper. The demon bellows, but it doesn't slow him down. You narrowly dodge his charge. You roll on the ground and shoot two more arrows in his back. He turns around snarling and bellowing for your blood. More arrows fly into the creature, but at last the demon has reached you and smacks you to the ground. Your bow flies from your hand, and while crawling on the ground you try to draw your sword, but a crushing blow hits you on the back. This might've caused a lot more damage, but miraculously the lute that's still in your pack "softens" the blow. The crunching of wood signifies that it's broken though. "What the fuck, that's a weird noise…what is this? HA HA HA! Hey! You gotta be shittin' me! A fuckin' lute? Check this out! He's carrying a fuckin' lute! What's a fucking soldier doin' with a lute?" the big demon shouts to his acquaintance while he holds up your broken instrument. "Don't talk you idiot! LOOK OUT!" his acquaintance shouts, just as you recover long enough to shove your sword straight into the demon's groin. You push the sword upward in an attempt to do more damage and you succeed. Blood is flying everywhere and the demon howls in pain from the grievous wound. You pull your sword out and then proceed to repeatedly stab the demon until it falls backwards on the ground, dead. You're exhausted; you used all your remaining strength killing the thing. Unfortunately the other demon grabs you by the scruff like a helpless kitten and lifts you up off the ground a few inches. He knocks your sword out of your hand and looks at his fallen comrade. "Hmm, can't say I didn't warn him. Oh well, more meat for me. This may hurt a lot…" Fully expecting the death that you've managed to avoid for so long, you once again evade it when a gunshot rings out and part of the demon's head splatters in your face. You're dropped immediately. The demon's body is still standing though. "Shoot the bastard again!" you hear a gruff voice shout and this time the next shot hits chest and the demon falls. You lay motionless on the ground, looking up in the sky when your saviors come up to you. It's a group of dwarves armed with gun powder weapons. "By the gods, get doc out here! We need to fix this man up! Hey lad, you'll be alright, don't worry…are you a Zalan soldier?" one of the dwarves asks you. "…yeah…Nuro…lost…all dead…" is all you utter before fall into unconsciousness. A few days pass before you're somewhat back to a coherent state. You find yourself in a military outpost and at this point you don't care. You're just happy to be alive. It would seem that during your escape from Nuro, you ran in the direction of the Tulan Kingdom, the dwarven scouts that found you were from a small neutral kingdom trying its best to stay out of the dispute between Tulan and Zalan, but the new threat of demons running all over the nearby countryside caused them to increase patrols. They fixed you up, but dropped you off at the closest Zalan Fort. The Zalan fort that you're in right now is called Virtue and it's on the Tulan border. It seems relatively calm though. Not at all what you thought it would be. When one of the healers comes in to check on you, you begin to ask questions which she tries to answer to get you up to speed. The Tulan Kingdom is currently under attack from the demons now. They've been assaulting the place and even gaining help from some of the evil populace there. The demon citizens there have reverted back to their "bad behavior" and thrown their lot in with the invaders as well. That doesn't surprise you. The Tulan Kingdom pulled back some of their military from the borders so the fighting hasn't been as bad and Zalan's made a little more progress during this time, but the military minds are being cautious not to over extend. There is extreme concern over the recent demon invasion, not to mention the incident at Nuro. Word has already spread about the unsuccessful siege there. The healer also tells you that a few Zalan "high ups" are eager to speak to you soon, as they want to know what exactly happened at Nuro. You're somewhat of an important survivor since as far as anyone knows; you were the only one to successfully escape that killing zone. There's also talk of a "Grand Alliance" being created to counter these new threats. While the healer talks you end up drifting back to sleep wishing you could just escape it all. One year passes… You're still at Fort Virtue and it doesn't look like you'll be leaving the army anytime soon. You couldn't have been more wrong on your belief that you'd get executed for cowardice. You got promoted to sergeant instead, which in light of the current situation, is nearly the same thing. Your promotion came after several Zalan officers spoke to you about Nuro. You even got a medal. Stories and rumors creep around about how against all odds you survived an undead onslaught and fought off a bunch of demons as well. Your past "reputation" from your time in Retlad is exaggerated as well. It doesn't help that the citizens there remember you and are all willing to add to the exaggeration. All of these stories have been woven together in such an elaborate way to make you seem like some kind of hero most likely for propaganda purposes. And you know you're not hero. In fact you try to explain you aren't a hero to people, but they think you're just being modest, eventually you give up. Your assignment at Virtue hasn't been uneventful. There's fighting, but now it's mainly demon commanded enemies rather than Tulan ones. Some demon lord called Velzix killed the royalty there, completely conquered the area and made it his realm. The border war continues under new management except now it's more than just a border that the enemy is looking to take. Your superior, Captain Eckard reminds you of Valhlat except with a different name. You suppose there is a certain "cookie cutter" that occurs within the Zalan army that causes people to act the same. You've briefly wondered if you ever make that rank, you'll act the same way. You then usually laugh at the very fact that you ever would. Fort Virtue hasn't suffered a really bad attack yet, and it's mostly skirmishes, but it's like waiting for the other shoe to drop. You routinely go on patrols and give orders which you didn't think you'd be good at, but you think back to how you used to order your brothers and sisters around and perhaps you always had a bit a leadership skill, you just didn't want it. You thought that you'd be able to at least visit your family, but of course due to recent events, you're ordered to stay put. Your family at least is getting more money from your pay increase. They even send a new lute for you after you told them of the unfortunate event that resulted in the destruction of your last one. This gives you a little pleasure in a relatively joyless assignment. All in all, you still prefer it compared to being in the unsuccessful assaults on Nuro. The Grand Alliance that was formed hasn't been too successful as every one has been a slaughter from what you've heard. You already went through that once. You don't relish the idea of going through it again. One day while you're spending your free time practicing a new song, some new soldiers come into the fort. They look like they've just seen a vicious battle and are here to restock. One of them sees you and gives you a disapproving look. It's a woman with striking good looks, but definitely carrying an air of leadership about her. Her rank signifies her as a captain…yep same cookie cutter, just a little prettier. "You there! What are you doing playing an instrument? Shouldn't you be on watch or doing something more constructive with your time soldier? And you're a sergeant? You should know better!" "I'm not on watch duty right now and…" The woman doesn't even let you finish your explanation. Other soldiers that were sitting in your area are now slowly creeping out of the fray. Even her own soldiers are creeping away. They probably know all too well of how she acts. "So? You think evil is going to wait around for you to be ready for battle? Where is your superior officer? I can't believe they would allow such a relaxed attitude around here considering the importance of this fort! If you were serving under me, I'd have you flogged for your lack of discipline!" > You letters to home (Escape from Nuro) Dear Mom, I dunno if they informed you, but I AM still alive! I don't know how long you may have been worrying, but I'm sure you already heard about the failed siege at Nuro. It was horrible. I've spoken little about it as I've been attempting to recuperate in Fort Virtue. I really don't want to, but I know I have to. Some of the high ranking people in the Zalan military apparently want to talk to me directly about it too. Apparently I was the only survivor. I still can't believe it. I mean is it possible the god of luck rolled the dice and I was spared that day? It's the only possible explanation. I mean the dead were all around me and I somehow escaped. My troubles didn't even end there, since I might've died of blood loss or marauding demons had I not been found by a Dwarven patrol. I've never seen so much death in my life even during my assignment in Retlad and I wish I didn't have to again, but I know I will. I just wish I could get my mind on the awful things I saw that day. Normally I'd play my music, but I don't even have my lute anymore to do that. I miss it. I can't believe I'm even obsessing about a stupid instrument when I should really be thankful that I'm still alive! Nobody else is. Captain Valhlat, Wessel, all of them. All those people in my company are dead or worse, probably raised as zombies by now. I dread what the future holds. Will I be sent back? I wish I had my lute. Give my love to the rest of the family Your son

Demons are a lot faster than the undead and you're wounded, no way are you going to be able to outrun them. You turn around and draw your bow, trying to ignore your pain which is overriding any fear you have at this point. Your weakened state is causing you to have a hard time aiming. "Uh oh, better be careful, looks like this one is going to put up a fight. I'd say by his uniform that he's a soldier." "Hur hur. Good. Hey human, better stop wobbling if you're going to aim that thing properly." You miss the demon completely. "Hah! You want me to walk slower human?" "You sure you should be playing with him like that? Don't you remember what happened earlier today?" "Shut up! I told ya, that bitch musta had some magical powers because…OW!" You hit the demon in the chest, but it doesn't seem much damage. He pulls out the arrow and now begins to quicken his pace. The other demon starts to walk towards you as well. "See, I told you to pay attention." "Bah! If this is the extent of what his little pig sticker can do, I'm not concerned. Hey human, don't you know they're doing great things with gunpower these days? RAAAAGH!" The big demon suddenly charges you, and you let your arrow fly. Right in the eye. "Perfect." You whisper. The demon bellows, but it doesn't slow him down. You narrowly dodge his charge. You roll on the ground and shoot two more arrows in his back. He turns around snarling and bellowing for your blood. More arrows fly into the creature, but at last the demon has reached you and smacks you to the ground. Your bow flies from your hand, and while crawling on the ground you try to draw your sword, but a crushing blow hits you on the back. This might've caused a lot more damage, but miraculously the lute that's still in your pack "softens" the blow. The crunching of wood signifies that it's broken though. "What the fuck, that's a weird noise…what is this? HA HA HA! Hey! You gotta be shittin' me! A fuckin' lute? Check this out! He's carrying a fuckin' lute! What's a fucking soldier doin' with a lute?" the big demon shouts to his acquaintance while he holds up your broken instrument. "Don't talk you idiot! LOOK OUT!" his acquaintance shouts, just as you recover long enough to shove your sword straight into the demon's groin. You push the sword upward in an attempt to do more damage and you succeed. Blood is flying everywhere and the demon howls in pain from the grievous wound. You pull your sword out and then proceed to repeatedly stab the demon until it falls backwards on the ground, dead. You're exhausted; you used all your remaining strength killing the thing. Unfortunately the other demon grabs you by the scruff like a helpless kitten and lifts you up off the ground a few inches. He knocks your sword out of your hand and looks at his fallen comrade. "Hmm, can't say I didn't warn him. Oh well, more meat for me. This may hurt a lot…" Fully expecting the death that you've managed to avoid for so long, you once again evade it when a gunshot rings out and part of the demon's head splatters in your face. You're dropped immediately. The demon's body is still standing though. "Shoot the bastard again!" you hear a gruff voice shout and this time the next shot hits chest and the demon falls. You lay motionless on the ground, looking up in the sky when your saviors come up to you. It's a group of dwarves armed with gun powder weapons. "By the gods, get doc out here! We need to fix this man up! Hey lad, you'll be alright, don't worry…are you a Zalan soldier?" one of the dwarves asks you. "…yeah…Nuro…lost…all dead…" is all you utter before fall into unconsciousness. A few days pass before you're somewhat back to a coherent state. You find yourself in a military outpost and at this point you don't care. You're just happy to be alive. It would seem that during your escape from Nuro, you ran in the direction of the Tulan Kingdom, the dwarven scouts that found you were from a small neutral kingdom trying its best to stay out of the dispute between Tulan and Zalan, but the new threat of demons running all over the nearby countryside caused them to increase patrols. They fixed you up, but dropped you off at the closest Zalan Fort. The Zalan fort that you're in right now is called Virtue and it's on the Tulan border. It seems relatively calm though. Not at all what you thought it would be. When one of the healers comes in to check on you, you begin to ask questions which she tries to answer to get you up to speed. The Tulan Kingdom is currently under attack from the demons now. They've been assaulting the place and even gaining help from some of the evil populace there. The demon citizens there have reverted back to their "bad behavior" and thrown their lot in with the invaders as well. That doesn't surprise you. The Tulan Kingdom pulled back some of their military from the borders so the fighting hasn't been as bad and Zalan's made a little more progress during this time, but the military minds are being cautious not to over extend. There is extreme concern over the recent demon invasion, not to mention the incident at Nuro. Word has already spread about the unsuccessful siege there. The healer also tells you that a few Zalan "high ups" are eager to speak to you soon, as they want to know what exactly happened at Nuro. You're somewhat of an important survivor since as far as anyone knows; you were the only one to successfully escape that killing zone. There's also talk of a "Grand Alliance" being created to counter these new threats. While the healer talks you end up drifting back to sleep wishing you could just escape it all. One year passes… You're still at Fort Virtue and it doesn't look like you'll be leaving the army anytime soon. You couldn't have been more wrong on your belief that you'd get executed for cowardice. You got promoted to sergeant instead, which in light of the current situation, is nearly the same thing. Your promotion came after several Zalan officers spoke to you about Nuro. You even got a medal. Stories and rumors creep around about how against all odds you survived an undead onslaught and fought off a bunch of demons as well. Your past "reputation" from your time in Retlad is exaggerated as well. It doesn't help that the citizens there remember you and are all willing to add to the exaggeration. All of these stories have been woven together in such an elaborate way to make you seem like some kind of hero most likely for propaganda purposes. And you know you're not hero. In fact you try to explain you aren't a hero to people, but they think you're just being modest, eventually you give up. Your assignment at Virtue hasn't been uneventful. There's fighting, but now it's mainly demon commanded enemies rather than Tulan ones. Some demon lord called Velzix killed the royalty there, completely conquered the area and made it his realm. The border war continues under new management except now it's more than just a border that the enemy is looking to take. Your superior, Captain Eckard reminds you of Valhlat except with a different name. You suppose there is a certain "cookie cutter" that occurs within the Zalan army that causes people to act the same. You've briefly wondered if you ever make that rank, you'll act the same way. You then usually laugh at the very fact that you ever would. Fort Virtue hasn't suffered a really bad attack yet, and it's mostly skirmishes, but it's like waiting for the other shoe to drop. You routinely go on patrols and give orders which you didn't think you'd be good at, but you think back to how you used to order your brothers and sisters around and perhaps you always had a bit a leadership skill, you just didn't want it. You thought that you'd be able to at least visit your family, but of course due to recent events, you're ordered to stay put. Your family at least is getting more money from your pay increase. They even send a new lute for you after you told them of the unfortunate event that resulted in the destruction of your last one. This gives you a little pleasure in a relatively joyless assignment. All in all, you still prefer it compared to being in the unsuccessful assaults on Nuro. The Grand Alliance that was formed hasn't been too successful as every one has been a slaughter from what you've heard. You already went through that once. You don't relish the idea of going through it again. One day while you're spending your free time practicing a new song, some new soldiers come into the fort. They look like they've just seen a vicious battle and are here to restock. One of them sees you and gives you a disapproving look. It's a woman with striking good looks, but definitely carrying an air of leadership about her. Her rank signifies her as a captain…yep same cookie cutter, just a little prettier. "You there! What are you doing playing an instrument? Shouldn't you be on watch or doing something more constructive with your time soldier? And you're a sergeant? You should know better!" "I'm not on watch duty right now and…" The woman doesn't even let you finish your explanation. Other soldiers that were sitting in your area are now slowly creeping out of the fray. Even her own soldiers are creeping away. They probably know all too well of how she acts. "So? You think evil is going to wait around for you to be ready for battle? Where is your superior officer? I can't believe they would allow such a relaxed attitude around here considering the importance of this fort! If you were serving under me, I'd have you flogged for your lack of discipline!" > You letters to home (Thanks for the lute!) Dear Mom Thanks for the lute! I received it just a few days ago. It plays very well, its even better than the one I lost. It's certainly made what little free time I have at least tolerable now. I really wish I could get a chance to visit you guys though. I thought I would've been able to by now, but I suppose given the current situation, nobody's getting any kind of leave for quite some time. I'm sure you've also heard all about how I'm supposed to be some kind of hero after surviving the failed attack on Nuro, but I don't see how. I mean I guess praise is better than being insulted, but at this point I feel like a fraud. Like I'm getting too much credit for something that was pure luck in the first place. I dunno, I know you and the rest of the family are proud of me so that's all that really matters. I'm just trying to keep all this in perspective. You and Dad always told me not to get a big head about things. At least they raised my pay so I can send you guys more money. That's why I joined the first place after all. This new rank gives me a few more responsibilities, but I can handle it. So far this assignment hasn't been too bad. Demons aren't a picnic to fight though and I'm dreading the day when they start attacking in a more organized manner. Until then, I'll just be enjoying your gift when I can. Give my love to the rest of the family. Your son

Despite your fears, you've always had a sense of duty and responsibility, something that probably won't ever completely go away due to how you grew up. You're not running away, you did join to help provide for your family after all. Before your company packs up and leaves Retlad, you write a quick letter to your family and hand it off to a messenger. Many of the Retlad citizens aren't too pleased to see you leave, but they don't really have any say in the matter, just like you don't. There isn't much talking on the trip, though, everyone is pretty silent. Wessel however is doing enough for everyone. "I can't believe something like this happened! Nuro was a beacon of enlightenment and well prepared for situations like this! I…can't believe this didn't occur without some sort of demonic influence. I'll bet that Mr. Demar had something to do with this! I remember taking his class and he was always a creepy bastard. Before I could graduate I had to take his conjuration 101 class and he didn't like me because I had made several logical arguments to as why that branch of magic should be outlawed altogether. And it's obvious by what happened recently that I was right! Nevertheless I did all the required work in the class and I still got a B! Way to fuck up my perfect record! I get the same grade as some bumbling idiot who summoned up a Nurk Beast that he lost control over and bit off someone's hand! Where is the fucking justice?" Once again, Wessel has turned the topic to focus on himself. Happily Captain Vahlat tells him to shut the fuck up. You'll be near Nuro soon and your company makes camp for the night. While all of you are on edge from what will come tomorrow, someone finally says something. "Hey farmboy, play us a song on that thing." "…what did you want to hear?" you ask, not expecting to be called to play under these circumstances. In fact it just occurred to you that you've never played for anyone in your company! You assume that they all knew that you did, but they just were never interested enough to stick around and listen to you before. "I dunno, play whatever it was you used to play for the Retlad citizens…it seemed to make them happy." You pull out your lute and take a deep breath and start playing. At first you're just concentrating on the strings and making sure you don't mess anything up, but when you look up, you can see that everyone in the camp is listening intently to your music, even Wessel. Tensions seem to have decreased. It's like a wave of calmness has struck the camp. You never believed your playing could have that much of an effect on people. Eventually the song ends and the Captain tells everyone who isn't on watch to get some sleep. He then takes you aside. "Heard your playing…damn shame that you're here. You really should be doing that instead." Valhlat remarks. "I know." "Hm. I know you joined mainly to help support your family." "Yeah, I just hope I get to see them again." "Bah, don't start talking like that. I've seen you with a bow, you pluck that thing even better than that lute. You've been in battle before and survived, I see you doing it again." "I sure hope so, its just I dunno…the undead…I've heard stories." "Yeah, everyone's heard the stories, but stories tend to be exaggerated. Now I dunno about what happened centuries ago, since I wasn't there, but I HAVE fought the undead before. One of my first assignments was taking care of some minor undead incursion in a little village. Some asshole stumbled upon an ancient scroll and started reading the goddamn words on it out loud. They look a lot worse than they actually are. Most of the time they're incredibly slow, and easily dispatched. Its mainly a psychological advantage from all the stories people have told about them that cause this quaking fear in most folks." "Well I suppose, but what about the necromancers?" "Feh, they're wizards and just like all the rest their arrogance is their undoing. Most of these so-called necromancers are half-assed ones that get killed by their own undead troops. Anyway, get to sleep; you want to be fully alert for tomorrow's battle. It still won't be a walk in the park, but it's not going to be a death sentence." You take the Captain's words into consideration, but in the back of your mind before you go to sleep, you're thinking "But they can't be that half-assed, they successfully took over Nuro…" The next day arrives and you finish your trip to Nuro and that's when you see the city for the first time. You always wanted to visit it after hearing about it from Wessel, but even from this distance it doesn't look like anything he described. "By the gods…what…" Wessel slowly whispers. The stench of death is thick in the air. You see thousands of bodies outside the city gates and they aren't lying down either. They aren't advancing either though. There just standing there like…well zombies. Your company isn't the only one here though, there are a few others awaiting orders. You see one from the Brot Kingdom and another from the Azi Republic. Thankfully there's another Zalan one as well to boost your numbers. The respective captains acknowledge each other's presence, a short meeting is made and then the inevitable comes. The attack. At first things seem to go well. All ranged troops are ordered to fire upon the enemy who are still just standing there. Arrows pierce zombie brains, gunshots destroy skeleton bones, spells blast at walls and it seems very easy. Then from the battlements of Nuro a few figures begin casting a few offensive spells of their own. It's at this point a charge is made towards the city. "When you get in range aim for the fucking wizards! Don't fear these rotting meat sacks! We're the fucking Zalan army! We don't lose!" Captain Valhlat shouts. Fine words, but they do little to uplift your impending sense of doom. It doesn't help that the sky goes completely dark while you're marching towards a bunch of undead and at the same time hoping you don't get hit by a wizard's spell. In the distance you briefly see a cleric from the Azi Republic riding a horse by himself. He appears to be calling upon some sort of holy might from whatever god he worships since a blue protective sphere appears around him. The next moment he's hit by a black ray that goes straight through the sphere and his life is gone. Not even his god could protect him. As you get closer, you see that the undead soldiers still haven't moved, but there are significantly less of them as they continue to fall from ranged attacks. However, now other undead pop up on the walls of Nuro holding bows of their own. "SHIELDS!" Captain Valhlat shouts. More of your side falls and now you're so close you can smell the death in the air. The undead troops are now finally moving to do battle with your side. You attempt to target the robed figures on the battlements, but of course it's very difficult in all this chaos and your fear. You mostly only get the undead archers. Wessel is a little more successful is downing an enemy wizard. "Ha ha! Don't you realize I graduated top of my class?!" you hear him shout. The gates of Nuro are being broken down and despite the horror you've already seen, this battle still seems hopeful. Then a black cloaked hooded figure sudden appears on the battlements. You see him merely raise his arms briefly and that's when you get the very real feeling that hope is lost. Ghostly spirits come through the walls of Nuro making worse shrieks than when you fought the Quillars. At least they were living creatures. These drain lives at but a touch and there isn't enough magic to fight the incorporeal creatures properly. You see the Brot Kingdom's company break and run, but unfortunately for them and you, your possible retreat has been blocked. All the soldiers on your side that fell have now suddenly been raised, the undead soldiers that were killed have been raised as well. You're fighting in the front, from behind and in some cases from within. It's chaos. "Shit, I'm going to die today…" you whisper to yourself. Captain Valhlat is knee deep in the dead, but this figure who's apparently changed the tide of battle hasn't escaped his attention. He points to the figure and barks orders at the top of his lungs. "KILL HIM! SHOOT THE FUCKER! DO IT! NOW!" > You letters to home (Assault on Nuro) Dear Mom, I'm writing this just before we head off to Nuro. I'm sort of scared. I know I shouldn't, but I can't help it. I also know I've been in danger several times before, but I have a bad feeling about this mission. I remember those old stories Dad told about the Dead War that occurred centuries ago. Those used to scare the hell out of me. I was usually thankful when you told him to stop telling me and Mallack about it. Still he always said that he told those stories so that we could better appreciate the relatively "safe" time we live in now even if it isn't perfect. I'd hate to think that he was wrong about that, because I certainly wouldn't want to live during the years of the Great Lich Lord's reign of terror. I've been told that this "outbreak" is still small enough to be contained and eliminated, but that doesn't make me feel any better. Nuro is a place of strong magic! If they couldn't handle this problem, how are we going to be able to? What manner of undead are going to face us? What of the evil wizards that caused this in the first place? As far as my company goes, the only really powerful one we have is Wessel. I hope they aren't just sending us, or that we'll at least have much more magical back up by the time we arrive there. I've been trying to not worry about this, but this doesn't feel right. In my heart it doesn't feel right. I just hope and pray to all the gods that I survive this. Give my love to the rest of the family. Your son

Just because he's acting reckless doesn't mean you're going to, you're going to play upon your strengths and keep as far away as you can. You ride your horse around the outskirts of the village, readying your bow the whole time. When you can, you fire at the Quillar attackers. As quick as they are, they aren't really paying attention to you and you manage to get in some good shots. A couple of head shots even. At first they don't realize where the all the arrows are coming from, since Wessel is giving them a hard enough time with the chain lightning. You're sort of glad you decided to stay on the outskirts. Wessel is having such a "good time" blasting the Quillars, he's probably causing a lot more collateral damage in the process. Eventually the Quillars start to retreat. This is when you get into a little more trouble as you happen to be right in the direction of where they're running! They still look scary and they get even moreso as they get closer. The worst has to be their shrieks. It's unpleasant to hear to say the least. You ride out of the way, but your horse isn't fast enough and is peppered by quills. You catch a few in the leg yourself and you're thrown from the horse as it reels in pain, before collapsing. Feeling the pain you scramble for cover behind a nearby rock. Fortunately the quills don't penetrate that. Most of them are content on just running away, but one straggler decides to try to get one more kill before leaving. That kill of course happens to be you. The Quillar makes its high pitch shriek as it runs towards the rock. You don't have time to ready your bow before its high jumped over the rock and on the other side of you. You quickly draw your weapon and swing it blindly as you turn around. Luckily your blade catches the side of its head, killing it. At last you collapse from the pain in your leg. While you're pulling out quills, Wessel and another Zalan soldier come to meet you. Wessel doesn't look any worse for wear, but the soldier looks very tired and obviously has wounds of his own. "There you are, lying down on the job I see." Wessel mocks. "Are you alright?" the other soldier asks. "Yeah…Agh. I've gotten bitten in the leg by a Kobold before. Feels nearly the same except these quills go in a lot deeper." "Glad you guys came when you did. We were just doing a routine patrol when these quill bastards came out of nowhere! They're getting bolder and attacking in greater number, we need more reinforcements." "Yeah, well good luck with that. The Tulan border is the primary concern. Besides I'm here now, I predict that this infestation will be over soon now." Wessel boasts. "Any…way. My name's Tylir. I'd introduce you to the rest of my squad, but they're all dead now. Even though it was the heat of battle, I couldn't help notice how well you picked off several of those Quillars with one shot. That was pretty impressive." "Thanks." "Hey! What about me? I'm the one who noticed you getting attacked in the first place! I'm also the one who saved your ass!" Wessel interrupts again, he's starting to get annoying at this point, but Tylir doesn't seem bothered by him. "Everyone did their part. Okay, since I'm here I'll take you to see Captain Vhalat, I'm sure that's who you were sent to report to, oh and wizard while your skills may be appreciated here, I'd advise you to cut down on the boasting. Captain Vhalat isn't fond of it, and to be quite honest the other two wizards we had here were more experienced and they still got killed." "Hmm, well perhaps they lacked the natural skill that I of course possess." At this point you and Tylir just roll your eyes and get moving. You travel through a couple of other villages and it's pretty depressing. You see stacks of bodies being buried in mass graves while most of other Retlad citizens look thoroughly defeated. A few look in your direction, but don't look too much, it's like they don't really expect you to succeed. Not exactly inspiring. Soon you arrive in the town of Glaf. It would appear that the Zalan contingency sent here is staying in one of the bigger Retlad towns rather than the capitol. Ryan also says that the Quillar infestation is worse around here too, so the captain suspects that whatever lair they're crawling out of is nearby and can hopefully located and cleansed. The town itself resembles a small Zalan fort rather than a proper Retlad town, as a sturdy wall has been erected around it. The people seem to look a little more hopeful though. Tylir goes on to say that he thinks that the Retlad citizens are actually starting to prefer Zalan presence especially since their on government has been pretty ineffectual about the whole invasion. The Retlad army has only focused on defending the capitol. The Retlad royals appear to find their lives more important than anyone else's. Eventually you're brought before Captain Vahlat himself. He looks up from the map he's inspecting and addresses you and Wessel. "Ah, I see the Empire has seen fit to send me reinforcements…wow, twice as many as I thought I'd get. Private Tylir where's the rest of your squad?" "Um…dead sir." "Of course. (sigh) So what's your problem private? Why is your leg wrapped up?" Vahlat asks you. "Got into a fight with the Quillars sir." You answer. "Oh?" Tylir at this point interrupts and tells of what happened. Wessel looks like he wants to expand upon his deeds, but Vahlat's appearance is a little imposing and he was already warned once, so he keeps his mouth shut. Vahlat soon addresses you again. "Well it would seem you two have already proven yourselves useful. A lot more useful that what passes for the Retlad army, but of course that isn't hard. Wizard, I certainly hope you don't intend to use this place as a chance to show off all the skills you learned in your fancy Nuro college. One of your predecessors did that as well, and as you can see he's no longer here. As for you, I hope that you can do a better job of keeping out of the way of the quills next time. Most don't get a second chance. Alright that's all for now. Our group is being housed for free at the Inn down the street. Free food as well, but don't go overboard, its being rationed. You want more food or anything else you'll have to pay like everyone else. I suggest though that you don't do any heavy carousing. This is a high alert situation and we could be going to battle at anytime. Dismissed." You, Wessel and Tylir all leave at this point. Tylir goes on to show you where the Inn is and a couple of other places, but after today you just want to rest and retire to your room early. You rest your leg and begin practicing your lute. This puts you in better spirits. 6 months pass… The Quillar invasion has nearly been eradicated. Most of the major lairs have been located and cleansed and you certainly contributed greatly to this effort. Besides your combat abilities, your tracking skills definitely came in handy a lot. You've become somewhat recognized among Retlad citizens due to your actions and the lives you've saved. The word "hero" has been used a few times though you definitely don't think of yourself as one. In your free time you spoke with the citizens, a lot more than your fellow soldiers though. A few of them even convinced you to play for them when they noticed your lute. It took a little prodding, but eventually you gave in fully expecting to get booed, but to your surprise, you got applauded instead. Your playing didn't just boost your spirits it seemed. Whenever you could you played a little bit for people in what little free time you had. Never did you think that you'd be playing for any kind of audience, let alone an appreciative one. It definitely hasn't been all sunshine though; you've seen a lot of people die. More than you ever wanted to actually. You'd made friends with Tylir shortly after your first meeting and he died only a couple months later. You'll be glad when every one of these Quillar creatures are all dead though, all they've done is cause misery. You've got them on the run now though. You're preparing for an attack on another one of their lairs, when Captain Vahlat calls everyone to see him, he doesn't look enthusiastic about whatever it is he has to tell you. "All right I'll be brief. As much as I hate leaving a mission unfinished, we're getting pulled out of here effective immediately. Major news is that Nuro has undergone a fucking disaster that needs to be put down like yesterday! All governments friendly to the City State of Nuro that can spare the manpower are to send help. We would be one of those. I hope the Retlad army is just competent enough to finish up what we started in their own country." Wessel immediately pipes up upon hearing about this revelation. "What happened in Nuro? What's going on?!" "What's going on? From what I've been told a whole bunch of your kind raised a shitload of undead and unleashed a bunch of hostile demons on the place! The entire city was overrun. Reports are already stating that small packs of demons are running around the nearby countryside. Most likely in the direction of the Tulan Kingdom. Not sure what that means with our border war with them, but I only see it getting bloodier around there. In any case, our job is to head to Nuro, before the undead start following suit. I hope you're all ready for this, because this is going to be a lot different that fighting Quillars." You look around and see a lot of fear wash over faces and rightly so. Necromancers have a bad history on your world. When you were little you still remember hearing the tales of the Great Lich Lord that existed centuries before you were even born. He almost took over the world. Those stories gave you nightmares as a kid. The possibility of having to face something remotely similar even on much smaller scale doesn't make you feel too well. > You letters to home (Retlad assignment) Dear Mom, This assignment is almost coming to a close I believe. We've got the Quillars on the run and wiped out most of their lairs. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I'd rather be fighting Kobolds! Lately I've been able to play a lot more thanks to our severe lowering of the Quillar population. The people here are pretty nice, they seem to always want me to play for them. Didn't think I'd actually ever play for a proper audience! I'm happy to do it though, it sort of keeps my mind off of the nastier things I've seen. I know I told you about how my friend Tylir died, a few months ago, but it still seems a little unreal. I mean other than Dad, I've never known anyone who I knew personally dying. And certainly not as violently as he did. I've seen a lot more violence in general though. However, I guess I should've expected stuff like this to happen. I mean I am in the army! Sometimes the people call us heroes and stuff for killing the Quillars. Some guys like that annoying Wessel get a thrill out of it, but I dunno. I don't really feel like one. I just want to do my job and survive. And play if possible. Well I guess that's it for now, give my love to the rest of the family. Your son

Just because he's acting reckless doesn't mean you're going to, you're going to play upon your strengths and keep as far away as you can. You ride your horse around the outskirts of the village, readying your bow the whole time. When you can, you fire at the Quillar attackers. As quick as they are, they aren't really paying attention to you and you manage to get in some good shots. A couple of head shots even. At first they don't realize where the all the arrows are coming from, since Wessel is giving them a hard enough time with the chain lightning. You're sort of glad you decided to stay on the outskirts. Wessel is having such a "good time" blasting the Quillars, he's probably causing a lot more collateral damage in the process. Eventually the Quillars start to retreat. This is when you get into a little more trouble as you happen to be right in the direction of where they're running! They still look scary and they get even moreso as they get closer. The worst has to be their shrieks. It's unpleasant to hear to say the least. You ride out of the way, but your horse isn't fast enough and is peppered by quills. You catch a few in the leg yourself and you're thrown from the horse as it reels in pain, before collapsing. Feeling the pain you scramble for cover behind a nearby rock. Fortunately the quills don't penetrate that. Most of them are content on just running away, but one straggler decides to try to get one more kill before leaving. That kill of course happens to be you. The Quillar makes its high pitch shriek as it runs towards the rock. You don't have time to ready your bow before its high jumped over the rock and on the other side of you. You quickly draw your weapon and swing it blindly as you turn around. Luckily your blade catches the side of its head, killing it. At last you collapse from the pain in your leg. While you're pulling out quills, Wessel and another Zalan soldier come to meet you. Wessel doesn't look any worse for wear, but the soldier looks very tired and obviously has wounds of his own. "There you are, lying down on the job I see." Wessel mocks. "Are you alright?" the other soldier asks. "Yeah…Agh. I've gotten bitten in the leg by a Kobold before. Feels nearly the same except these quills go in a lot deeper." "Glad you guys came when you did. We were just doing a routine patrol when these quill bastards came out of nowhere! They're getting bolder and attacking in greater number, we need more reinforcements." "Yeah, well good luck with that. The Tulan border is the primary concern. Besides I'm here now, I predict that this infestation will be over soon now." Wessel boasts. "Any…way. My name's Tylir. I'd introduce you to the rest of my squad, but they're all dead now. Even though it was the heat of battle, I couldn't help notice how well you picked off several of those Quillars with one shot. That was pretty impressive." "Thanks." "Hey! What about me? I'm the one who noticed you getting attacked in the first place! I'm also the one who saved your ass!" Wessel interrupts again, he's starting to get annoying at this point, but Tylir doesn't seem bothered by him. "Everyone did their part. Okay, since I'm here I'll take you to see Captain Vhalat, I'm sure that's who you were sent to report to, oh and wizard while your skills may be appreciated here, I'd advise you to cut down on the boasting. Captain Vhalat isn't fond of it, and to be quite honest the other two wizards we had here were more experienced and they still got killed." "Hmm, well perhaps they lacked the natural skill that I of course possess." At this point you and Tylir just roll your eyes and get moving. You travel through a couple of other villages and it's pretty depressing. You see stacks of bodies being buried in mass graves while most of other Retlad citizens look thoroughly defeated. A few look in your direction, but don't look too much, it's like they don't really expect you to succeed. Not exactly inspiring. Soon you arrive in the town of Glaf. It would appear that the Zalan contingency sent here is staying in one of the bigger Retlad towns rather than the capitol. Ryan also says that the Quillar infestation is worse around here too, so the captain suspects that whatever lair they're crawling out of is nearby and can hopefully located and cleansed. The town itself resembles a small Zalan fort rather than a proper Retlad town, as a sturdy wall has been erected around it. The people seem to look a little more hopeful though. Tylir goes on to say that he thinks that the Retlad citizens are actually starting to prefer Zalan presence especially since their on government has been pretty ineffectual about the whole invasion. The Retlad army has only focused on defending the capitol. The Retlad royals appear to find their lives more important than anyone else's. Eventually you're brought before Captain Vahlat himself. He looks up from the map he's inspecting and addresses you and Wessel. "Ah, I see the Empire has seen fit to send me reinforcements…wow, twice as many as I thought I'd get. Private Tylir where's the rest of your squad?" "Um…dead sir." "Of course. (sigh) So what's your problem private? Why is your leg wrapped up?" Vahlat asks you. "Got into a fight with the Quillars sir." You answer. "Oh?" Tylir at this point interrupts and tells of what happened. Wessel looks like he wants to expand upon his deeds, but Vahlat's appearance is a little imposing and he was already warned once, so he keeps his mouth shut. Vahlat soon addresses you again. "Well it would seem you two have already proven yourselves useful. A lot more useful that what passes for the Retlad army, but of course that isn't hard. Wizard, I certainly hope you don't intend to use this place as a chance to show off all the skills you learned in your fancy Nuro college. One of your predecessors did that as well, and as you can see he's no longer here. As for you, I hope that you can do a better job of keeping out of the way of the quills next time. Most don't get a second chance. Alright that's all for now. Our group is being housed for free at the Inn down the street. Free food as well, but don't go overboard, its being rationed. You want more food or anything else you'll have to pay like everyone else. I suggest though that you don't do any heavy carousing. This is a high alert situation and we could be going to battle at anytime. Dismissed." You, Wessel and Tylir all leave at this point. Tylir goes on to show you where the Inn is and a couple of other places, but after today you just want to rest and retire to your room early. You rest your leg and begin practicing your lute. This puts you in better spirits. 6 months pass… The Quillar invasion has nearly been eradicated. Most of the major lairs have been located and cleansed and you certainly contributed greatly to this effort. Besides your combat abilities, your tracking skills definitely came in handy a lot. You've become somewhat recognized among Retlad citizens due to your actions and the lives you've saved. The word "hero" has been used a few times though you definitely don't think of yourself as one. In your free time you spoke with the citizens, a lot more than your fellow soldiers though. A few of them even convinced you to play for them when they noticed your lute. It took a little prodding, but eventually you gave in fully expecting to get booed, but to your surprise, you got applauded instead. Your playing didn't just boost your spirits it seemed. Whenever you could you played a little bit for people in what little free time you had. Never did you think that you'd be playing for any kind of audience, let alone an appreciative one. It definitely hasn't been all sunshine though; you've seen a lot of people die. More than you ever wanted to actually. You'd made friends with Tylir shortly after your first meeting and he died only a couple months later. You'll be glad when every one of these Quillar creatures are all dead though, all they've done is cause misery. You've got them on the run now though. You're preparing for an attack on another one of their lairs, when Captain Vahlat calls everyone to see him, he doesn't look enthusiastic about whatever it is he has to tell you. "All right I'll be brief. As much as I hate leaving a mission unfinished, we're getting pulled out of here effective immediately. Major news is that Nuro has undergone a fucking disaster that needs to be put down like yesterday! All governments friendly to the City State of Nuro that can spare the manpower are to send help. We would be one of those. I hope the Retlad army is just competent enough to finish up what we started in their own country." Wessel immediately pipes up upon hearing about this revelation. "What happened in Nuro? What's going on?!" "What's going on? From what I've been told a whole bunch of your kind raised a shitload of undead and unleashed a bunch of hostile demons on the place! The entire city was overrun. Reports are already stating that small packs of demons are running around the nearby countryside. Most likely in the direction of the Tulan Kingdom. Not sure what that means with our border war with them, but I only see it getting bloodier around there. In any case, our job is to head to Nuro, before the undead start following suit. I hope you're all ready for this, because this is going to be a lot different that fighting Quillars." You look around and see a lot of fear wash over faces and rightly so. Necromancers have a bad history on your world. When you were little you still remember hearing the tales of the Great Lich Lord that existed centuries before you were even born. He almost took over the world. Those stories gave you nightmares as a kid. The possibility of having to face something remotely similar even on much smaller scale doesn't make you feel too well. > You letters to home (There was this girl...) Hey Mallack! I paid the messenger a little extra to give this one to you personally, don't show it to Mom or anyone else! I'm serious! I finally did it! I didn't even expect it either. I was off duty and taking a break from destroying a Quillar lair, so as usual I went down to the tavern to go play for the locals a bit. While it is true there have been several "offers" from some of tavern girls before due to my lute playing ability, I dunno I just never felt comfortable about going with one of them. However, I didn't get to the tavern; I bumped into some traveling merchant woman from the Brot Kingdom. I apologized and helped pick up her belongings and she noticed the lute I carried. She began to ask me about it since she said she really liked music and soon the pair of us were deep in conversation and going back to the Inn on the other side of town that she was currently staying at. I learned that her name was Helena. We continued to talk in her room and I played for Helena a bit and before I knew it, we were on the bed naked! I'm still not exactly sure how it started, but it sure felt good! I really liked her too, but I guess it was just a one time thing, because she left a couple days later. Though she did say if I was ever stationed in Brot, I should look her up again. Anyway, I guess I felt like I just had to tell someone. I suppose I could've told the guys in my company, but I didn't really want to be sweated down for more detailed information constantly. Okay that's it, and like I said, don't show this to Mom or anyone else! In fact you should probably just destroy it. Your brother

You've never even heard of Quillars before, but they still sound less dangerous than the Tulan Border, that place is only going to get worse, you know it. "I'll take the Retlad assignment sir." "Hm. Smart. Here's your first month's pay, I suggest you live it up here in Zal, for the couple of days you have off before you leave." You take the small bag and look inside. This will certainly help your family. You take a few coins for yourself and then ask if arrangements can be made to have your payment sent to your family from now on. He tells you yes, but asks that surely that you will still want some of it. You agree to just taking 10% of it. You don't need much. "Sheesh, living bare minimum huh? Don't you want to eat anything other than military rations every once in awhile?" Kosser questions again. "Nah. If I need extra food, I'll just hunt." "You know even the booze and brothel girls in Retlad aren't THAT cheap. You sure you don't want more?" "Nope. I'll be fine. My family needs that money more than I do." "Alright then, family man." You exit the barracks and wander the city a bit. You find it very interesting. You sort of wish you could stay longer to take in more sights. However one thing catches your eye. A small store and in the window is a lute. Looks almost like the one you had before it was taken away from you in basic training. You haven't gotten a chance to play in six months and you'd really like to… Hey you're a soldier now, you've proven yourself. You figure you can take one personal belonging with you to Retlad as long as you keep them packed properly. You enter the store and with the little money you have you buy the lute. You spend the most of the day and the next practicing it. You didn't forget as much as you thought. You also finish up writing a letter to your family and give it to a Zalan messenger carrier. Finally the third day arrives for you to move out. A couple of officers arrive to take most of your other fellow cadets. Mostly to the Tulan border, however, it would appear you have a different escort. A young man in loose robe approaches you. He looks like a wizard, but you wonder for how long since he seems about your age. "Hey, are you the one going to the Retlad Kingdom?" he asks "Yeah, who are you?" "I'm Wessel. And don't you dare get cute and call me weasel, or I'll have to blast you with a lightning bolt." "I wasn't planning on it." You say which causes Wessel to start laughing. "Geez, I was just fucking with you. Don't be so serious! So you ready to go?" "Yeah I guess, are you my superior officer?" "Huh? Oh no. Look I got our horses waiting outside; we can do all this getting to know you stuff on the way." You and Wessel get on the horses and ride towards your destination. It would appear that you're the only one from your group to be going, but of course you were the only expert marksman. Wessel begins to tell you more about why he's with you. In fact he doesn't really let you do much talking at all. He says he's a native citizen of the Zalan Empire, but he just graduated from the esteemed magic university in the city state of Nuro. Wessel goes on to and says that when he heard they needed a few wizard over in Retlad, he decided to volunteer to test his skills and get paid while doing it. He explains that the pair of you will be following the orders of a Captain Vhalat. Everyone knows about Nuro. It's very famous, and you always wondered what kind of magical wonders existed there, so you're eager to hear more and he's all too happy to tell you. Despite Wessel's primary focus on himself, it sounds like a place you'd want to visit one day. Eventually you arrive at the border and so far the Retlad Kingdom doesn't look very well kept. The road begins to show evidence of disrepair and the sign posts are broken. You begin to keep your eye out for a possible attack at any second. "Look! Over there! It's a village and it's under attack! Come on!" Wessel yells and rides towards the village in the distance. You try to tell him to wait, but he's already well on his way, so you ride after him. You've never seen a Quillar before, but the closer you get to the village, you start seeing humanoid creatures covered in sharp spikes running around at a fast speed which could only be them. They are indeed fearsome looking. You also see a lot of the people running from them, and even a few people dressed in protective gear similar to yours…not that its doing them much good. "Alright you prickly bastards here's something for ya!" Wessle shouts riding into the village with one hand raised in the air for a lightning blast attack. He shows no fear. You have no idea if all wizards are like this, but he's either got to be brave, stupid or just suicidal. Of course he could be all three. Up until now you always thought wizards were supposed to be meek types that didn't charge into battle and preferred to kill from afar. You guess you were wrong. > You letters to home (First assignment) Dear Mom, Well I got my first assignment. I'm heading to the Retlad Kingdom. Unlike most of my fellow cadets I was given the choice to go there instead of the Tulan Border. Thank the gods for my excellent bow skills. Still it's not going to be an easy assignment, but I'm probably not as worried about it as I might normally be since I finally got paid and managed to buy myself another lute! I've been practicing it again to help me keep my mind off things. I made arrangements for most of my pay to be sent to you. You should be receiving it at the end of each month, I hope it'll help. Anyway, tomorrow is the big day, so I better get some early sleep tonight. I have no idea what to expect. Give my love to the rest of the family. Your son

6 months pass… Six months of the most grueling physical training you've ever had the misfortune of dealing with! However you fared better than some of your fellow cadets. Guess all that farm living paid off. You've certainly improved what combat skills you had, but your marksmanship has improved greatly. You know that Drill Sergeant Kosser has been paying special attention to your abilities. You're not sure if that's a good thing of not. In any event you're being told where your first assignment is going to be. Most of those in your group are being sent to Tulan border. Not the most pleasant assignment. The fighting is getting worse there. What started as a minor border dispute has turned into a series of battles with neither side making too much progress. Even before you joined the military you'd heard stories of the greedy king who runs the Tulan Kingdom. You heard from traveling merchants about how he allows a few demons to walk around in his lands! Utter madness in your opinion. The Zalan Empire might be a little strict on the rules and regulations, but better that than demons letting walking around, in your opinion they should all be killed on sight regardless on whether they're obeying the "law" or not, they're evil. You sit anxious on your bed in the barracks as name after name gets called off. Finally Kosser calls off your name, and you fully expect to get sent to the Tulan border. "I want to talk to you in private." Is what you hear instead. This makes you even more nervous. What's he going to do? Send you on? A mission to assassinate the Tulan King? After everyone else has gotten there assignments you follow Kosser back to his office. He sits down and speaks direct. "Alright farmboy, I'm sure you've noticed me watching your marksmanship skills. You're one of the best ones that have come in here for awhile. You have a natural talent and you've only improved it through training. It would be a blessing to have someone like you up at the Tulan border. The gods know we could use anything to help break the stalemate there." "…but?" you ask hoping that there is one. "But…your skills might be better served in a place that has a better mortality rate, yet still needs taking care of." "Where's that sir?" "Here." Kosser points to a map to a nearby location. It's the Retlad Kingdom. You can't imagine what's going on there, since as far as you know, you're Zalan is at peace with them. "Retlad? I thought we're at peace with them?" "We are…in fact rumors are saying we'll probably incorporate them into the empire in the near future. I dunno how much you know about politics out there on the farm, but Retlad is basically a bankrupt kingdom. Their dumb ass royalty spent a shitload of their treasury on building ships in some vain attempt to find more land mass on this world. Hah! Doesn't exist! We learned than centuries ago! Anyway now they don't have enough to pay for a proper military and their kingdom is being overrun by hostile Quillar tribes. They want us to help. Begging us practically and we have, but it's a pain in the ass. Quillars are fast and as their name suggests shoot multiple sharp quills at their enemies. I've seen them go through plate armor." "That doesn't sound good." "No, it's not good. The Retlad knight orders got decimated within two months of the first invasion wave. We're taking a better approach. We need to have equally quick troops that can at least match the fire power. We've sent a couple of war wizards, but most of them are serving on the Tulan border. Gunpower weapons are a little too slow for this sort of thing, so we're looking for people good with a bow. Quick enough to at least get a few shots off from a distance and run. Because hit and run tactics are what the Quillars excel at, so you'll have to do likewise." Kosser pauses his talking for a moment. You take this opportunity to interject a question. "And this assignment you say has a lower mortality rate?" "Well, we haven't sent as many people there yet, but so far we've made a little more progress there than at the Tulan border. But of course I won't say it's a safe assignment. Those Quillar bastards are vicious and merciless. Up to you farmboy. You're getting a bonus here. You're actually getting to choose your assignment. Not many that get out of boot camp get that privilege." Some "privilege" > You letters to home (Boot Camp) Dear Mom, I'm glad I've finally had some free time to write to you. Would you believe that when I first joined up, the recruiter thought I didn't know how? Sometimes these city folk got a lot of nerve making assumptions about people that grew up on farms, I've had to learn that first hand just by the folks I'm currently bunking with. They're all mostly from the capitol or another Zalan city. I think I'm the only one here from a small village, so I've been saddled with the nickname "farmboy". Ha ha. Despite this nick, I get along with most of the people here. The drill sergeant is mean, but luckily I haven't had to suffer the full brunt of his wrath, which is more than can be said for a few of the people here. That's never pretty. Boot camp is very tough. Even tougher than working on the farm. I'm just glad its half-way over. They took my lute away as soon as I entered. I really should've known better to take it with me…but I dunno I thought I'd be able to practice it on what few breaks I have. Oh well, I guess I wasn't ever going to be that traveling bard anyway. Just foolish dreams I suppose. Anyway we're going to start bow training tomorrow. I think I should do very well in that. Okay, I can't think of anything else. I hope everything is going well on the farm. I know you've always kept an eye on all of us, but make sure that Mallack pays extra attention on the chicken coop this month. The Kobolds come out a lot around this time! Give my love to the rest of the family. Your son

This is no way to live. Working on a barely profitable rundown farm with far too many family members to feed. It's a damn good thing you're an excellent hunter. However, lately there's even been a shortage of game to thwart your efforts. You didn't really want to be working on the farm your whole life in the first place, you wanted to see the world but when dad died, things got a lot harder for the family and you had to take over as "man" of the house and stay put. Something is going to have to change. While you'd like nothing more than to go through with your childhood dreams of becoming a traveling bard without any responsibility you don't have that luxury. Hell, you barely have time to play your lute anymore in the small amount of free time you do have. You doubt if you'd even be good enough to make a living for just yourself doing it. But you need to get away, but what can you do that won't allow you to completely abandon your mom and all your brothers and sisters? You suddenly think of the choice that many in your desperate position have thought of many times before. The army. Its not exactly ideal, but you be traveling and seeing the world so to speak. You'd also be making enough money that you could send to your family. Your own living expenses would be provided for by the army. Of course there's all that fighting that usually goes along with it that you're not to keen on. Not that you aren't a stranger to battle as their have been the occasional bandits or kobold thieves that have attempted to steal from the farm in the past, but you prefer not to fight if possible, especially not up close. The bow has always been your weapon of choice. There's also the matter of mass combat on a grand scale that usually accompanies army life. A lot different than chasing away some thieves in the chicken coop. As you're thinking about this, you also realize that there is another option. There's a small mercenary company passing through the area. They've been hanging out at the local tavern for a couple days. They don't seem to be the noblest sort from what you can tell, but fortunately they seem to have kept their revelry confined to the tavern. Who knows how they act away from "civilization" though. Still, it's something to consider. There probably is less attention to discipline and a little more relaxed on rules and regulations. You probably wouldn't be fighting in some mass land war that governments are fond of waging. Mercenaries travel a lot and tend to make more, however they tend to get hired for a lot weirder jobs, usually ones that the employer doesn't want people to know about or ones that nobody else seems to be able to handle. > You sign up with the mercenaries You're not sure if the formal military life is for you. If you joined up you wouldn't be able to readily leave. You figure if you don't like life as a mercenary or it isn't working out for you, you can leave freely. You explain your decision to join up with the mercenary company that's currently passing through. Your revelation comes as a shock. Your smaller brothers and sisters don't want you to go, your brother Mallack really doesn't want you to leave since he'll be next in line to take the brunt of the manual labor! Your mother is a little apprehensive about your decision. You half expect her to say no, but she understands that you're doing this for the good of the family. She gives her blessing. Before you leave the next day with your packed belongings, your whole family comes to say goodbye to you. You almost hesitate to leave, wondering if it would actually be better for you to stay. Your mother approaches you. "You don't have to do this you know. We're doing just fine." "Yeah, but things would be easier if this family had more money." "Hah. Things are always easier with more money son, but you don't need to go and get yourself killed for it." "Yeah, I know, but I've thought it through." "Very well, you're old enough to make your own decisions and live your own life, though I'm glad to see that you still want to help the family as opposed to just leaving in the middle of the night." "I'll visit and return with whatever my pay is whenever I can." "I know…okay, you best get going. I think the mercenary company was leaving today." You make you way to the local tavern and catch them just as they're getting ready leave. A lot of them look hung over. "Hey wait up…" you say in a slightly loud tone, causing one mean looking mercenary to snarl at you. "Shut the fuck up yokel! Shit, I got a splitting headache and it hurts like a sonofabitch." "Sorry. Are you the leader of this company?" "Leader of these dickheads? Naw. The Boss is actually visiting his family in the Zalan capital. We're going to meet up with him now and I suggest you get the fuck outta our way and not waste anymore of our time!" "But I want to join you guys." The mercenary you were speaking to looks at you then looks at a few of his buddies and begins to laugh louder than your voice which previously annoyed him. "HAHAHA HAHAHA! Y'hear that fellas? This yokel wants to join us! Thanks a lot, I needed a good laugh, now go fuck your pigs or whatever it is you farm types do." "But I'm serious…" "Serious? Farmboy, this is a man's job and not for the fuckin' weak. You ever even use a damn weapon?" "Yeah! I got this bow and this sword! I'm a really good shot!" The mercenary still looks unimpressed. "Uh huh, yeah well you ever kill anyone, hell you ever kill ANYTHING? And I'm not talkin' about any of your livestock you might've slaughtered. I mean something sentient." "Well yeah, I've killed Kobolds that were trying to steal chickens from the…" The mercenaries begin to laugh again. "Oh shit, you are priceless boy! My sister can kill fuckin' Kobolds and her only talent is whoring." "Haha got that one right, Dimitri." Another one of the mercenaries agrees. Suddenly the laughing stops. "What the fuck did you just say Fermeli?" "Uh, I was just agreeing with you…c'mon don't take it like that! I mean you said…" "Ain't about what I said, it's about what YOU said! You called my fucking sister a whore! You ain't getting' away with that shit." Dimitri draws his sword and stomps over to Fermeli who is trying to get one of his buddies to help him, but everyone else is backing away from the fight. Dimitri takes advantage of Fermeli's state of panic and slashes him good with his sword. Fermeli cries out in pain and begs for forgiveness. Dimitri looks like he's going to finish him off, but then turns to you. "You want to join hayseed? Kill this piece of shit then." "Huh? I mean…" you utter in confusion. "Did I stutter pig farmer? Kill this… AARGH FUCK!" Fermeli has now taken advantage of Dimitri by shoving a dagger into his leg and scrambling to get up "Yeah! Take that! How's that feel?" Fermeli taunts and draws his own sword in an attempt to kill Dimitri At this point you unwisely step into the middle of this fight. "Hey hold on, the pair of you are even now…" "Fuck off pig farmer! You want some of this now? Yeah, let's see how much of a killer you are!" Fermeli says who doesn't look frightened of you at all and heads in your direction. "Hey wait I don't wanna…" You barely dodge his sword swipe to your head. You roll out of the way and quickly grab an arrow and shoot it at Fermeli with your bow, hitting him square in the neck. Some blood spurts out and a surprised look on his face is displayed and then he falls dead. You've killed him. You've never killed anything before that wasn't a Kobold or livestock. You feel weird. In the meantime Dimitri gets up and pulls the dagger out of his leg and looks over at Formeli's body. "Heh, maybe you are a killer after all pig farmer. Well it seems we got an opening now. Take whatever he had as your own. You killed him, you earned it. Welcome to the Chimera Mercenary Company!" While you MAY be in, you're not necessarily sure if you want in. This may be a bit too much for you. > You join anyway You know this isn't going to be easy and you're going to have to be tough, but you remember that you're doing this for your family. You quickly search Formeli's body, which didn't have that much to begin with. "Heh, he always was a broke bastard. Spent all his money on gambling, I'll miss taking his money that's for sure. Alright then, you'll probably be wantin' to take that sword of his since it looks in way better condition than your rusted hunk of iron. Your bow seems to do the job just fine though. His armor too, and hurry up, we gotta meet the Boss! He's got another job for us no doubt." As you're stripping off some of the armor, Dimitri notices something on your back. "What…what the hell is that boy? Is that a fuckin' lute? Haw haw! What the fuck are you doin' with a damn lute? You think that you're some sort of bard or something? We ain't got need for such things boy! Get rid of it!" "No, it's mine." You defiantly say. You wonder if this show of "courage" has gotten you into a whole mess of trouble that you don't want, but fortunately it doesn't. "Heh, he kills one shithead and now he thinks he's a tough guy! Alright pig farmer keep your sissy lute. But its just more weight for you to carry and you better not be falling behind! Come on men let's go, the Boss is waiting for us. You too lute boy!" Dimitri exclaims and limps off. You briefly thought about telling him that he better keep up with his wounded leg and all, but you know when to stop. And so your mercenary life begins. A year passes… You're currently back in the Zalan Empire on a break in between missions. While most of your "buddies" are drinking up their pay and spending it on whores you take this opportunity to visit your family and give them your payment and spoils of battle as usual. You think about how much you've traveled and experienced. Not all of it good, but then killing is never pretty. Some of the jobs are very straight forward: "There are some orc barbarians on the borders that have been pillaging our lands, kill them." And you don't have a problem with it. Other missions start falling into the "gray" area. Your last job involved some Azi Republic senator hiring the company to take out some secessionists that wanted to form their own country. It wasn't clean and it definitely wasn't fun. The secessionists actually had a reasonable complaint about leaving the Republic, saying that it was corrupt and that their representatives didn't care about them. But being a mercenary means you don't take sides for moral or ideological reasons, you do it for money. It's not just that though, some of the things that have been done…well you can't say you're too proud of it. Granted, you've never actively engaged in some of the less moral and outright criminal things that your mercenary comrades have, but you certainly know about them and it almost makes you feel like you're guilty of it as well. As for how you cope with some of this stuff, you tend to keep to yourself and play your lute which has oddly made you a little more accepted. Seems there are more than a few music lovers in the company. Even the Captain doesn't mind you indulging in your little hobby. The Captain is a huge man who you know gets a pleasure from killing and mayhem. He's spent a lifetime doing it. In fact you have a hard time believing he even has a family that he goes to visit. Who knows though? Perhaps he is different with them. (You've been working for the Chimera Company for a year and you still don't know what the hell his real name is, mainly because everyone only seems to address him as "The Boss" or "Chief" or in a more formal tone "Captain") You spend the time with your family and tell them of some of the things you've seen and exciting places you've been to, of course never going into too much detail about the darker side of things. Your brothers and sisters enjoy the tales as usual. Your Mom senses that there is probably more to them, but she doesn't ask too many questions. She does always asks if you're okay and says that you don't have to keep doing it, but you always reply that you're fine and that you're just a little tired that's all. When your time is done you say goodbye to them and meet with the rest of your company at the Zalan capital this time. Its odd, but things seem to be even more chaotic than usual around here. People are rushing around and an air of concern seems to be pervading the city. The guards are telling people to calm down our there will be martial law and you hear something in passing about an attack on a city. You don't really listen because you're in a hurry to meet up with your company which you find mostly hanging out in a tavern as usual. Dimitri sees you and speaks. "Ah, it's our own fuckin' bard ! How's my favorite string plucker? (Hic!) You have trouble getting into the city? Heard the guards have been cracking down on security." "No, but what's going on? The city seems to be in a state of panic." "Fuck yeah it is! What you didn't hear?" "No. What happened?" "Fuckin' undead happened my pig farming friend! A whole shitload of them took over the the city of Nuro! Can you believe it? Fuckin' Nuro! That place was supposed to be unconquerable! Heh! (Burp!)" Dimitri says without the slightest bit of worry. "UNDEAD?! What the fuck? Nuro!? How?!" "Fuck if I know, guess some rogue wizards got hooked up in that necromancy shit hardcore. Musta been some demonologists there too since we heard reports of demons too. Not the supposedly civilized type either, they're the rip off your head and shit down your neck kind." "…there's fuckin' rogue demons in Nuro too?" "Of course not, they all escaped and are now running around in the countryside, heard they're heading for the Tulan Kingdom." Dimitri says taking another drink. You're having a hard time digesting all this yet the rest of your comrades are still drinking and partying like nothing is wrong. Your Dad had once told you tales of a being called the Great Lich Lord that existed many centuries ago who nearly killed the world. Scared the hell out of you then and it doesn't make you feel too good now. "Isn't this concerning to you?" "What? Shit no! Just means more work for us and that also means more loot! Ha ha! You could get more loot to buy a new lute! Ha ha ha! (Hic!)" "But this is the fuckin' undead! I mean…" "So? Stop bein a pussy! I've fought some undead before, when I was lootin' a dwarven tomb. You just chop their heads off like everything else, shit ain't that hard. They just tend to smell worse…well maybe not worse than trolls. Anyway I'm sure the fucking governments will take care of this shit as quick as possible, you know how politicians don't like dead taxpayers, in the meantime we need to take advantage now while the conflict is hot!" No sooner has Dimitri said this little bit of wisdom, when the Boss steps in the doorway. He's as nasty looking as always, but this time he looks even moreso than usual. "Alright you useless sacks of goblin shit. We got a new job. This one just came across rather unexpectedly. Ran into a Dwarven representative and we're now in the employ of a Dwarven Clan, near the southern Tulan Borders. With the occurrence of this Nuro incident, they're expecting some shit to spill over into their lands and they want some extra help. This is pretty surprising since Dwarves aren't known to pay for mercenaries, let alone the likes of us." The Boss tell you all. "The Tulan Border? Oh fuck that place is a meat grinder! There's no profit to be had anywhere near there!" Cal pipes up. "Well you can just pick up your panties and get your pansy ass back home and stay there then! The dwarves are paying well and that's the job. Take it or get the fuck outta my company!" "Excuse me Captain, but weren't there reports of demons running through that area?" you ask. "Yeah so? That's why we're going over there most likely, but be fucking prepared for any damn thing. Maybe even undead…who knows if my…if those necromancer bastards started spreading their plague yet. We leave tomorrow." You think on this fucked up situation and seriously reconsidering your career choice. > You leave the mercenary company Nope, you're not doing this. This is suicide in your opinion. You have no idea what to expect and it sound a lot more dangerous than anything you've ever faced. Instead of leaving with them the next day, you go back home. You don't worry about anyone coming after you, but you know you won't be welcomed back into the company again, and you wouldn't want to anyway. When you get back home, your family and mom in particular ask what happened, you explain it and say you don't want any part of that life. You apologize that you couldn't go through with it, but your mom looks more relieved than anything. "Well son, I'm just as glad you didn't go get yourself killed over there anyway. You'll be helping us out plenty just by working on the farm like always." You're glad to hear that. Over the next couple days you fall back into routine again. You still wonder about the future though and you briefly consider the army plan again, but given your short lived experience with mercenary "life" you don't think you're cut out with battle on a regular basis. Plus the Zalan Empire is currently on heightened alert and battle ready status with this Nuro Incident and all. You resign yourself to the farm life. You play your lute to yourself (and family) when you have the time to do so. It's a simple life. Two years pass and things have gotten worse. The Necromancer Lord (as he's become to be known) has expanded, even to the point of taking over the Brot Kingdom. The Tulan Kingdom has been totally conquered by a demon army. A Grand Alliance of nations has been formed, but so far they don't seem to be making much progress. Meanwhile life on the farm is a little harder. Your youngest sister Makana becomes gravely ill during the winter months, but there's not enough money to pay for a healer and most of the clerics have been summoned to battle with the undead or demon hordes. Sadly she dies making the overall mood of the farm a little more depressing. You don't even play anymore, your enthusiasm for music died along with the grim realities setting in. Another three years pass and things are down right miserable. War is everywhere. The Demons have been taken care of, (You heard your former mercenary captain died in battle with their leader Velzix) but the undead are stronger than ever. Reports even speak of the Necromancer Lord becoming The Great Lich Lord "reborn". To make things worse, the Zalan Empire has been becoming increasingly tyrannical. In order to help with the war effort they've started bringing back the draft and the talk of ceasing private property to be used for the good of the government. While they say owners will be able to live and still work on their lands and businesses, it will be owned by the Empire. You know it's only a matter of time when you get a knock on the door by Zalan army troops coming to take you and your brother Mallack away to the army and your family's farm. Another two year pass…. You're on the eve of battle in a land known as the Garwold Confederacy although it's steadily becoming a giant graveyard now. The undead hordes have been sweeping relentlessly across the entire landscape. Your own company has had to fall back several times. Morale is low. Not that yours was high to begin with. You don't even know how you've survived this long. While you had some battle experience during your time with the mercenary company, it still hasn't prepared you for the horrors you've seen. The undead…you'll never get used to fighting such emotionless creatures that are the embodiment of death and all that's unnatural. You briefly wonder if your brother Mallack is alright where he's stationed, but it hardly matters at this point. Battle comes as it always does and you are not so lucky this time. Horrible and powerful creatures known as Blood Specters and Death Knights utterly destroy your side. You fall to undead blades and chilling touches only rise up and join them in their goal of global genocide.

You know this isn't going to be easy and you're going to have to be tough, but you remember that you're doing this for your family. You quickly search Formeli's body, which didn't have that much to begin with. "Heh, he always was a broke bastard. Spent all his money on gambling, I'll miss taking his money that's for sure. Alright then, you'll probably be wantin' to take that sword of his since it looks in way better condition than your rusted hunk of iron. Your bow seems to do the job just fine though. His armor too, and hurry up, we gotta meet the Boss! He's got another job for us no doubt." As you're stripping off some of the armor, Dimitri notices something on your back. "What…what the hell is that boy? Is that a fuckin' lute? Haw haw! What the fuck are you doin' with a damn lute? You think that you're some sort of bard or something? We ain't got need for such things boy! Get rid of it!" "No, it's mine." You defiantly say. You wonder if this show of "courage" has gotten you into a whole mess of trouble that you don't want, but fortunately it doesn't. "Heh, he kills one shithead and now he thinks he's a tough guy! Alright pig farmer keep your sissy lute. But its just more weight for you to carry and you better not be falling behind! Come on men let's go, the Boss is waiting for us. You too lute boy!" Dimitri exclaims and limps off. You briefly thought about telling him that he better keep up with his wounded leg and all, but you know when to stop. And so your mercenary life begins. A year passes… You're currently back in the Zalan Empire on a break in between missions. While most of your "buddies" are drinking up their pay and spending it on whores you take this opportunity to visit your family and give them your payment and spoils of battle as usual. You think about how much you've traveled and experienced. Not all of it good, but then killing is never pretty. Some of the jobs are very straight forward: "There are some orc barbarians on the borders that have been pillaging our lands, kill them." And you don't have a problem with it. Other missions start falling into the "gray" area. Your last job involved some Azi Republic senator hiring the company to take out some secessionists that wanted to form their own country. It wasn't clean and it definitely wasn't fun. The secessionists actually had a reasonable complaint about leaving the Republic, saying that it was corrupt and that their representatives didn't care about them. But being a mercenary means you don't take sides for moral or ideological reasons, you do it for money. It's not just that though, some of the things that have been done…well you can't say you're too proud of it. Granted, you've never actively engaged in some of the less moral and outright criminal things that your mercenary comrades have, but you certainly know about them and it almost makes you feel like you're guilty of it as well. As for how you cope with some of this stuff, you tend to keep to yourself and play your lute which has oddly made you a little more accepted. Seems there are more than a few music lovers in the company. Even the Captain doesn't mind you indulging in your little hobby. The Captain is a huge man who you know gets a pleasure from killing and mayhem. He's spent a lifetime doing it. In fact you have a hard time believing he even has a family that he goes to visit. Who knows though? Perhaps he is different with them. (You've been working for the Chimera Company for a year and you still don't know what the hell his real name is, mainly because everyone only seems to address him as "The Boss" or "Chief" or in a more formal tone "Captain") You spend the time with your family and tell them of some of the things you've seen and exciting places you've been to, of course never going into too much detail about the darker side of things. Your brothers and sisters enjoy the tales as usual. Your Mom senses that there is probably more to them, but she doesn't ask too many questions. She does always asks if you're okay and says that you don't have to keep doing it, but you always reply that you're fine and that you're just a little tired that's all. When your time is done you say goodbye to them and meet with the rest of your company at the Zalan capital this time. Its odd, but things seem to be even more chaotic than usual around here. People are rushing around and an air of concern seems to be pervading the city. The guards are telling people to calm down our there will be martial law and you hear something in passing about an attack on a city. You don't really listen because you're in a hurry to meet up with your company which you find mostly hanging out in a tavern as usual. Dimitri sees you and speaks. "Ah, it's our own fuckin' bard ! How's my favorite string plucker? (Hic!) You have trouble getting into the city? Heard the guards have been cracking down on security." "No, but what's going on? The city seems to be in a state of panic." "Fuck yeah it is! What you didn't hear?" "No. What happened?" "Fuckin' undead happened my pig farming friend! A whole shitload of them took over the the city of Nuro! Can you believe it? Fuckin' Nuro! That place was supposed to be unconquerable! Heh! (Burp!)" Dimitri says without the slightest bit of worry. "UNDEAD?! What the fuck? Nuro!? How?!" "Fuck if I know, guess some rogue wizards got hooked up in that necromancy shit hardcore. Musta been some demonologists there too since we heard reports of demons too. Not the supposedly civilized type either, they're the rip off your head and shit down your neck kind." "…there's fuckin' rogue demons in Nuro too?" "Of course not, they all escaped and are now running around in the countryside, heard they're heading for the Tulan Kingdom." Dimitri says taking another drink. You're having a hard time digesting all this yet the rest of your comrades are still drinking and partying like nothing is wrong. Your Dad had once told you tales of a being called the Great Lich Lord that existed many centuries ago who nearly killed the world. Scared the hell out of you then and it doesn't make you feel too good now. "Isn't this concerning to you?" "What? Shit no! Just means more work for us and that also means more loot! Ha ha! You could get more loot to buy a new lute! Ha ha ha! (Hic!)" "But this is the fuckin' undead! I mean…" "So? Stop bein a pussy! I've fought some undead before, when I was lootin' a dwarven tomb. You just chop their heads off like everything else, shit ain't that hard. They just tend to smell worse…well maybe not worse than trolls. Anyway I'm sure the fucking governments will take care of this shit as quick as possible, you know how politicians don't like dead taxpayers, in the meantime we need to take advantage now while the conflict is hot!" No sooner has Dimitri said this little bit of wisdom, when the Boss steps in the doorway. He's as nasty looking as always, but this time he looks even moreso than usual. "Alright you useless sacks of goblin shit. We got a new job. This one just came across rather unexpectedly. Ran into a Dwarven representative and we're now in the employ of a Dwarven Clan, near the southern Tulan Borders. With the occurrence of this Nuro incident, they're expecting some shit to spill over into their lands and they want some extra help. This is pretty surprising since Dwarves aren't known to pay for mercenaries, let alone the likes of us." The Boss tell you all. "The Tulan Border? Oh fuck that place is a meat grinder! There's no profit to be had anywhere near there!" Cal pipes up. "Well you can just pick up your panties and get your pansy ass back home and stay there then! The dwarves are paying well and that's the job. Take it or get the fuck outta my company!" "Excuse me Captain, but weren't there reports of demons running through that area?" you ask. "Yeah so? That's why we're going over there most likely, but be fucking prepared for any damn thing. Maybe even undead…who knows if my…if those necromancer bastards started spreading their plague yet. We leave tomorrow." You think on this fucked up situation and seriously reconsidering your career choice. > You stick with it You're in this now and you can't stop just because it's looking tough. You got your family to think about. You're staying. However you do, do something slightly out of character, you spend what little money you have on a whore for the night, mainly because you're a lot less sure if you're going to come back from this mission. The next day you're on the job. The march to the dwarven lands is mostly uneventful, though the fighting between the Zalan Empire and the Tulan Kingdom is still going on their borders which even skirting around, still manages to find your company. The Boss takes advantage of straggling Tulan soldiers that have fled battle. The butchery isn't uncommon, after all, nobody will know and the Zalan Empire will just be blamed anyway. Arrival in the Dwarven lands is met with caution, the Dwarves obviously know of the Chimera Company's reputation and a small group of them motion the Boss to just talk to him directly. A deal seems to be made and the Dwarves leave to go back to their underground home. The Captain now addresses all of you. "Alright, apparently there HAVE been demons running all up and down and through the area. The Dwarves are preparing defenses in case they try to invade underground; apparently they consider their underground city takes precedence so their main force is there. However they still have plenty of mines above ground and not nearly enough dwarves to defend them all. Now its been said the demons have been heading toward the Tulan Kingdom, but a lot of them still have been fucking around here and generally wrecking shit for the fun of it. Collapsing even the sturdy mines of the dwarves on their heads seems to be amusing to them. So our goal is to make things bothersome enough for them that they'll leave the dwarves alone and go elsewhere." The Captain spits on the ground before continuing. "We're going to split up for this assignment and take different mines in the area. Watch your fucking ass. I don't think any of you eunuchs have fought any demons before, but I have and they're utterly fucking ruthless. Forget all that shit about some of them being civilized. They're about as civilized as damn Quillar, but a lot more intelligent. The chaos that is in their hearts is always there and these ones are the complete embodiment of it. And for fuck's sake DON'T stay near any explosives! The dwarves are always using shit like that in their mines and demons have a tendency to have fire throwing abilities. It's probably the reason for all the easy mine collapses." The Captain takes out a map. "One more thing. While I know the common thing to do on our assignments is to take advantage of things. We need to play this one completely fucking straight! Do NOT fucking do anything that's going to piss off the dwarves! If you do, we don't get paid. We don't get paid. I'm going to get pissed, because we're getting a lot for this one. And assuming the dwarves don't kill you, I certainly fucking will. Alright now I'm going to assign you according to this map." You and a few others (Including Dimitri) are assigned to the Karzac Mines where you make your way to after some climbing which fortunately isn't too far off ground level. The dwarves there regard you with suspicion immediately. "Oh great they're here. Alright, let's set the ground rules. I'm head miner Morri and I'm in charge of this place! Don't even think about trying to steal some loose bars of silver that you might find lying around. You do it, and your skull meets an axe or mining pick! Got me?" "Stand up when you speak to me." Dimitri laughs. "Yeah, make yer jokes human, we'll see if the demons will appreciate that humor when you're meeting them face to face." "Demon, pah! Just one more thing for me to kill, people make a big deal about them. I've seen how they fall in line and become law abiding citizens just like anyone else when beaten down." "Yeah and those same civilized ones will kill you when they get the chance. Didn't you hear the Captain?" you say. "Yeah well he's got a tendency to be over dramatic; he probably picked that up from that fine ass elven bitch he's married to. Besides who DOESN'T try to kill you when they get the chance? They aren't anything special. Their race just has a tendency to have assholiness come natural to them." Morri interrupts the pair of you. "Hey if you two morons are finished, I'm about to tell you the fun part of this job. There are demons already in this mine." "What?!" "Oh yeah, bunch of those fuckers as we speak. Seems we got the fortune of one sneaking in here and decided to have her spawn in the deep reaches of this mine. The only good thing is these types don't seem to be interested in collapsing the mine, however they're trying to turn this place into some sort of fucking demon hive or something. We've been trying to eliminate them, but of course it's slow going. We need to get them before they start breeding more though. So we're splitting up…" "Here we go again…" Dimitri says. Morri assigns at least a few dwarves with each mercenary. You, Morri and Dimitri make up the last one. The demon hunting in the mines is actually a very "mundane" job. They certainly are horrible looking creatures and very vicious, but after the first few times, you get used to it. These particular demons have an insect like appearance so maybe that's why these behave the way they do. They aren't very tough in the scheme of things, but like Morri said there do seem to be a lot. You can't use your bow like you want to either due to the cramped mine conditions. Demons aren't really the problem though, the problem is Dimitri. After one of the harder battles, Morri is attempting to catch his breath. Dimitri notices the very large silver deposit you're next to and the silver that's just there for the taking. He quietly whispers to you that you and he should waylay Morri and take some of the silver. Leave his body to be munched on by a wandering demon. Who's going to know? You're not really for this plan and you say no, but Dimitri begins to argue and Morri notices the both of you. "I'm not doing it! The Captain said…" you exclaim. "Fuckin' pussy!" Dimitri says pushing you. "Hey hey hey! Not doing what? What are you two on abo…" Dimitri takes the opportunity of distraction and hits Morri in the face with silver bar that he lifted off the ground earlier. " Ugh! Bastard dog you'll pay for this treachery!" Morri utters falling to the ground. "Come on, this is your last chance to be a man and help me pig farmer!" Dimitri says as he goes to finish off Morri. > You help Dimitri You hate yourself for this, but you feel you don't have much choice, if Morri lives he'll certainly tell everyone and then you won't get paid which will probably result in your death by the hands of the Boss. You raise your own weapon and help kill Morri. He doesn't die easy, but Dimitri finishes him off before he can put up any sort of meaningful defense. Breathing hard and smiling at you with blood on his face, Dimitri laughs a bit. "Heh heh, knew you'd see the light, lute boy! Now come on, let's throw his body in that left passage. I think I heard some of those demon roaches chittering down that way. Let's just make sure we're not around eh? We got a lot of silver to load up on!" You don't take any of the silver actually, you're still worrying and not feeling right about this whole situation, of course that just means more for Dimitri. You don't even think this half assed plan of Dimitri's is going to work. You and Dimitri are going to look mighty suspicious meeting up with the other dwarves without Morri, and trying to conceal a shitload of silver, though Dimitri claims everything will be fine. Everything goes less fine when you start to realize that Morri was the one who was leading you through this mine maze. Neither you or Dimitri were paying attention to the directions mainly because you were on the look out for demon attacks and fighting them off. Eventually you're attacked by more of the demons as you proceed to get lost. You and Dimitri get into an argument and begin to blame each other (Though it really is his fault) You both get angry and come to blows, you however get the advantage, not being weighed down by silver. You leave his body for the demons. You however don't get too much further. The demons seem to be coming out in more force and you're wounded many times. You get scared and confused and you know you're a dead man when you see Morri's body being eaten by several of demons. You've gone in a complete circle and now you're hearing that demon chittering from everywhere. A valiant effort is made by you, but you can't fight them all. Eventually you are overwhelmed and eaten.

You're in this now and you can't stop just because it's looking tough. You got your family to think about. You're staying. However you do, do something slightly out of character, you spend what little money you have on a whore for the night, mainly because you're a lot less sure if you're going to come back from this mission. The next day you're on the job. The march to the dwarven lands is mostly uneventful, though the fighting between the Zalan Empire and the Tulan Kingdom is still going on their borders which even skirting around, still manages to find your company. The Boss takes advantage of straggling Tulan soldiers that have fled battle. The butchery isn't uncommon, after all, nobody will know and the Zalan Empire will just be blamed anyway. Arrival in the Dwarven lands is met with caution, the Dwarves obviously know of the Chimera Company's reputation and a small group of them motion the Boss to just talk to him directly. A deal seems to be made and the Dwarves leave to go back to their underground home. The Captain now addresses all of you. "Alright, apparently there HAVE been demons running all up and down and through the area. The Dwarves are preparing defenses in case they try to invade underground; apparently they consider their underground city takes precedence so their main force is there. However they still have plenty of mines above ground and not nearly enough dwarves to defend them all. Now its been said the demons have been heading toward the Tulan Kingdom, but a lot of them still have been fucking around here and generally wrecking shit for the fun of it. Collapsing even the sturdy mines of the dwarves on their heads seems to be amusing to them. So our goal is to make things bothersome enough for them that they'll leave the dwarves alone and go elsewhere." The Captain spits on the ground before continuing. "We're going to split up for this assignment and take different mines in the area. Watch your fucking ass. I don't think any of you eunuchs have fought any demons before, but I have and they're utterly fucking ruthless. Forget all that shit about some of them being civilized. They're about as civilized as damn Quillar, but a lot more intelligent. The chaos that is in their hearts is always there and these ones are the complete embodiment of it. And for fuck's sake DON'T stay near any explosives! The dwarves are always using shit like that in their mines and demons have a tendency to have fire throwing abilities. It's probably the reason for all the easy mine collapses." The Captain takes out a map. "One more thing. While I know the common thing to do on our assignments is to take advantage of things. We need to play this one completely fucking straight! Do NOT fucking do anything that's going to piss off the dwarves! If you do, we don't get paid. We don't get paid. I'm going to get pissed, because we're getting a lot for this one. And assuming the dwarves don't kill you, I certainly fucking will. Alright now I'm going to assign you according to this map." You and a few others (Including Dimitri) are assigned to the Karzac Mines where you make your way to after some climbing which fortunately isn't too far off ground level. The dwarves there regard you with suspicion immediately. "Oh great they're here. Alright, let's set the ground rules. I'm head miner Morri and I'm in charge of this place! Don't even think about trying to steal some loose bars of silver that you might find lying around. You do it, and your skull meets an axe or mining pick! Got me?" "Stand up when you speak to me." Dimitri laughs. "Yeah, make yer jokes human, we'll see if the demons will appreciate that humor when you're meeting them face to face." "Demon, pah! Just one more thing for me to kill, people make a big deal about them. I've seen how they fall in line and become law abiding citizens just like anyone else when beaten down." "Yeah and those same civilized ones will kill you when they get the chance. Didn't you hear the Captain?" you say. "Yeah well he's got a tendency to be over dramatic; he probably picked that up from that fine ass elven bitch he's married to. Besides who DOESN'T try to kill you when they get the chance? They aren't anything special. Their race just has a tendency to have assholiness come natural to them." Morri interrupts the pair of you. "Hey if you two morons are finished, I'm about to tell you the fun part of this job. There are demons already in this mine." "What?!" "Oh yeah, bunch of those fuckers as we speak. Seems we got the fortune of one sneaking in here and decided to have her spawn in the deep reaches of this mine. The only good thing is these types don't seem to be interested in collapsing the mine, however they're trying to turn this place into some sort of fucking demon hive or something. We've been trying to eliminate them, but of course it's slow going. We need to get them before they start breeding more though. So we're splitting up…" "Here we go again…" Dimitri says. Morri assigns at least a few dwarves with each mercenary. You, Morri and Dimitri make up the last one. The demon hunting in the mines is actually a very "mundane" job. They certainly are horrible looking creatures and very vicious, but after the first few times, you get used to it. These particular demons have an insect like appearance so maybe that's why these behave the way they do. They aren't very tough in the scheme of things, but like Morri said there do seem to be a lot. You can't use your bow like you want to either due to the cramped mine conditions. Demons aren't really the problem though, the problem is Dimitri. After one of the harder battles, Morri is attempting to catch his breath. Dimitri notices the very large silver deposit you're next to and the silver that's just there for the taking. He quietly whispers to you that you and he should waylay Morri and take some of the silver. Leave his body to be munched on by a wandering demon. Who's going to know? You're not really for this plan and you say no, but Dimitri begins to argue and Morri notices the both of you. "I'm not doing it! The Captain said…" you exclaim. "Fuckin' pussy!" Dimitri says pushing you. "Hey hey hey! Not doing what? What are you two on abo…" Dimitri takes the opportunity of distraction and hits Morri in the face with silver bar that he lifted off the ground earlier. " Ugh! Bastard dog you'll pay for this treachery!" Morri utters falling to the ground. "Come on, this is your last chance to be a man and help me pig farmer!" Dimitri says as he goes to finish off Morri. > You help Morri You've had enough. You're not going to help OR stand by for another immoral act performed by your "co-workers". It's bad enough that it goes on, but that doesn't mean you need to let it, if you can do something about it. You run Dimitri through the back with your sword, he yells out in pain, but still manages to swing his armored fist to strike you in the face. You fall to the ground. "Fuck…lute boy…goin…down…pig fucker…" he wheezes as he attempts to step towards you only to fall to his knees. At this point Morri has recovered and cleaves Dimitri's skull in with his axe. "Bastard." Morri then looks at you. "Heh, I guess you must be one of the few with a conscious in the company eh?" "I guess so." You reply. "Or perhaps you knew it would be better if I lived so you could find your way out this maze?" "…Actually I hadn't even thought about that. I just…just couldn't let him kill and rob you like that. Seen it too many times." "That a fact? Well tell me son, why the hell are you hooked up with these bunch for then?" "Money to help the family…besides it's not that bad." "Okay, if you say so. However, this little incident is going to cost your company. We warned your captain that if any evidence of treachery occurred, we weren't paying him shit and this deal was off!" "But can't we just keep this secret? I mean…" "Secret? Fuck no! Look, you're not a bad person, but you're hanging out with bad people. The only reason why we hired you in the first place is because you ARE effective and you're about the only mercenary company insane enough to do a job like this. But a deal's a deal. You captain apparently doesn't have control over his men like he thinks, because I'm sure he warned you all." "Yeah, but everyone will probably blame me and my life will be in danger!" "…well…I'm sorry about that, but that's the price you pay for the company you keep…look I'll tell you what, because you helped me, I'll take you back to the entrance and you can leave. Should at least give you a head start. Hell, maybe I'll even tell them you died before this happened. You could then just hide out and stay out of sight without even anyone looking for you." Not knowing what to say next you just agree and ponder your possible future. The way back to the entrance is uneventful as far as demon attacks are concerned. You don't know what you're going to do. You'll have to go on the run or at least relocate regardless of what Morri tells everyone. And if he mentions the truth, then your family may well be in danger. You imagine that if the Boss couldn't get to you, he may very well take it out on your family. You feel sick and upset. You wish you hadn't chosen this path. All you ever really wanted to do was play your lute, not fight demons or anything else really. You follow behind Morri in a daze. You're surprised that he doesn't insist that you walk in front of him, but then that's probably because he trusts that you're not a murderer. You also realize you recognize this part of the mine and could probably find your way back from here… You shake your head and take a deep breath. "Hey Morri." "Wha…glagh! An arrow goes right through Morri's mouth and out the other side of his head. He gurgles obscenities while trying to raise his axe towards you. Another arrow goes through his eye. He ceases his struggle. While you solved the problem of Morri telling anyone, now you have to cover your own tracks, then you hear a sound you never thought you'd be glad to hear. The chittering of those insect demons and a bunch of them are coming right behind you. You pull the arrows out and run as quickly as you can to the entrance leaving the demons to feed upon Morri's body. The thought crosses your mind to just leave anyway. Maybe they'd think all three of you got eaten. However, you run into another group during your dash to the mine entrance. "Where the hell are you running off to?" a mercenary asks. It's Cal. You come up with a lie quick. "(pant) Shit! We got fucking ambushed! (pant) Barely fucking escaped! (pant) Dimitri and Morri are dead! Probably eaten! And the rest of those demon fuckers are heading this way!" "What?! You cowardly fucker, you just let Morri die?" one the dwarves says angrily. "It wasn't my idea! I tried to help him and Dimitri, but they just came in force, I don't even know how I escaped!" Your story is a little suspicious, but thanks to the demons, you're covered. They didn't leave much for the dwarves to find. However, you're not looked favorably on by the rest of the dwarves for the rest of the mission. Your fellow mercenaries don't really care one way or another. It's part of the job and Dimitri wasn't well liked so they could care less if he died or lived. You on the other hand are still not feeling so great about yourself. The longer you're part of this company the more you're starting to think or be more like them. You hate it and you'll be glad when this job is over. A few months pass and the contract is over. The "problem" isn't completely gone, in fact there's reports of some undead wandering in the area now, but the Dwarves are growing more weary of your presence, hand over your payment and tell you to leave. They say they can handle anything else themselves. It's quite a lot this time. Best job you've had. Upon your return to the Zalan Empire you buy yourself a new lute. It's your "reward". The rest of it goes to your family who of course are eager to hear about your tales as usual. You don't tell them that many this time. You just try to take your mind off your "job" by asking them more questions this time around. When you're alone you play your new lute, trying to emulate a couple of the songs you overheard the Dwarves engage in when you were there. You never knew they were musically inclined; it's a shame you had to kill one to protect your future. You're still debating on whether or not to give up the mercenary life, but you see how much it's helping the family out, so you decide to stay and put up with it. After your "break is over" you go back to the job as usual. Three years pass… Four years have passed since the "Nuro Incident" and things have gotten much worse in the world. The Necromancer Lord conquered the Brot Kingdom, A demon lord called Velzix conquered the Tulan Kingdom, both are expanding and a so called Grand Alliance of nations doesn't seem to be doing much good against either of them. The Chimera Company was recently hired by the Zalan government. Due to your past battles with demons, they decided you would be good to put on Tulan Border which is still a bloodbath, but instead of fighting the Tulan Kingdom, the Zalan Empire is fighting Velzix's hordes. It's not an easy assignment or very pleasant, in fact it's got to be the worst job you've been on. You company is assigned to make commando raids and sabotage shit to keep the demons fairly unfocused, while the Zalan Empire's real armies try to make progress into Velzix's realm. Currently you're making your "camp" in small abandoned village in enemy territory where you have to fight the occasional demon patrols. Why the Captain took this job on for the company is beyond you. Nobody really knows why. The company in general has been taking more dangerous jobs in recent years. Ever since the Nuro Incident actually. While it's always been known he's not a man to shy away from danger and has a love of battle, there's a lot of talk within ranks that he's got a death wish. The only "good thing" about this assignment, is that the chance for usual Chimera Company wicked acts are much lower. There's not many "innocents" in a demon realm. As you think about things, strumming your lute in an abandoned general store by yourself. You hear someone speak. "Pretty good playing. Wish my kind appreciated some of the more subtle things in life sometimes." You turn your head and see a demon! He's not very tall and is "dressed up". He must be one of the "civilized" demons who realigned themselves with their demonic natures and flocked to Velzix when he took over the Tulan Kingdom. He doesn't seem hostile, but you drop your lute and draw your weapon, before you can yell a warning, he speaks again. "Wait! Before you go warning your friends, I should warn you that there is a very large group of my fellow kin surrounding this village. You kill me and they'll attack and quite frankly I don't fancy your chances. However I got a deal for you that can be worth your while. What can it hurt to listen to me? You can always kill me afterwards." > You listen to the demon You aren't sure about this, but you let him speak. "Speak demon, but make it quick!" you demand. "Ah, glad you're willing to be reasonable. Name's Big Red by the way." "Get on with it!" "Very well. Your company and everyone in it is doomed to the infernal planes when they die I'm afraid. You captain's deeds alone make him one of the most sought after souls in Hell. He used to be much worse before he got married, but ah well; women often make men weak like that." "Yeah? Well not me." "Heh, yeah you too. I understand that you're probably the most moral person in it, but this whole company has been targeted by Hell and Hell gets what it wants." "Well Velzix isn't…" "Velzix? I'm not talking about Velzix! Velzix is just another demon with big dick complex. If I trust my judgment he's not going to last another year in his current status, he'll probably either be dead by one of you mortals or that little Necromancer. (Sigh) Wish I'd known about him sooner, things could've been a lot…different." Big Red sees that you're getting antsy so he gets to the point again. "Anyway, seeing as you're all doomed to Hell, I figured it would be nice if I got direct credit for bringing you there. Bringing in evil souls yourself is one of the few things makes Hell all worth it. You get all sorts of perks. However, if I just call in the reinforcements now to have you guys get ripped from limb to limb, I won't get direct credit. The souls will just be gathered wily nily and then I gotta argue with the fucking collectors and lawyers and all that other shit about who killed who and who gets credit which will probably just result in nobody getting credit and doesn't help me out at all." "Barring that you're saying that I'm doomed in any case, I fail to see why I should help you." "Well that's why I'm coming to you with a deal. I can see you're not a bad person, you just serve a bad master, and he's the one I really want direct credit for. The rest of you are just a bonus and you in particular aren't even worth that much given your tendency towards good." "So what is it you want from me exactly?" "I want you to take out the sentries and distract your fellows for as long as possible while my boys sneak up on this village and strike with as little resistance as possible. To sweeten this deal, I'll try to tell my boys to not target you while you try to escape the mayhem. I'm not making any promises though, killing rampages among my kind encourage indiscriminate killing. You'll be on your own; however it gives you a small chance for survival and by agreeing to this plan it gives me direct credit as the mastermind of this cunning plan. Getting other demons to kill isn't any kind of feat, but employing a mortal to help is looked upon as more favorable. So do we have a deal?" Big Red offers his hand… > You make the deal It sounds like your only chance for survival, slim though it may be. In some ways you'd like to be out of this company and who are you really betraying? From what you've seen the company is little better than the demons. You're sick of all of this, the fighting, the demons, the company, all of it. "It's a deal, but make a damn good effort for your kin NOT to target me, AND not to go chasing me either!" "Okay! Sheesh, you're mistrustful. You just make sure you do your part." Big Red says and shakes your hand. You both exit the abandoned store and you look for where most of your fellows are located. The village square of course. You know there are look outs in each of "corners" of the village. You sneak about the village like an assassin and ready your bow. You take out each sentry in relative silence with your skillful bow shots and drag their bodies into a nearby house. Now nobody will raise an alarm too soon. You then head to the village square and begin interacting with some of them. They find it odd since you're usually keeping to yourself, but they enjoy your playing so they don't mind it when you do that. Your Captain on the other hand comes out from the house he's set up in and is wondering what all the commotion is. He gets angry. "What the fuck are you idiots doing? We're fucking deep in demon territory and you're all making enough noise to attract a damn army of them." "What difference does it make? They got patrols that have come across our location before, so they know where we're at." You remark." "The difference is that I want you fuckers to be alert and focused if we get attacked, not getting drunk and dancing to music like some fucking sissy elf!" "Aren't you married to an elf?" you say still playing and backing away from the Captain's reach. He's almost in shock that you'd speak to him in such manner especially since you never usually speak too much in the first place. "You, pig farmer are really pushing my patience tonight. If I didn't need all the people I can get for this job, I'd kill you myself!" "Shhh! I think you better shut the fuck up lute boy." One of the other mercenaries whispers. "Why? We're already in fucking Hell, who gives a shit how much noise we make?" You defiance gets worse and finally the Captain draws his weapon to shut you up. At this point you call him a pile of orc shit and run. This causes the rest of the mercenaries to get out his way as he charges at you. Some of them also give chase, but most just stay out of it. Fortunately at this point the demons have finally gotten into position and strike. Most of the company is so bewildered by what has occurred between you and the Captain that they're unprepared. Your Captain immediately stops his pursuit of you when a particularly large demon jumps on top of him from one of the rooftops. He fights it off with the help of some of his men, but you see more coming and continue to make your escape. As you run away from the village, a few demons pass you by and don't attack, looks like Big Red kept his word. To a point. Big Red suddenly appears in front of you. "Thanks friend, now for your reward!" he says and then puts his fist through your chest which kills you instantly. You don't know how much time has passed, but you eventually hear Big Red speaking to you. "Get up, I need your word." "Huh?" you say in a daze. "Did I not get you to distract the Chimera Company in an effort to collect all their souls?" "Huh? Yeah…" you continue to say in a daze. You start shaking the cobwebs and see that you're in a completely different place. A very bad place. Big Red and another much bigger demon are talking. You see the rest of your Company in the distance, naked and in chains. The entire landscape is very barren, has a reddish hue and its uncomfortably hot. "Okay, you'll get credit for all these souls." "Hang on, I want to keep this one, he has certain talents and he did allow all this to happen." Big Red says pointing to you. "Very well…that's your right. Just sign there, and there, okay. Let's load these sorry souls up!" Big Red looks pleased with himself as the souls are taken away. "Come on, I'm going to take a break." You feel compelled to join him, but you still have questions obviously. "What the fuck man?! I'm in Hell!" "Got it in one. Excellent detective work." "But…But the deal! You broke the fucking deal! I don't belong here!" "No I didn't. I said my fellows wouldn't harm you, not that I wouldn't. Besides YOU made a deal with me, which damned you in the first place. You definitely belong here." The reality of this situation has now caused a massive amount of fear within you. You're in Hell and there's no escape from it! You can't even attack Big Red, he's got a permanent magical hold on you from causing him any sort of harm, though you probably wouldn't be a match for him anyway. You collapse on the ground and feel defeated. Big Red stops, but he doesn't get angry. "Now what is your problem? I just saved YOUR soul from being eternally tormented by my superiors. They'll probably be eating them and shitting them out only to eat them again for who knows how long. Not a pleasant process." "But…but what are you going to do to me?" you ask. "You? You're going to play for me at my home in the Blood Hills. Trust me, its not nearly as bloody as the name makes out." "Play?" "Sure. I said you played pretty well, and I do appreciate such things. Music is one of my hobbies other than the whole soul collection thing of course. I've got sheets of music from lots of places; I can't play worth a shit though. The claws don't help either. Now come on let's go." You are finding this very odd, but you don't feel as bad now. You're Big Red's slave, but given where you're at, things could be a lot worse. You'll at least get to do something you've always wanted to do. Play music without hindrance. You wonder about your family, but there's little that you can do for them now. You just hope things work out for them in the living world. Big Red's home isn't some giant castle, but a moderate sized house. The inside is decorated with grisly trophies, which you guess can only be considered demonic art. "Sinthinia! I know you're here! I can smell your scent!" he calls out. A sexy female demon comes out of one of the rooms. You can't help but stare, she barely acknowledges you at all though. "I've been waiting for you Big Red, so did the deal go down well?" "Well, it could've gone better, but it was still a good haul. So how is it really going with Velzix?" "(Sigh) He's probably going to lose as predicted. I can sense it, anyone with half a brain can. That whole world is going to eventually become a graveyard, I know it. And the undead are no fun. That's why I've come back here." "Well my house is your house. Let's put some music on shall we?" Big Red points to you. "You, go pick up that mandolin over there and start playing that something on those music sheets I got set up. Sit over there and continue playing until I say stop which won't be anytime soon." Once again you feel the need to comply. You do exactly as Big Red commands as he and Sinthinia head to a bedroom. He then stops to turn to you. "Oh, I don't know if you realized it at the soul market, but your Captain was NOT there. You know why? Because he somehow managed to fucking escape death! Now I could blame the idiots that were working for me for allowing him to escape, but I figured since I got you anyway, it would be more fun to blame you. Enjoy playing music for all eternity!" he says as Sinthinia giggles and they close the door. You don't quite understand that remark until you begin playing the mandolin. You begin to feel excruciating pain all over. Your mind is tormented with negative emotions causing you great distress as well. Big Red has made it so your greatest love which is music causes you pain. And you can never stop playing. All you can do is suffer.

You aren't sure about this, but you let him speak. "Speak demon, but make it quick!" you demand. "Ah, glad you're willing to be reasonable. Name's Big Red by the way." "Get on with it!" "Very well. Your company and everyone in it is doomed to the infernal planes when they die I'm afraid. You captain's deeds alone make him one of the most sought after souls in Hell. He used to be much worse before he got married, but ah well; women often make men weak like that." "Yeah? Well not me." "Heh, yeah you too. I understand that you're probably the most moral person in it, but this whole company has been targeted by Hell and Hell gets what it wants." "Well Velzix isn't…" "Velzix? I'm not talking about Velzix! Velzix is just another demon with big dick complex. If I trust my judgment he's not going to last another year in his current status, he'll probably either be dead by one of you mortals or that little Necromancer. (Sigh) Wish I'd known about him sooner, things could've been a lot…different." Big Red sees that you're getting antsy so he gets to the point again. "Anyway, seeing as you're all doomed to Hell, I figured it would be nice if I got direct credit for bringing you there. Bringing in evil souls yourself is one of the few things makes Hell all worth it. You get all sorts of perks. However, if I just call in the reinforcements now to have you guys get ripped from limb to limb, I won't get direct credit. The souls will just be gathered wily nily and then I gotta argue with the fucking collectors and lawyers and all that other shit about who killed who and who gets credit which will probably just result in nobody getting credit and doesn't help me out at all." "Barring that you're saying that I'm doomed in any case, I fail to see why I should help you." "Well that's why I'm coming to you with a deal. I can see you're not a bad person, you just serve a bad master, and he's the one I really want direct credit for. The rest of you are just a bonus and you in particular aren't even worth that much given your tendency towards good." "So what is it you want from me exactly?" "I want you to take out the sentries and distract your fellows for as long as possible while my boys sneak up on this village and strike with as little resistance as possible. To sweeten this deal, I'll try to tell my boys to not target you while you try to escape the mayhem. I'm not making any promises though, killing rampages among my kind encourage indiscriminate killing. You'll be on your own; however it gives you a small chance for survival and by agreeing to this plan it gives me direct credit as the mastermind of this cunning plan. Getting other demons to kill isn't any kind of feat, but employing a mortal to help is looked upon as more favorable. So do we have a deal?" Big Red offers his hand… > You decline the deal Fuck this. He's lying and even if he isn't, making a deal with a demon is never a good idea. You've heard the stories and you've seen the former Tulan "citizens" that debased themselves just in order to live to serve their demon masters. It never ends well. If you are going to the infernal realm when you die, you're still not going to be helping anyone to take you there! "Well, let me think about it….HEY THERE'S A FUCKING DEMON ATTACK COMING!" you shout at the top of your lungs. You're pretty sure at least one person heard you. "You asshole!" Big Red growls and lunges at you which you dodge out of the way and just focus on getting back to where most of your company is making camp, yelling the whole time. Upon hearing your warning, everyone scrambles for battle. You can hear the demons bellowing in the distance. They'll be here in force soon. You quickly climb on to the village rooftops and ready your bow as the demon hordes advance all around you. The battle wasn't as hopeless as Big Red made it seem like it would be (He must've ran off as there was no sign of him) however, the Company does take more than the usual casualties. One of the mercenaries starts to openly complain. "This is just fucking retarded! Why the hell are we doing this shit?" Cal complains. "You know the score; you don't like it you can leave." The Captain says calmly cleaning off his sword. "Yeah and then I don't get paid, which is when by the way? We'd all like to know when this contract is over! You never did tell us!" "Oh that…indefinitely." "WHAT?!" almost everyone exclaims. "Look, would you sissies calm the fuck down? We got a break coming up in a few weeks. We go back to the Zalan Empire to get paid, rest, re-equip and whatever else they got there, but after the break we go right back out here. Possibly even deeper." At this point the whole company is turning against the Captain, he doesn't look worried though. "Are you fuckin' kidding me? You're expecting us to go deeper into this shit? You're practically asking us to stand in the middle of Hell!" "Dunno why you're protesting, we're all going to the real infernal plane anyway when we die, might as well get used to it. Look, take it or leave it, I don't give a shit. If you want to stay, go ahead. If you want to leave now, go ahead. If you want to leave after you get your pay, go ahead. But I'm sure you know by now, if you leave don't come back ever." The Captain says and goes back to the abandoned home he was staying in. This comment by the Captain makes you think back to Big Red's little speech, you start wondering about your future while everyone begins talking amongst themselves about what to do next. A lot of them are saying the Boss has lost his mind and is being suicidal. You can't say you disagree. In fact you're not sure you want part of this anymore. Your family might need the money, but what good are you dead to them? A few weeks pass and your company makes its way back to the Zalan Empire. You get your payment. Almost feels like you're in the "real army" given the formal nature of it. After you get your pay, you're on your way home where you intend to stay, much like many others are planning to do. However, you bump into the Captain who speaks to you. There's a hint of alcohol on his breath. "So can I expect you to stay on lute boy?" he asks bluntly. "Erm…well, no Captain. I'm sorry, but going deeper into demon territory is suicide." you reply.. "Probably right, but who wants to live forever?" "Well I'd like to at least live past the next year." "Hah! So you wish to die an old man in your bed?" "Sounds about right." "Then why did you take on such a dangerous line of work in the first place?" "My family needed the money." "Ah yes, you are one of the few in the company that has one. One of the fewer still that actually takes care of them…an honorable pursuit. I can respect that." You're surprised to hear the Captain praise anything that seems honorable. "I have a family that I take care of too you know." "Yes, I know you are married." "Yeah…but my daughter is a captain in the Zalan army. She's stationed on the Tulan border as a matter of fact. She might even get transferred to the Grand Alliance army. Don't know yet." He says with a hint of pride in his voice, though he tries his best to conceal it. The Captain is just full of surprises. You now know that this isn't some simple death wish, but that he's taken the job to help her out in a way. You don't know, but can only imagine what growing up with a dad like him was like. You unsure of how to reply so you just follow up with something. "Um, that's great Captain." "Yeah, it's great. Got a son too…he's…a wizard. He's a fuckin' disappointment… y'know you look back on your life and you wonder what you've accomplished and it doesn't mean shit in the scheme of things, at least not when the world has one foot in Hell and the other in the grave. But still you struggle and fight right? You still remain true to your nature." "Sure I guess so." You say wondering where the Captain going with this. The Captain sighs heavily. "I guess I'm lucky…killing and battle are in my nature. I get to do it every fuckin' day and it never seems to be enough, even after all the years and changes… but I bet you didn't want this shit right? You probably wanted to just play that fuckin' lute of yours right? You got a gift and its being wasted due to events out of your control…but you still play that thing when you can. It's in your nature. It's also in your nature to help out your family because you care about them." "I suppose it is." "Yeah, nature…it's a fuckin' bitch." The Captain now looks directly at you. "Look I'm not gonna beg ya, but you're one of the best men I got in the damn company, and I'd rather not lose you, so I'll appeal to your nature. What's going on in the world today is some fucked up shit. Quite honestly I don't think it's going to end well for any of us, but you struggle and fight anyway. The financial aid that you're providing for your family pales in comparison to what you're doing in the long term. You're making the world safer for them so that they might be able to live. We got the Gates of Hell on one side and Death's Door on the other and both of them need to be fucking closed. I don't know if that makes us the so called good guys now, but all I know is if there's an active way I can protect my wife and even help my daughter then I'm gonna do it. What are you going to do?" The Captain then leaves you without saying another word. Some pretty deep words for a man who you never saw as compassionate in anyway. He does make a point though. Lately what has been going in the world is pretty bad and you wonder if not fighting today will just mean putting off fighting tomorrow. > You stay in the company You might be a fool, but the possibility that the Captain knows what the fuck he's talking about can't be ruled out. If killing demons now is going to make life a little safer for your family in the future, then you probably should be apart of that. Same with the undead if it comes to that, though you're hoping that you don't need to. Fighting demons is bad enough, you haven't even fought any undead and the stories that your dad told you and that you've overheard others tell still makes you dread the day that you'll actually have to. For now though you're going home to spend time with your family and tell them all how much you love them. One year passes… Five years since the Nuro Incident and you're deep in the heart of Velzix's Realm. Guerrilla hit and run tactics and sabotage have greatly angered Velzix causing him to divert forces where he might use elsewhere. You've even managed to sneak into his fortress a few times to sabotage his goals of creating a permanent open portal to the Infernal Planes. Something nobody wants except the demons. It's odd, but the Chimera Company has been turned from an example of "thugs for hire" to "Heroic warriors" by the Zalan government, but then the Zalan Empire has always been a bit heavy on propaganda. The fact that the company is directly working for it, makes any politician that was remotely involved with the idea of hiring you in the first place to milk it for all its worth. The real truth however is what's currently of the company is made up of the suicidal, desperate or the insane. You're not sure which one you are at this point, but in the eyes of the public, you're a hero. (Surprisingly Cal is still there for all his past complaining) The Captain has been telling tales of his past life a lot more lately when sitting around the campfire. He talks about the people he's killed, the women he's raped, and the treasures he's plundered. Most of the stories you've only heard about in rumor from others in your Company, but hearing them come from the Captain himself makes him sound even more rotten. You're sure glad you didn't know him back in the "old days". He doesn't seem to show any remorse, though he doesn't really talk about it gloriously either. He just tells them as a story to pass the time between fighting, much like you do with playing your lute. Every now and then he tells you to play something specific. Some elven song that you've never heard before, though apparently he really wants you to play it since he gives you a crumpled piece of sheet music containing its notes. It's a not a complex song for an Elven one, but it still takes you a few weeks to learn it completely. It would probably take you less time, but there's the demon fighting that sort of gets in the way of practice. The first time you play it, the Captain, closes his eyes and begins to smile. You think that's the first time you've ever seen him do that. Others in the Company are amazed as well. With his eyes still closed he begins to speak of his family and how beautiful his wife is and how when he first met her it was love at first sight. He then speaks of his daughter, and how proud he is of her. Her battle skills have gotten her a captain's position in Grand Alliance army. He hopes that she has many victorious battles and kills all those that stand before her without mercy. He is silent for awhile as you play…then he speaks of his son is much harsher tone. "A disappointment…a fucking disappointment. Fucked up somewhere…wasn't hard enough on him. Now look at this shit we're in…demons, undead…fuck it. If I'm bound for the Infernal Plane for bringing destruction to the world then I'm gonna give those bastard demons a good reason for torturing the shit outta me when I get there. Namely by killing a shitload of them and fucking up their plans as much as possible. Just hope my necromancer spawn is eventually there right beside me getting tortured as well." You temporarily stop playing at this outburst by the Captain. Others in the Company are looking and whispering to each other. Did he just allude to what you think he did? "What he fuck are you doin'? I didn't say stop playing!" You quickly return to playing and nothing more is spoken of it. As it happens the song is one of the last things you play. Your lute is destroyed in a battle a couple days later. You curse as one of the few things that took your mind off this shitty place is gone. You just hope you live long enough to buy a new one. A few more weeks pass and what wasn't spoken of, makes an appearance… Two of the lookouts run back to the main camp one day and rush into the Captain's tent. You can hear them babbling something about son, and death and doomed. You then hear him yelling at them to shut the fuck up and speak clearly. The rest of the Company starts to pick up there weapons as if expecting something to go down and you follow suit and that's when you look in the direction where the sentries ran from and see a lone hooded figure. None of you don't know how to react. Every instinct in everyone is telling them to attack, but the aura of power and fear he's giving off is very strong. Almost paralyzing. Just then the Captain comes out of his tent and speaks. "Boy, you gotta a lot of balls showing up here before me. Didn't think you had 'em either. Figured you'd be hiding in some tower somewhere." "Yeah, well sometimes you have to do things yourself." Weird. He doesn't sound at all like you thought he would. > You attack now You know who the hell this is, it's the Necromancer Lord. You're never going to get a better chance than now to kill him and put an end to some of the madness that's going on. You muster up all your courage and quickly raise your bow. "No! Wait you dumbfuck…" the Captain yells trying to stop you. You arrow flies straight towards the Necromancer Lord, but it doesn't even reach him, a magical shield causes it to bounce off harmlessly. However your actions cause the Necromancer Lord to react defensively and he unleashes a ray of pure black energy which drains you of your life force entirely.

You might be a fool, but the possibility that the Captain knows what the fuck he's talking about can't be ruled out. If killing demons now is going to make life a little safer for your family in the future, then you probably should be apart of that. Same with the undead if it comes to that, though you're hoping that you don't need to. Fighting demons is bad enough, you haven't even fought any undead and the stories that your dad told you and that you've overheard others tell still makes you dread the day that you'll actually have to. For now though you're going home to spend time with your family and tell them all how much you love them. One year passes… Five years since the Nuro Incident and you're deep in the heart of Velzix's Realm. Guerrilla hit and run tactics and sabotage have greatly angered Velzix causing him to divert forces where he might use elsewhere. You've even managed to sneak into his fortress a few times to sabotage his goals of creating a permanent open portal to the Infernal Planes. Something nobody wants except the demons. It's odd, but the Chimera Company has been turned from an example of "thugs for hire" to "Heroic warriors" by the Zalan government, but then the Zalan Empire has always been a bit heavy on propaganda. The fact that the company is directly working for it, makes any politician that was remotely involved with the idea of hiring you in the first place to milk it for all its worth. The real truth however is what's currently of the company is made up of the suicidal, desperate or the insane. You're not sure which one you are at this point, but in the eyes of the public, you're a hero. (Surprisingly Cal is still there for all his past complaining) The Captain has been telling tales of his past life a lot more lately when sitting around the campfire. He talks about the people he's killed, the women he's raped, and the treasures he's plundered. Most of the stories you've only heard about in rumor from others in your Company, but hearing them come from the Captain himself makes him sound even more rotten. You're sure glad you didn't know him back in the "old days". He doesn't seem to show any remorse, though he doesn't really talk about it gloriously either. He just tells them as a story to pass the time between fighting, much like you do with playing your lute. Every now and then he tells you to play something specific. Some elven song that you've never heard before, though apparently he really wants you to play it since he gives you a crumpled piece of sheet music containing its notes. It's a not a complex song for an Elven one, but it still takes you a few weeks to learn it completely. It would probably take you less time, but there's the demon fighting that sort of gets in the way of practice. The first time you play it, the Captain, closes his eyes and begins to smile. You think that's the first time you've ever seen him do that. Others in the Company are amazed as well. With his eyes still closed he begins to speak of his family and how beautiful his wife is and how when he first met her it was love at first sight. He then speaks of his daughter, and how proud he is of her. Her battle skills have gotten her a captain's position in Grand Alliance army. He hopes that she has many victorious battles and kills all those that stand before her without mercy. He is silent for awhile as you play…then he speaks of his son is much harsher tone. "A disappointment…a fucking disappointment. Fucked up somewhere…wasn't hard enough on him. Now look at this shit we're in…demons, undead…fuck it. If I'm bound for the Infernal Plane for bringing destruction to the world then I'm gonna give those bastard demons a good reason for torturing the shit outta me when I get there. Namely by killing a shitload of them and fucking up their plans as much as possible. Just hope my necromancer spawn is eventually there right beside me getting tortured as well." You temporarily stop playing at this outburst by the Captain. Others in the Company are looking and whispering to each other. Did he just allude to what you think he did? "What he fuck are you doin'? I didn't say stop playing!" You quickly return to playing and nothing more is spoken of it. As it happens the song is one of the last things you play. Your lute is destroyed in a battle a couple days later. You curse as one of the few things that took your mind off this shitty place is gone. You just hope you live long enough to buy a new one. A few more weeks pass and what wasn't spoken of, makes an appearance… Two of the lookouts run back to the main camp one day and rush into the Captain's tent. You can hear them babbling something about son, and death and doomed. You then hear him yelling at them to shut the fuck up and speak clearly. The rest of the Company starts to pick up there weapons as if expecting something to go down and you follow suit and that's when you look in the direction where the sentries ran from and see a lone hooded figure. None of you don't know how to react. Every instinct in everyone is telling them to attack, but the aura of power and fear he's giving off is very strong. Almost paralyzing. Just then the Captain comes out of his tent and speaks. "Boy, you gotta a lot of balls showing up here before me. Didn't think you had 'em either. Figured you'd be hiding in some tower somewhere." "Yeah, well sometimes you have to do things yourself." Weird. He doesn't sound at all like you thought he would. > You wait You know who the hell this is, it's the Necromancer Lord. Even if you are fast enough to get a shot at him, you doubt the arrow is going to connect. He's probably got all kinds of magical shields to protect him for whatever it is he's here for. You begin looking for your best route of escape and slowly start backing away. The Captain on the other hand speaks directly to his son. He doesn't even show any fear. They speak for a moment and things get very tense, you're about ready to run, but things take a sudden turn for the very strange. The Necromancer Lord has proposed a temporary alliance to assassinate Velzix. The Captain is hesitant about this at first, but an agreement is made on payment and he accepts. The Captain then informs all of you in more detail of what's going on. "Alright men, we're gonna go storm the Gates of Hell and close those fuckers for good. My…son there is going to provide magical support. He's also going to be providing a shitload of money for this job. The stipulation is we can't tell ANYBODY about this shit. I'm fucking serious. Word gets out that we were working with the fucking Necromancer Lord, we'll all be hanged, regardless of so called heroic deeds of killing demons. We're all in this together and there ain't no backing out, because this deal is made. And if you think you're gonna step out on me now, that ain't in the plan. I'll just kill you and have my son raise your undead ass to help us anyway!" "What?! You just decided this for us?" Cal exclaims. "Yeah? What of it? I've ALWAYS made all the decisions for your dumb ass! It's why YOU'RE still working for me, because it's lucrative! This ain't gonna be any different. Plus we get to take fucking credit for killing a damn demon lord. Think of all the pussy you'll get from that fucking fame eh? Now stop bitching and let's go!" You can't say you're enthusiastic about this, but it would appear you have little choice in the matter. As you travel to Velzix's fortress you overhear some of the conversations the Captain is having with his son. A strained relationship to be sure. They make a lot of cutting barbs to each other, each criticizing the other for various things. It's obvious that they can't stand each other, but are a lot more alike than either one wants to admit. It makes you glad when you encounter the occasional demon skirmish on the way, since it at least it decreases the tension and possibility that the Captain's son is going to finally lose his temper and kill everyone due to his father's words. Eventually you arrive without any more problems. You enter Velzix's fortress through the secret way that was discovered long ago. "Dumb ass demons, we've been using this entrance for like a year now and they still haven't caught on!" the Captain remarks to his son. You make good progress in the fortress and then… "There they are, just like Velzix said they would be!" a demon guard shouts. "Haven't caught on yet huh?" the Necromancer Lord says, looking at the Captain. "Quit yer bitchin' and start doin that death magic thing!" You proceed to do battle with the demon and mortal guards that attempt to stop you. The Necromancer Lord starts to raise the mortal guards after they're killed, but it begins to unnerve you though when the Necromancer Lord starts raising your own fallen dead. Pretty soon it's just the Necromancer Lord, the Captain, you, Cal and a bunch of corpses fighting off what seems to be an endless supply of Hell's own. You begin to wonder if Velzix already got that portal working. As you get closer to Velzix's inner sanctum even the undead troops are being decimated at an alarming rate. You've been wounded several times and extremely tired. You don't want to think about any of this, even in the heat of battle you start to take your mind elsewhere with a tune inside your head. "Fuck man! We're gonna die here!" Cal screams as he attempts to fight a horned demon which has obviously got the advantage over him. You feel a demon blade in your back causing you to fall to the floor. At this point nothing but music fills your mind; bloodshed and battle surround your prone body. "Fuckers are without end! Come on! Raise these fuckers and let's go!" you hear the Captain yell followed by "Hah, no lying down on the job anymore Cal!" You're not quite dead yet though, and the Necromancer Lord and his dad aren't waiting around so they continue on quickly leaving you behind. As your life force ebbs and more demon guards run past your body, you don't know if what you did was worth it or even the right thing. All you know is you did what you could and hope your actions may have made some sort of difference and increased the chances of your family's future well being. You then smile. You'll see them again someday. "Yeah…I believe that…" you allow yourself to think as you die. Big Red was wrong about your fate. There was no Hell, just peace.

Fuck this. He's lying and even if he isn't, making a deal with a demon is never a good idea. You've heard the stories and you've seen the former Tulan "citizens" that debased themselves just in order to live to serve their demon masters. It never ends well. If you are going to the infernal realm when you die, you're still not going to be helping anyone to take you there! "Well, let me think about it….HEY THERE'S A FUCKING DEMON ATTACK COMING!" you shout at the top of your lungs. You're pretty sure at least one person heard you. "You asshole!" Big Red growls and lunges at you which you dodge out of the way and just focus on getting back to where most of your company is making camp, yelling the whole time. Upon hearing your warning, everyone scrambles for battle. You can hear the demons bellowing in the distance. They'll be here in force soon. You quickly climb on to the village rooftops and ready your bow as the demon hordes advance all around you. The battle wasn't as hopeless as Big Red made it seem like it would be (He must've ran off as there was no sign of him) however, the Company does take more than the usual casualties. One of the mercenaries starts to openly complain. "This is just fucking retarded! Why the hell are we doing this shit?" Cal complains. "You know the score; you don't like it you can leave." The Captain says calmly cleaning off his sword. "Yeah and then I don't get paid, which is when by the way? We'd all like to know when this contract is over! You never did tell us!" "Oh that…indefinitely." "WHAT?!" almost everyone exclaims. "Look, would you sissies calm the fuck down? We got a break coming up in a few weeks. We go back to the Zalan Empire to get paid, rest, re-equip and whatever else they got there, but after the break we go right back out here. Possibly even deeper." At this point the whole company is turning against the Captain, he doesn't look worried though. "Are you fuckin' kidding me? You're expecting us to go deeper into this shit? You're practically asking us to stand in the middle of Hell!" "Dunno why you're protesting, we're all going to the real infernal plane anyway when we die, might as well get used to it. Look, take it or leave it, I don't give a shit. If you want to stay, go ahead. If you want to leave now, go ahead. If you want to leave after you get your pay, go ahead. But I'm sure you know by now, if you leave don't come back ever." The Captain says and goes back to the abandoned home he was staying in. This comment by the Captain makes you think back to Big Red's little speech, you start wondering about your future while everyone begins talking amongst themselves about what to do next. A lot of them are saying the Boss has lost his mind and is being suicidal. You can't say you disagree. In fact you're not sure you want part of this anymore. Your family might need the money, but what good are you dead to them? A few weeks pass and your company makes its way back to the Zalan Empire. You get your payment. Almost feels like you're in the "real army" given the formal nature of it. After you get your pay, you're on your way home where you intend to stay, much like many others are planning to do. However, you bump into the Captain who speaks to you. There's a hint of alcohol on his breath. "So can I expect you to stay on lute boy?" he asks bluntly. "Erm…well, no Captain. I'm sorry, but going deeper into demon territory is suicide." you reply.. "Probably right, but who wants to live forever?" "Well I'd like to at least live past the next year." "Hah! So you wish to die an old man in your bed?" "Sounds about right." "Then why did you take on such a dangerous line of work in the first place?" "My family needed the money." "Ah yes, you are one of the few in the company that has one. One of the fewer still that actually takes care of them…an honorable pursuit. I can respect that." You're surprised to hear the Captain praise anything that seems honorable. "I have a family that I take care of too you know." "Yes, I know you are married." "Yeah…but my daughter is a captain in the Zalan army. She's stationed on the Tulan border as a matter of fact. She might even get transferred to the Grand Alliance army. Don't know yet." He says with a hint of pride in his voice, though he tries his best to conceal it. The Captain is just full of surprises. You now know that this isn't some simple death wish, but that he's taken the job to help her out in a way. You don't know, but can only imagine what growing up with a dad like him was like. You unsure of how to reply so you just follow up with something. "Um, that's great Captain." "Yeah, it's great. Got a son too…he's…a wizard. He's a fuckin' disappointment… y'know you look back on your life and you wonder what you've accomplished and it doesn't mean shit in the scheme of things, at least not when the world has one foot in Hell and the other in the grave. But still you struggle and fight right? You still remain true to your nature." "Sure I guess so." You say wondering where the Captain going with this. The Captain sighs heavily. "I guess I'm lucky…killing and battle are in my nature. I get to do it every fuckin' day and it never seems to be enough, even after all the years and changes… but I bet you didn't want this shit right? You probably wanted to just play that fuckin' lute of yours right? You got a gift and its being wasted due to events out of your control…but you still play that thing when you can. It's in your nature. It's also in your nature to help out your family because you care about them." "I suppose it is." "Yeah, nature…it's a fuckin' bitch." The Captain now looks directly at you. "Look I'm not gonna beg ya, but you're one of the best men I got in the damn company, and I'd rather not lose you, so I'll appeal to your nature. What's going on in the world today is some fucked up shit. Quite honestly I don't think it's going to end well for any of us, but you struggle and fight anyway. The financial aid that you're providing for your family pales in comparison to what you're doing in the long term. You're making the world safer for them so that they might be able to live. We got the Gates of Hell on one side and Death's Door on the other and both of them need to be fucking closed. I don't know if that makes us the so called good guys now, but all I know is if there's an active way I can protect my wife and even help my daughter then I'm gonna do it. What are you going to do?" The Captain then leaves you without saying another word. Some pretty deep words for a man who you never saw as compassionate in anyway. He does make a point though. Lately what has been going in the world is pretty bad and you wonder if not fighting today will just mean putting off fighting tomorrow. > You leave the company Whatever the Captain is "going through" doesn't involve you. You've got your own concerns. If the world events get so bad that they reach your doorstep, then you deal with it then, but risking your life to the extent of going deep into the heart of demon territory isn't what you signed up for. You head home and tell your family that it's permanent this time. You explain your reasons and apologize that you won't be bringing in all the extra money like you used to. They aren't mad though, your mom is actually relieved. "Well son, I'm just as glad you didn't go get yourself killed over there anyway. You'll be helping us out plenty just by working on the farm like always." You're glad to hear that. Over the next couple days you fall back into routine again. You still wonder about the future though and you briefly consider the army, but you're a little weary of battle on a regular basis now. You resign yourself to the farm life. You play your lute to yourself (and family) when you have the time to do so. It's a simple life. Another year passes and things are getting bad. War is everywhere. The Demons have been taken care of, (You heard your former mercenary captain died in battle with their leader Velzix) but the undead are stronger than ever. Reports even speak of the Necromancer Lord becoming The Great Lich Lord "reborn". To make things worse, the Zalan Empire has been becoming increasingly tyrannical. In order to help with the war effort they've started bringing back the draft and the talk of ceasing private property to be used for the good of the government. While they say owners will be able to live and still work on their lands and businesses, it will be owned by the Empire. You know it's only a matter of time when you get a knock on the door by Zalan army troops coming to take you (Especially you given your prior battle experience) and your brother Mallack away to the army and your family's farm. Another two year pass… You're on the eve of battle in a land known as the Garwold Confederacy although it's steadily becoming a giant graveyard now. The undead hordes have been sweeping relentlessly across the entire landscape. Your own company has had to fall back several times. Morale is low. Not that yours was high to begin with. You don't even know how you've survived this long. While you had lots of battle experience during your time with the mercenary company, you'll never get used to fighting the undead. They are such emotionless creatures that are the embodiment of death and all that's unnatural. You briefly wonder if your brother Mallack is alright where he's stationed, but it hardly matters at this point. Battle comes as it always does and you are not so lucky this time. Horrible and powerful creatures known as Blood Specters and Death Knights utterly destroy your side. You put up a more valiant effort than most, but eventually you fall to undead blades and chilling touches only rise up and join them in their goal of global genocide.

You've had enough. You're not going to help OR stand by for another immoral act performed by your "co-workers". It's bad enough that it goes on, but that doesn't mean you need to let it, if you can do something about it. You run Dimitri through the back with your sword, he yells out in pain, but still manages to swing his armored fist to strike you in the face. You fall to the ground. "Fuck…lute boy…goin…down…pig fucker…" he wheezes as he attempts to step towards you only to fall to his knees. At this point Morri has recovered and cleaves Dimitri's skull in with his axe. "Bastard." Morri then looks at you. "Heh, I guess you must be one of the few with a conscious in the company eh?" "I guess so." You reply. "Or perhaps you knew it would be better if I lived so you could find your way out this maze?" "…Actually I hadn't even thought about that. I just…just couldn't let him kill and rob you like that. Seen it too many times." "That a fact? Well tell me son, why the hell are you hooked up with these bunch for then?" "Money to help the family…besides it's not that bad." "Okay, if you say so. However, this little incident is going to cost your company. We warned your captain that if any evidence of treachery occurred, we weren't paying him shit and this deal was off!" "But can't we just keep this secret? I mean…" "Secret? Fuck no! Look, you're not a bad person, but you're hanging out with bad people. The only reason why we hired you in the first place is because you ARE effective and you're about the only mercenary company insane enough to do a job like this. But a deal's a deal. You captain apparently doesn't have control over his men like he thinks, because I'm sure he warned you all." "Yeah, but everyone will probably blame me and my life will be in danger!" "…well…I'm sorry about that, but that's the price you pay for the company you keep…look I'll tell you what, because you helped me, I'll take you back to the entrance and you can leave. Should at least give you a head start. Hell, maybe I'll even tell them you died before this happened. You could then just hide out and stay out of sight without even anyone looking for you." Not knowing what to say next you just agree and ponder your possible future. The way back to the entrance is uneventful as far as demon attacks are concerned. You don't know what you're going to do. You'll have to go on the run or at least relocate regardless of what Morri tells everyone. And if he mentions the truth, then your family may well be in danger. You imagine that if the Boss couldn't get to you, he may very well take it out on your family. You feel sick and upset. You wish you hadn't chosen this path. All you ever really wanted to do was play your lute, not fight demons or anything else really. You follow behind Morri in a daze. You're surprised that he doesn't insist that you walk in front of him, but then that's probably because he trusts that you're not a murderer. You also realize you recognize this part of the mine and could probably find your way back from here… You shake your head and take a deep breath. "Hey Morri." "Wha…glagh! An arrow goes right through Morri's mouth and out the other side of his head. He gurgles obscenities while trying to raise his axe towards you. Another arrow goes through his eye. He ceases his struggle. While you solved the problem of Morri telling anyone, now you have to cover your own tracks, then you hear a sound you never thought you'd be glad to hear. The chittering of those insect demons and a bunch of them are coming right behind you. You pull the arrows out and run as quickly as you can to the entrance leaving the demons to feed upon Morri's body. The thought crosses your mind to just leave anyway. Maybe they'd think all three of you got eaten. However, you run into another group during your dash to the mine entrance. "Where the hell are you running off to?" a mercenary asks. It's Cal. You come up with a lie quick. "(pant) Shit! We got fucking ambushed! (pant) Barely fucking escaped! (pant) Dimitri and Morri are dead! Probably eaten! And the rest of those demon fuckers are heading this way!" "What?! You cowardly fucker, you just let Morri die?" one the dwarves says angrily. "It wasn't my idea! I tried to help him and Dimitri, but they just came in force, I don't even know how I escaped!" Your story is a little suspicious, but thanks to the demons, you're covered. They didn't leave much for the dwarves to find. However, you're not looked favorably on by the rest of the dwarves for the rest of the mission. Your fellow mercenaries don't really care one way or another. It's part of the job and Dimitri wasn't well liked so they could care less if he died or lived. You on the other hand are still not feeling so great about yourself. The longer you're part of this company the more you're starting to think or be more like them. You hate it and you'll be glad when this job is over. A few months pass and the contract is over. The "problem" isn't completely gone, in fact there's reports of some undead wandering in the area now, but the Dwarves are growing more weary of your presence, hand over your payment and tell you to leave. They say they can handle anything else themselves. It's quite a lot this time. Best job you've had. Upon your return to the Zalan Empire you buy yourself a new lute. It's your "reward". The rest of it goes to your family who of course are eager to hear about your tales as usual. You don't tell them that many this time. You just try to take your mind off your "job" by asking them more questions this time around. When you're alone you play your new lute, trying to emulate a couple of the songs you overheard the Dwarves engage in when you were there. You never knew they were musically inclined; it's a shame you had to kill one to protect your future. You're still debating on whether or not to give up the mercenary life, but you see how much it's helping the family out, so you decide to stay and put up with it. After your "break is over" you go back to the job as usual. Three years pass… Four years have passed since the "Nuro Incident" and things have gotten much worse in the world. The Necromancer Lord conquered the Brot Kingdom, A demon lord called Velzix conquered the Tulan Kingdom, both are expanding and a so called Grand Alliance of nations doesn't seem to be doing much good against either of them. The Chimera Company was recently hired by the Zalan government. Due to your past battles with demons, they decided you would be good to put on Tulan Border which is still a bloodbath, but instead of fighting the Tulan Kingdom, the Zalan Empire is fighting Velzix's hordes. It's not an easy assignment or very pleasant, in fact it's got to be the worst job you've been on. You company is assigned to make commando raids and sabotage shit to keep the demons fairly unfocused, while the Zalan Empire's real armies try to make progress into Velzix's realm. Currently you're making your "camp" in small abandoned village in enemy territory where you have to fight the occasional demon patrols. Why the Captain took this job on for the company is beyond you. Nobody really knows why. The company in general has been taking more dangerous jobs in recent years. Ever since the Nuro Incident actually. While it's always been known he's not a man to shy away from danger and has a love of battle, there's a lot of talk within ranks that he's got a death wish. The only "good thing" about this assignment, is that the chance for usual Chimera Company wicked acts are much lower. There's not many "innocents" in a demon realm. As you think about things, strumming your lute in an abandoned general store by yourself. You hear someone speak. "Pretty good playing. Wish my kind appreciated some of the more subtle things in life sometimes." You turn your head and see a demon! He's not very tall and is "dressed up". He must be one of the "civilized" demons who realigned themselves with their demonic natures and flocked to Velzix when he took over the Tulan Kingdom. He doesn't seem hostile, but you drop your lute and draw your weapon, before you can yell a warning, he speaks again. "Wait! Before you go warning your friends, I should warn you that there is a very large group of my fellow kin surrounding this village. You kill me and they'll attack and quite frankly I don't fancy your chances. However I got a deal for you that can be worth your while. What can it hurt to listen to me? You can always kill me afterwards." > You attack him You don't waste time, you just attack! Unfortunately the demon is more than he appears and easily dodges your attack. You don't have time to turn and react again when he's tripped you up and put his fist in your face causing your nose to explode into a mass of blood. You're dazed. "(Sigh) And here I thought you were the reasonable one of this bunch. Nevermind." The demon says. He follows up with another fist to your face. This one goes through your head killing you instantly.

You're not sure if the formal military life is for you. If you joined up you wouldn't be able to readily leave. You figure if you don't like life as a mercenary or it isn't working out for you, you can leave freely. You explain your decision to join up with the mercenary company that's currently passing through. Your revelation comes as a shock. Your smaller brothers and sisters don't want you to go, your brother Mallack really doesn't want you to leave since he'll be next in line to take the brunt of the manual labor! Your mother is a little apprehensive about your decision. You half expect her to say no, but she understands that you're doing this for the good of the family. She gives her blessing. Before you leave the next day with your packed belongings, your whole family comes to say goodbye to you. You almost hesitate to leave, wondering if it would actually be better for you to stay. Your mother approaches you. "You don't have to do this you know. We're doing just fine." "Yeah, but things would be easier if this family had more money." "Hah. Things are always easier with more money son, but you don't need to go and get yourself killed for it." "Yeah, I know, but I've thought it through." "Very well, you're old enough to make your own decisions and live your own life, though I'm glad to see that you still want to help the family as opposed to just leaving in the middle of the night." "I'll visit and return with whatever my pay is whenever I can." "I know…okay, you best get going. I think the mercenary company was leaving today." You make you way to the local tavern and catch them just as they're getting ready leave. A lot of them look hung over. "Hey wait up…" you say in a slightly loud tone, causing one mean looking mercenary to snarl at you. "Shut the fuck up yokel! Shit, I got a splitting headache and it hurts like a sonofabitch." "Sorry. Are you the leader of this company?" "Leader of these dickheads? Naw. The Boss is actually visiting his family in the Zalan capital. We're going to meet up with him now and I suggest you get the fuck outta our way and not waste anymore of our time!" "But I want to join you guys." The mercenary you were speaking to looks at you then looks at a few of his buddies and begins to laugh louder than your voice which previously annoyed him. "HAHAHA HAHAHA! Y'hear that fellas? This yokel wants to join us! Thanks a lot, I needed a good laugh, now go fuck your pigs or whatever it is you farm types do." "But I'm serious…" "Serious? Farmboy, this is a man's job and not for the fuckin' weak. You ever even use a damn weapon?" "Yeah! I got this bow and this sword! I'm a really good shot!" The mercenary still looks unimpressed. "Uh huh, yeah well you ever kill anyone, hell you ever kill ANYTHING? And I'm not talkin' about any of your livestock you might've slaughtered. I mean something sentient." "Well yeah, I've killed Kobolds that were trying to steal chickens from the…" The mercenaries begin to laugh again. "Oh shit, you are priceless boy! My sister can kill fuckin' Kobolds and her only talent is whoring." "Haha got that one right, Dimitri." Another one of the mercenaries agrees. Suddenly the laughing stops. "What the fuck did you just say Fermeli?" "Uh, I was just agreeing with you…c'mon don't take it like that! I mean you said…" "Ain't about what I said, it's about what YOU said! You called my fucking sister a whore! You ain't getting' away with that shit." Dimitri draws his sword and stomps over to Fermeli who is trying to get one of his buddies to help him, but everyone else is backing away from the fight. Dimitri takes advantage of Fermeli's state of panic and slashes him good with his sword. Fermeli cries out in pain and begs for forgiveness. Dimitri looks like he's going to finish him off, but then turns to you. "You want to join hayseed? Kill this piece of shit then." "Huh? I mean…" you utter in confusion. "Did I stutter pig farmer? Kill this… AARGH FUCK!" Fermeli has now taken advantage of Dimitri by shoving a dagger into his leg and scrambling to get up "Yeah! Take that! How's that feel?" Fermeli taunts and draws his own sword in an attempt to kill Dimitri At this point you unwisely step into the middle of this fight. "Hey hold on, the pair of you are even now…" "Fuck off pig farmer! You want some of this now? Yeah, let's see how much of a killer you are!" Fermeli says who doesn't look frightened of you at all and heads in your direction. "Hey wait I don't wanna…" You barely dodge his sword swipe to your head. You roll out of the way and quickly grab an arrow and shoot it at Fermeli with your bow, hitting him square in the neck. Some blood spurts out and a surprised look on his face is displayed and then he falls dead. You've killed him. You've never killed anything before that wasn't a Kobold or livestock. You feel weird. In the meantime Dimitri gets up and pulls the dagger out of his leg and looks over at Formeli's body. "Heh, maybe you are a killer after all pig farmer. Well it seems we got an opening now. Take whatever he had as your own. You killed him, you earned it. Welcome to the Chimera Mercenary Company!" While you MAY be in, you're not necessarily sure if you want in. This may be a bit too much for you. > You go back home If this how it was on your first day, you'd hate to think about if you had to deal with this on a regular basis. "Uh…no, maybe I was wrong. Bye." You say and quickly take off. "Heh, pig farmer don't have no stomach for it…Dibs on Foremeli's shit!" you hear Dimitri yell. When you get back home, your family and mom in particular ask what happened, you explain it and say you don't want any part of that life. You apologize that you couldn't go through with it, but your mom looks more relieved than anything. "Well son, I'm just as glad you didn't join up with that lot anyway. You'll be helping us out plenty just by working on the farm like always." You're glad to hear that. Over the next couple days you fall back into routine again. You still wonder about the future though and you briefly consider the army plan again, but given your short lived experience with mercenary "life" you don't think you're cut out with battle on a regular basis. Plus the Zalan Empire is currently having really bad border skirmish with the Tulan Kingdom right now. You resign yourself to the farm life. You play your lute to yourself (and family) when you have the time to do so. It's a simple life. A year passes and a terrible incident occurs at a far away city known as Nuro. A group of rogue wizards summoned an army of the dead to take it over. They also summoned a lot of demons that have broken free and running rampant now in the Tulan Kingdom. It's all far away from you, but something like this is pretty serious. Necromancy and Demon summoning is strictly forbidden throughout the land. Meanwhile life on the farm is going the same as it ever did. Hard sometimes, but manageable. Another two years pass and things have gotten worse. The Necromancer Lord (as he's become to be known) has expanded, even to the point of taking over the Brot Kingdom. The Tulan Kingdom has been totally conquered by a demon army. A Grand Alliance of nations has been formed, but so far they don't seem to be making much progress. Meanwhile life on the farm is a little harder. Your youngest sister Makana becomes gravely ill during the winter months, but there's not enough money to pay for a healer and most of the clerics have been summoned to battle with the undead or demon hordes. Sadly she dies making the overall mood of the farm a little more depressing. You don't even play anymore, your enthusiasm for music died along with the grim realities setting in. Another three years pass and things are down right miserable. War is everywhere. The Demons have been taken care of, but the undead are stronger than ever. Reports even speak of the Necromancer Lord becoming The Great Lich Lord "reborn". You remember hearing tales by your father of such a being that existed centuries ago. They scared the hell out of you then and the fact that you're living in a time where he's returned makes you feel doomed. To make things worse, the Zalan Empire has been becoming increasingly tyrannical. In order to help with the war effort they've started bringing back the draft and the talk of ceasing private property to be used for the good of the government. While they say owners will be able to live and still work on their lands and businesses, it will be owned by the Empire. You know it's only a matter of time when you get a knock on the door by Zalan army troops coming to take you and your brother Mallack away to the army and your family's farm. Another two year pass… You're on the eve of battle in a land known as the Garwold Confederacy although it's steadily becoming a giant graveyard now. The undead hordes have been sweeping relentlessly across the entire landscape. Your own company has had to fall back several times. Morale is low. Not that yours was high to begin with. You don't even know how you've survived this long. You didn't even have that much military training when they threw you into you first battle a year ago. It was a terrifying experience and you still have nightmares about it. The undead…you'll never get used to fighting such emotionless creatures that are the embodiment of death and all that's unnatural. You briefly wonder if your brother Mallack is alright where he's stationed, but it hardly matters at this point. Battle comes as it always does and you are not so lucky this time. Horrible and powerful creatures known as Blood Specters and Death Knights utterly destroy your side. You fall to undead blades and chilling touches only rise up and join them in their goal of global genocide.

The sound of your alarm clock wakes you and you groggily switch it off. You go through your normal morning routine and grudgingly head off to your job. As always, you arrive at work on time and walk straight into the back room to put on your uniform. Once there you notice your best friend, Ian, is already dressed and preparing to begin. "Hey Jake." "Hey Ian, ready for another exciting day?" You ask sarcastically. "Oh yea, working here has been highlight of my entire life." He replies with equal sarcasm, "I hope I never quit." "Ah yes, stocking food has always been a dream of yours hasn't it?" "A lifelong-dream. Now if you'll excuse me, it's time to live that dream." He grabs a small nearby crate and rolls it into the main area of the store. You never thought he would end up as a stock boy in a grocery store. Then again, you thought both of you had bright futures. Although you were never really motivated to do anything, Ian was and certainly should have succeeded. You sigh and change into your uniform; this is your life and there's no point in brooding over what could have been. The day goes by relatively quickly, which is about the only benefit to the job. However it's a rather hollow benefit, as the day passing by faster just means you have to work that much sooner the next day. You and Ian wave goodbye to each other at five o'clock and you walk to your small one-bedroom apartment, reaching it by 5:30pm. > A strange dream You blink your eyes and look at your new surroundings. You're alone in the middle of a classroom, a very familiar classroom. Glancing down you notice you're sitting in a desk and that there's a small 'J' carved into the bottom right of its surface. This is your desk. At least it was, some point in time many years ago. Bringing your attention back up you notice the class is now filled with other students, each sitting in their own desks frantically writing notes. You don't recognize any of them, or rather you can't since none of their faces are clear to you. A teacher stands at the front of the class by the blackboard, presumably lecturing, though you all you can hear are muffled words. You idly glance around the room and notice something out of place. A girl stands in the doorway, with long blonde and pink hair, flowing down to just above her waist. You stare at her for a while, trying to remember who she might be. No one else in the class pays any attention to her, and like the rest of them, you can't seem to make out her face. Suddenly, she turns around and runs down the hallway. You stand up and walk out of the classroom, ignored completely by the rest of the class. As you enter the hallway, you look down the way you saw her ran, but see no one. Curious, you continue down the seemingly endless hallway trying to find her. Finally, you seem to reach the end, as a black metal door now blocks the path. Grasping the handle, you push it open. A bright light emits from the inside, blinding you and preventing you from seeing what's beyond the door. Curiosity gaining the better of you, you close your eyes and step through the doorway. > The other side "Jacob, wake up it's time for school!" You hear a familiar voice yell to you, and you groggily wake up in response. What a strange dream... You try and remember the girl from your dream, but can't figure out who she was. The classroom was probably from your high school, but as far as you can remember that girl was never in any of your classes. You shrug and proceed to get up. After all, high school was years ago, it wouldn't be unusual for you to forget a few people in that time. Once fully awake, the reality that you live alone dawns on you; there should be no one yelling for you to wake up. Then another thought occurs, you don't go to school anymore either. Confused, you stand up and walk over to your dresser, which seems different from usual. Opening your drawers you notice your clothes seem different as well. Now even more confused, you get dressed and exit your room to find some answers. Outside your door you find your younger sister standing in front of you, in the uniform that she wore during high school. That is to say, while she has the same face, green eyes, and short brown hair as your sister, she looks considerably younger than she should. "Mom says wake up." She states quietly, then turns to walk away. "Um, Tina?" you say, trying to confirm it's her. "Hm?", she replies softly, turning towards you. "Ah, um, never mind. I'm up." She nods and walks away. You return to your room and look for your backpack, the one you remember using in high school. Sure enough you find it, right beside your dresser. You open it and grab one of your notebooks, hoping to confirm what you think has happened. You turn to the last note in the book and look at the date: April 24th, 2008 You walk to your bed and sit down, trying accept what has happened. Yesterday was April 23th, but the year was 2018. Ten years ago you were 18 and in your last year of high school. The fact that your sister was in her private high school uniform confirms this, since she was in her first year of high school when you were in your last. Your thought process is interrupted by the familiar yell of your mother. "Jacob, hurry up! You're going to be late!" There's no point in thinking over this any longer. You quickly grab your bag and head down the stairs to the front door. "Remember, you need wake up early on Saturday to bring your sister to school, since I'll be working." Your mother tells you, as she stands beside you watching you put on your shoes. You nod quickly in response, and although you're tempted to hug her or say you've missed her, you put it off. The you in the past wouldn't have done it, so you're not going to do it either. After all, if this really is the past then doing something different could screw up the future in a major way. You open the door and find Ian standing in front of you. Well, a younger version of him. "It's about time Jake, you goin' to school today or what?" > Yes "Yeah." You turn and wave goodbye to your mom, who waves in response, then quickly walk down your front porch to Ian. The two of you reach the sidewalk before you take a brief look back at the house. Exactly as I remember it... The walk to school is uneventful. Ian tells you some story involving his older brother but you don't really pay attention. The thought that you're ten years in the past is all you can think about. "Hey." Ian pushes your shoulder once you reach the entrance of the school and the two of you stop. He has a concerned look on his face. "You alright? You sick or something?" He asks. "Huh? No, I'm fine. Don't worry about it." You walk ahead into the entrance of the school and Ian follows shortly after. > You class Although you roughly knew how to get to the school on your own, you have no idea what class you have. You follow Ian in hopes that you have the same first class together. Once at the classroom door Ian turns to you with a puzzled look. "Aren't you going to class?" "Uh, yea...right..." "You're acting pretty weird today man." "Yea well...today's a pretty weird day for me." Ian seems even more confused now, but decides to drop it and heads to his seat once he hears the warning bell. You walk down the hallway a little further before opening up your bag in hopes of finding some sort of clue telling you where you're supposed to be. Inside you find various notebooks and textbooks, but nothing concerning your schedule. You sigh and notice the hallway is now completely empty. The final bell which marks the start of class should be ringing any minute and you have no idea where you're supposed to be. Unsure of what to do, you decide to sprint down the hallway and look for whatever seems familiar. Fortunately (or perhaps unfortunately) you find two room numbers across from each other which seem somewhat familiar: Room 134 and Room 135. You'll have to guess which is the right room. > You room 134 You quickly open the door to room 134, the final bell ringing almost as you enter. You managed to make it on time. At least you would have, had this actually been your 12th grade class. Inside you recognize the teacher as the one you had in your 11th grade history class. However, apart from her no one else looks familiar, so this isn't your class. This is further confirmed when the teacher begins speaking to you. "Why hello, Jacob. Did you miss me and my class so much you felt compelled to return?" You grin, unable to withhold a sarcastic reply. "Yes, yes I did. May I have a seat?" The teacher smiles, amused you played along. "Sadly no, you will have to return to your classroom." She then points you to the door. You shrug in response and walk across the hall to room 135, the correct room. > You late for class You enter room 135 a few moments after the bell rings, your attention quickly brought to the middle-aged man at the front of the room. He strokes his short beard while glaring at you. "So, Jacob, I see you've arrived late." He says in a angry tone. Luckily, and unfortunately, it seems like this is in fact your current class, which makes you late. The rest of the class joins him in staring at you as you awkwardly nod in response. You've never been particularly nervous in front of crowds, but you still dislike being the center of attention for a negative reason. "I'm sure you understand this means you will have detention after school today." He continues in a demeaning tone. Again you nod in response and quickly take a seat, trying to ignore the majority of the stares in the class. "Now then class, reviewing what we learned yesterday..." The teacher says, beginning his lecture as he turns to face the blackboard. You pay attention for the first few minutes, as a sort of apology for being late, but you quickly lose interest in the topic itself. If you really have gone back in time, then you already know all this anyway; at least that's the excuse you give yourself. You idly look around the room for anything that looks familiar as he drones on. You sigh softly, thoroughly confused at your current situation and bored with this class. Eventually, you spot a girl in the corner of the room that you seem to recognize. Or, rather than recognize, you should say you feel like you know her, for some reason or another. No name comes to mind, nor any memories involving her, but for some reason you still think she's someone you know. Long, black hair, with brown eyes, and a slim figure. What's most noticeable about her though, is her gothic outfit of all black, complete with a spiked dog collar, and black painted finger nails. Looking at her closer, you determine that her black hair is probably dyed, your guess being her originally hair colour is a light brown. You brood over how you may know her, and your predicament as a whole, until the class finally ends. As the goth girl leaves she seems to ignore you completely. Maybe you don't know her? > You continue with your classes The rest of the day goes rather smoothly, sort of. Eventually, your body seems to fill in the blanks as to where you're supposed to be going, and you manage to find the rest of your classes for the day without issue. Unfortunately, Ian wasn't in any of your classes, and you got lost during the lunch break, so you've spent the school day feeling incredibly awkward and alone. Sadly, that's the least of your worries. You've also spent the majority, or rather the entirety, of the day pondering over your current predicament. If you really have gone back in time, there's a lot you can do to improve your future, probably. While that's the conclusion you've reached, you really have no idea where to start in order to "fix" your future. Sure being a stock-boy isn't a grand job, but what else can you actually do? What exactly is there to "fix"? Maybe you're just meant to live unhappily in the future. Maybe you should just enjoy your youth while you can, and accept your future. Maybe you can't even change anything. If fate is real, then any attempt you make to actually change the future should result in, well, nothing happening and the future merely correcting itself. At least, that's what you think. Truthfully, you have no idea what may or may not happen if you attempt to change anything. In fact, you being in the past means you're bound to do something different at some point anyway. Putting all that aside, even more questions come to mind, that you actually try to ignore. "Why" and "how" being the two most disturbing. Even if you can accept you've gone back in time and need to relive the last ten years, you have no idea why this happened, or how it could possibly be possible. Sinister answers are the ones that come to the front of your mind, the most prominent one being that you've somehow pissed off some supernatural being that has decided to make you loop through time forever, until you're driven insane. You always were a pessimist. Although you try to shake it off as impossible, the idea of going back in time was also something you thought impossible up until recently, so you can't get rid of the idea completely. As the day ends, you walk to the front entrance of the school, mentally exhausted. > You remember you have detention Suddenly, as you reach the front entrance of the school, you remember you have detention. You sigh, not thrilled at the prospect of having to spend the next hour sitting in a class to make up for something you didn't even do intentionally. Ian approaches you from behind and then reaches your side, looking at your face as he does. "We going?" "Sorry, I was late for my first class. I got detention..." He frowns, though he doesn't seem that shocked. "Alright man, I told you to hurry there though." "Yeah I know...Where is detention by the way?" "Er, Room 225..." Ian replies, confused that you don't seem to know something that obvious. He looks like he's about to address the issue, but you quickly thank him and head towards room 225, leaving him behind. Sure enough, it's the correct room for detention. An older woman you don't recognize at all sits at the front of the room. She looks up from her book in time to give you a quick glance, then returns to reading. You put your bag at the side of the room and take a seat away from most of the other delinquents already in the room, not wanting to associate yourself with them. You're only here because you've gone back in time after all, you're not like them. As the minutes pass, you find yourself looking around the room for anything of interest, and quickly spot something, or rather someone. The gothic girl from your first class is also in the room, staring out the window and paying no attention at all to the others in the class. She's only two chairs over from you, and with no one between you and everyone else in the class already occupied, you figure you can use this time to talk to her. If you actually want to that is. It is detention after all, so if you're caught you'd likely be punished. > You try to talk to her You decide to take the chance and go for it. The gnawing feelings inside of you that say you know her are too much to ignore, especially in this situation. You wait for a moment when the older woman at the front of the room seems engrossed in her book, and gracefully move over to the chair beside the gothic girl. With all the grace of a stampeding elephant that is. Not only do you turn over the desk your were previously sitting in, you manage to miss sitting in the other desk, and fall to the ground. The class uproars in laughter before they are hastily shushed by the older woman at the front. You sheepishly smile and turn back your original chair to its original position, then sit in the one beside the goth girl. The woman at the front glares at you for what feels like eternity, before finally returning to her book. Meanwhile, the girl beside you is now turned towards you and glaring at you. Mustering your courage, you finally speak, or rather whisper, to her. "Hey, I'm Jacob." You say, darting a quick glance at the front to make sure you did it without being caught. The girl continues silently starting at you for a moment before replying. "Olivia." "Hey, Olivia. So, this is a bit forward, but I could swear I know you from somewhere." You say. "Have we, like, met before or something?" Olivia looks to the front of the room, then back to you and shrugs. "If we had, I'd probably be offended you forgot about me." She states with an apathetic tone. Though, if someone you knew had asked if they knew you, you'd certainly be offended they had forgotten as well. "Well, nice to meet you then." You say, extending your hand. She slowly extends her own hand and shakes yours. "Yeah, I'm sure we'll get along like the bestest of friends." Olivia says sarcastically. She then turns her attention back to the window, effectively ignoring you. Detention ends without too much else happening. You make your way back home afterwards, and along the way you try to retrace your steps from this morning. Although you go down a wrong alley or two, you eventually make it home. Of course, your mother is noticeably upset you are hours late from school. "So Jacob. Mind explaining why you have come home at such at late hour?" Your mother asks impatiently as you enter the house, two hours after you should have been home. "I...err...sort of had detention." You reply. "What for?" "I was late for my first class..." Your mother seems annoyed, but doesn't push the matter too much further. "Honestly Jacob, you won't ever succeed in life if you don't take things seriously. Even if you dislike school, being tardy is no excuse." She says in a rather condescending manner. You nod your head in agreement and your mother shakes her head, then walks away. The rest of the day passes by with nothing of interest really happening. At the end of the day you go to sleep and wonder if you'll wake up back in the future. > You waking Up You wake up to a brand new day, and to a familiar sight. Sure enough, you're still in the past, in your old bedroom. You get up, get dressed, and make your way downstairs to eat some breakfast. There you find your sister, already ready for her school, eating a waffle. She looks up at you and you can tell she's a bit surprised to see you up already, but you ignore it and grab a poptart for yourself. As you munch on it, you can feel Tina's eyes staring at you. "What?" You ask, slightly annoyed. She visibly flinches at your question and quickly returns her gaze to her waffle. The two of you never really got along, before and after she entered high school, so this kind of interaction is normal. You finish your food and head out there door, just in time to see Ian walk up. "Yo." He says, giving you a short wave. You walk to the end of the walkway and join him in walking to school. Like last time, Ian goes on about another story involving his older brother. This time, once you reach school, you split up and find your class without issue. > You class You first class begins, but instead of teaching like normal, your teacher just stands at the front of the class beside the door. "Today, a new student will be joining us". He says. As he does the new student enters the room. You see a pretty girl with familiar long blonde and pink hair flowing down to just above her waist. A realization hits you as the teacher introduces her. "This is Allison- Jacob, what are you doing?" He asks annoyed, as you stand up and point to Allison with you mouth open. This is the girl you saw in your dream the other day. Her features are far more defined than they were in then, but this is unmistakably the same girl. She smiles at you, amused at your action, while the rest of the quietly giggles. "I, um, her, ah never mind..." You say, returning to your seat flustered. You find it rather doubtful that the teacher will care you saw her in your dream. Rather he, Allison and the rest of the class would no doubt find it creepy. "Alright, Allison, please find a seat." The teacher says, and Allison walks over to an empty seat at the back of the room, flashing you another smile as she passes you. A familiar feeling you've been getting all too often reoccurs. Do you know Allison? > You lunch Lunch time comes, and after finally escaping from your class, you find Allison on your way to the lunch room. She smiles again once she notices you, but rather than approach you, chooses to go outside. Instinctively you follow her out to the bench she is now sitting on. "So..." You begin, cautiously taking a seat beside her on the bench. "I don't I know you, do I? I mean, it feels like we've met before." You ask, recalling that you asked Olivia the same thing yesterday. Why does it seem like you know but can't remember so many people in this school? "Hmmm. You could ask far more interesting questions than that." She replies. "Why I'm here, how I'm here, who I'm here for; all are far more interesting questions." She says. You silently sit together, unable to come up with a proper response for her rather odd answer. Sensing that won't change soon, Allison sighs then speaks again. "We just met now, correct? So it's safe to say it's our first meeting." She says. "If you believe in a linear concept of time that is." Allison adds in a playful tone. You frown, having no idea what she's going on about. Her answer puts you a bit at ease though. You haven't met before, according to her, so maybe you're just imagining things. Maybe your dream of her wasn't really about her then. As you think she stands up and walks a few feet away from you. "For the love long since lost, the old friend forgotten, the new one neglected, the sister he could never see, and the brother he could never be." Allison says suddenly, bending forward and leaning in your direction. "That's why I'm here." She says smiling, she then quickly runs away before you have a chance to question her about her cryptic message. Just who is that girl... You wonder, shaking your head. > You try to talk to Allison more You chase Allison into the lunch room and grab her hand as you catch up, stopping her from running. She turns to you and gives an exaggerated sad expression. "Well, ya caught me, now what?" She asks. You look into her eyes for a minute, and decide to try something. "You're lying." You replying accusingly. "I'm what now?" "Lying. You know who I am. No one acts that friendly to someone they just met, and what you just said before sounds like it has some deeper meaning to it." You say. Allison looks down to her hand, which you immediately let go of, then she glances around the room. Finally she sighs. "You caught me. I know you. But the more important thing here, isn't what I know, but what you know. So, what do you know of me, Jacob?" Allison replies, revealing that your guess was right. Unfortunately, you don't actually know anything about her. The closest you have to a memory of her is your dream, and even if she does actually know you, that'd be a rather odd thing to bring up. Then again, she seems like a rather odd person anyway. "How do you know me?" You ask, trying to ignore her question. She pouts and takes a step back. "Beep beep, wrong answer. Should I take this to mean you don't know anything about me?" She asks. > You tell her about the dream "That's not entirely true..." You reply to her. Curious, she takes a step towards you. "So, what do you know about me then?" Allison asks. "I, um, well, it was just a dream." You begin. "I saw you, at least I think it was you, in a hallway of the school. You ran and I chased you, and then..." "And then?" She asks. "And nothing. The dream just ended after I chased you." "Hmmmm..." She replies, clearly thinking about what you just said. "So, when was this dream?" "Just the other day..." You reply, leaving out the part that you actually dreamt it 8 years in the future. Allison appears to be thinking deeply again. Then she suddenly giggles. "That's kind of creepy to be honest." You almost grasp your chest in response to that critical hit of an insult. Sure enough, she finds it weird and creepy that you would have dreamt about her. "Well, I suppose it's not that bad. Even creeps and geeks have their own appeal after all." She continues, teasing you. "Catch ya later." Allison says, waving and walking away. You give her a short wave back and sigh, unhappy with the results of your conversation. Even so, you decide to hang out in the lunch room longer and have something to eat. > You look for Ian After a short search through the cafeteria, you find Ian sitting with a girl, with long black hair, brown eyes, and dressed in a goth outfit. Oddly enough, you recognize her as Olivia, the girl you were talking to in detention yesterday. Noticing you, Ian waves you over to their table. "Hey man, this here is Olivia." He says, motioning to Olivia. "We're both in the chess club together it seems, so I figured I should hang out with her a bit to get to know her better." Olivia looks at you with a mild expression of surprise while Ian speaks, before scoffing at his remark. "I have a boyfriend you know." She states, apparently thinking Ian had an ulterior motive. "Ah, well of course you do. A cute girl like you is quite the catch." Ian replies, although you can sense he didn't really expect her to have one. Olivia blushes slightly, but it's unnoticed by Ian. "That's right, I had forgotten you were in the chess club Ian." You say, finally sitting down. "Yep, I'm the best damn chess-inator there is!" He replies while puffing out his chest with an odd sense of pride. However you don't really doubt he's the best there, as he's always been incredibly smart. You gaze wanders to Olivia, who notices and speaks. "Just cause I look this way doesn't mean I'm stupid. Girls can be smart too, you know." She says harshly to you, apparently thinking you were judging her inability to play chess based on her goth outfit. You quickly shake your head in response. "I, wait, I never said you couldn't." You said defensively. She turns her head away from you, almost in disgust. Ian looks at the two of you confused. "Am I missing something here? Do you two got some history or something?" "No, of course not. We just met yesterday after all. Didn't we, Jacob?" Olivia replies angrily, even more upset now. "I need to go." She announces, quickly standing from the table and walking away. The two of you watch as she leaves and Ian shrugs as you turn to him. "Girls man. Confusing as hell, right?" He says before taking a drink of his milk in front of him. You nod, but can't help but think there was something more to what Olivia said. > The next morning The rest of the day goes by without much else happening. Neither Allison nor Olivia are in any of your other classes, and you don't seem to run into either of them. You walk home with Ian, and spend the rest of the day lounging around your home. You're beginning to feel like you've fallen into your old routine from back in the day. The next morning, Ian arrives at your door, as per usual, except this time he doesn't seem to have his backpack. "Yo, Jacob." He says while standing at the end of your walkway. "Hey Ian, where's your backpack?" You ask while walking towards him, a bit confused. "Ah, well about that, I was thinking we'd do something a little more interesting than school today." He replies. "Such as?" "Well...you'll see when we get there." He says with a bit of a laugh. "It'll be fun man, just hide your bag somewhere first, we won't need it for where we're going." He adds. If you remember right, skipping school so haphazardly wasn't something Ian often suggested. In fact, if you recall correctly, you were usually the one suggesting it and he was the one rejecting the idea. This makes you really wonder what he has in mind for the day. You stand there and consider if you really want to go or not. After all, if you go you'd be missing school, and you guess that would also mean you miss a chance to see Olivia or Allison. "You won't give any hints about what we're gonna do?" You ask, hopeful. "Not a single one." Ian replies smiling. > You go with Ian "Alright fine, I'll come with you." You reply somewhat grudgingly, trying to mask your interest. Fortunately, your mother had already left for work, taking your sister with her, so you easily return your bag to your closet without being caught. During the walk to the unknown destination, you and Ian converse. "So, now that I've agreed, care to let me in on where we're headed?" You ask. "You'll see when we get there." He replies with a smile. You glare at him, annoyed that he refuses to tell you, but continue to walk along with him. After a short walk he stops in front of what looks to be an abandoned warehouse. You glance at him then to the building. "Seriously? This is it?" You ask, clearly disappointed. A worn down and dangerous building isn't exactly your idea of fun, and it doesn't really fit Ian's either. "You'll change your mind about it once we're inside." He says, leading the way. You follow him into it, although you're rather doubtful your opinion will change. Sure enough, once you follow him through the main door, all you see is a large run-down warehouse, exactly like you expected. "Come on, what are we even doing here Ian?" You ask, suddenly feeling a bit uneasy about the situation. "Don't worry man, just a little further." He says, leading you through the large room and into a side-room. In the side room, which appears to have previously been an office of some sort, you see signs that it was recently used. In fact the furniture inside seems rather new, and there's even a mini-fridge at the side, plugged into a battery pack. Ian hops onto a large, comfortable looking couch, and then smiles. "Welcome to the wolves." > The wolves "The what?" You ask, thoroughly confused. You don't remember anything like this happening in the past. Maybe your decisions have been different from before, leading you to a different outcome. The possibilities run through your mind before Ian snaps you out of it. "The Wolves man. Our gang. Well, you're not really in them yet, but I'm sure my brother won't have a problem with it." Ian says, standing up and opening the mini-fridge, pulling out a beer. "Want one?" He asks casually. You don't really care that he's drinking while under aged, but this isn't how you remember Ian acting. "No..." You reply slowly. "Actually, what the hell is going on? Since when have you been in a gang?" You ask demanding an answer. Ian doesn't seem too put off by your response. It's almost as though he expected it. "Ah well, I've been telling you about this club for the last few days. I mean I never said it was a gang or anything, but it shouldn't come as that much of a surprise." He replies. That's when it hits you. The stories he was saying involving his brother that you largely ignored were about the gang he was in. Most likely he was trying to talk it up a bit before bringing you here. Still, Ian has a great future ahead of him, so he really has no need to be in a gang. "So, you in man?" He asks, with a bit of hesitance. > You protest him being in the gang "No." You reply bluntly. "And you shouldn't be in it either man. The hell is wrong with you?" You say, your voice getting louder. Ian at this points backs away a step, and seems a bit afraid. "You're fucking smart man. Why the hell would you throw that away by being in a gang? You won't -" You yell, then you suddenly stop. 'You won't go anywhere in life', is what you were about to say, but then it dawns on you that that is exactly what happens. He joins you, doing nothing with his life, as a stock boy. Your anger subsides, and your breathing normalizes, but Ian still keeps his distance. "I...I'm sorry." You say in a dejected tone, apologizing. You contemplate saying more, but decide against it. Slowly, you open the office door and exit the room. "I'll see you later." You say. Ian doesn't say anything in return, nor does he try to stop you. You leave the abandoned warehouse and wander around town for the rest of the day, wondering what you can do to help Ian. Along the way you run into a group of girls, wearing a uniform you recognize as the one from the school your sister goes to. They laugh obnoxiously and talk about some other girl in their class. You sigh loudly, annoyed by their interruption of your thought process, but continue walking rather than confront them. By the end of the day, you return home, hungry and without any real solution to how to help Ian. You've concluded that there's nothing you can really do to talk him out of being in the gang. Although you think you probably should have asked him why he's in it before leaving. You eat dinner and go to bed, your mom and sister blissfully ignorant of your day out. You glance at your alarm clock before dozing off, happy that tomorrow is Saturday. > You sleep in You happily decide to sleep in, it's Saturday after all. You do the same as all teenagers in high school do, sleep as much as possible. Or rather, you would have spent it sleeping, had you not been rudely awoken at about two by someone knocking on your front door. You groan as you exit your bed and move downstairs to answer the door. "What?" You ask angrily as you open it, only to find Allison happily standing in front of you. She smiles as you open the door. "Why hello there, Jacob, or should I say good morning?" She says cheekily. You open your mouth to retort, but she interrupts you. "Anyway, I've been out here for a while, so can I come it?" She continues, you go to reply, but she again interrupts you. "What do you mean no? Would you really leave a cute girl outside in the cold?" You stand silently and glare at her as she attempts to make a cute pose. "...Done?" "Yep!" > You say "Good, I'm closing the door" "Good, I'm closing the door." You reply, shutting it immediately in her face. You hear a cry of protest from the other side, and some more banging on the door. Happy with your revenge, you open it again to find her standing there pouting. You smile in response. "Done?" You ask. She nods in response. "Good." You reply, shutting the door yet again in her face and laughing. "Just let me in already, Jacob!" You hear her yell from the other side. You comply and smirk once you see her pouting face again. "Well, what you waiting for? Come in!" You say, feigning ignorance and opening the door wider, letting her in. Though it suddenly dawns on you that yourself and a high schooler are about to be alone in your house. You quickly shake off some of the thoughts that come to mind and shut the door once she enters, escorting her into the living room. "So, what'd you want?" You ask. She places her hand to her mouth and does an 'eh-hem', before replying. "I came to invite you somewhere." Allison replies. You wait for a moment for her to explain further, but get no such response. You're getting quite a few of these invitations to mysterious places lately. "And where would that be?" "Does it matter? You'll be there with me!" She answers, smiling. For someone you just met the other day, she sure is acting awfully close to you. "Alright, when did you want to go then?" Allison looks at the nearby clock, seems to nod approvingly, then looks back to you. "Right now." > You agree to go with her "Alright, I'll go with you." You reply. Allison does a triumphant fist pump to the air and smiles. "Great, well then let's go!" She says, standing up and leaving your house. You follower her obediently for about 10 minutes through the streets of your town before you reach your final destination - a park. She sits on a nearby bench and motions for you to follow. "So, what was the point of coming here?" You ask as you sit beside her. Allison gives a soft shrug in response. "No real reason." She answers as she kicks her legs back and forth. You sigh and turn your attention to the park, which while not full of people, still has a few pairs of children and parents playing. Allison makes small talk with you for a bit, about how she used to live in this area, and was fond of this park. You in turn tell her a few random facts about yourself, nothing really interesting. The mood slowly goes from being a light-hearted conversation into awkward silence. Then Allison sighs. "I can't take this anymore..." She says, and then she promptly grabs your shoulders and pushes herself into your chest. You freeze, her sudden show of affection catching you completely off guard. "I, um, Allison?" You manage say, incredibly conscious of the fact that her blonde and pink hair is brushing up against your face, and that you can feel her breathing on you. "Shut up...you're so stupid..." She mumbles into you as she clenches your shoulders. "Why can't you figure it out already..." You don't respond. You can figure by what she's doing now that she probably has a crush on you. You still have no clue how she knows you, however you can guess that the past you just didn't notice her. Thinking back, the you of the past was pretty oblivious to the things going on around him. You quietly curse your past self for not noticing this cute girl earlier. Then reality kicks in, and you remember that you're in a park with other people, being held by a girl a decade younger than you. Your moral center kicks in shortly after, and you force yourself to gentle push her away from you. Even if you're technically the same age now, something just doesn't feel right. Surprisingly, Allison doesn't protest at all. "I'm sorry..." You say, unable to say anything else. "Don't worry, I understand how you're feeling." She says softly with a forced smile. "That was pretty rude and selfish of me, sorry..." She continues, standing up. "I should have thought about how you felt too." Allison finishes. Before you have a chance to properly respond, she dashes out of the park. You sit there for a few minutes in silence. You hadn't thought that going back into the past would have revealed something like a past crush that you hadn't noticed. It depresses you, but eventually you pick yourself up and head home. > You sunday You wake up the next morning to the sound of your mother calling for you, saying something about a phone. You slowly manage to wake yourself up and get dressed, only to have your mom scold you when you finally get downstairs. "Honestly Jacob, it's noon now, it shouldn't take you this long to wake up on a Sunday." She says. "You won't be successful in life if you spend all your time sleeping." You nod your head, still somewhat asleep in response. You can't really disagree with her, given she's right about not being successful in life, though you rather doubt it's because you tend to sleep in. After she finishes scolding you she explains that Ian called and that you need to call him back, so you take the phone and return his call. "Hm? Why did I call?" Ian asks after you call him. "I'm bored, so I wanted to hang out. You busy?" He continues. You tell him you're not so he says he'll be over in a minute and hangs up. About twenty minutes later he comes over, and the two of you spend the afternoon together at your house. You reminisce about the times when you and Ian used to do these kinds of things. For you, high school was probably the high-light of your life, as after that you accomplished nothing but working in a dead end job. Sure it could have been worse, but you still wonder about what could have been. Eventually Ian asks you a question you didn't expect. "So, who you goin' to the fair with?" He asks. You frown and tilt your head slightly, indicating you really have no idea what he's talking about. "The annual fair? You know, the thing that comes here ever year? It's opening up next weekend." You think back and try to remember what Ian is talking about. You're pretty sure you remember a fair happening, or rather it'd be stranger if a fair hadn't happened. "Ah yeah, that fair." You reply, vaguely remembering it. "Yep, that fair. So who you goin' with?" You haven't asked anyone yet, but you should at least tell Ian your intentions. > You you're not going Thinking it over, you decide you don't really want to go to this fair. "I'm not going." You reply. Ian gets visibly upset. "What the hell, man? You say that every year." He says. You shrug in response. "Just doesn't seem like it would be fun, no big deal. Who are you going with?" You ask, trying to move the conversation away from you. "I haven't made plans yet...I think I'll ask Olivia to go with me though." Ian says, with hint of nervousness. "Doesn't she have a boyfriend?" "Who cares? I'm not asking her to date, I'm just seeing if she wants to go to the fair with me." He retorts. Ian's intentions here are obvious, but he's really trying to deny them. You weren't aware he was into Olivia though. Thinking back it kind of makes sense, they're both on the chess team, and he even introduced her to you. "Anyway, she might say no, but you never know." He finishes. You give a short nod, and the conversation ends. The two of you carry on talking and hanging out until the night comes, and Ian leaves. > The next morning The next morning comes and you head out to school with Ian like normal. The day passes and nothing of interest happens at all. You're not surprised or disappointed by this. Thinking back, this was the way you had always lived, simply going through life day after day, doing as little as possible. With no real ambition, you're likely to end up right back at the grocery store after you graduate. Maybe fate really is preventing you from changing your ways, or maybe you're just afraid of what might happen if you pursue something you actually want. If you're just going to fail and get disappointed anyway, then what's the point of trying to change, right? At least, that's what you think. You become content with falling back into your high school routine. Weeks pass, and the thought that you're a decade in the past is all but a distant memory. That's fine though. This is what was supposed to happen; the way it's meant to be. It's because of fate, so it's not your fault that you were unsuccessful in changing anything. At least, that's what you tell yourself. > You retry The sound of your alarm clock wakes you and you groggily switch it off. You go through your normal morning routine and grudgingly head off to your job. As always, you arrive at work on time and walk straight into the back room to put on your uniform. Once there you notice your best friend, Ian, is already dressed and preparing to begin. "Hey Jake." "Hey Ian, ready for another exciting day?" You ask sarcastically. "Oh yea, working here has been highlight of my entire life." He replies with equal sarcasm, "I hope I never quit." "Ah yes, stocking food has always been a dream of yours hasn't it?" "A lifelong-dream. Now if you'll excuse me, it's time to live that dream." He grabs a small nearby crate and rolls it into the main area of the store. You never thought he would end up as a stock boy in a grocery store. Then again, you thought both of you had bright futures. Although you were never really motivated to do anything, Ian was and certainly should have succeeded. You sigh and change into your uniform; this is your life and there's no point in brooding over what could have been. The day goes by relatively quickly, which is about the only benefit to the job. However it's a rather hollow benefit, as the day passing by faster just means you have to work that much sooner the next day. You and Ian wave goodbye to each other at five o'clock and you walk to your small one-bedroom apartment, reaching it by 5:30pm.

You wake up the next morning to the sound of your mother calling for you, saying something about a phone. You slowly manage to wake yourself up and get dressed, only to have your mom scold you when you finally get downstairs. "Honestly Jacob, it's noon now, it shouldn't take you this long to wake up on a Sunday." She says. "You won't be successful in life if you spend all your time sleeping." You nod your head, still somewhat asleep in response. You can't really disagree with her, given she's right about not being successful in life, though you rather doubt it's because you tend to sleep in. After she finishes scolding you she explains that Ian called and that you need to call him back, so you take the phone and return his call. "Hm? Why did I call?" Ian asks after you call him. "I'm bored, so I wanted to hang out. You busy?" He continues. You tell him you're not so he says he'll be over in a minute and hangs up. About twenty minutes later he comes over, and the two of you spend the afternoon together at your house. You reminisce about the times when you and Ian used to do these kinds of things. For you, high school was probably the high-light of your life, as after that you accomplished nothing but working in a dead end job. Sure it could have been worse, but you still wonder about what could have been. Eventually Ian asks you a question you didn't expect. "So, who you goin' to the fair with?" He asks. You frown and tilt your head slightly, indicating you really have no idea what he's talking about. "The annual fair? You know, the thing that comes here ever year? It's opening up next weekend." You think back and try to remember what Ian is talking about. You're pretty sure you remember a fair happening, or rather it'd be stranger if a fair hadn't happened. "Ah yeah, that fair." You reply, vaguely remembering it. "Yep, that fair. So who you goin' with?" You haven't asked anyone yet, but you should at least tell Ian your intentions. > You you're going with Allison "I think I'm gonna go with Allison." You respond. The mysterious girl has been on your mind quite a bit lately, and you still don't know a lot about her. The fair would be a great time to get to know her, especially given she basically just confessed she loved you the other day at the park. There's no way she should feel that strongly about you after such a short time. "Allison? Oh, the new girl in our class? I didn't know you guys were talking." He says, mildly shocked. "Yeah, I've been talking with her this past week." "Hmm...well good luck man." Ian says. "So, who are you goin' with?" You ask, turning the subject onto him. "Me? Hm...I was gonna ask Olivia." "Olivia? Really?" You say surprised. Though, thinking back it shouldn't be too surprising. He did introduce you to her, and she is in the chess club with him. "Really." He replies. "Even though she has a boyfriend?" "Ah well, I'll deal with that when it's brought up." Ian says, laughing. You laugh with him and the conversation turns back to mundane things. The day passes and eventually Ian returns to his home. > Monday Morning As per usual, you and Ian walk to school together in the morning. He talks about his older brother, but by now you've learned to just zone out while he's doing so. You have far more important things to think about anyway, such as how you're actually going to get Allison to go to the fair with you. No, that's probably the wrong way of looking at it. The real hard part will be dealing with her being in love with you. Or having a crush on you. Or just really being into you. Truthfully you're not really sure which it is, but you'll need to settle that matter regardless. You do find Allison attractive, a thought that causes great conflicts within you, but you'd feel like you're taking advantage of her if you pursued her that way. Thinking about it further, you realize you still have no idea what her relation to you is either. After all, she clearly knew you before you met in class. The way she spoke to you and her avoidance of key questions made that clear, not to mention there's no way she'd feel strongly about you if you just met. You sigh as you enter the school, your thoughts becoming muddled. No matter which you decide to confront her on, the first step is to actually find and talk to her. A step greatly hindered by the fact that she isn't in your class when you enter. Confused, you approach the teacher. "Ah..." You say, remembering you still have no idea what his name is. "Um, is Allison sick or something?" You ask, pressing forward anyway. The teacher thinks for a moment then shakes his head. "She hasn't called the school. It's odd, she transferred in near the end of the year, and she has skipped most of the lessons..." He replies pondering. The answer isn't exactly what you were expecting or what you wanted to hear, but you thank him anyway and head to your seat. The first period ends quickly, and you're left wondering how you should proceed with this situation. > You continue with classes like normal Realizing you have no idea where she could be anyway, you decide to just continue with your classes like normal. Allison has to return to school sometime, so you can just speak with her then. Sure enough, in time for the start of your next class, Allison shows up. You don't really have a chance to speak with her during the class, but you can tell she seems pretty down. Not wanting to risk her leaving again before you get the chance to ask, you decide to slip her a note asking her to go to the fair with you. You can't think of a way to solve the other issues, so you'll just deal with them later. You raise your hand to leave for the bathroom, and on your way out you pass by Allison's desk, dropping the note as you do. Out of the corner of your eye as you leave, you notice her open it. When the class ends, you approach her. "So uh....do you have an answer?" You ask nervously. This whole scenario seems rather odd, but you can't help but feel like a high school boy asking out a girl. Allison gives you a short look and a nod. It seems like she's still upset over something though. "You okay Allison?" You ask concerned. She nods again. "I'm just thinking about some things, I'll be fine in a bit." She replies in a low voice, walking away. You frown, but can't think of anything else to say, so you leave it at that. > You after School School ends and you met Ian as per usual at the front of school, however today you have something different in mind. "Hey, Ian, I'll catch you later, I'm going to go with Allison." You tell him, spotting her down the hallway. Ian nods and leaves without you, and you head towards Allison. She smiles as she sees you, apparently back to her normal self. "Why hello there Jacob! Why haven't you left for your house yet?" She asks. "Well, I was waiting for you of course. Care to walk with me?" You reply, gesturing for her to follow. Allison takes the hint and walks besides you. "Hmm, and where might you be taking me?" She asks with a coy smile. "It's a secret." You reply smiling, mimicking how she acted to you on Saturday. Rather than demand any further answers, she just continues smiling. "I see. Well, lead on." And with that, the two of you exit the school grounds. Just like on Saturday, the two of you end up at the park Allison brought you to. While you succeeded in asking her to the fair, you've been pondering the rest of the day as to how you should solve the other issues with her. You're curious as to how she knows you, but you also want to know how she really feels. It's possible you just misunderstood her the other day, so you need to clarify. As the two of you enter the oddly deserted park, you go to speak, but are stopped by her placing her index finger against your mouth. The intimacy of the sudden act immediately pacifies you, and you're left awkwardly staring into Allison's eyes. "One question. I'll answer one question, regardless of what it is, as honestly as I can." She says in a serious tone, removing her finger from your lips. "But after that I make no promises, hehe." She finishes. Allison seems to have read your mind and intentions here, so rather than tempt fate, you give in and ask her one question. > You how do you feel about you\? "Then....how do you feel about me?" You ask nervously. "That's easy. I love you, Jacob." Allison shamelessly confesses with a smirk. Your heart practically skips a beat as you hear the words leave her lips. It's just as you thought, Allison really does love you. But how? She barely knows you, right?" "W....why? How can you lo...love me when we barely know each other." You say stuttering. You shouldn't be this nervous in front of her, after all it's not like you'll actually act on her feelings towards you. You're a decade older than her after all, it just wouldn't feel right. Even so, you've never had a girl in love with you. You can't even put into words how you feel right now. Allison makes a cute pose and crosses her arms. "Beep beep. Nope, you only get one question!" She says triumphantly. "Besides Jacob, a cute girl just confessed her love for you. Shouldn't you be saying something in return?" Allison says accusingly. You take a step back in confusion. She's obviously talking about saying you love her back, but can you really say such a thing? You'll admit she's cute, and you do find her personality to be fun, but are you really sure if you love her or not? It's not something you ever considered before. You shake you're head. There's no way you can say such a thing so soon, even if it was true you've only know Allison for a week. "Thank you." You say. Allison pouts in response, but doesn't seem surprised. "You would say something like that. Just admit you like me!" "Well, I do like you. I can't say anything beyond that though..." You reply earnestly. "I really should be used to you doing this to me by now." She says with a sigh. "Oh well. That's your one question. I need to go now, see you later Jacob." She says, leaving you alone in the park with a wave. You wave back and let her leave, realizing you won't be able to stop her. "I love you, Jacob." Allison's words echo in your head as you watch her go. If someone had asked you what you would expect if you had gone back in time while you were in the future, a girl you never met confessing her love to you would have never come to your mind. > You tuesday The next day Allison appears to be missing again. You're still not sure why she's keeps disappearing like this, but after yesterday you're satisfied enough to not look for her. You got her to agree to go to the fair with you, and to answer one of the questions you were dying to ask, so you'll just be patient and wait for her to return. Although you think that, you're still hopefully she'll show up during the day. However she never shows. Classes pass and the school day ends, and Allison is still nowhere to be seen. "Hey Jacob, something wrong?" Ian asks as the two of you prepare to leave the school. Ian's pretty good at reading you, so he probably knows something has been on your mind all day. "Yeah, I'm really curious as to where Allison is." You reply absentmindedly. "Ah yeah, the new girl who keeps skipping school. You asked her to the fair already right?" "Yeah, she said yes." "Great man, so you ready for the fair?" "What do you mean ready?" The two of you reach the other perimeter of the school and Ian stops. "Ready, as in you planned what you're going to do with her..." He says, as though it's a really obvious fact you should already be aware of. You had been so focused on getting her there and your other issues, that you had forgotten what you'd actually do." "Shit...." You say. You then look to Ian. "What are you going to do then? You asked Olivia to go right? Did she say yes?" You ask. Ian frowns and sighs. "Sort of. I asked her but she's pretty keen on saying she has a boyfriend. Apparently she's not even going to go with him anyway." He complains. You nod sympathetically, and your mind wanders to thinking about what you should do with Allison when the fair comes while Ian speaks. > You wednesday The next day comes and you haven't been able to come up with much of a plan for what to do with Allison. From what you can remember about the fair, it was a rather small one, and was mainly comprised of the typical carnival games that no one can ever win. You think there was a Ferris wheel, at least there should be one, and a few other rides. Apart from the Ferris wheel though, there isn't anything romantic there. You shake your head at the thought and bring your attention back to class. The teacher is going on about something to do with your futures, which you quickly lose interest in, causing your attention to drift back to Allison and the fair. You're still feeling guilty about it all for some odd reason, but you asked her to the fair, which you can assume to implicitly mean she does like you. Well, actually you already know she likes you, you're just not sure how far you should take that. Your plan had been to take her to all the romantic rides, since you figured that's what you're supposed to do, but you're quickly realizing your situation isn't so typical. Halfway through the day, Allison finally arrives at the school. You're relieved to see that she's fine, but feeling somewhat anxious seeing her again. "Hey Jacob! Did I miss anything important?" Allison asks as she joins you and Ian in the cafeteria. "Nope, nothing at all." You reply. She smiles and sits beside you, with Ian smirking in a chair across from the two of you. "Ah, look at the time. Sorry Jacob, I'll leave you with the new girl, I gotta go find Olivia." Ian announces, standing up. Obviously he intends to have you and Allison spend some time alone, which you internally thank him for. "Seeya, new girl." Ian says waving to Allison, to which she politely waves back. She then turns and looks at you. "So...." You begin awkwardly. "Where were you yesterday?" You ask. Allison averts her gaze. "No where special. Just didn't feel like coming to school." She replies. "More importantly, how are things with you?" She asks. You shrug. "Fine. You're ready for the fair this weekend right?" You ask. Allison frowns, apparently unhappy with that reply. "Really? Nothing new or unexpected happened to you?" "Not in particular, no." You reply with a straight face. Apart from the fair and Allison, nothing new or important has been happening to you since you went back in time. Well, apart from you actually going back in time, but you don't intend on telling her that. You hear Allison mutter something under her breath in an annoyed tone, before she speaks again. "I see. That's a shame, new and exciting things happening is what makes life good." She says. "I suppose. We can count the fair as one of those things though, right?" You reply hopeful. Allison sighs, then smiles. "Yes, I suppose we can. I do love those carnival games after all." The two of you finishing eating and return to class. You continue attempting to plan your day at the fair with Allison throughout the afternoon, and by the end of school you think you have a pretty good idea of what to do. > You saturday The rest of the school week passes, and Saturday finally arrives. By now you've made lots of small talk with Allison, finding out what foods she likes, and what rides she prefers. The only thing left to do is to actually go with her. You've arranged to meet at the fair grounds at about 3pm. Before leaving for the fair, you swing by Ian's place to see what he's up to. Unfortunately, upon arriving you find that no one is home, which you find rather confusing. Even if Ian had already left, his brother, or anyone else, should have been home. After a quick scout around his house, you confirm that no one is home, and make your way to the fair alone. You had wanted to hang around Ian and his date to make things less awkward with Allison, but it looks like you'll have no such luck. You arrive at the spot in the fair you agreed to meet Allison at a good ten minutes earlier, enough time to give you a second to take in the experience. You haven't been to the fair before, so the first thing you notice is the overbearing lights and sounds. You'd be surprised if any sort of meaningful conversation could be had between the two of you in this environment. The carnival games create a path through the fairgrounds, and surrounding that straight path lie all of the various rides, along with some food booths. You hear the loud clanging of metal all around you, when suddenly you feel a tug on your shirt. Allison stands behind you, wearing a cute outfit you didn't expect her to wear. You really don't like thinking about her that way, but the way she's acting is forcing your mind in that direction. Then again, the fact that you took her to the fair on a date means you had accepted that you liked her, so you might as well make the best of it. Now that she's here, she looks at you expectantly, and you tell her where you plan to take her first. > You eat some food "Let's go eat some food." You tell Allison. Allison gives you a strange look. "It's a bit earlier for food don't you think?" She says skeptically. You shrug and lead her to the food area anyway. The food from the fair is exactly as you would have expected it to be. It's expensive, high in fat and sugars, and wildly mediocre in taste at best. However the two of you manage to enjoy some nachos together, and afterwards some cotton candy. During the week Allison had told you that she loved cotton candy, so you made sure to get some for the two of you. You had separate ones of course, but it made you happy to see her happy. Come to think of it, when was the last time you felt this way? After high school you had simply followed Ian into the supermarket, a decision that didn't have much thought or effort behind it. Then again, you never had the ambition to do anything anyway, so you were content. At least, you thought you were. "This is sooo good!" Allison practically squeals in delight while eating her cotton candy. "Here!" She says, stuffing some of her partly eaten cotton candy into your mouth. Embarrassed, you eat it, to which she smirks. "Is this really the kind of thing you should get embarrassed about, Jacob?" Allison asks playfully, but your mind is elsewhere. This whole experience for you is so confusing. How can you be so infatuated with someone you just met? Somehow it feels like you've known Allison for so much longer. The two of you finishing eating and go on to the next activity. > You go on the rides "Let's go on the rides." You tell Allison Allison looks you up and down before shrugging. "I would have preferred to go on them later, but alright." She replies. The two of you start off with the bumper cars, where Allison proceeds to repeatedly ram you against the wall with her car, much to your dismay and her pleasure. Next you play around in the hall of mirrors, then you go to the haunted house. It's at this point Allison questions whether or not you'd consider these rides or attractions, but you insist they count. After that, you decide to take her to a 'real' ride, the roller coaster that they have. The roller coaster turns out to be a success, and after it you take her to some spinning cups, spinning cages, and finally, the Ferris wheel. From the start the Ferris wheel had been the only ride you really wanted to take her on, admittedly with an ulterior motive. The two of you reach the top of the Ferris wheel and it stops. You gaze at the view. While it doesn't go that high, and there's nothing particular unique about the scenery in your town, there's something peaceful about seeing it from up here. You turn to Allison, who sighs as she too gazes into the distance. "Hey, Jacob?" She begins. "What do you think about me?" She asks. With her eyes looking elsewhere, she doesn't see you immediately dart your eyes away from her. You had come up here hoping for some sort of romantic scenario to unfold, but her tone and eyes seem distant and sad. Like she's trying to reaffirm something rather, than ask you for real. "I like you, of course." You manage to reply. You don't quite have the courage to say you love her as it stands, but you can at least say this much. She turns to you and smiles. "Yeah....I know...." Allison replies in almost a whisper. "Thanks, I just needed to hear that. Sorry to make you uncomfortable." She says in a more normal tone. You can't stand to see her looking so depressed, so you quickly reply. "Don't be. I'm having fun." You say with a smile. She smiles back, and the ride continues. After exiting the Ferris wheel, you decide on where you want to head to next. > You play some of the carnival games "Let's go win some prizes at the games." You tell Allison. She smiles and nods her head. "Yes! I love these games! You'll win me something right?" She asks, leaning into you. "Well, I'm not very good at them, so I can't promise anything." You reply, weary of her closeness. "That's no good Jacob. When a girl tells you to get something for her, you should just do it!" Allison proclaims in a bossy tone. "I don't think that's the way relationships work...." You reply skeptically. "Probably not, but it's how ours does, hehe." She says with a cheeky grin. "Well like I said, I'm not good at them, but I'll try." "Great, trying is all I ask of you." "So you won't be disappointed when I lose?" "But you won't lose." "I'm telling you I'm n-" You begin to retort, but Allison holds up her hand. "Try before deciding if you'll fail or not." She says calmly. You're slightly put off by her change in tone, but nod and agree to try. Much to your surprise, you actually turn out to be pretty good at carnival games, winning a few prizes for yourself and Allison. Allison has a big "I told you so" smile the whole time, but you don't mind. After winning enough prizes to satisfy Allison, you decide on where you want to go to next. > You end of the fair After the fair, you and Allison make your way to a bench just outside of the fairgrounds. According to Allison, this bench is the best viewpoint for the fireworks they're having. You weren't aware they were even having fireworks, so you just agreed with her to view them from here. The cold air getting at the her, Allison moves closer to you and rests her head on your shoulders. At this point, you think it's all but official the two of you are dating now. All you'd need to do now is lean down and kiss her, but you put it off for now. Whether it's fear, or nervousness, or something else, something inside of you is saying not to right now. Your feelings seem to be somewhat conflicted on the manner still. Allison shifts her weight and nudges in closer to you, causing you to unconsciously put your arm around her. She looks up at you and smiles, and you turn your head and blush. She really is cute, is all you can think about at this moment. Her long blonde and pink stripped hair flows down into her lap, and her bright blue eyes seem to shine even on this poorly lit bench. If she was just cute you could probably deal with ignoring her, but she seems to understand you perfectly, something you never thought could happen. Suddenly, the fireworks start, interrupting your internal conflict. You hadn't even noticed, but by now others have all gathered around the two of you to watch the fireworks. Luckily, you and Allison still have space between you and them, but you're suddenly really self-conscious that you're holding her in your arms. The bright lights and loud sounds of the fireworks seem to memorize the crowd for the few brief minutes they burst in the sky. Then, as quickly as they started, the fireworks end, and the crowd begins to disperse around you. As they do, Allison grips a hold of your hand that's currently around her, and looks into your eyes. "Hey, Jacob?" "H...Hm?" "This is okay, right?" "What is?" "The two of us, together. It's okay....right?" Allison asks, as if she's pleading for you to answer for her. You're not sure if she's also conflicted, or if she just notices you are, but you need to answer her, to make a decision. > You say "No, it's not right" No, this just doesn't feel right. For some reason, you come to the conclusion that you just shouldn't be with Allison. You practically grimace in pain as you slowly move your arm away from her, and gently slide down the bench. "No....it's not right. I'm sorry Allison." You reply as you look to the side, unable to face her properly. There's a brief moment of silence between you, before Allison speaks. "You're probably right. I need to stop this...." She says softly. "I keep getting side-tracked into my own delusions, and I keep doing all these selfish things..." She continues. You look at her and notice she's now sitting with her legs on the bench and her arms wrapped around them. "I'm sorry I keep dragging you into this, Jacob. I'm sure I'll get it right one of these times." You tilt your head slightly in confusion and frown. This isn't exactly what you expected when you rejected her. She's saying all these things you don't understand. "What are you talking about?" You manage to ask, curiosity gaining the better of you. Allison turns to you and sighs. "It's nothing, don't worry about it. See you another time, Jacob." She says as she stands up and walks away from the bench, without looking back. You watch silently as she leaves, before making your way home. You're not sure what the future holds, but you know it won't be one with Allison. > You allison - Bad End Unfortunately, you got the bad ending for Allison's route. This means that you made a few wrong choices in her path, and as a result didn't get a high enough score to get the better ending option (or you simply choose this one over it) . As a hint, I'll tell you that the order of the events you do at the fair matters, and that being concerned for her earlier on could make a difference. Hope you try again!

School ends and you met Ian as per usual at the front of school, however today you have something different in mind. "Hey, Ian, I'll catch you later, I'm going to go with Allison." You tell him, spotting her down the hallway. Ian nods and leaves without you, and you head towards Allison. She smiles as she sees you, apparently back to her normal self. "Why hello there Jacob! Why haven't you left for your house yet?" She asks. "Well, I was waiting for you of course. Care to walk with me?" You reply, gesturing for her to follow. Allison takes the hint and walks besides you. "Hmm, and where might you be taking me?" She asks with a coy smile. "It's a secret." You reply smiling, mimicking how she acted to you on Saturday. Rather than demand any further answers, she just continues smiling. "I see. Well, lead on." And with that, the two of you exit the school grounds. Just like on Saturday, the two of you end up at the park Allison brought you to. While you succeeded in asking her to the fair, you've been pondering the rest of the day as to how you should solve the other issues with her. You're curious as to how she knows you, but you also want to know how she really feels. It's possible you just misunderstood her the other day, so you need to clarify. As the two of you enter the oddly deserted park, you go to speak, but are stopped by her placing her index finger against your mouth. The intimacy of the sudden act immediately pacifies you, and you're left awkwardly staring into Allison's eyes. "One question. I'll answer one question, regardless of what it is, as honestly as I can." She says in a serious tone, removing her finger from your lips. "But after that I make no promises, hehe." She finishes. Allison seems to have read your mind and intentions here, so rather than tempt fate, you give in and ask her one question. > You how do you know you\? "Alright, how do you know me? You act really friendly with me, like we've known each other for a long time, but I've only known you for less than a week." You tell her. "Hmm...The easiest way to answer that, is to say we used to date." She responds. "We did?" You ask confused. You don't remember dating her in the past. "We certainly did. How do you think I know you so well?" She asks in turn. While she hasn't mentioned any facts about your past or anything to prove she really knows you, she is pretty good at guessing what you'll say and do. To this, you shrug, unable to come up with an answer. "Thought so. We dated, that's the answer to your question. The only answer I'll be giving, I might add." Allison says, attempting to stomp out any additional questions. You don't want to say she's wrong, and that you haven't dated before, but you honestly can't remember your past well enough to dispute it. "Alright, when did we date then?" You ask. "Nope, that's a second question!" Allison answers with a smile. "No it's not, it's part of the first question!" You reply. "Nope! It's a brand new question. That's it for today Jacob! See you later." Allison says, turning and leaving with a short wave before you get a chance to tell her otherwise. You sigh, but with your question answered, just give in and wave back. You didn't expect that you had dated her before, but it's not entirely impossible. It probably would have been at least seven years ago, when you were eleven, since in between then and now you were in a completely different city. Allison must have a pretty good memory to remember you from back then. Done with the park, you return home.

As per usual, you and Ian walk to school together in the morning. He talks about his older brother, but by now you've learned to just zone out while he's doing so. You have far more important things to think about anyway, such as how you're actually going to get Allison to go to the fair with you. No, that's probably the wrong way of looking at it. The real hard part will be dealing with her being in love with you. Or having a crush on you. Or just really being into you. Truthfully you're not really sure which it is, but you'll need to settle that matter regardless. You do find Allison attractive, a thought that causes great conflicts within you, but you'd feel like you're taking advantage of her if you pursued her that way. Thinking about it further, you realize you still have no idea what her relation to you is either. After all, she clearly knew you before you met in class. The way she spoke to you and her avoidance of key questions made that clear, not to mention there's no way she'd feel strongly about you if you just met. You sigh as you enter the school, your thoughts becoming muddled. No matter which you decide to confront her on, the first step is to actually find and talk to her. A step greatly hindered by the fact that she isn't in your class when you enter. Confused, you approach the teacher. "Ah..." You say, remembering you still have no idea what his name is. "Um, is Allison sick or something?" You ask, pressing forward anyway. The teacher thinks for a moment then shakes his head. "She hasn't called the school. It's odd, she transferred in near the end of the year, and she has skipped most of the lessons..." He replies pondering. The answer isn't exactly what you were expecting or what you wanted to hear, but you thank him anyway and head to your seat. The first period ends quickly, and you're left wondering how you should proceed with this situation. > You leave and look for Allison You decide it's better to go look for Allison than to wait around at school. It's not like you're learning anything important anyway. You brazenly walk out the front doors of the school and head towards the park Allison took you to on Saturday; the only place you think she could be. That is to say you start to head there, when you see Allison walking towards the school. Confused, but with your objective already achieved, you approach her. She notices you, and brings her gaze to the ground. "Hey, Allison." You say. Moments after the words leave your lips, you realize she seems off. "You okay?" You ask in a concerned manner. Allison brings her eyes to yours briefly, before looking away and doing a small shuffle backwards. "...I'm fine..." She replies after a short silence. "You don't seem fine..." You reply, fairly certain she's feeling nervous. Though, given your last meeting that's to be expected. Not being the best with words, you decide you can't apologize for this properly, so you move straight into your question. "So, uh, I was wondering if you wanted to go to the fair with me..." You say, unconfidently with a small blush. Allison looks up at you, and for the first time you notice her eyes are bright blue. She stares at you expressionless for a second, before smiling. "Yeah, that's just like you." She says happily with a giggle, her mood changing completely. "Yep, this is fine. I shall allow you to take me to the fair, Jacob." She continues in a fake haughty tone. "Great. So...we're good then?" "Of course. I was never mad at you to begin with." She replies in a matter-of-fact tone. "I'm just dealing with some things is all." She says, walking by you towards the school. "Come on, you really shouldn't skip school." Allison says with a sheepish smile, continuing towards the school. Like you're one to talk... You think to yourself with a smile as you follow her.

"Good, I'm closing the door." You reply, shutting it immediately in her face. You hear a cry of protest from the other side, and some more banging on the door. Happy with your revenge, you open it again to find her standing there pouting. You smile in response. "Done?" You ask. She nods in response. "Good." You reply, shutting the door yet again in her face and laughing. "Just let me in already, Jacob!" You hear her yell from the other side. You comply and smirk once you see her pouting face again. "Well, what you waiting for? Come in!" You say, feigning ignorance and opening the door wider, letting her in. Though it suddenly dawns on you that yourself and a high schooler are about to be alone in your house. You quickly shake off some of the thoughts that come to mind and shut the door once she enters, escorting her into the living room. "So, what'd you want?" You ask. She places her hand to her mouth and does an 'eh-hem', before replying. "I came to invite you somewhere." Allison replies. You wait for a moment for her to explain further, but get no such response. You're getting quite a few of these invitations to mysterious places lately. "And where would that be?" "Does it matter? You'll be there with me!" She answers, smiling. For someone you just met the other day, she sure is acting awfully close to you. "Alright, when did you want to go then?" Allison looks at the nearby clock, seems to nod approvingly, then looks back to you. "Right now." > You refuse to go with her "I'd really prefer not to..." You reply, attempting to dissuade her. In response, she moves towards you until she's right by your face. "Are you really refusing to go out with a cute girl?" She asks accusingly. For a moment she seems to be thinking about something, then she suddenly grabs your hand. "Nope, you're coming!" Allison happily declares. You pull your hand away from her, standing your ground. "I don't want to go with you. Who the hell are you anyway?" You ask the girl. For someone who you just met a few days ago, she's incredibly clingy and demanding of you. Shocked, she backs away from you and sits back in her chair, eyes facing the ground. "I...I'm sorry Jacob." She weakly states. "I got a bit ahead of myself it seems. Heh, something must really be wrong with me." She continues in a dejected tone. You sigh. It seems you got too angry with her and made her upset. Truthfully you find her persistence a little, well more than a little, annoying. You never had that much motivation to do anything growing up, so seeing someone so opposite to you just gets at you a bit. "Naw, it's me that has something wrong with him. Refusing to leave with such a cute girl." You reply, you face flushing red as you compliment her. "But really, I barely know you. Why are you so interested in me?" You ask. You also remember that you never actually told her where you live, but you get the feeling you really don't want to hear how she knows. Allison takes a deep breath, smacks her cheeks, and looks up to face you. "No real reason. You just seemed interesting is all." She says with an obviously fake smile. "Well, if you don't want to go with me I should probably go." She says standing up. "I'll see you later Jacob..." She says as she waves to you and exits your house. You want to question her more, but she seems like she's moments away from emotionally breaking down, so you instead just nod in response as she leaves. You lay down on your couch after she's gone and stare up at your ceiling. Who is she... You think, before drifting off to sleep for a nap.

You happily decide to sleep in, it's Saturday after all. You do the same as all teenagers in high school do, sleep as much as possible. Or rather, you would have spent it sleeping, had you not been rudely awoken at about two by someone knocking on your front door. You groan as you exit your bed and move downstairs to answer the door. "What?" You ask angrily as you open it, only to find Allison happily standing in front of you. She smiles as you open the door. "Why hello there, Jacob, or should I say good morning?" She says cheekily. You open your mouth to retort, but she interrupts you. "Anyway, I've been out here for a while, so can I come it?" She continues, you go to reply, but she again interrupts you. "What do you mean no? Would you really leave a cute girl outside in the cold?" You stand silently and glare at her as she attempts to make a cute pose. "...Done?" "Yep!" > You say "Fine, come in" "Fine, come in", you reply, opening the door further and allowing her to enter. Given her personality, you're rather doubtful she would have accepted no as an actual answer. You lead her into your living room and sit across from her once there. "So, what'd you want?" You ask skeptically. Allison's eyes seem to wander around your living room during this time, but are brought back to you once you ask. "I'd like to invite you somewhere...can you come?" She asks. You sit and wait for her to elaborate, but when she remains silent you decide you'll have to ask yourself. "Invite me to where?" "It's a secret!" "That doesn't answer my question." "It wasn't suppose to!" "You're not going to answer me properly are you?" You ask. She grins and nods her head. "Can you at least tell me when?" "Now." "Why now?" "Why not now?" You figure that's all you'll get out of her, so you decide to just make up your mind about the matter.

"No." You reply bluntly. "And you shouldn't be in it either man. The hell is wrong with you?" You say, your voice getting louder. Ian at this points backs away a step, and seems a bit afraid. "You're fucking smart man. Why the hell would you throw that away by being in a gang? You won't -" You yell, then you suddenly stop. 'You won't go anywhere in life', is what you were about to say, but then it dawns on you that that is exactly what happens. He joins you, doing nothing with his life, as a stock boy. Your anger subsides, and your breathing normalizes, but Ian still keeps his distance. "I...I'm sorry." You say in a dejected tone, apologizing. You contemplate saying more, but decide against it. Slowly, you open the office door and exit the room. "I'll see you later." You say. Ian doesn't say anything in return, nor does he try to stop you. You leave the abandoned warehouse and wander around town for the rest of the day, wondering what you can do to help Ian. Along the way you run into a group of girls, wearing a uniform you recognize as the one from the school your sister goes to. They laugh obnoxiously and talk about some other girl in their class. You sigh loudly, annoyed by their interruption of your thought process, but continue walking rather than confront them. By the end of the day, you return home, hungry and without any real solution to how to help Ian. You've concluded that there's nothing you can really do to talk him out of being in the gang. Although you think you probably should have asked him why he's in it before leaving. You eat dinner and go to bed, your mom and sister blissfully ignorant of your day out. You glance at your alarm clock before dozing off, happy that tomorrow is Saturday. > You wake up early Remembering your mother's words, you quickly spring to life early in the morning, and prepare to take your sister to school. Though, all that really involves is you walking a few blocks with her. Although you should have your license at this age (and after a quick check you confirm you do), your mother has the only vehicle, so driving your sister is out of the question. After getting ready you exit your door to find Tina standing there, her fist seemingly prepared to knock. An awkward moment of silence follows as you look at her, contemplating why you two never talk in the future. "We...have to go soon." She manages to say, looking down at the ground to avoid eye contact. Why the hell does it seem like she's afraid? It annoys you, but you try to ignore it. Your own sister, afraid of you. "Yeah, let's go." You say, walking past her and towards the door. Come to think of it, you moved around a few times while you were a child, and a good portion of it was due to her. Even though Ian is your best friend, now and in the future, you had only become friends with him a year ago at this point in time. You had lived here before, years ago when you were a child, but you had to moved because of your father's work. You moved back eventually, but it was only due to Tina getting accepted into the private school she's currently attending. Finally ready, the two of you exit the house and begin the walk towards her school. It's done mainly in silence, and as you get closer to the school, she seems to unconsciously move closer to you, distancing herself again whenever you notice. It always annoyed you how quiet and shy she seemed to be. Once at the school's large and elegant gates, you stop. "There, have fun at school." You say, as you begin to walk away. "U-um..." You hear a small voice say behind you as you go to walk. "Can you pick me up after...after school...?" You hear your sister request. Turning to her you sigh. "Why?" You ask in an obviously annoyed tone. Tina nervously moves back as she clutches her bag. "Just because..." > You agree to pick her up You look at Tina then at your surroundings. You don't really have much else to do later today, so you might as well pick her up, you decide. "Fine, I'll see you after you're done then." Tina, oddly enough, smiles in response. Something you shouldn't find odd at all, but she never seemed to smile from what you remember. "Thanks, see you after I'm done then!" She replies, hurrying into the school. You watch her run away and frown. Why does she want you to pick her up anyway? Sighing again, you turn and leave the school, returning back to your home. It's only about a 10 minute walk to the school, which calls into question if walking her to and from it really matters, but the distance means you basically have the entire day to yourself. Which you of course, decide to spend sleeping. Or rather, you would have spent it sleeping, had you not rudely been awoken at about two by the smashing of fists against your front door. You groan as you exit your bed and move downstairs to answer the door. "What?" You ask angrily as you open it, only to find Allison happily standing in front of you. She smiles as you open the door. "Why hello there, Jacob, or should I say good morning?" She says cheekily. You open your mouth to retort, but she interrupts you. "Anyway, I've been out here for a while, so can I come in?" She continues, you go to reply, but she again interrupts you. "What do you mean no? Would you really leave a cute girl outside in the cold?" You stand silently and glare at her as she attempts to make a cute pose. "...Done?" "Yep!"

Remembering your mother's words, you quickly spring to life early in the morning, and prepare to take your sister to school. Though, all that really involves is you walking a few blocks with her. Although you should have your license at this age (and after a quick check you confirm you do), your mother has the only vehicle, so driving your sister is out of the question. After getting ready you exit your door to find Tina standing there, her fist seemingly prepared to knock. An awkward moment of silence follows as you look at her, contemplating why you two never talk in the future. "We...have to go soon." She manages to say, looking down at the ground to avoid eye contact. Why the hell does it seem like she's afraid? It annoys you, but you try to ignore it. Your own sister, afraid of you. "Yeah, let's go." You say, walking past her and towards the door. Come to think of it, you moved around a few times while you were a child, and a good portion of it was due to her. Even though Ian is your best friend, now and in the future, you had only become friends with him a year ago at this point in time. You had lived here before, years ago when you were a child, but you had to moved because of your father's work. You moved back eventually, but it was only due to Tina getting accepted into the private school she's currently attending. Finally ready, the two of you exit the house and begin the walk towards her school. It's done mainly in silence, and as you get closer to the school, she seems to unconsciously move closer to you, distancing herself again whenever you notice. It always annoyed you how quiet and shy she seemed to be. Once at the school's large and elegant gates, you stop. "There, have fun at school." You say, as you begin to walk away. "U-um..." You hear a small voice say behind you as you go to walk. "Can you pick me up after...after school...?" You hear your sister request. Turning to her you sigh. "Why?" You ask in an obviously annoyed tone. Tina nervously moves back as she clutches her bag. "Just because..." > You say no Why should you have to pick her up? It's bad enough you had to walk her here, but Tina is old enough to be walking to and from her own high school. "No, you can walk home yourself. Grow up already." You reply coldly, turning and walking away. Tina doesn't reply back, and merely walks to the school. She should have expected that answer, given you have no reason to pick her up. Returning to your house, you do what any high schooler does, you spend the day sleeping. Or rather, you would have spent it sleeping, had you not rudely been awoken at about two by the smashing of fists against your front door. You groan as you exit your bed and move downstairs to answer the door. "What?" You ask angrily as you open it, only to find Allison happily standing in front of you. She smiles as you open the door. "Why hello there, Jacob, or should I say good morning?" She says cheekily. You open your mouth to retort, but she interrupts you. "Anyway, I've been out here for a while, so can I come it?" She continues, you go to reply, but she again interrupts you. "What do you mean no? Would you really leave a cute girl outside in the cold?" You stand silently and glare at her as she attempts to make a cute pose. "...Done?" "Yep!"

"The what?" You ask, thoroughly confused. You don't remember anything like this happening in the past. Maybe your decisions have been different from before, leading you to a different outcome. The possibilities run through your mind before Ian snaps you out of it. "The Wolves man. Our gang. Well, you're not really in them yet, but I'm sure my brother won't have a problem with it." Ian says, standing up and opening the mini-fridge, pulling out a beer. "Want one?" He asks casually. You don't really care that he's drinking while under aged, but this isn't how you remember Ian acting. "No..." You reply slowly. "Actually, what the hell is going on? Since when have you been in a gang?" You ask demanding an answer. Ian doesn't seem too put off by your response. It's almost as though he expected it. "Ah well, I've been telling you about this club for the last few days. I mean I never said it was a gang or anything, but it shouldn't come as that much of a surprise." He replies. That's when it hits you. The stories he was saying involving his brother that you largely ignored were about the gang he was in. Most likely he was trying to talk it up a bit before bringing you here. Still, Ian has a great future ahead of him, so he really has no need to be in a gang. "So, you in man?" He asks, with a bit of hesitance. > You join the wolves You ponder joining the Wolves with Ian for a minute. This certainly isn't typical behavior for him after all. After a brief inner argument, you determine that there has to be something more to this gang. Ian wouldn't throw his life away for no reason, and who knows, maybe him saying it's a 'gang' is just some self-imposed label. Maybe they act nothing like a gang. "Yeah, sure man I'll join." You reply. Ian smiles, clearly relieved. "Thanks, for a second there I wasn't sure what you'd do." He says with a bit of a nervous laugh. For a second there you weren't really sure what you'd do either. You take a few steps into the room and sit on a comfy looking recliner. "So...what now? What exactly does this gang of yours do?" You ask, as Ian places the beer he was previously holding back into the fridge. It seems he didn't plan on drinking it unless you did as well. "Well, calling it a gang may have been a stretch. My brother made it up with his friends a while back, and I joined it pretty recently. So far we basically just all hang out together here every once in a while. A home away from home...kind of." He says, trailing off a bit at the end. "Hmmm. Cool." You reply. You don't really want to pry any deeper into his reasons for being here, as you can kind of sense it's a sensitive topic, and you don't remember enough about the past, or rather the present, to be confident in your ability to not say something stupid. The two of you hang out in the gang's headquarters for the rest of the day, until about the time when class would normally end. You don't do a whole lot, just sit around and talk, but it's kind of nice to just chill with Ian. On your way out, Ian says one more thing. "Oh by the way, I can't make you an official member myself. You're gonna have to come back when my brother is here to do that." "Sure, maybe he'll be here next time." You reply as you return home. Once there, you find that neither your sister nor mother are aware that you skipped school today. The night passes and you lay in your bed, staring at your alarm clock, quite pleased that tomorrow is a Saturday.

The rest of the day goes by without much else happening. Neither Allison nor Olivia are in any of your other classes, and you don't seem to run into either of them. You walk home with Ian, and spend the rest of the day lounging around your home. You're beginning to feel like you've fallen into your old routine from back in the day. The next morning, Ian arrives at your door, as per usual, except this time he doesn't seem to have his backpack. "Yo, Jacob." He says while standing at the end of your walkway. "Hey Ian, where's your backpack?" You ask while walking towards him, a bit confused. "Ah, well about that, I was thinking we'd do something a little more interesting than school today." He replies. "Such as?" "Well...you'll see when we get there." He says with a bit of a laugh. "It'll be fun man, just hide your bag somewhere first, we won't need it for where we're going." He adds. If you remember right, skipping school so haphazardly wasn't something Ian often suggested. In fact, if you recall correctly, you were usually the one suggesting it and he was the one rejecting the idea. This makes you really wonder what he has in mind for the day. You stand there and consider if you really want to go or not. After all, if you go you'd be missing school, and you guess that would also mean you miss a chance to see Olivia or Allison. "You won't give any hints about what we're gonna do?" You ask, hopeful. "Not a single one." Ian replies smiling. > You go to school instead Thinking it over, you decide it's better if you don't miss school today. You'd miss your chance to talk to Olivia or Allison if you did after all. "Sorry, I think I'll just go to school, Ian. See ya." You say, walking onwards without him. "Alright then, your loss man. Later." Ian replies with shrug and a wave. He then turns and goes his own way. The walk to school is uneventful, and surprisingly when you arrive you find that Allison isn't there in your first class. Olivia is there as per normal, and she seems to ignore your presence, although you occasionally catch her glancing at you. The class itself is boring, and you start to regret not skipping it with Ian. However, once it ends and you finally have spare time, you jump up and approach the teacher. "Hey, um, Mr..." You begin, however the realization hits you that you don't actually know his name, so you quickly just ask your question. "Why isn't Allison at school today?" Your teacher looks at you confused. "Allison?" He asks. A brief moment of panic comes over you where you think you may have imagined her entirely. Then the teacher begins to speak again. "Ah, the new girl that joined us yesterday..." He says. Internally you breathe a sigh of relief, happy to know you haven't gone insane. "Yes, it appears she is absent today. Strange, she only just started yesterday..." He continues. You thank him and quickly exit the room. In the hall, you can see Olivia making her way towards the cafeteria. > You look for Allison More concerned about where Allison could be than school, you decide to look for her. With that in mind, you really have no idea as to where she could be. Your initial search is just around your high school, in the usual spots you might expect to find someone. The library, cafeteria, gym, courtyard, and the outside field all turn up nothing. If nothing else, it's clear that she's not at school. Undeterred, you decide this is a good time to skip school to continue your search. You find yourself aimlessly walking around town in search of a girl you hardly even know. Sometime during your search, you find yourself wondering why you care so much about finding her. Do you intuitively know something is wrong and must find her? No, that can't be right, you don't think anything in particular is wrong with the situation. You were about to skip school yourself today, so it's not that big a deal that Allison would skip. Then, maybe you're just drawn to her? She is an odd one after all, so it's only natural you'd be curious about her. There's also the matter of her probably knowing more than she lets on. Maybe she even knows about your current predicament... "For the love long since lost, the old friend forgotten, the new one neglected, the sister he could never see, and the brother he could never be." Were the words she said to you when you first approached her. You hadn't really considered any real deep meaning to them, but considering your circumstances, it probably has to do with you. Then, which are you, and for that matter, who is she? Does she actually know that you went back in time, or is this simply a large coincidence? You shake your head a bit. It's probably better if you just ask her again what she meant by all of that when you find her. As your mind was wandering, your feet were still moving. You now find yourself outside of your sister's private high school, oddly enough. You guess it's about time school was over, as students seem to be exiting the school in an orderly fashion. That would mean that you spent three hours looking for Allison with no results. You sigh to yourself, although not finding her really should have been expected. You're about to leave the grounds when you notice your sister walk out. Tina exits the front doors of school looking rather nervous, a normal sight with her it would seem. Thinking you should probably head home now, you turn to leave, when you notice a group of students approach her. > You watch what happens You stand on the other side of the gated fence and watch as the group approaches your sister. From this distance you can't hear what they're saying, but you should be able to tell the general mood. Tina isn't really a social type, and when she's put into social situation she tends to just try and hide, which is why a group of students talking to her sparks your interests. The group consists of three girls and four guys, all dressed the uniform of the private school. They speak to her for a few minutes, during which time your sister attempts to cower back into the school. Eventually, one of the girls walk right up to your sister and push her to the ground. A chill goes down your spine as you wonder who the hell these people are. You don't remember your sister being bullied in her high school, so why is this happening? Immediately after pushing her to the ground, the group leaves the school. You watch as they pass you by the front gate, but decide it's best not to confront them for the time being. Shortly after, you see Tina timidly walk by. She turns and notices you standing by the front gate, a mixture of fear and confusion in her eyes. "Why...are you here?" She asks. You pause to think for a moment, and just as you're about to say something, your mother pulls up beside the two of you. "Tina, who is...wait, Jacob? What are you doing here?" She asks, repeating Tina's question. Not wanting to admit you skipped the later half of classes to search for a girl you barely know, you lie. "I just decided to pick up Tina is all." You say. Your mother looks at you skeptically, but tells you and your sister to get in anyway. On the drive back, she reminds you that you need to wake up early to bring Tina to school tomorrow, since she works all day Saturday. You groan in response, but otherwise say nothing, and the rest of the night passes by without anything happening. > You wake up early Remembering your mother's words, you quickly spring to life early in the morning, and prepare to take your sister to school. Though, all that really involves is you walking a few blocks with her. Although you should have your license at this age (and after a quick check you confirm you do), your mother has the only vehicle, so driving your sister is out of the question. After getting ready you exit your door to find Tina standing there, her fist seemingly prepared to knock. An awkward moment of silence follows as you look at her, contemplating why you two never talk in the future. "We...have to go soon." She manages to say, looking down at the ground to avoid eye contact. Why the hell does it seem like she's afraid? It annoys you, but you try to ignore it. Your own sister, afraid of you. "Yeah, let's go." You say, walking past her and towards the door. Come to think of it, you moved around a few times while you were a child, and a good portion of it was due to her. Even though Ian is your best friend, now and in the future, you had only become friends with him a year ago at this point in time. You had lived here before, years ago when you were a child, but you had to moved because of your father's work. You moved back eventually, but it was only due to Tina getting accepted into the private school she's currently attending. Finally ready, the two of you exit the house and begin the walk towards her school. It's done mainly in silence, and as you get closer to the school, she seems to unconsciously move closer to you, distancing herself again whenever you notice. It always annoyed you how quiet and shy she seemed to be. Once at the school's large and elegant gates, you stop. "There, have fun at school." You say, as you begin to walk away. "U-um..." You hear a small voice say behind you as you go to walk. "Can you pick me up after...after school...?" You hear your sister request. Turning to her you sigh. "Why?" You ask in an obviously annoyed tone. Tina nervously moves back as she clutches her bag. "Just because..." You remember how yesterday you saw her get bullied by that group of students. Maybe that has something to do with why she wants to be picked up...

Thinking it over, you decide it's better if you don't miss school today. You'd miss your chance to talk to Olivia or Allison if you did after all. "Sorry, I think I'll just go to school, Ian. See ya." You say, walking onwards without him. "Alright then, your loss man. Later." Ian replies with shrug and a wave. He then turns and goes his own way. The walk to school is uneventful, and surprisingly when you arrive you find that Allison isn't there in your first class. Olivia is there as per normal, and she seems to ignore your presence, although you occasionally catch her glancing at you. The class itself is boring, and you start to regret not skipping it with Ian. However, once it ends and you finally have spare time, you jump up and approach the teacher. "Hey, um, Mr..." You begin, however the realization hits you that you don't actually know his name, so you quickly just ask your question. "Why isn't Allison at school today?" Your teacher looks at you confused. "Allison?" He asks. A brief moment of panic comes over you where you think you may have imagined her entirely. Then the teacher begins to speak again. "Ah, the new girl that joined us yesterday..." He says. Internally you breathe a sigh of relief, happy to know you haven't gone insane. "Yes, it appears she is absent today. Strange, she only just started yesterday..." He continues. You thank him and quickly exit the room. In the hall, you can see Olivia making her way towards the cafeteria. > You catch up to Olivia You briskly walk down the hall and catch up with Olivia. As you do, you recall that the last time the two of you talked, she was rather hostile with you. "Hey Olivia, listen, I'm sorry if I offended you or something." You say, attempting to mend whatever you broke earlier. "Can't we just start fresh? Forget whatever I did to make you angry? You ask hopeful, extending your hand to her. She glances at it, then at you, and sighs. "Sure, why not. Forgetting things seems to be a pattern for us anyway." Olivia replies, shaking your hand gently. You smile in response, though her off-hand sarcastic remark confuses you slightly. "So, where are you headed off to?" You ask. "To the lunchroom, it's lunch time after all." Olivia responds, rather impassively. "Fair enough, so, mind if I sit with you?" You ask, hoping you can maybe find out more about her. You're starting to think that your feeling that you knew her was off, but you still want to make sure. She glares at you as the two of you enter the lunchroom. "You remember I said I had a boyfriend, right?" She asks. "Of course." You say, not dissuaded in the slightest. "Then fine, we can sit together." You smile, relieved that she agrees to sitting together. As you approach your seats, you think over what you should talk to her about. > You ask about her past At this point you decide you shouldn't pry into her love life, so you ask her about her past. You pose the question, and she looks at you with a hostile expression that leads you to believe you may be entering a risky topic. "My past? Why do you care?" She asks. "Just curious is all. I can tell you about my past first if that helps..." You reply defensively. Olivia stares at you angrily, which you take to mean you better start talking. "A-alright then. Well, I grew up in this city until I was about...let's see now, twelve I think. Then my sister got accepted into some fancy private school, and we had to move about an hour away. I still remember that we had to pick up and pack in like a day with no real notice. While in this other city my father...passed away." You say, remembering him. Your father was by no stretch the greatest father ever, but he was able to pay you attention from time to time and had no large faults, so you have fond memories of him. Olivia's expression gets a bit softer, probably because she feels bad that she had you bring up a sad topic. You continue on as normal. "Then my sister got accepted into another private school, that private high school in this town. So, we moved back here after being gone for six years. Once I came back I met Ian, though I haven't seen any of my old friends..." You finish, remembering that you did have some friends that you left behind originally, but you never did find them. Come to think of it, with how fast you left you're not even sure if you had to say goodbye to them to begin with. Olivia looks at you, seeming like she wants to say something. "I see..." Is all she manages to say thought. You're not sure why, but it seems like the topic has gotten her a tad depressed. She packs up her lunch and stands. "I have to go now...talk to you later." She says. You give her a wave goodbye, but feel a bit disappointed she didn't talk about herself at all. You sigh and exit the cafeteria, deciding to try asking her about her past some other time. The rest of the day goes by without much happening, and when you arrive home nothing exciting happens either. The night passes and you lay in your bed, staring at your alarm clock, quite pleased that tomorrow is a Saturday.

You briskly walk down the hall and catch up with Olivia. As you do, you recall that the last time the two of you talked, she was rather hostile with you. "Hey Olivia, listen, I'm sorry if I offended you or something." You say, attempting to mend whatever you broke earlier. "Can't we just start fresh? Forget whatever I did to make you angry? You ask hopeful, extending your hand to her. She glances at it, then at you, and sighs. "Sure, why not. Forgetting things seems to be a pattern for us anyway." Olivia replies, shaking your hand gently. You smile in response, though her off-hand sarcastic remark confuses you slightly. "So, where are you headed off to?" You ask. "To the lunchroom, it's lunch time after all." Olivia responds, rather impassively. "Fair enough, so, mind if I sit with you?" You ask, hoping you can maybe find out more about her. You're starting to think that your feeling that you knew her was off, but you still want to make sure. She glares at you as the two of you enter the lunchroom. "You remember I said I had a boyfriend, right?" She asks. "Of course." You say, not dissuaded in the slightest. "Then fine, we can sit together." You smile, relieved that she agrees to sitting together. As you approach your seats, you think over what you should talk to her about. > You ask about her boyfriend Olivia seems pretty intent on letting everyone know that she has a boyfriend, so maybe that'd be a good place to start. The two of you sit down and take your lunches out. "So, tell me about this boyfriend of yours. You must really like him if you keep mentioning him." You say as you pull out some food. Olivia seems rather surprised that you would ask her such a question, but doesn't seem reluctant to answer. "Why are you interested in Brent?" She asks. You shrug in response. It's not that you're interested in him, you just need some sort of starting ground with her. "So, I take it Brent is his name then?" You ask, sidestepping her question. "Well, it is, but you didn't answer me." She replies. It seems she's pretty aware of these kinds of things, in contrast with her aloof manner. "I was just wondering what kind of guy you liked is all." You reply. Though, you instantly realize that could be taken in a different way than you had intended. Olivia looks at you with the same passive face she usually makes, before eating some more of her food. If she noticed that what you said could be interpreted as you liking her, she isn't showing it. "I'll give you the typical girl response. He's handsome, tall, strong, and he actually asked me out." She says. You question if him asking her out is a quality a girl would typically give, but roll with it. "So he's not smart then?" You ask with a laugh. "No, though that seems to be a common issue with guys." She responds with a glare. If you didn't know better, you'd think she's implying you're an idiot. Thinking you need to divert attention away from yourself, you decide to change the topic. "Yeah haha, Ian's a pretty smart guy though isn't he?" You say. Olivia looks away from you. "He is, unlike some guys I know." She responds, standing up. "I need to go now." She continues, hurriedly picking up her things and walking away. "Alright, seeya later Olivia." You say as she walks away. She briefly pauses her walk to give you a small wave, before leaving the cafeteria. You don't really know if you can really consider this a success in learning more about her, but at least she's a bit more familiar with you now....you think. The rest of the day goes by without much happening, and when you arrive home nothing exciting happens either. The night passes and you lay in your bed, staring at your alarm clock, quite pleased that tomorrow is a Saturday.

You chase Allison into the lunch room and grab her hand as you catch up, stopping her from running. She turns to you and gives an exaggerated sad expression. "Well, ya caught me, now what?" She asks. You look into her eyes for a minute, and decide to try something. "You're lying." You replying accusingly. "I'm what now?" "Lying. You know who I am. No one acts that friendly to someone they just met, and what you just said before sounds like it has some deeper meaning to it." You say. Allison looks down to her hand, which you immediately let go of, then she glances around the room. Finally she sighs. "You caught me. I know you. But the more important thing here, isn't what I know, but what you know. So, what do you know of me, Jacob?" Allison replies, revealing that your guess was right. Unfortunately, you don't actually know anything about her. The closest you have to a memory of her is your dream, and even if she does actually know you, that'd be a rather odd thing to bring up. Then again, she seems like a rather odd person anyway. "How do you know me?" You ask, trying to ignore her question. She pouts and takes a step back. "Beep beep, wrong answer. Should I take this to mean you don't know anything about me?" She asks. > You admit you know nothing about her You sigh and nod. "Yeah, sorry. I don't really know you." You reply. Unexpectedly, she smiles and nods in response. "Well, that's to be expected. We only just met after all. Maybe we'll get to know each other better in the future." Allison says, waving and walking away. You give her a short wave back and then decide to have something for lunch, and to maybe find Ian. After a short search through the cafeteria, you find Ian sitting with a girl, with long black hair, brown eyes, and dressed in a goth outfit. Oddly enough, you recognize her as Olivia, the girl you were talking with in detention yesterday. Noticing you, Ian waves you over to their table. "Hey man, this here is Olivia." He says, motioning to Olivia. "We're both in the chess club together it seems, so I figured I should hang out with her a bit to get to know her better." Olivia looks at you with a mild expression of surprise while Ian speaks, before scoffing at his remark. "I have a boyfriend you know." She states, apparently thinking Ian has an ulterior motive. "Ah, well of course you do. A cute girl like you is quite the catch." Ian replies, although you can sense he didn't really expect her to have one. Olivia blushes slightly, but it's unnoticed by Ian. "That's right, I had forgotten you were in the chess club Ian." You say, finally sitting down. "Yep, I'm the best damn chess-inator there is!" He replies while puffing out his chest with an odd sense of pride. However you don't really doubt he's the best there, as he's always been incredibly smart. You gaze wanders to Olivia, who notices and speaks. "Just cause I look this way doesn't mean I'm stupid. Girls can be smart too you know." She says harshly to you, apparently thinking you were judging her ability to play chess based on her goth outfit. You quickly shake your head in response. "I, wait, I never said you couldn't." You reply defensively. She turns her head away from you, almost in disgust. Ian looks at the two of you confused. "Am I missing something here? Do you two got some history or something?" "No, of course not. We just met yesterday after all. Didn't we Jacob?" Olivia replies angrily, even more upset now. You go to answer but she quickly speaks again. "I need to go." She announces, quickly standing from the table and walking away. The two of you watch as she leaves.Ian shrugs as you turn to him. "Girls man. Confusing as hell, right?" He says before taking a drink of his milk in front of him. You nod, but can't help but think there was something more to what Olivia said.

Suddenly, as you reach the front entrance of the school, you remember you have detention. You sigh, not thrilled at the prospect of having to spend the next hour sitting in a class to make up for something you didn't even do intentionally. Ian approaches you from behind and then reaches your side, looking at your face as he does. "We going?" "Sorry, I was late for my first class. I got detention..." He frowns, though he doesn't seem that shocked. "Alright man, I told you to hurry there though." "Yeah I know...Where is detention by the way?" "Er, Room 225..." Ian replies, confused that you don't seem to know something that obvious. He looks like he's about to address the issue, but you quickly thank him and head towards room 225, leaving him behind. Sure enough, it's the correct room for detention. An older woman you don't recognize at all sits at the front of the room. She looks up from her book in time to give you a quick glance, then returns to reading. You put your bag at the side of the room and take a seat away from most of the other delinquents already in the room, not wanting to associate yourself with them. You're only here because you've gone back in time after all, you're not like them. As the minutes pass, you find yourself looking around the room for anything of interest, and quickly spot something, or rather someone. The gothic girl from your first class is also in the room, staring out the window and paying no attention at all to the others in the class. She's only two chairs over from you, and with no one between you and everyone else in the class already occupied, you figure you can use this time to talk to her. If you actually want to that is. It is detention after all, so if you're caught you'd likely be punished. > You do nothing You decide against trying to talk to the gothic girl. You could get in even more trouble after all, and you probably don't even know her. Detention passes by slowly, but eventually you're dismissed. Ian is already long gone by the time you return to the front lobby, so you go back home alone. Along the way you try to retrace your steps from this morning, and although you go down a wrong alley or two, you eventually make it home. Of course, your mother is noticeably upset you are hours late from school. "So Jacob. Mind explaining why you have come home at such at late hour?" Your mother asks impatiently as you enter the house, two hours after you should have been home. "I...err...sort of had detention." You reply. "What for?" "I was late for my first class...." Your mother seems annoyed, but doesn't push the matter too much further. "Honestly Jacob, you won't ever succeed in life if you don't take things seriously. Even if you dislike school, being tardy is no excuse." She says in a rather condescending manner. You nod your head in agreement and rush up the stairs seeing as she is finished scolding you. The rest of the day passes by with nothing of interest really happening. At the end of the day, you go to sleep and wonder if you'll wake up back in the future.

Although you roughly knew how to get to the school on your own, you have no idea what class you have. You follow Ian in hopes that you have the same first class together. Once at the classroom door Ian turns to you with a puzzled look. "Aren't you going to class?" "Uh, yea...right..." "You're acting pretty weird today man." "Yea well...today's a pretty weird day for me." Ian seems even more confused now, but decides to drop it and heads to his seat once he hears the warning bell. You walk down the hallway a little further before opening up your bag in hopes of finding some sort of clue telling you where you're supposed to be. Inside you find various notebooks and textbooks, but nothing concerning your schedule. You sigh and notice the hallway is now completely empty. The final bell which marks the start of class should be ringing any minute and you have no idea where you're supposed to be. Unsure of what to do, you decide to sprint down the hallway and look for whatever seems familiar. Fortunately (or perhaps unfortunately) you find two room numbers across from each other which seem somewhat familiar: Room 134 and Room 135. You'll have to guess which is the right room. > You room 135 You enter room 135 and quickly survey its contents. The room is filled with other students which you would assume are in the same grade as you. Some of those in the class give you a quick glance, before returning their attention to the teacher. The teacher himself, a middle-aged man with a short beard, whom seems fairly familiar, looks up from his desk as you slowly enter through the doorway. He says nothing, but his reaction to you gives you the impression he knows you and that it's normal for you to be here. Taking that as your cue, you look for any sort of empty seat, and sit in one right as the bell rings. The teacher then stands up and approaches the chalk board behind him. "Alright class, it's time to review what we learned yesterday...." He begins, but you quickly lose interest in what he's teaching and look around the room in search for some familiarity. Not that you can really be blamed for not paying attention, as you've listened to all this before anyway. That is, assuming you really have gone back in time, and this isn't all some weird dream. You sigh softly, thoroughly confused at your current situation. Eventually, you spot a girl in the corner of the room that you seem to recognize. Or, rather than recognize, you should say you feel like you know her, for some reason or another. No name comes to mind, nor any memories involving her, but for some reason you still think she's someone you know. Long, black hair, with brown eyes, and a slim figure. What's most noticeable about her though, is her gothic outfit of all black, complete with a spiked dog collar, and black painted finger nails. Looking at her closer, you determine that her black hair is probably dyed, your guess being her originally hair colour is a light brown. You brood over how you may know her, and your predicament as a whole, until the class finally ends. As the goth girl leaves she seems to ignore you completely. Maybe you don't know her?

"Jacob, wake up it's time for school!" You hear a familiar voice yell to you, and you groggily wake up in response. What a strange dream... You try and remember the girl from your dream, but can't figure out who she was. The classroom was probably from your high school, but as far as you can remember that girl was never in any of your classes. You shrug and proceed to get up. After all, high school was years ago, it wouldn't be unusual for you to forget a few people in that time. Once fully awake, the reality that you live alone dawns on you; there should be no one yelling for you to wake up. Then another thought occurs, you don't go to school anymore either. Confused, you stand up and walk over to your dresser, which seems different from usual. Opening your drawers you notice your clothes seem different as well. Now even more confused, you get dressed and exit your room to find some answers. Outside your door you find your younger sister standing in front of you, in the uniform that she wore during high school. That is to say, while she has the same face, green eyes, and short brown hair as your sister, she looks considerably younger than she should. "Mom says wake up." She states quietly, then turns to walk away. "Um, Tina?" you say, trying to confirm it's her. "Hm?", she replies softly, turning towards you. "Ah, um, never mind. I'm up." She nods and walks away. You return to your room and look for your backpack, the one you remember using in high school. Sure enough you find it, right beside your dresser. You open it and grab one of your notebooks, hoping to confirm what you think has happened. You turn to the last note in the book and look at the date: April 24th, 2008 You walk to your bed and sit down, trying accept what has happened. Yesterday was April 23th, but the year was 2018. Ten years ago you were 18 and in your last year of high school. The fact that your sister was in her private high school uniform confirms this, since she was in her first year of high school when you were in your last. Your thought process is interrupted by the familiar yell of your mother. "Jacob, hurry up! You're going to be late!" There's no point in thinking over this any longer. You quickly grab your bag and head down the stairs to the front door. "Remember, you need wake up early on Saturday to bring your sister to school, since I'll be working." Your mother tells you, as she stands beside you watching you put on your shoes. You nod quickly in response, and although you're tempted to hug her or say you've missed her, you put it off. The you in the past wouldn't have done it, so you're not going to do it either. After all, if this really is the past then doing something different could screw up the future in a major way. You open the door and find Ian standing in front of you. Well, a younger version of him. "It's about time Jake, you goin' to school today or what?" > No "Uh no, I think I'm gonna stay home today." Immediately you realize your mistake. "Stay home? Now Jacob, I wonder what you could mean by that." Your mother, still standing behind you, remarks with a soft yet threatening tone while folding her arms in front of her. "I uh...it was joke. Yea...bye mom...." You quickly rush out the door and meet Ian, who innocently shrugs in response to what happened. "What? It's not like I knew she was there." The walk to school is uneventful. Ian tells you some story involving his older brother but you don't really pay attention. The thought that you're ten years in the past is all you can think about. "Hey." Ian pushes your shoulder gently once you reach the entrance of the school and the two of you stop. He has a concerned look on his face. "You alright? You sick or something?" He asks. "Huh? No, I'm fine. Don't worry about it." You walk ahead into the entrance of the school and Ian follows close behind.

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What country are we at war with anyway? Anyone remember? Did we just spin the wheel again or what? You guys are a great audience! Hey did you hear…" Click. "…about peace? Oh gimme a fuckin' break! You think that pussy ass we are the world shit's gonna fly? You can't teach those fuckin' people nothing! You want my solution to the goddamn problem? BLOW IT ALL THE FUCK UP! We can clean up later and…" Click. "…pray in these dark times! We must place our faith in Jesus! For when Judgment Day comes he will save all of us that are the faithful, and God will punish the wicked! Oh it will be such a glorious time when…" Click. "…you act now you'll get ten percent off! We here at GZS also believe in quality and you'll find our shelters are designed with your family's safety in mind! We have worked hard to make sure our shelters will sustain you and your family years after the entire surface has been turned to ashes! After all don't…" Click. "…you think genocide is the answer? I can't believe you just advocated that on national TV! I suppose you think Hitler was right too huh? Its people like you that…" Click. "…are the best audience in the world! I tell ya, it's been great. You can catch my next show at…" Click. "…the radioactive fuckin' wasteland that the whole goddamn Earth is going to become! You think any of this shit matters? All the fuckin' talk in the world ain't changing shit now! We're on the fast train to nukesville and I for one ain't gonna worry about it! Y'know what I'm gonna do? I'm gonna quit this stupid ass job, and spend the rest of my savings on fuckin' hookers! Yeah that's right, I fuckin' said it and I don't care because when you think about it…" Click. "...isn't your family's survival worth it?" This advertisement has been paid for by Ground Zero Survival Inc. > You zzzzzzzzzzzzz Monday 8:00 AM You groggily wake up from the sofa like you always do, dreading to have to go to work at your pointless job. You haven't been sleeping well lately, you don't know what the hell the problem is, and all you know is you're going to be tired for work again. As you go through your routine of getting ready, the TV can be heard; as usual you left it on from the night before. "…And peace talks broke down today, as several ambassadors engaged in a physical fight at the UN…Neo-Communist party gaining favor in Russia… more terrorist bombings in European Union cities…US troops won another victory in the Middle East…mysterious epidemic in China, several million dead…skirmishes on the Indian-Pakistan border…world wide tensions at an all time high…" Same old doom and gloom on TV; you wonder why you even bother watching the news anymore. Still it does seem like things are getting worse, late at night when you're suffering from your usual insomnia, you've been catching infomercials attempting to sell bomb shelters, like something out of a 1950s propaganda film. It seems silly, but you do wonder if it's only a matter of time before someone presses the button. Then again you live out in the boonies, you've always thought that if the world ever did blow up; you'd doubt you'd even notice until you drove to work the next day and saw the ruins of the city. Speaking of which you better get going or you'll be late. > You head to work You turn off the TV and head to work, no point in worrying about things you can't do shit about. You have other real everyday problems to deal with. You go about your mundane life, doing mundane tasks at your mundane job, talking to your mundane co-workers about mundane things. Not much changes. One month later... Monday 8:00 AM You groggily wake up from the sofa like you always do, dreading to have to go to work at your pointless job. You haven't been sleeping well lately, you don't know what the hell the problem is, and all you know is you're going to be tired for work again. As you go through your routine of getting ready, the TV can be heard; as usual you left it on from the night before. "…Russian hardliners seized control of the government…Chinese epidemic has worsened; entire country is under quarantine…UK has withdrawn all association from the EU…Senate dissolved in US, martial law enacted…India declared open war on Pakistan…mass starvation in Africa… world wide depression… Same old doom and gloom on TV, a lot more serious now though. Those "silly" bomb shelter infomercials have increased; you've also been noticing an increase in survival type book titles whenever you browse the book stores now and the Emergency broadcasting system has been doing A LOT of tests lately. Something bad is going to happen and it's going to happen soon. You go about your life which isn't quite so mundane, world politics is a constant topic at work, and many of your co-workers aren't even coming in to do their job. All the married ones are no doubt spending time with their families, in fact the work place really isn't a work place anymore so much as it is a "socializing site". A lot of them believe the world is coming to an end anyway, so they might as well have a good time. Attempting to go about your normal life isn't an option anymore; neither is buying a bomb shelter at this late stage. > You indulge in the festivities You've never really been a party person, but if this is it, maybe you can have some fun before the end comes. There's plenty of food and liquids of all kinds at your place of work. The entire office is turned into party central. Nobody bothers going home; it's actually safer to stay inside the office building anyway since the National Guard is attempting to restore what little order there is in the city. Everyone makes sure to stay away from windows. Even though you attempt to enjoy yourself, you still have a nagging bit of "concern" for what lies ahead in the future and just can't quite loosen up completely; you're about the only one who still bothers to keep up on current events by watching TV and looking at the internet in between non-stop merrymaking. Eventually one of your co-workers Greg walks in on you watching the news by yourself. He's not exactly what you'd consider a friend, but he's an acquaintance you normally talked to when you actually did work. "Jesus Christ man! There's a non-stop party going on and you're in here wasting time watching TV?" Greg says holding a bottle of beer. "I just want to see if the situation has improved…" "Are you kidding me? It ain't improving man! The world's going to hell in a hand basket, and the sooner you accept that fact the better! Why don't you go talk to Marina in accounting, didn't you always have a crush on her or something?" "Well yeah, but…" "But? But nothing man! There ain't no time left anymore! Hell I haven't seen you participate in ONE orgy since you've been here!" "I dunno, seems unsanitary, I don't want to catch something, and I don't want everyone to see me naked." Greg puts one of his hands on his face and shakes his head in disbelief of your answer. He then throws his beer bottle into the TV screen breaking them both. "WAKE THE FUCK UP! This is fuckin' it man! There ain't nothing coming after this! We're all gonna die in a fiery nuclear explosion! You think it's really gonna matter if in the off chance that you do catch AIDS or some shit, you'll be alive long enough to die from it? And nobody gives a shit about how small your dick is…" "HEY! My dick isn't small! Its average length for someone of my height!" you protest. "Whatever man! Look what I'm trying to say is, everyone is just here to have a good time and grab some pleasure before the nukes start flying, and nobody's even caring about looks right now. Shit, that fat troll Phil must be getting more action now than he ever has in his entire life! You thought Phil was disgusting looking with his clothes on, he ain't any prettier with his clothes off, and yet he has banged Kate no less than ten times since we started this Armageddon party and you know how fucking fine she is!" "Really? Phil?" "I'm telling you man, you NEED to go talk to Marina and get you some of that before the bombs start dropping!" Greg sees that you're still a little apprehensive about the idea. "Fine then, or don't. It doesn't matter to me man. I'm going back to the party, I'm not gonna stand here wasting my time talking to you when I could be fucking Kate. I just hope I can get to her before Phil this time." Greg leaves you to ponder the situation. > You party like its 1999 (Even though it really is not 1999) Greg's right. This IS it! This is no time to be playing it safe! The world is going to end any day and damn it you're going to fucking LIVE life for the first time! You immediately get up and make your way to the main office area; it looks like you're just in time for another orgy. Greg is getting ready to stick it to Kate just like he said…that is until you smash the back of his head in with a stapler until he's bloody and unconscious…or dead. You're not sure and you don't really care anymore. "You were right…man." You say breathing hard. Your actions cause people to stop in shock, then you grab Kate who's completely naked and worried about what you're going to do next. "Come here you little fucking whore, you like being a fucking fuck slut? I'll treat you like one then!" you utter viciously. You proceed to bend Kate over the copy machine, pull her hair and fuck the hell out of her calling her every derogatory name in the book. The weird thing is she starts to like it. She even starts taunting you back saying you can't fuck worth a shit. This of course only makes you slap her around a bit more. You both are really getting into it. After watching this spontaneous act of S&M/Rape everyone goes back to doing what they were doing. From then on in, Kate hangs around you a lot more (Much to Phil's dismay) and you forget all about Marina, in fact you don't even see her in the whole time during this Armageddon party. You indulge in carnal delights like you never had before. Until one day… Monday 8:00 AM You groggily wake up from the floor; Kate's lying beside you asleep. There are sleeping naked bodies everywhere. Yesterday's orgy was a dozy, someone broke open a couple bags of coke they'd been saving and everyone had a snort. Can't say you liked it though, your head fucking hurts, you keep hearing a fucking ring… "…BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE…." Then you realize it's not in your head, it's an actual ring from another TV that was left on. There's a test pattern on it. This is it. You put your clothes back on and give Kate a quick kiss, which causes her to smile a little in her sleep. You wonder if you would've actually had a shot with her if things had been normal, oh well you guess you'll never know. You quietly make your way through the room and head up to the top floor and onto the roof of the building. The city is deadly quiet. You don't hear a sound except the wind gently blowing. In all the revelry you've been indulging in, you forgot how much you liked the solitude and silence. The loneliness is peaceful. You look up in the sky, shielding your eyes from the sun shining down. You see a bright light and then nothing at all.

You've never really been a party person, but if this is it, maybe you can have some fun before the end comes. There's plenty of food and liquids of all kinds at your place of work. The entire office is turned into party central. Nobody bothers going home; it's actually safer to stay inside the office building anyway since the National Guard is attempting to restore what little order there is in the city. Everyone makes sure to stay away from windows. Even though you attempt to enjoy yourself, you still have a nagging bit of "concern" for what lies ahead in the future and just can't quite loosen up completely; you're about the only one who still bothers to keep up on current events by watching TV and looking at the internet in between non-stop merrymaking. Eventually one of your co-workers Greg walks in on you watching the news by yourself. He's not exactly what you'd consider a friend, but he's an acquaintance you normally talked to when you actually did work. "Jesus Christ man! There's a non-stop party going on and you're in here wasting time watching TV?" Greg says holding a bottle of beer. "I just want to see if the situation has improved…" "Are you kidding me? It ain't improving man! The world's going to hell in a hand basket, and the sooner you accept that fact the better! Why don't you go talk to Marina in accounting, didn't you always have a crush on her or something?" "Well yeah, but…" "But? But nothing man! There ain't no time left anymore! Hell I haven't seen you participate in ONE orgy since you've been here!" "I dunno, seems unsanitary, I don't want to catch something, and I don't want everyone to see me naked." Greg puts one of his hands on his face and shakes his head in disbelief of your answer. He then throws his beer bottle into the TV screen breaking them both. "WAKE THE FUCK UP! This is fuckin' it man! There ain't nothing coming after this! We're all gonna die in a fiery nuclear explosion! You think it's really gonna matter if in the off chance that you do catch AIDS or some shit, you'll be alive long enough to die from it? And nobody gives a shit about how small your dick is…" "HEY! My dick isn't small! Its average length for someone of my height!" you protest. "Whatever man! Look what I'm trying to say is, everyone is just here to have a good time and grab some pleasure before the nukes start flying, and nobody's even caring about looks right now. Shit, that fat troll Phil must be getting more action now than he ever has in his entire life! You thought Phil was disgusting looking with his clothes on, he ain't any prettier with his clothes off, and yet he has banged Kate no less than ten times since we started this Armageddon party and you know how fucking fine she is!" "Really? Phil?" "I'm telling you man, you NEED to go talk to Marina and get you some of that before the bombs start dropping!" Greg sees that you're still a little apprehensive about the idea. "Fine then, or don't. It doesn't matter to me man. I'm going back to the party, I'm not gonna stand here wasting my time talking to you when I could be fucking Kate. I just hope I can get to her before Phil this time." Greg leaves you to ponder the situation. > You get another TV and watch the world die You grab another TV and sit quietly by yourself in a separate office, watching world events unfold and get worse before your eyes as your co-workers reenact something out of a porno movie. You block out the sounds of ecstasy and turn up the TV. You're starting to wonder if you shouldn't have just stayed home, or better yet bought that damn bomb shelter… Just then someone else comes in to disturb your solitude. It's Marina. "Oh. I didn't know anyone was in here. I thought everyone was at the orgy." She says. "So did I…um how come you aren't?" you ask nervously. "Eh not really my thing, how come you aren't?" "Same here." "I see…so what are you doing to pass the time?" "Keeping up on events to see if things will change for the better." "Ah an optimist eh?" "Not really, I think I just get a kick out of living in a fantasy world and delusions to make myself feel better…that and I have a morbid fascination of the utter chaos that's occurring throughout the world right now." "Hmm, interesting approach to life…I've always noticed you seem to keep to yourself. You like solitude don't you?" "It's easier." "Yet, you stayed here for the end." "Yeah, and I'm really wishing I hadn't now, I can't mix with anyone here. Never could. Not even on the primal level that everyone seems to be favoring right now. I don't know why I thought things would change in the end…ah fuck it the world's gonna end and it's probably a good thing if our co-workers are an example of humanity. Still…I kind of wish I bought that bomb shelter…" "So you don't want to die?" "Of course not! I just don't really see how to avoid it at this point." "Well, for starters you could come with me; I'm getting ready to leave the city. It seems like things have died down for the most part out there, hopefully nobody's vandalized or stolen either of our vehicles." Marina suggests. "What? Leave? And go where? It's not like there's any place really safe to go at this late stage." "Sure there is. Look, I'll level with you, since you seem to be the only one here that's different. I stayed around here to see if there was anyone who was worthy enough to be saved, and apart from you, it pretty much looks like I wasted my time." "Save? What do you mean?" "Well despite the fact that you kept to yourself and never took any interest in any of the private lives of your co-workers doesn't we don't have them." Marina laughs. "But like you I never really mixed with any of our co-workers either, however unlike you I do have a very active social life filled with people who are close like a family, people who live clean and have a strong sense of freedom…and who have been preparing for this day ever since the Commies started the first Cold War. You don't have to die and you don't have to be alone anymore. Come with me, you'll be accepted as long as you're willing to work hard and from what I know, you aren't averse to doing that." You're not entirely sure of what Marina has in store for you, but it sounds better than staying here waiting to die. You agree to leave with her. You both make your way past the mass of naked bodies and head immediately to the parking structure. Unfortunately Marina's car is gone, it's been predictably stolen in the looting frenzy during the city exodus; however your old van is perfectly fine. It hasn't even been vandalized, of course the thing looks like it's already been vandalized which is probably why nobody bothered to steal it. You both get in the van and you drive while Marina tells you where you're going. While you're driving through the city, you keep expecting to be attacked by lawless hold outs still lingering in the city or open fired on by Nation Guardsman, but you suspect either they were ordered to pull out to reinforce a more important city or most of them abandoned their "job" long ago when they realized the futility of it. You make your way out of the city with no problems. Of course now you're just wondering if you're just going to get nuked at any second. You listen to the radio to keep up on events, which is more of the same that you were watching on TV. Eventually Marina turns it off and tells you not to worry about the old world anymore, a new one is going to be built. Your drive takes you far from the city, where ever Marina's leading you it's even further than where you live and you lived pretty way out. You drive through the night and into next morning; while Marina's asleep you turn the radio back on and keep it on low… Monday 8:00 AM "…BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE…" The radio suddenly stops broadcasting anything except a loud warning sound; it wakes up Marina before you can turn it off. Seeing her current surroundings, Marina hastily tells you to turn at a dirty road that's coming up, which then leads into a wooden gate. Looks like a compound of some sort, where a man is standing guard with an assault rifle. Marina gets out and talks to him a moment, to which he nods his head and opens the gate. As soon as you drive in another woman comes running out of one of the many log cabin like structures in the compound. She immediately starts talking to Marina through the passenger window. "Marina! Thank God you're here! We thought you were dead! Come on we gotta get down into the underground, its beginning!" Wasting no time Marina and you follow the woman into the cabin and down into a trap door in the floor. You find yourself in a wide tunnel with dim electrical lighting to what looks like a pretty elaborate underground complex. Marina and the woman are running ahead of you, but you can't help but stare in wonder of all this. "Holy shit, they really were working on this since the Cold War…" you say to yourself as you slow down to examine everything. Then it happens. You hear a loud noise above and you fall to the ground due to the tremors. Then all the lighting goes out. You attempt to get back up and try to feel the walls to get your bearings. You don't know where the hell you're going, but you can hear voices and shouting; some of it close and some of it far away. You have no idea where the hell you're at, let alone the layout of this place. Instead of getting yourself lost, you decide to just stay put until the lighting comes back on; surely they probably have an emergency generator that will kick in soon. The lighting suddenly comes on and you're just in time to see Marina and a man dressed fatigues arrive on your position. "Are you alright?" Marina asks you. "Yeah, I'm okay." No sooner do you get out those words when the man in military fatigues begins giving you the hard stare. "I've heard about you before from Marina, but don't think that hiding behind her skirt is gonna give you a fuckin' free pass in this place! You better prepared to pull your goddamn weight everyday! I catch you slipping and you're outta here!" "What the hell? I didn't say anything!" "And you better not say any fuckin' thing either if you don't wanna get on my bad side! The Colonel doesn't like slack offs in his compound and neither do I! So if you intend on staying here, you better get REAL used to the idea of getting your head outta your fuckin' ass and living like a real fuckin' person instead of the goddamn disgusting parasitic shit maggot you are!" You're about to reply to GI Jerk, but Marina stops you and insists on taking you to your room, leaving Harry to his own devices. "Alright Marina, what the hell was all that about, and who's full metal asshole back there?" "That was Harry, and don't pay any attention to him, he's just really gung ho and is second in command around here. The Colonel is the one who runs this place. He's actually a more even tempered man than Harry is." Marina and you arrive at a small room by itself at the end of one of the corridors. "Well here's the room you'll be staying for now. Things might change mind you, but rest assured this is the safest place you could be right now. We've prepared for this day and will definitely survive the aftermath of what's to come, and now you will too." Marina leaves with a smile, but you don't really share her optimism, given the fact that Armageddon has just happened. That reality has only just now sunk in that the world is probably one big radioactive desert at this point. Then again, Marina might be right, this place is probably safer than most and its better than being dead. At least you hope it is. You lie down on the bed provided and fall asleep; surprisingly it's the best rest you've experienced before the bombs dropped. A few weeks pass and you get acquainted with the compound. You and most of the others are to remain underground while until some scouts in radiation suits determine if the radiation level is low enough. In the mean time you're forced to do extensive combat training like everyone else. Most of the people are okay with you, even though you're an outsider. Harry gives you a hard time though. Still, you're probably in the best shape of your life and you got to brush up on your aim. Sometimes you get to spend time with Marina, funny how you find it easier to talk to her now. One day you finally see the Colonel you've been hearing about, he gives a speech to all of you in the cafeteria. "Well, I've been informed that the surface part of our compound only suffered minor damage and that the radiation level is fairly low all things considering…anyway we all knew this day would come, and we would be prepared for it, but we can't just sit on our asses hoping things will be alright! NO! We must take a proactive approach if we have to survive! As we speak, there are probably low lives scavenging the shell of the old world, we must secure as many abandoned resources as we can to ensure our future and some of you will be sent out into the world to do just that for the good of the compound. We're going to tame this new world and rebuild a new society! You have undergone rigorous training before hand, to ensure you will be able to survive the dangers. Now I'll be accepting volunteers first." > You volunteer Maybe you're high on your new found physique and adrenaline, but for whatever reason, something comes over you to volunteer. Indeed you've made everyone a little surprised by your actions especially since you're an outsider. The Colonel looks at you with interest. "Hmm, you're the one I've heard about from Marina, didn't expect you to volunteer, she's always mentioned you're quiet loner type. Then again, you might be just what I need…alright you're coming with me. Harry, you start picking some of the others and form recon detachments. Everyone goes on assignment tomorrow." The Colonel then takes you to his office, where he sits down and gets a bunch of papers from his desk. "Okay, I'm sure during your short stay here, you probably think we're all a bunch of survivalist militia loonies, and to a certain extent, we probably are, however we aren't without a plan." The Colonel shows you some blueprints to what looks to be a small military base. "My friend Alex was stationed at this base. It's not exactly close by, but its closest military base around here." "Didn't realize there were any military bases in the area." "Most people don't, it was a top secret, and kept off the records so it wouldn't be targeted. There aren't even any roads leading to the place, you have travel by foot. Though I guess you could say it wasn't so much of a military base as it was a research facility. Obviously I know about it, because I had a friend stationed there who was feeding me information. He didn't exactly run the place, but he was attempting to work his way up to get special level clearance. Apparently GZS was working with the government on some high tech weaponry." "GZS?" "The Ground Zero Survival Corporation. I'm sure you've heard of them, they were the ones hawking their Shelters like snake oil salesmen before doomsday." "Oh yeah, I used to see their commercials on late at night, I thought about buying one of those." "Well good thing you didn't, only an idiot would've bought one of those things. Look at this." The Colonel now shows you a schematic of a GZS Shelter. "Why? It certainly looks just as equipped as this compound and has a lot more conveniences." You remark. "It would appear that way, but the fucking thing is a death trap. They engineered them so once you entered; you most likely couldn't get out of them. Supposedly the GZS computer is supposed to let you out when it deems that it's safe to do so. In fact the whole thing is controlled by the computer. A computer that could glitch and break down at anytime. Let a machine be in charge of your survival…yeah great idea. I dunno about you, but I'll take this compound any day. It might not look pretty, but I don't have to worry about getting trapped with no access to food or water. Not to mention I heard from Alex that they suffered cutback during the creation of most of those things meaning they cut a lot of damn corners, so they probably aren't as state of the art as they claimed. I'll bet those dumb bastards who are living in those things are regretting it as we speak." You're not sure where he's going with all this so you interrupt. "So, what does all this mean? Are we going to seek out these shelters and rescue the people inside?" "What?! HA HA! That's a good one!" The Colonel laughs. "Hell no son, as far as I'm concerned they've made their choice now they can live with it, we're not here to play white knight. We have to look out for ourselves, and part of that is making sure we're the best defended and from what I heard, whatever they were working on in that base, sounds like it would make things a lot easier in the defense department." "Whoa, hold on, if this is a military base won't they just shoot me on sight if I go there I mean won't it be heavily guarded? I mean I know I went through some training, but I doubt to the degree that I can take on an entire military base!" "Alex was making friends with most of the lower personnel there, getting them to follow him as it were. Last I heard, he was pretty successful, so chances are, as long as I gave you some identifiers to take with you proving that you were following my orders, you wouldn't have any problems when you arrived, but obviously there IS a problem or I wouldn't be sending you at all." "Of course…" you say expecting this assignment to be even more complicated. "I haven't heard anything from Alex for a month before the bombs dropped. I dunno what's happened to him." "Is it possible they discovered he was leaking information and killed him?" "I suppose, but chances are that afterwards they would've found out about us and also sent the National Guard as well as GZS private security here to lay waste to this compound." "Well the National Guard were busy trying to maintain order to the major cities at the time. I should know I was there when they were stationed in the one I was working at." "True, but I still think they would've sent someone here, and GZS still would have. As I said they had enough money to pay for their own security force. Maybe not as well trained as military personnel, but fanatical enough to eliminate anyone that GZS thought was discovering secrets about them. That's why Alex always focused on solely making friends with the grunts and government officials. The GZS employees always seemed a bit more dedicated to their corporation." "Okay, well is it possible that the base wasn't so secret and it got hit after all?" "Nope, mainly because I get the impression the background radiation level would be a hell of a lot higher, if that got nuked, so I'm pretty sure the place is intact, in fact I'm guessing its been abandoned. We recently figured out their frequency, we never used it before for obvious reasons, but now, why not? We're getting a signal, but no verbal answers from anyone. To sum up, I want you to go there to scout and explore as much as you can. Find out what the hell happened to Alex if possible, and let me know if that high tech weaponry is worth anything or just more bad engineering by GZS. Here. You'll probably need this security pass to enter, got it from Alex, last time he was here; I hope it's still valid. And here's my ring and a letter, if Alex IS still alive then those will prove that you're working for me. That's all I can do to help other than to give you a map to the place and what equipment you think you'll need." Before you leave you have to ask. "Okay why me?" "Why you? You volunteered son!" "I know, but for this particular job, surely you have others more qualified to tackle it." "Eh…you MIGHT think that, but to be quite honest, no. I mean don't get me wrong I see all of these people here as family, but a lot of them are a bunch of weekend warriors who were playing survival. I'm sure in the years to come we're going to see who's a REAL soldier and who isn't. Not that it matters, I mean I'll find something for them to do, but you're different. You certainly aren't some commando, but there's definitely something about you that makes you seem a bit more…detached from everything else. Like you'll be willing to do what's necessary to survive without hesitation. While you may never have been in a situation like this one, I got a feeling you'll do just fine. Besides Marina's previous beaming remarks about you are good enough for me. Now go get some rest, you'll be leaving tomorrow." You head back to your room and think about what the Colonel said. He might be right in a lot of ways, but you still wonder if he's sending you because as he said, "All these people here are like family, but you're different." Maybe if you get killed it won't feel like such a loss. You don't think anymore about it, mainly because Marina enters your room to interrupt your thoughts. "I hear you're leaving tomorrow, I just want to tell you how brave I think you are for doing this for all of us. I know we didn't get a lot of quality time with each other, but I wanted us to spend at least what could be the last time I see you together." Marina's ominous words that imply how much danger you're possibly getting yourself into might worry you more if she wasn't on top of you right now… The next day you load up with what you think you might need, water, food, rifle, pistol, knife, Geiger counter, all the basic essentials. You get a bunch of goodbyes and good lucks. Harry merely sneers and mentions he expects you to get yourself killed twenty feet after you leave. The Colonel is a little more supportive and gives you a silent salute, but you like Marina's goodbye kiss best of all. And with that, you're on your way. It's actually amazing to see that the outside world doesn't look drastically different, you can only assume the bombs didn't hit near your area. When you're out of sight of the compound, you go back to thinking about this mission you volunteered for and wondering if you should go through with it. You do have the suitable equipment and skills to survive off the land after all. Perhaps it would be better to just go AWOL as it were… > You continue with your mission You volunteered and you're going to see it through, might not be that dangerous as you think especially if the place is indeed abandoned. You spend a few days crossing over hills and some plains. For awhile you think someone's following you, but never see a soul, actually you're wondering about the Geiger counter readings more than anything, but you're guessing there wasn't any nuclear blast the direction you're going. You also guess that seeing trees up ahead is also a good sign. You would've dressed yourself in a radiation suit, but the Colonel kept insisting it wouldn't be necessary and for the mission that Harry was sending some of the others on would need them more. "Shit! I forgot to take a radio!" you say to yourself finally realizing that it would've been nice to radio in to the Compound if you had something important to report, like being unable to enter the base because snipers were shooting at you. Happily that doesn't seem to occur when you finally arrive. You almost aren't even sure if you're at the right place at first. The Compound is bigger, then again this place probably has an extensive underground, and as the Colonel said, it was more like a research facility than a proper military base. Still there's something a little weird about all this, it seems like security would be of major importance for a place like this, yet there's nobody here guarding the outside and you just walked through open gates. Maybe the place is abandoned, but they could all be underground though, (That would certainly be more sensible than wandering around exposing themselves to radioactive wind…) The surface offices and barracks don't look like anyone left in a hurry; in fact a lot of the barracks still have their equipment. (You take some extra ammo for your assault rifle) You search through some of papers you find in the offices, but there's nothing of any importance. Just mundane status reports of personnel guard duties. You find a few letters with GZS logos on them, but again nothing telling you much. Nothing else for it, but to go underground. You approach the solid metal structure at the far end of the base. Looks like an elevator door with an ATM machine near it. There's a slot and some button, so you're guessing this is where you shove your security pass that the Colonel gave you. Hope it works or you came all this way for nothing. You slide the pass in the slot. "Identification recognized. GZS wishes you a pleasant day in all your endeavors sir!" a chipper female voice sounds as the elevator door opens. Not exactly what you were expecting, GZS must've had more input here than the Colonel thought. You're a little nervous as you press the elevator button down, you expect the worst. The elevator eventually reaches its destination and opens up to a corridor. You cautiously exit. You don't get far when a cybernetic being comes from around a corner and points its arm at you, which is doubling as a weapon of some sort, one that would blow a big hole in you. "Lower your weapon and please come with me sir. Alex will want to see you. Any attempt to attack or escape will be met with extreme use of force." > You open fire and run You unload a clip into the cyborg, not knowing if your bullets are going to hurt it or not. You manage to do something since you knock it to the ground and you see it spark, before you head for the elevator. "Hostile detected! Enacting defense systems!" a robotic voice echoes. You begin to panic when the elevator refuses to open and more cybernetic beings come at you. You can't stop them, and you expect a quick death by their weapons, but unfortunately that doesn't occur. Instead they knock you out and take you to Alex. When you come to you're lying naked, tied to an operating table with a bunch of tubes in you. Alex is hovering over you with a scalpel. He's obviously deranged. "Well I see I didn't use enough anesthesia, I'll have to apply more…I also see by this letter and his ring the Colonel sent you. Probably all a ruse of friendship to kill me no doubt. I never did trust him. Well his loss will be my gain. I'm going to remake you. Better, stronger, faster. Just like the Million Dollar Man, except this won't cost any money, just my time. I've been studying about some new cybernetic implants I want to test. I think I know enough about the procedure for it to be successful. You'll thank me for this, trust me. L17 hand me the bone saw." You pass out again, which is just as well since Alex butchers your body trying to "remake" you. His crude skills fail in the attempt and you die on the surgical table, with Alex cursing about accidentally severing multiple arteries of yours.

You volunteered and you're going to see it through, might not be that dangerous as you think especially if the place is indeed abandoned. You spend a few days crossing over hills and some plains. For awhile you think someone's following you, but never see a soul, actually you're wondering about the Geiger counter readings more than anything, but you're guessing there wasn't any nuclear blast the direction you're going. You also guess that seeing trees up ahead is also a good sign. You would've dressed yourself in a radiation suit, but the Colonel kept insisting it wouldn't be necessary and for the mission that Harry was sending some of the others on would need them more. "Shit! I forgot to take a radio!" you say to yourself finally realizing that it would've been nice to radio in to the Compound if you had something important to report, like being unable to enter the base because snipers were shooting at you. Happily that doesn't seem to occur when you finally arrive. You almost aren't even sure if you're at the right place at first. The Compound is bigger, then again this place probably has an extensive underground, and as the Colonel said, it was more like a research facility than a proper military base. Still there's something a little weird about all this, it seems like security would be of major importance for a place like this, yet there's nobody here guarding the outside and you just walked through open gates. Maybe the place is abandoned, but they could all be underground though, (That would certainly be more sensible than wandering around exposing themselves to radioactive wind…) The surface offices and barracks don't look like anyone left in a hurry; in fact a lot of the barracks still have their equipment. (You take some extra ammo for your assault rifle) You search through some of papers you find in the offices, but there's nothing of any importance. Just mundane status reports of personnel guard duties. You find a few letters with GZS logos on them, but again nothing telling you much. Nothing else for it, but to go underground. You approach the solid metal structure at the far end of the base. Looks like an elevator door with an ATM machine near it. There's a slot and some button, so you're guessing this is where you shove your security pass that the Colonel gave you. Hope it works or you came all this way for nothing. You slide the pass in the slot. "Identification recognized. GZS wishes you a pleasant day in all your endeavors sir!" a chipper female voice sounds as the elevator door opens. Not exactly what you were expecting, GZS must've had more input here than the Colonel thought. You're a little nervous as you press the elevator button down, you expect the worst. The elevator eventually reaches its destination and opens up to a corridor. You cautiously exit. You don't get far when a cybernetic being comes from around a corner and points its arm at you, which is doubling as a weapon of some sort, one that would blow a big hole in you. "Lower your weapon and please come with me sir. Alex will want to see you. Any attempt to attack or escape will be met with extreme use of force." > You go with the cyborg You lower your rifle (But still hold on to it) and walk side by side with the cyborg who is surprisingly chatty, you also see it walks a bit irregularly, like it hasn't been spliced together correctly. "Alex will be most pleased to see you; you'll be the first human here in months!" "What happened to all the others?" "Oh well most of them have been improved like m-m-m-m." the cyborg hits itself in the head before he stops stuttering "Like me, sir." "Hmm, some improvement." "Oh well, its not so bad. Alex promises to give us a tune up when he gets the necessary time, he is only one man after all. Some assistants would certainly help." "So Alex is a surgeon?" "Well he's not really. I mean he didn't start out that way at least, but he's completely self taught and trying to learn more each day! Sure there have been some failures, but there's also been success! Why look at m-m-m-m." the cyborg hits itself in the head again while you just shake yours. You can see this is going to be an interesting meeting. "So who were you before Alex…uh improved you." "Oh I was a regular military man who guarded this base with no real identity. Just a name and a number really." "And now?" "Now I'm known as J-34 and I protect Alex!" "That's great… so everyone here is a cyborg like you?" "Just about. Most military personnel were friends with Alex before being renewed, so they were happy to be improved. The GZS personnel weren't so enthusiastic about the idea, in fact they were mad that Alex discovered their top secret project. They tried to stop him, but they were stopped instead. Alex saw that the project would be pointless in trying to perfect it to use in a war that was going to be over in six minutes. Better that it should be applied to those that would surely survive the aftermath of that same war. Here we are, I'm sure Alex will want to hear all about the outside world, hey maybe he'll improve you too!" You enter an office where a man sits at a desk pouring over technical manuals and medical books. Two more cyborgs armed with some sort science fictionish weapons stand by him. There's no way you could hope to kill him without them killing you as well. He looks up. "Ah a guest! Been a long time since we've seen anyone new…in fact I'm a little puzzled on how you even found this place, let alone entered it…you're not GZS are you?" Alex says changing his pleasant demeanor in mid sentence. "No! Not at all! I'm here because the Colonel sent me. He says you and he are friends. Here. Here's his ring and a letter he wrote to prove it. He'd also given me a security pass so I could enter this place." Alex takes the ring and letter and inspects them both, before addressing you again. "Well it looks like everything's legitimate. I shall trust you. Though I'm not sure I trust the Colonel. I never did trust him. He only wanted to use me so I could get access to high tech weaponry, but instead I found much more here! Much more than I ever told him! Ha ha! I hear him trying to radio in, wondering if there's anyone here, I've been ignoring him. He and his group of right wing loonies are unworthy of being re-made. If they think they're true survivialists then they don't need the gifts that this base provides. All of it is mine, I EARNED this place and it shall be I who ushers in a new era. Not GZS, not the government and not the fucking goddamn Colonel!" Alex is obviously unhinged, you don't know if he was always this way or got that way later, but it hardly matters, what's of major importance is that you walk away from this meeting unscathed. You try to calm him down. "Whoa hold on, I don't think the Colonel or any of his right wing loonies would want to be re-made." "Nonsense, anyone with any sense of survival would want to be re-made if they new about what was being worked on here." You can't help, but notice that Alex hasn't done any improvements on himself… "However, I can see you don't share that same short sighted thinking that the rest of those Compound cronies do. You are worthy of being re-made! In fact I would like to start now, I've been studying up on some new techniques and I would love to test them out. I think I could do a really good job this time, there will definitely be less acc…er complications than in the past." This is just getting worse. Now this nutjob wants to work on you. "Look, I don't want to be re-made! I was just here to see if you were alive and scout this place out! Now that I've done that, I'm to return to the Compound!" "Oh well now that's going to be a problem…I can't risk you telling him what's here." You really didn't want to hear that. "Look, I'll tell the Colonel that there wasn't anything here, I can reason with him. You can even take my security pass to make sure I can't get back in if you're really worried. However, if he doesn't hear from me, he's only going to send more folks to this place." "And what of it? They wouldn't be able to get in and even if they could, his weekend warriors would be no match for Cybernetic Evolution!" "No, but they could just blow up the elevator trapping you down here forever, and you'll never be able to leave to allow your genius to usher in the new era that you were talking about." That seems to relax Alex a bit, as always a little flattery goes a long way to ease an unbalanced mind. "Hmm, perhaps you make some sense, and you seem like a trustworthy sort…very well. I shall arrange for you to leave. Give me your security pass." "Okay, and I'll be needing the Colonel's ring and letter back, so I can say I didn't find anything here." You and Alex exchange items and he and his two cyborg guards escort you back to the elevator. "Goodbye, perhaps if we meet again you will be more receptive to being re-made. It's a harsh new world, and you'll soon wish you had an edge to survive it." Alex tells you before you leave. "I'll do alright." The elevator goes up and you're back on the surface again where you make your trek back to the compound in just a few days. You notice there have been a few changes in the few days you've left. Namely there's a still to make hooch. And you now have some working vehicles that been modified to run on hooch. The same still that people are making cheap booze from they're also using it as fuel, which basically translates into the vehicles running on "garbage" given that's what the booze is being made out of. Smells pretty bad, but whatever works. Though from what you heard some towns have been found to be running their vehicles on shit (animal AND human) so the smell could be worse. There's been a couple deaths from some of the other recon missions, but for the most part everything else is normal. Everyone's almost surprised to see you come back, Marina's happy, Harry obviously isn't. The Colonel though wants to see you immediately. Since you don't owe any allegiance to some nutcase playing Frankenstein in an underground base, you tell the Colonel everything. You expect him to get mad at you, but he doesn't. "(Sigh) Alex always was a bit unstable; I always wondered why the army never gave him a section 8. Anyway, what you're telling me doesn't surprise me, though I wish you could've gotten away without giving up that security pass. It's going to be harder to get down there now." "You still want to go down there?" "Of course! What you think I'm going to let Alex slowly refine and build up his cyborg army? Who do you think he's going to attack first? No, we need to get rid of him NOW. I suppose we could blow up the elevator doors to gain access. Not like we don't have the means to do that." "Yeah, but don't you run the risk of blowing up the entire elevator, and causing it fall and crash down the shaft? We wouldn't be able to send anyone down there in an efficient manner. Let alone fighting off cyborgs who would cut us down with ease if we were trying to repel down the shaft or huddled together coming off the elevator, besides Alex might have left the elevator on his level given the recent visit of mine." The Colonel lets forth another sigh knowing that you make a good point, but frustrated as well. "You're right, so what do you suggest we do then? Sit and do nothing with our thumbs up our asses?" > You suggest in hacking the security system, then invading the base. "Well I suppose you're right in that we need to stop Alex, but blowing up the elevator still isn't going to help, I suggest we hack the security system to gain control of it properly and then send down the invasion force and hope we can deal with the robots and cyborgs down there." You reply. "Sounds like a better plan, I didn't know you had so much computer experience though, let alone able to hack into a secret army base." "Huh? I don't. I mean, don't you have people like that here?" "Excuse me, but you seem to be new here, hello welcome to the Compound…NO OF COURSE I DON'T I HAVE ANYONE LIKE THAT HERE! Sheesh! It's not like we figured advanced computer hacking skills are going to be that useful when the world is blown back to the stone age! So you mean you don't have the ability to pull off this amazing plan of yours?" "Well, not really, not to that degree at least…I suppose there's just taking the panel apart and re-wiring it so it opens up for us though, you got any electricians or someone of that nature?" "Yeah a few, but I hope you do too, because you're going to assist the team since you're the idea man for all of this. After you clean out all the cyborgs and whatever the hell else Alex has built down there, remember to grab those weapons and come back. We'll go back to occupy the base later. Now go select your team and whatever else you think you might need." After asking for the names of the electronically "gifted" around the place, you go about following the Colonel's orders and saying goodbye to Marina again, she looks more confident that you'll return this time, you wish you could feel the same. When you and your team get to the base in a few days, you're in for a little surprise. A medium sized robot is patrolling the courtyard. Looks like your friend Alex also dabbles in robotics as well as cybernetics. You and your team hide behind the outer wall when you all catch sight of it. Apparently Alex didn't trust you any more than you trusted him, and looks like both of you were right. "Uh, what's that?" one of your team members asks. "It's a robot, what's it look like?" "Well what're we gonna do?" "Kill it! Everyone open fire!" You have no idea if your bullets are going to penetrate its armor, but you you're going to try anyway. Everyone fires upon the robotic being, which begins to shutter and spark, but returns fire and a bright burst of light strikes one of your team members and completely incinerates him. "Holy shit, get cover and keep firing!" you shout. The rest of the battle doesn't last too much longer, while your team continue to fire bursts at the machine while they dodge plasma blasts, you get enough time to toss a grenade at it and blow it to smithereens. Shards of burnt twisted metal lie all over the place. "Come on we need to open up that door, before something else comes out of the damn thing!" You and a few others start working on the card reader, trying to get it open as fast as possible. You don't even know how you're going to rewire the damn thing; you'll just keep doing something until something else happens! As it turns out you didn't need to do anything, while you and few others are fumbling around, the elevator doors open. At first you think you it was you who opened them, but in fact it was Alex who was controlling the elevator from the bottom. Two heavily armed cyborgs exit and begin firing immediately turning most of your team into charred skeletons. You manage to just barely get away and duck behind one of the buildings. Fortunately they don't seem to be very fast, so when they try to chase you, you toss a few grenades in their direction, blowing them up in the same manner you destroyed the robot, except a bit bloodier, given their human bits. You come out of your hiding place and see nothing left of your team, they've all been killed. The elevator door is still open; you could enter and finish the job, or return to the Compound in failure. > You enter You take a deep breath and enter the elevator taking it down. As soon as it opens you step out and blaze away at the first metallic monster that pops from around the corner, hitting it critically in some vital component. In fact you're doing okay all things considering, but as they say, it usually isn't thing that you're expecting that gets you. Thinking you have a breather, you duck into one of the rooms to reload; unfortunately you feel a dart go into your back, before you enter it. You pull it out and see it's a tranquilizer dart. Already you feel drowsy, and begin to collapse. You ban barely make him out in your current state, but Alex soon enters with a victorious look on his face, holding his tranquilizer gun. "Well, it looks like I was right to not trust you, but you'll be able to repay me back soon enough. Trust me, you'll thank me for this remaking." Despite Alex's claims you're unable to do much talking at all after Alex remakes you, let alone thanking him. He basically designs you in such a way that only your basic brain functions remain. Just enough for you to obey simple commands such as "Attack the Compound". Obeying that command is the last thing you do, before you're eventually blown to bits during Alex's attack on the Compound.

"Well I suppose you're right in that we need to stop Alex, but blowing up the elevator still isn't going to help, I suggest we hack the security system to gain control of it properly and then send down the invasion force and hope we can deal with the robots and cyborgs down there." You reply. "Sounds like a better plan, I didn't know you had so much computer experience though, let alone able to hack into a secret army base." "Huh? I don't. I mean, don't you have people like that here?" "Excuse me, but you seem to be new here, hello welcome to the Compound…NO OF COURSE I DON'T I HAVE ANYONE LIKE THAT HERE! Sheesh! It's not like we figured advanced computer hacking skills are going to be that useful when the world is blown back to the stone age! So you mean you don't have the ability to pull off this amazing plan of yours?" "Well, not really, not to that degree at least…I suppose there's just taking the panel apart and re-wiring it so it opens up for us though, you got any electricians or someone of that nature?" "Yeah a few, but I hope you do too, because you're going to assist the team since you're the idea man for all of this. After you clean out all the cyborgs and whatever the hell else Alex has built down there, remember to grab those weapons and come back. We'll go back to occupy the base later. Now go select your team and whatever else you think you might need." After asking for the names of the electronically "gifted" around the place, you go about following the Colonel's orders and saying goodbye to Marina again, she looks more confident that you'll return this time, you wish you could feel the same. When you and your team get to the base in a few days, you're in for a little surprise. A medium sized robot is patrolling the courtyard. Looks like your friend Alex also dabbles in robotics as well as cybernetics. You and your team hide behind the outer wall when you all catch sight of it. Apparently Alex didn't trust you any more than you trusted him, and looks like both of you were right. "Uh, what's that?" one of your team members asks. "It's a robot, what's it look like?" "Well what're we gonna do?" "Kill it! Everyone open fire!" You have no idea if your bullets are going to penetrate its armor, but you you're going to try anyway. Everyone fires upon the robotic being, which begins to shutter and spark, but returns fire and a bright burst of light strikes one of your team members and completely incinerates him. "Holy shit, get cover and keep firing!" you shout. The rest of the battle doesn't last too much longer, while your team continue to fire bursts at the machine while they dodge plasma blasts, you get enough time to toss a grenade at it and blow it to smithereens. Shards of burnt twisted metal lie all over the place. "Come on we need to open up that door, before something else comes out of the damn thing!" You and a few others start working on the card reader, trying to get it open as fast as possible. You don't even know how you're going to rewire the damn thing; you'll just keep doing something until something else happens! As it turns out you didn't need to do anything, while you and few others are fumbling around, the elevator doors open. At first you think you it was you who opened them, but in fact it was Alex who was controlling the elevator from the bottom. Two heavily armed cyborgs exit and begin firing immediately turning most of your team into charred skeletons. You manage to just barely get away and duck behind one of the buildings. Fortunately they don't seem to be very fast, so when they try to chase you, you toss a few grenades in their direction, blowing them up in the same manner you destroyed the robot, except a bit bloodier, given their human bits. You come out of your hiding place and see nothing left of your team, they've all been killed. The elevator door is still open; you could enter and finish the job, or return to the Compound in failure. > You leave There's no way you can take on the rest by yourself, at the very least you need to get reinforcements! You'd radio in, but one of the other team members was carrying it, and he was fricasseed. Plus you don't want to be around if anymore of Alex's creations come up. Time for a full scale invasion, looks like the Colonel was right. And that's just what the Colonel tells you, when he's chewing your ass out for losing valuable people and equipment in an attempt to go through with your plan. His respect for you is severely lowered, in fact the entire Compound's respect for you is lowered. Harry makes every effort to taunt you, and even Marina becomes distant. (Obviously you weren't the "man" she thought you were.) Your status in the Compound is pretty much nil, when the Colonel finally organizes an invasion party; you of course aren't included. Now knowing another invasion attempt is probably coming, Alex really beefed up his defenses; the invasion force doesn't even set foot into the base before getting blasted by superior cyborg weaponry. Reinforcements are called in, but they don't help. The base is too well defended now. A retreat is called, and the Compound has to abandon its invasion indefinitely. In fact all exploration is called off; since the Colonel decides he can't afford to lose anyone else. (One of the only reasons why you're kept around) The Compound just becomes a "place" where everyone lives because it's safer than living outside it. The ideas of "rebuilding" civilization are abandoned. Morale certainly isn't what it used to be. Of course none of that means shit to Alex, who only steps up his plans for conquest. A year passes without another incident and then the day happens which you all hoped would never happen, but somehow expected it would. Alex's army arrives, and what's worse is they now outnumber you. Alex must've been capturing people in the wastelands or something. He's also improved his abilities, they're even tougher, and worse they're faster. You don't have anywhere else to go, and this place is your home such as it is. You figure maybe you can regain some respect by defending the place. You and the rest prepare to defend the Compound. Harry is predictably yelling orders at everyone, while the Colonel is attempting to boost morale with inspirational speeches. None of it really helps though when the first wave of cyborgs easily melt the gate into liquid metal and blast holes in the walls. Then they proceed to melt the people into liquid pulp, and blast holes in their bodies, you are no exception.

You lower your rifle (But still hold on to it) and walk side by side with the cyborg who is surprisingly chatty, you also see it walks a bit irregularly, like it hasn't been spliced together correctly. "Alex will be most pleased to see you; you'll be the first human here in months!" "What happened to all the others?" "Oh well most of them have been improved like m-m-m-m." the cyborg hits itself in the head before he stops stuttering "Like me, sir." "Hmm, some improvement." "Oh well, its not so bad. Alex promises to give us a tune up when he gets the necessary time, he is only one man after all. Some assistants would certainly help." "So Alex is a surgeon?" "Well he's not really. I mean he didn't start out that way at least, but he's completely self taught and trying to learn more each day! Sure there have been some failures, but there's also been success! Why look at m-m-m-m." the cyborg hits itself in the head again while you just shake yours. You can see this is going to be an interesting meeting. "So who were you before Alex…uh improved you." "Oh I was a regular military man who guarded this base with no real identity. Just a name and a number really." "And now?" "Now I'm known as J-34 and I protect Alex!" "That's great… so everyone here is a cyborg like you?" "Just about. Most military personnel were friends with Alex before being renewed, so they were happy to be improved. The GZS personnel weren't so enthusiastic about the idea, in fact they were mad that Alex discovered their top secret project. They tried to stop him, but they were stopped instead. Alex saw that the project would be pointless in trying to perfect it to use in a war that was going to be over in six minutes. Better that it should be applied to those that would surely survive the aftermath of that same war. Here we are, I'm sure Alex will want to hear all about the outside world, hey maybe he'll improve you too!" You enter an office where a man sits at a desk pouring over technical manuals and medical books. Two more cyborgs armed with some sort science fictionish weapons stand by him. There's no way you could hope to kill him without them killing you as well. He looks up. "Ah a guest! Been a long time since we've seen anyone new…in fact I'm a little puzzled on how you even found this place, let alone entered it…you're not GZS are you?" Alex says changing his pleasant demeanor in mid sentence. "No! Not at all! I'm here because the Colonel sent me. He says you and he are friends. Here. Here's his ring and a letter he wrote to prove it. He'd also given me a security pass so I could enter this place." Alex takes the ring and letter and inspects them both, before addressing you again. "Well it looks like everything's legitimate. I shall trust you. Though I'm not sure I trust the Colonel. I never did trust him. He only wanted to use me so I could get access to high tech weaponry, but instead I found much more here! Much more than I ever told him! Ha ha! I hear him trying to radio in, wondering if there's anyone here, I've been ignoring him. He and his group of right wing loonies are unworthy of being re-made. If they think they're true survivialists then they don't need the gifts that this base provides. All of it is mine, I EARNED this place and it shall be I who ushers in a new era. Not GZS, not the government and not the fucking goddamn Colonel!" Alex is obviously unhinged, you don't know if he was always this way or got that way later, but it hardly matters, what's of major importance is that you walk away from this meeting unscathed. You try to calm him down. "Whoa hold on, I don't think the Colonel or any of his right wing loonies would want to be re-made." "Nonsense, anyone with any sense of survival would want to be re-made if they new about what was being worked on here." You can't help, but notice that Alex hasn't done any improvements on himself… "However, I can see you don't share that same short sighted thinking that the rest of those Compound cronies do. You are worthy of being re-made! In fact I would like to start now, I've been studying up on some new techniques and I would love to test them out. I think I could do a really good job this time, there will definitely be less acc…er complications than in the past." This is just getting worse. Now this nutjob wants to work on you. "Look, I don't want to be re-made! I was just here to see if you were alive and scout this place out! Now that I've done that, I'm to return to the Compound!" "Oh well now that's going to be a problem…I can't risk you telling him what's here." You really didn't want to hear that. "Look, I'll tell the Colonel that there wasn't anything here, I can reason with him. You can even take my security pass to make sure I can't get back in if you're really worried. However, if he doesn't hear from me, he's only going to send more folks to this place." "And what of it? They wouldn't be able to get in and even if they could, his weekend warriors would be no match for Cybernetic Evolution!" "No, but they could just blow up the elevator trapping you down here forever, and you'll never be able to leave to allow your genius to usher in the new era that you were talking about." That seems to relax Alex a bit, as always a little flattery goes a long way to ease an unbalanced mind. "Hmm, perhaps you make some sense, and you seem like a trustworthy sort…very well. I shall arrange for you to leave. Give me your security pass." "Okay, and I'll be needing the Colonel's ring and letter back, so I can say I didn't find anything here." You and Alex exchange items and he and his two cyborg guards escort you back to the elevator. "Goodbye, perhaps if we meet again you will be more receptive to being re-made. It's a harsh new world, and you'll soon wish you had an edge to survive it." Alex tells you before you leave. "I'll do alright." The elevator goes up and you're back on the surface again where you make your trek back to the compound in just a few days. You notice there have been a few changes in the few days you've left. Namely there's a still to make hooch. And you now have some working vehicles that been modified to run on hooch. The same still that people are making cheap booze from they're also using it as fuel, which basically translates into the vehicles running on "garbage" given that's what the booze is being made out of. Smells pretty bad, but whatever works. Though from what you heard some towns have been found to be running their vehicles on shit (animal AND human) so the smell could be worse. There's been a couple deaths from some of the other recon missions, but for the most part everything else is normal. Everyone's almost surprised to see you come back, Marina's happy, Harry obviously isn't. The Colonel though wants to see you immediately. Since you don't owe any allegiance to some nutcase playing Frankenstein in an underground base, you tell the Colonel everything. You expect him to get mad at you, but he doesn't. "(Sigh) Alex always was a bit unstable; I always wondered why the army never gave him a section 8. Anyway, what you're telling me doesn't surprise me, though I wish you could've gotten away without giving up that security pass. It's going to be harder to get down there now." "You still want to go down there?" "Of course! What you think I'm going to let Alex slowly refine and build up his cyborg army? Who do you think he's going to attack first? No, we need to get rid of him NOW. I suppose we could blow up the elevator doors to gain access. Not like we don't have the means to do that." "Yeah, but don't you run the risk of blowing up the entire elevator, and causing it fall and crash down the shaft? We wouldn't be able to send anyone down there in an efficient manner. Let alone fighting off cyborgs who would cut us down with ease if we were trying to repel down the shaft or huddled together coming off the elevator, besides Alex might have left the elevator on his level given the recent visit of mine." The Colonel lets forth another sigh knowing that you make a good point, but frustrated as well. "You're right, so what do you suggest we do then? Sit and do nothing with our thumbs up our asses?" > You suggest in containing Alex instead Funny that you are about to suggest an idea to the Colonel that got you out of trouble with Alex in the first place. "No, I think you do have a good idea about stopping Alex, I saw first hand how crazy he was. Maybe we can't actually get to him, but we could contain him. We blow up the elevator like you wanted to do and then dump explosives down the shaft, it should collapse things enough that they won't be able to leave, and we won't lose any people." "Ah, I like the way you think, but suppose they attempt get out, or rebuild the elevator or something?" "Well, we could leave a permanent detachment there to keep a constant vigil. I mean the surface part of the base is completely usable. That way we get an early warning just in case anything does try to come out." "Interesting idea. Having two command centers would be a good idea, I was planning on expansion in the future, might as well start now. Should keep us alert as well. Can't afford to get sloppy out here. Okay. We'll go with that idea, and since you came up with it, you can oversee the operation. In fact consider yourself stationed there until further notice." "What?!" "Hey I have to put someone there, you've done a good job so far and you have the best experience with the place so you can be in charge. Think of it as an honor son! I have a lot faith in you and I don't have much in anyone." "Well thanks, but wouldn't someone like Harry be a better choice?" "Harry? Yeah, he's got his uses, but I'd rather not have him in charge of anything important like this, no I want you and few others to go, in fact you pick them. I'll let you know if I can afford to spare them." "Well then I pick Marina right now." "I expected that. Sure, if you can convince her to go. Just remember what you're there for! Okay go pick out your team and gather what equipment you might need." You leave and tell Marina the situation immediately, she of course agrees to go with you, though she's a little worried about being someplace with a bunch of cyborgs several feet underneath her, of course you're worried about the same thing. You pick out six more people of varying skills, but mostly people you were getting along with during your stay at the Compound. You don't want to take anyone who you're not going to get along with. The Colonel approves of your choice and gives you the okay, Harry looks positively jealous that he was passed over for you who just got here. In fact before you leave he tells you as much. "You fucking little pissant. You think because you're all chummy with the Colonel that you're his fucking second in command now?" "No, I…" "You're goddamn right no! If anything happens to the Colonel I'M in charge of this shit! You better remember that fuckhead! Because if you're still on my list when that occurs, you best pray to God that I at least lube your asshole after I rip off your pink panties and before I shove my foot up it and make your colon my permanent fuckin' sock!" You're a little bewildered by the logic of this comment, you almost can't be sure if he's threatening you, or flirting with you. You don't feel like arguing with him though since it won't accomplish anything, besides if any good is coming from this, it's getting away from him. You and your team leave. When you and your team get to the base in a few days, you're in for a little surprise. A medium sized robot is patrolling the courtyard. Looks like your friend Alex also dabbles in robotics as well as cybernetics. You and your team hide behind the outer wall when you all catch sight of it. Apparently Alex didn't trust you any more than you trusted him, and looks like both of you were right. "Uh, what's that?" one of your team members asks. "It's a robot, what's it look like?" "Well what're we gonna do?" "Kill it! Everyone open fire!" You have no idea if your bullets are going to penetrate its armor, but you you're going to try anyway. Everyone fires upon the robotic being, which begins to shutter and spark, but returns fire and a bright burst of light strikes one of your team members and completely incinerates him. "Holy shit, get cover and keep firing!" you shout. The rest of the battle doesn't last too much longer, while your team continue to fire bursts at the machine while they dodge plasma blasts, you get enough time to toss a grenade at it and blow it to smithereens. Shards of burnt twisted metal lie all over the place. "Come on we need to blow up that door, before something else comes out of the damn thing!" You and the rest apply charges to the elevator door and run before it explodes. Just like you though, Alex doesn't have the elevator on the surface anymore, it's at the bottom, in fact its ascending right now! "Dump grenades down the fuckin' shaft!" This action is followed by running far away from the elevator, a large explosion, and then a large crash and another smaller explosion. You ask for a flashlight and peer down the shaft. Its smoking mess and from what you can tell, part of the structure collapsed in on itself. Nothing is going to be coming out of there for a long time. You're about to radio in and tell the Colonel the news when another signal breaks in, its Alex… "So, that snitch told after all! I knew he wasn't to be trusted! You can't stop me! I'll get out of here eventually! And I shall…" "Got news for you Alex, you're talking to the snitch right now, and you won't be going anywhere as long as I'm here. Enjoy your underground prison." You switch to another frequency and tell the Colonel who seems pleased, he tells you he'll keep in contact with you on a regular basis and send more people when possible, in the mean time secure the place and get settled in. A few more weeks pass and eventually the initial nervousness disappears from everyone, Alex still breaks in ranting on your radio frequency every now and then, but you ignore him. In fact being at the base turns out to be more to your liking, there's less people around, you're in charge and you get to spend more time with Marina. A year passes… Not too much changes around the base (Which you now call Pandora which seems appropriate since you're keeping in something that shouldn't be let out!) a few more people are transferred here, supplies are delivered back and forth, but not much else happens. You get reports from the Compound every now and then, seems they've made progress with a few small towns that survived, but there are a lot of problems with lawless bandits running around. Reports have also mentioned strange mutated animals lurking about too. Sounds like they have everything under control so far though. The Colonel has the idea to trade with the towns and offer protection when possible. He hopes to get more people to join the Compound you imagine. Your orders are still the same, just guard Pandora, and make sure no cybernetic horrors are coming out. Sometimes you wonder if you shouldn't be doing something else, indeed Marina seems to think so. Sometimes you forget she's been training in all this survivalist shit longer than you have and has that "tame the wasteland" spirit more than you do. > You stay put You decide that you got it made, why fuck with it? The rest of those at the Compound have to go on missions to fight bandits and go exploring possible hostile locations. You don't need to do any of that. You're in a nice safe isolated location where nobody ever comes except to drop off supplies every now and then. Even the fact cyborgs are trapped underneath you doesn't bother you anymore. You continue your routine. Four more years pass... You and Marina are still together, but for some reason, you don't seem as close anymore. It seems like she's been getting distant in the past few years. You still get the harassing radio rant from Alex every now and then just to let you know he's still alive along with his robots and cyborgs. You're guessing he's been surviving on rats and roaches down there. It's been five years since you first joined the Compound and there's been a lot more changes there at least that's what you've been hearing from the people transferred to Pandora. You get less and less reports from the Compound itself other than its undergone a name change and due to its inclusion of a few towns now, its called the Combine and the Compound itself is called Fort Justice. You know about how the Colonel has gotten sick and seems to be getting worse as more time passes and how the population rate is growing, but it's slow. The major theory is the elevated levels of background radiation are probably affecting fertility. (You wonder about yourself and Marina since she hasn't once gotten pregnant in the five years you've been together) There have been more people sent here, mainly people that aren't "cutting it" anymore at the Compound. In fact you've been hearing some interesting stories. One man in particular called Roger has spoken to you quite frankly about what's been going on at the Compound some of it a bit alarming. "The fuckin' Colonel? When he started getting sick that sonofabitch Harry started taking over more responsibility. Started doing shit HIS way, which was a lot more reactionary. I mean don't get me wrong, I'm not some faggot peacenik, I'm all about creating a new strong society, like how America SHOULD'VE been, but fuck man. I'm not gonna kill children for no goddamn reason!" "What?! When did this happen?" "About a year ago! I was on a mission to this small town called Lost Springs and Harry was with us personally. They had a fresh underground supply of water, so we really wanted to gather them into the fold. Talks didn't go so well though, so Harry went nuts and shot the fucking mayor of the town! Then he proceeded to tell us to start killing all the kids if they didn't submit to us." "And?" "Well I refused to do it, and some of the others didn't either. A few did though, and after a couple of kids were killed. The rest of the townsfolk pretty much fell in line. Harry left the ones who were willing to kill at his command to occupy the place. He made up a damn story to the Colonel about how he HAD to do it and left out the shooting kids though. And the Colonel gets sicker and sicker, and Harry gets freer reign. Shit, if the Colonel wasn't still alive I think Harry wouldn't even be sending some people here, he'd probably be sending them all to the city." "Wait, the city? There's missions to the city? I thought those were stopped after the first few times that was attempted." "Not anymore! Harry's been sending a few people on his shit list to missions on the city. Harry says that there are still important resources to be gathered from there. Its bullshit, ain't nothin' there except fuckin' mutants and radioactivity! I probably would've got sent there, but I lost my arm in an ambush, and the Colonel said I needed to be taken off of active duty and sent here. There's a real mean motherfucker loyal to Harry called Damon, who goes on the city missions to ensure nobody tries to go AWOL. He's fucking nuts, he loves going into the city; I think he actually gets a fucking orgasm." "Where the hell is Harry getting all these new people, if he's treating the towns so badly?" "I told you he's been press ganging some of them and most are so beaten by that point that they just go along with it, but he's also been subduing some of the raider scum! That Damon is one of those fuckers. Instead of killing them all like we should be doing, he's been recruiting them into the Combine! These degenerates are usually the ones he uses for occupation since most of them don't have any qualms about killing anything that moves and they're used to terrorizing towns." "Holy shit, I've never heard about all this before." "I'm telling you, you're lucky you got assigned here when you did, because you would've been going to the city. The only thing keeping you safe is the Colonel who insists you stay in charge of this place; I don't want to think about the day when the Colonel finally croaks. Shit, I might just leave and take my chances, one arm be damned. YOU might want to think about leaving as well, because chances are Harry's going to be turning his attention towards you when that day comes." "I still don't see what the hell I did to him, he's hated me since day one." "Well, you got the Colonel's attention and his respect. You got a command position of your very own base, and most importantly you got Marina. He's always liked her. You didn't know?" "Well she did mention one time that he came on to her in the past, well anyway, it hardly matters why he hates me I guess. What matters is I gotta think about how I'm gonna deal with this problem in the future." Suddenly one of your assistants comes in and has something to report. Something you really don't want to know after having been given the recent information by Roger. The Colonel has died, Harry has taken complete control of the Combine and his first order is for YOU to return to Fort Justice for reassignment. Looks like you'll have to be thinking fast. > You leave the Combine Secession isn't really a viable option. You simply can't stand up to the resources Harry has, the only option is to distance yourself as far away as possible. Harry's escorts will be here in a few days so you start packing immediately. Marina wonders what you're doing. "We're getting the hell outta here! You think Harry's gonna let me live? At best he might be sending me into missions into the city! Fuck that!" "You mean we're just leaving? We're not fighting back?" "What you think I like this? I mean I don't want to leave, but if we stay, we're gonna end up dead! Come on pack your shit." "I dunno. I can't just leave everything. I mean I'm still friends and close to all these people, I can't just leave them." "Look, I've actually gotten along with most of the folks here too, but I'm not sticking my neck out for any of them. Besides, if they're smart they'll leave too." "I can't do it, I can't go." You stop packing. "What, are you fucking kidding me?" "No, I mean I can't do it. This is my life, this was my life before the bombs and it'll continue to be my life afterwards. I can't just leave, I mean we're trying to re-build society…" "Fuck society! Why can't it just be me and you?" Marina suddenly tells you a revelation you always had an inkling of, but never quite sure until today… "You know why I liked you in the beginning? Because all those years we worked in that office I saw a man who worked hard in a mundane job yet had the potential to be something more under the right circumstances. I'm sure you remember I said something similar five years ago when I convinced you to come with me. Then you proved me right somewhat by volunteering and taking charge of this place. I knew I'd chosen right. I was in love with you." "Was eh?" "Yes, was. In the following years of you taking command of this place you've shown no more initiative. You've been content to just do the mundane routine of running this place. You were doing exactly the opposite of what I first saw. You were squandering your potential." "So what was I supposed to be doing then Marina? Driving across the fuckin' wasteland shooting up people, taking their shit, and declaring their town part of the Combine like Harry?" "No, of course not. But you could've done something more. Like sending out your own exploration teams, or even going on them yourself. Maybe if you had, you wouldn't be in this position now. You'd have better leverage to face Harry. Maybe he is a fucking dictator, but he's accomplishing a goal." You pack the last of your things and start walking while Marina follows you. "Yeah, some goal…Okay you know what Marina, fuck it. I gotta get outta here, and its apparent you've made your decision and I'm not gonna try to talk you out of it, because if you're that willing to throw fuckin' five years away just because I'm not the wasteland warrior that you dreamed up in your mind, then like I said fuck it. You're not worth my time either anymore. I hope you and Harry have a nice life, I'm sure he's exactly what you're looking for. Hope for your sake though his obsession for you is a lot stronger than his vindictiveness." "Fuck you! It's not that goddamn black and white! I don't like fuckin Harry, and I never will, but…HEY! Don't fuckin' walk out on me!" You storm out of the base, and Marina attempts to reason and explain, but it's all bullshit to you. This whole thing was. Trying to "rebuild" society, yeah right. As if there was anything worth rebuilding in the first place. You're done with this shit. You tried it and it was okay for awhile, but now its time to move on. Away from this and away from people. You travel for a few days, and you expect Harry's men to come tracking you, but nobody ever follows you. You get attacked by a few mutated wolves, and a few mad men here and there, but nobody from the Combine. It's possible that you've done a good job of throwing them off, and Harry's people aren't skilled trackers, of course maybe Harry's just glad you're out of the way period. You briefly have an amusing thought, that Marina still had some sort of feelings for you and offered to be Harry's girl in exchange of letting you live. You decide to think that's what happened, since you'll never know for certain and you've always been prone to imagine dramatic movie like endings. "Heh. We'll always have Pandora." You laugh to yourself as you distance yourself further away from Combine territory.

You decide that you got it made, why fuck with it? The rest of those at the Compound have to go on missions to fight bandits and go exploring possible hostile locations. You don't need to do any of that. You're in a nice safe isolated location where nobody ever comes except to drop off supplies every now and then. Even the fact cyborgs are trapped underneath you doesn't bother you anymore. You continue your routine. Four more years pass... You and Marina are still together, but for some reason, you don't seem as close anymore. It seems like she's been getting distant in the past few years. You still get the harassing radio rant from Alex every now and then just to let you know he's still alive along with his robots and cyborgs. You're guessing he's been surviving on rats and roaches down there. It's been five years since you first joined the Compound and there's been a lot more changes there at least that's what you've been hearing from the people transferred to Pandora. You get less and less reports from the Compound itself other than its undergone a name change and due to its inclusion of a few towns now, its called the Combine and the Compound itself is called Fort Justice. You know about how the Colonel has gotten sick and seems to be getting worse as more time passes and how the population rate is growing, but it's slow. The major theory is the elevated levels of background radiation are probably affecting fertility. (You wonder about yourself and Marina since she hasn't once gotten pregnant in the five years you've been together) There have been more people sent here, mainly people that aren't "cutting it" anymore at the Compound. In fact you've been hearing some interesting stories. One man in particular called Roger has spoken to you quite frankly about what's been going on at the Compound some of it a bit alarming. "The fuckin' Colonel? When he started getting sick that sonofabitch Harry started taking over more responsibility. Started doing shit HIS way, which was a lot more reactionary. I mean don't get me wrong, I'm not some faggot peacenik, I'm all about creating a new strong society, like how America SHOULD'VE been, but fuck man. I'm not gonna kill children for no goddamn reason!" "What?! When did this happen?" "About a year ago! I was on a mission to this small town called Lost Springs and Harry was with us personally. They had a fresh underground supply of water, so we really wanted to gather them into the fold. Talks didn't go so well though, so Harry went nuts and shot the fucking mayor of the town! Then he proceeded to tell us to start killing all the kids if they didn't submit to us." "And?" "Well I refused to do it, and some of the others didn't either. A few did though, and after a couple of kids were killed. The rest of the townsfolk pretty much fell in line. Harry left the ones who were willing to kill at his command to occupy the place. He made up a damn story to the Colonel about how he HAD to do it and left out the shooting kids though. And the Colonel gets sicker and sicker, and Harry gets freer reign. Shit, if the Colonel wasn't still alive I think Harry wouldn't even be sending some people here, he'd probably be sending them all to the city." "Wait, the city? There's missions to the city? I thought those were stopped after the first few times that was attempted." "Not anymore! Harry's been sending a few people on his shit list to missions on the city. Harry says that there are still important resources to be gathered from there. Its bullshit, ain't nothin' there except fuckin' mutants and radioactivity! I probably would've got sent there, but I lost my arm in an ambush, and the Colonel said I needed to be taken off of active duty and sent here. There's a real mean motherfucker loyal to Harry called Damon, who goes on the city missions to ensure nobody tries to go AWOL. He's fucking nuts, he loves going into the city; I think he actually gets a fucking orgasm." "Where the hell is Harry getting all these new people, if he's treating the towns so badly?" "I told you he's been press ganging some of them and most are so beaten by that point that they just go along with it, but he's also been subduing some of the raider scum! That Damon is one of those fuckers. Instead of killing them all like we should be doing, he's been recruiting them into the Combine! These degenerates are usually the ones he uses for occupation since most of them don't have any qualms about killing anything that moves and they're used to terrorizing towns." "Holy shit, I've never heard about all this before." "I'm telling you, you're lucky you got assigned here when you did, because you would've been going to the city. The only thing keeping you safe is the Colonel who insists you stay in charge of this place; I don't want to think about the day when the Colonel finally croaks. Shit, I might just leave and take my chances, one arm be damned. YOU might want to think about leaving as well, because chances are Harry's going to be turning his attention towards you when that day comes." "I still don't see what the hell I did to him, he's hated me since day one." "Well, you got the Colonel's attention and his respect. You got a command position of your very own base, and most importantly you got Marina. He's always liked her. You didn't know?" "Well she did mention one time that he came on to her in the past, well anyway, it hardly matters why he hates me I guess. What matters is I gotta think about how I'm gonna deal with this problem in the future." Suddenly one of your assistants comes in and has something to report. Something you really don't want to know after having been given the recent information by Roger. The Colonel has died, Harry has taken complete control of the Combine and his first order is for YOU to return to Fort Justice for reassignment. Looks like you'll have to be thinking fast. > You secede from the Combine "Fuck off Harry, and take your Combine and shove it up your ass. We're seceding." You abruptly tell him over the radio, before announcing your intensions to everyone else in the base. You get a mixed reaction of apprehension, while a lot of them aren't too fond of Harry, they still like living with basic necessities, something that becomes apparent in the weeks to come. There are a number of problems from the beginning. First of all, you're an isolated community and while that has its advantages, it also has its drawbacks, meaning the instant you tell Harry to fuck off and die over the radio, you're no longer getting any supplies of any kind, you're stuck with what you have. Medical supplies are scarce as it is; now they're non-existent. Forget about getting new ammo too. Food is a bit of a problem, (Water isn't, the base has its own water recycling and filtering system, fortunately it's on the surface rather than underground) since you were getting a majority of that from Fort Justice. Some hunting is done in the surrounding wilderness. It becomes a major problem though when Harry sends an invasion detachment and cuts you off from even doing that. It's not even like you can start farming even if you had the means since the inside of the base is completely paved (as well as harboring a deranged doctor and his cyborgs) The only thing that prevents him from completely taking the place is the fact he's spread a bit thin in other areas of the Combine with keeping control of other towns and you're pretty well fortified. Doesn't mean he can't continue to harass you, and he can keep supplying his people. You can't. His people are somewhat more battle hardened as well. Not that you're saddled with a bunch of non-combatants, but anyone that's still following Harry willingly has been indoctrinated with a little more fanatic conformity, which is a great thing to have in a soldier. So great, you wish you had more people like that. A couple months after the initial siege; most people are ready to throw you to Harry's men in exchange for mercy. Marina and few others stand by you, but its mob rule. You're overwhelmed, disarmed and thrown to the invasion force outside. All that still stayed loyal to you are immediately shot as traitors. The ones that turned on you are merely beaten (and a few of them shot to ensure that something like this doesn't happen again) You and Marina are taken back to Harry. He gets a sadistic pleasure out of having you beaten in front of Marina. He attempts to give Marina one last chance to submit, but she refuses causing him to slap her upside the face and then start to rip off her clothes. You yell out, but are promptly beaten by Harry's guards again. Unfortunately for all his bravado Harry's unable to get it up. He tries like hell since he wants you to watch, but for whatever reason, his attempt at rape is a complete failure. Knowing the end is near anyway, Marina laughs at him before he smashes her skull against the ground yelling and screaming at her whole time. He then kicks your bloody body and blames you for having to do that, you spit out a gob of blood and some teeth. "Enjoy your fuckin' empire, you limp dick bitch." You groan. "FUCK YOU, YOU GODDAMN PIECE OF SHIT!" he replies back, grabbing his pistol off the table. Harry then ends your existence by emptying his gun into you.

Funny that you are about to suggest an idea to the Colonel that got you out of trouble with Alex in the first place. "No, I think you do have a good idea about stopping Alex, I saw first hand how crazy he was. Maybe we can't actually get to him, but we could contain him. We blow up the elevator like you wanted to do and then dump explosives down the shaft, it should collapse things enough that they won't be able to leave, and we won't lose any people." "Ah, I like the way you think, but suppose they attempt get out, or rebuild the elevator or something?" "Well, we could leave a permanent detachment there to keep a constant vigil. I mean the surface part of the base is completely usable. That way we get an early warning just in case anything does try to come out." "Interesting idea. Having two command centers would be a good idea, I was planning on expansion in the future, might as well start now. Should keep us alert as well. Can't afford to get sloppy out here. Okay. We'll go with that idea, and since you came up with it, you can oversee the operation. In fact consider yourself stationed there until further notice." "What?!" "Hey I have to put someone there, you've done a good job so far and you have the best experience with the place so you can be in charge. Think of it as an honor son! I have a lot faith in you and I don't have much in anyone." "Well thanks, but wouldn't someone like Harry be a better choice?" "Harry? Yeah, he's got his uses, but I'd rather not have him in charge of anything important like this, no I want you and few others to go, in fact you pick them. I'll let you know if I can afford to spare them." "Well then I pick Marina right now." "I expected that. Sure, if you can convince her to go. Just remember what you're there for! Okay go pick out your team and gather what equipment you might need." You leave and tell Marina the situation immediately, she of course agrees to go with you, though she's a little worried about being someplace with a bunch of cyborgs several feet underneath her, of course you're worried about the same thing. You pick out six more people of varying skills, but mostly people you were getting along with during your stay at the Compound. You don't want to take anyone who you're not going to get along with. The Colonel approves of your choice and gives you the okay, Harry looks positively jealous that he was passed over for you who just got here. In fact before you leave he tells you as much. "You fucking little pissant. You think because you're all chummy with the Colonel that you're his fucking second in command now?" "No, I…" "You're goddamn right no! If anything happens to the Colonel I'M in charge of this shit! You better remember that fuckhead! Because if you're still on my list when that occurs, you best pray to God that I at least lube your asshole after I rip off your pink panties and before I shove my foot up it and make your colon my permanent fuckin' sock!" You're a little bewildered by the logic of this comment, you almost can't be sure if he's threatening you, or flirting with you. You don't feel like arguing with him though since it won't accomplish anything, besides if any good is coming from this, it's getting away from him. You and your team leave. When you and your team get to the base in a few days, you're in for a little surprise. A medium sized robot is patrolling the courtyard. Looks like your friend Alex also dabbles in robotics as well as cybernetics. You and your team hide behind the outer wall when you all catch sight of it. Apparently Alex didn't trust you any more than you trusted him, and looks like both of you were right. "Uh, what's that?" one of your team members asks. "It's a robot, what's it look like?" "Well what're we gonna do?" "Kill it! Everyone open fire!" You have no idea if your bullets are going to penetrate its armor, but you you're going to try anyway. Everyone fires upon the robotic being, which begins to shutter and spark, but returns fire and a bright burst of light strikes one of your team members and completely incinerates him. "Holy shit, get cover and keep firing!" you shout. The rest of the battle doesn't last too much longer, while your team continue to fire bursts at the machine while they dodge plasma blasts, you get enough time to toss a grenade at it and blow it to smithereens. Shards of burnt twisted metal lie all over the place. "Come on we need to blow up that door, before something else comes out of the damn thing!" You and the rest apply charges to the elevator door and run before it explodes. Just like you though, Alex doesn't have the elevator on the surface anymore, it's at the bottom, in fact its ascending right now! "Dump grenades down the fuckin' shaft!" This action is followed by running far away from the elevator, a large explosion, and then a large crash and another smaller explosion. You ask for a flashlight and peer down the shaft. Its smoking mess and from what you can tell, part of the structure collapsed in on itself. Nothing is going to be coming out of there for a long time. You're about to radio in and tell the Colonel the news when another signal breaks in, its Alex… "So, that snitch told after all! I knew he wasn't to be trusted! You can't stop me! I'll get out of here eventually! And I shall…" "Got news for you Alex, you're talking to the snitch right now, and you won't be going anywhere as long as I'm here. Enjoy your underground prison." You switch to another frequency and tell the Colonel who seems pleased, he tells you he'll keep in contact with you on a regular basis and send more people when possible, in the mean time secure the place and get settled in. A few more weeks pass and eventually the initial nervousness disappears from everyone, Alex still breaks in ranting on your radio frequency every now and then, but you ignore him. In fact being at the base turns out to be more to your liking, there's less people around, you're in charge and you get to spend more time with Marina. A year passes… Not too much changes around the base (Which you now call Pandora which seems appropriate since you're keeping in something that shouldn't be let out!) a few more people are transferred here, supplies are delivered back and forth, but not much else happens. You get reports from the Compound every now and then, seems they've made progress with a few small towns that survived, but there are a lot of problems with lawless bandits running around. Reports have also mentioned strange mutated animals lurking about too. Sounds like they have everything under control so far though. The Colonel has the idea to trade with the towns and offer protection when possible. He hopes to get more people to join the Compound you imagine. Your orders are still the same, just guard Pandora, and make sure no cybernetic horrors are coming out. Sometimes you wonder if you shouldn't be doing something else, indeed Marina seems to think so. Sometimes you forget she's been training in all this survivalist shit longer than you have and has that "tame the wasteland" spirit more than you do. > You do something Well there's nothing stopping you from sending your own exploration detachment teams, there's nothing stopping you from going yourself either. As far as you know, nobody from the Compound has bothered scouting past Base Pandora, you figure it's as good of place as any… "Okay I want two scouting detachments of four. I'm going with one of them. We're just going to go a few miles from this place and then come back. It'll give us a better lay of the land in case of an attack and it'll keep our skills sharp as well. The rest of you guard the base as usual." You half expect Marina to come with you, but she's content on staying behind to help look after the base. She looks at you admiringly though that you're taking the initiative. She tells you she loves you and that she can't wait for you to get back. You like the fact she's got confidence that you ARE coming back this time around. You and your team leave and start exploring. Base Pandora really was in a secluded location, most of your trek is through a small unspoiled woods, eventually you get to the end though after about a day. You notice the Geiger counter is clicking a bit more. Not a lot, but enough to be a little unsettling. Using some binoculars, up ahead you see a single run down farm house (the farm itself also looks run down and hasn't been up kept in years). Just then you see a few vehicles also approaching up ahead, you tell everyone else to pull back into the woods and keep down while you do likewise. You continue to look as the vehicle park nearby the farm house and figures begin to get out. All of them are wearing robes and carrying automatic weapons over their backs. You also see them dragging what looks to be a few hapless prisoners with them as they enter the structure. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that these folks aren't the nice type. "Oh shit, these guys look prepared. Who do you think they are?" one of your team asks. "How should I know Reggie? When we moved into Base Pandora it's not like we got a welcome to the neighborhood letter from every nearby freak within a few miles of us. If I had to guess and judging by the robes, they're probably some doomsday cult. Probably one that was building up a stock pile of shit even before the bombs hit. Got some interesting vehicles though." "So, what're we going to do?" What to do indeed. You definitely need to wipe these cultists out since it's possible you could have trouble with them in the future if they start wandering in your direction. They also have vehicles that could be of use and probably other supplies as well. You could radio in and wait for reinforcements, but the prisoners you just saw them take in might be dead by then. > You get reinforcements It's a brutal world and it just got more so. Rushing in outnumbered, isn't likely to save anyone and most likely going to get you killed. You radio in for reinforcements and keep an eye on the farm in the mean time. Later when the darkness comes you see a group of them come out with torches, form a circle in a nearby plain and begin chanting. You count ten of them altogether Soon two more come out with one of the prisoners from earlier. She's bound, gagged and naked; you know what's going to come next. Reggie and another one in your team wants to do something, but you insist that they do nothing and to keep quiet. It's all over soon anyway, as you see them sacrifice the poor girl for whatever outlandish beliefs they hold. You take first watch for the night. The next day your reinforcements arrive…both of them. "What the fuck? I asked for at least five more people!" "Sorry, but that other recon group you sent also ran into trouble, in fact two of them are already dead, and we had to send a rescue team to fetch the other two since one has a broken leg." "Oh that's wonderful." "So should we call this off?" one of you team asks. "No Vivica, we're going through with it, but we're going to employ some stealth, they had three prisoners, I get the feeling they'll be doing the same ceremony they did last night." "Are we going to attack them now then?" "No Leonard, I don't feel like fighting a bunch of fanatics armed with machine guns in an open plain with no cover. And we can't just start firing on them from here, we need to wipe them ALL out as quickly as possible without them having a chance the regroup, fortify or any of that shit. We're gonna sneak into the house and ambush the whole fuckin' cult while they're doing their little ceremony." You wait until night and sure enough they all come out like you thought, then come the others with the prisoner. That's when the six of you quickly sneak through an overgrown field towards the house. You get to the stairs when Reggie and Leonard break off towards the area were the cult is performing their ceremony. "I can't just let them kill another! We can take 'em now! They're off guard!" "Reggie get the fuck…shit!" Reggie and Leonard begin firing, the fucking idiots aren't even taking cover, they're going head long in like they're stupid ass action heroes. You and the others lay down some cover fire, but it's not enough. Reggie and Leonard are cut down after killing a whopping ONE cultist and not even saving the hapless girl, who's shot instantly. The cultists start spreading out, moving forward, and circling around you at the same time, they're also better shots than you too, as they're carefully aiming rather than just firing in the general vicinity. After seeing another one of your team members go down, you and the rest fall back into the house itself. The inside of the house looks like something out of a horror movie, there are skulls and bones littering it, along with it blood stains everywhere. "Holy shit! What've we gotten ourselves into?" Vivica yells. "Shut the fuck up, I hear something…like crying…it's downstairs." "What about the cultists?" "Well it's the same plan, they just know about us now, let's hope we can still get 'em in a good ambush." You and your team members spread out in the house, you head down into the basement, which looks more like a small temple layout. You see a young woman in a cage, and when she sees you her eyes fill with hope. You hear the cultists stomping around upstairs and some gunfire, at which point you try to find a good place to hide. A bunch of footsteps run down the stairs, you wait in anticipation…closer…closer… NOW! You pop up from your spot and begin firing, you kill six of them before they can even react, and the remaining two barely get off some wild shots before you splatter them as well. Still breathing heavy among the dead, you finally hear some good news. "Hey! Are you still alive down there?" Vivica shouts. "Yeah! What's going on up there?" "We got a few of them, but I think most of them converged on your position though." "Of course they did, I've always been popular." You reply. You release the girl in the cage who's very thankful. She mentions her name is Ophelia and she's from a place called Ashtown which is far from this place. She says the cultists came storming into her town specifically trying to capture young girls; they took three before they finally were driven away, and unfortunately Ophelia was one of the three. You tell Ophelia your story; she seems to think you've got the right idea about going about things. "I think I'm going to tell my people back in Ashtown that we need to start getting better organized as well, and I'll be sure to tell them all about you and how you rescued me! Maybe we'll see each other in the future." You and your team search the farm house which just like you thought was stocked with all sorts of goodies. You're going to have haul some of it back, but you decide that you could also establish another base of sorts here after it was cleaned up. You'd also like to establish more of a relationship with this Ashtown. So you allow Ophelia to take one of the vehicles for her to drive back there, she certainly doesn't have a problem with that! Before heading back you put Vivica in charge of the place and tell her you'll be sending some more folks to help get this farm up and running. Not bad for a first try. Four more years pass… It's been five years since you joined the Compound and things are going fairly well for you, the farm house has been converted into a way point to Ashtown, with which you have good relations with and is now producing food. You are no longer solely dependant on the Compound for supplies which might be just as well… You get less and less reports from the Compound itself other than its undergone a name change and due to its inclusion of a few towns now, its called the Combine and the Compound itself is called Fort Justice. You know about how the Colonel has gotten sick and seems to be getting worse as more time passes and how the population rate is growing, but it's slow. The major theory is the elevated levels of background radiation are probably affecting fertility. (You wonder about yourself and Marina since she hasn't once gotten pregnant in the five years you've been together) There have been more people sent here, mainly because they hear about how great it is in Pandora as opposed to the miserable place Harry has made Fort Justice since he's been getting freer reign of the place as the Colonel continues to get sicker. In fact you've been hearing some disturbing stories from others who have come here recently. Ranging from needlessly violent occupation of towns, sending people on dangerous unnecessary missions to the city, and recruiting desert scum into the Combine! People are saying Harry's going nuts with power. One day, one of your assistants comes in and has something to report. The Colonel has died, Harry has taken complete control of the Combine and his first order is for YOU to return to Fort Justice for reassignment. Harry's just plain gone completely nuts if he thinks you're going to do that. Speaking of nuts, that same day after you convince everyone in seceding from the Combine you get a radio message from someone who's been quiet until now. "Well well, it seems you've got a problem on your hands." It's Alex. You're guessing he's been surviving on rats and roaches down there. "What the hell do you want and how do you know what's been going on?" "How do you think? I've been listening in on all your incoming and outgoing radio transmissions since you betrayed me and trapped me down here! I must say though, you probably did the intelligent thing. And your progress with establishing your own separate territory has been intriguing…but I can tell you right now, you are going to need help with your current problem, a problem I will be willing to help with if you're willing to talk." "Alright, I'll play. What're you proposing?" "There are still a lot of those high tech weapons down here that you were coming to get when you came here five years ago. I'm sure they would be very useful in your up coming war with Harry, and don't tell me there isn't, because I know you aren't going to run or meekly follow his orders to return. You've obviously set your sights on higher ambitions than just following orders and survival. I'll be willing to give them to you, in exchange for my freedom." "Oh that easy huh? How do you propose we go about this? I send people down there to retrieve them while your death machines ambush them as soon as they enter?" "It would be kind of hard for that to happen since all my cyborgs are long dead and my robots have fallen into disrepair…I'm basically alone down here. You were guarding nothing!" Alex laughs. You're pretty skeptical about this little tale, but if it's true, those weapons would certainly help. > You believe Alex The chance is too good to pass up. You're going to risk believing Alex, of course everyone else isn't willing to do so. You had a hard enough to convince them to join you in seceding from the Combine; you can't really press this issue as well. There's nothing else for it, you're going to have to go down there yourself. You just ask someone to make sure the ropes and pullies are stable for you to descend down the elevator shaft. Now Marina loves your bravery and willingness to take risks, but even she's a little apprehensive about this idea. You're determined to do this though. "Marina, if something goes wrong and I get killed, then get yourself out of here, and head to Ashtown. There's no reason for you to stick around and get yourself killed as well, or worse." "Nonsense! I'll fight for what you accomplished here whether you're still around or not! But that'll be after I go underground and take care of whatever metal bastards killed you!" No point in arguing with her, she'll do it anyway just like you're going underground anyway and that's probably why you love her. You give her a kiss and descend. When you finally reach the bottom, you're standing on top a pile of scrap. Part of it looks like it was moved in an attempt to clear it at one time, so you are able to squeeze through the previous elevator entrance. The same corridor you stepped through five years ago is remarkably dim now, you see a few steel husks lying on the ground. A lot of course are cyborgs, so decaying flesh is also present. Looks like Alex was telling the truth so far. Eventually you find Alex brooding in his office which is in complete disarray. Alex himself is very pale and a lot thinner than when you last remember him. "Hey! There you are! See, I told you I wasn't lying." He states when he sees you. "Yeah I can see that, what exactly happened?" "Oh there were complications…psychotic episodes…power problems…lack of more equipment and extra help…does it matter? I utterly failed. I watched my creations die one by one over the months and years due to my own lack of skill…and I thought I was going to usher in some sort of new era…yeah right." "Alex, I'm surprised to hear you talk like that." "Yeah? Well being prisoner here gives you a lot of time to think. Sometimes people go mad in captivity, I think in my case it did me some fucking good. I should've trusted the Colonel, he was my friend. He wasn't going to do anything to me. He trusted me, and now he's dead and I didn't even get a chance to say goodbye." While Alex's speeches of redemption are intriguing, you really want those weapons. "Alex, where are the weapons?" "…huh? Oh yes. The weapons. Please, don't let me stop you. Go down the corridor make a right and enter the second door. You'll find all you need in there. They were all tested out and work well. One of the few things GZS helped design that wasn't prone to failure." You leave Alex to his brooding, and follow his directions; you soon come across a room with the weapons, or what's left of them. There's not the great arsenal that Alex made out there was. He most likely used most of them when he was creating his robots and cyborgs. You're disappointed, but still it's better than nothing and the few that are here will help. You collect what you can for this trip, when Alex enters the room. "So, now that you have what you're looking for, are you going to keep your word?" "Well…ah fuck it…what the hell. Keep in mind though people are going to be pretty mistrustful of you. Don't expect a warm welcome." "Didn't expect one." "Good, now grab the rest of those weapons, so I don't need to make a round trip down here." You and Alex come back up with the weapons (and their power cells). The confidence level increases in everyone, you delivered some cool weapons and you braved going into the "dreaded" underground of Pandora again. They're definitely more inclined to follow you more loyally now. Alex makes himself useful by using his technical skill to build and set traps in the surrounding wilderness. You radio Vivica to let her know what's going on as well, she's behind you and will make sure to send a few people to harass Harry's men when they decide the lay siege to Pandora. Everyone spends time preparing and organizing for the battle that's sure to come. A month passes and sure enough Harry's men come thinking its going to be an easy victory, but it's a slaughter. Many are killed by the traps Alex set, the rest are fried by the laser and plasma weapons. A couple more months pass and another invasion force arrives, this one better prepared and much bigger. More reinforcements show up armed to the teeth and despite the rugged terrain that prevents cars to come to this place, they managed to find some dirt bikes which whiz around Pandora while the riders nimbly dodge your fire while they toss grenades at (and sometimes over) the walls. You still have the advantage obviously, but they're doing a hell of a lot of damage to Pandora now. The siege is now in full effect, fortunately you're fairly well stocked to hold out, and Vivica's men manage to get through sometimes with more supplies. Sensing that this is not going well for him and costing him a lot more time, man power and resources than he wanted to spend, he orders a final push. People armed with rocket launchers come this time, and with a few volleys, Harry's men finally breach the walls of Pandora and storm into the place. > You make a break for it and regroup at the farmhouse "Fall back to the farm house!" you shout as you mow down another dirt biker. As your people begin to escape you look around for Marina in the chaos, and then you see her fighting multiple enemies converging on her position while she attempts to retreat. You rush towards her to back her up and then you're blown back by an explosion. You slam up against a wall of one of the barracks, other than some minor pain and some scars you're going to have you aren't harmed, however your heart is when you see Marina lying bloody on the ground. She isn't moving. Ignoring everything else you run to her, you kneel down to pick up her body, she grabs weakly on to you, but she's in bad shape. Alex then grabs you by the shoulder "Hey! We got people firing on us; and in case you didn't notice you told everyone to fall back! "You! You're a fucking surgeon! You fix her! Save her! Save her NOW!" you shout, picking her up and shoving her into Alex's arms. "Wha…I…" Alex realizes you mean fucking business so he takes her, but asks about you since he notices you're grabbing another nearby gun. "What're you doing? You gotta get outta here! You can't fight all of them!" "GO! I'm giving you fucking time!" you order Alex pushing him away and charge into battle firing two weapons in hand. You kill a lot of them, but you're outnumbered and outgunned at this point. You eventually fall to a hail of bullets and die. Marina follows you soon afterwards on the retreat back to the farmhouse.

The chance is too good to pass up. You're going to risk believing Alex, of course everyone else isn't willing to do so. You had a hard enough to convince them to join you in seceding from the Combine; you can't really press this issue as well. There's nothing else for it, you're going to have to go down there yourself. You just ask someone to make sure the ropes and pullies are stable for you to descend down the elevator shaft. Now Marina loves your bravery and willingness to take risks, but even she's a little apprehensive about this idea. You're determined to do this though. "Marina, if something goes wrong and I get killed, then get yourself out of here, and head to Ashtown. There's no reason for you to stick around and get yourself killed as well, or worse." "Nonsense! I'll fight for what you accomplished here whether you're still around or not! But that'll be after I go underground and take care of whatever metal bastards killed you!" No point in arguing with her, she'll do it anyway just like you're going underground anyway and that's probably why you love her. You give her a kiss and descend. When you finally reach the bottom, you're standing on top a pile of scrap. Part of it looks like it was moved in an attempt to clear it at one time, so you are able to squeeze through the previous elevator entrance. The same corridor you stepped through five years ago is remarkably dim now, you see a few steel husks lying on the ground. A lot of course are cyborgs, so decaying flesh is also present. Looks like Alex was telling the truth so far. Eventually you find Alex brooding in his office which is in complete disarray. Alex himself is very pale and a lot thinner than when you last remember him. "Hey! There you are! See, I told you I wasn't lying." He states when he sees you. "Yeah I can see that, what exactly happened?" "Oh there were complications…psychotic episodes…power problems…lack of more equipment and extra help…does it matter? I utterly failed. I watched my creations die one by one over the months and years due to my own lack of skill…and I thought I was going to usher in some sort of new era…yeah right." "Alex, I'm surprised to hear you talk like that." "Yeah? Well being prisoner here gives you a lot of time to think. Sometimes people go mad in captivity, I think in my case it did me some fucking good. I should've trusted the Colonel, he was my friend. He wasn't going to do anything to me. He trusted me, and now he's dead and I didn't even get a chance to say goodbye." While Alex's speeches of redemption are intriguing, you really want those weapons. "Alex, where are the weapons?" "…huh? Oh yes. The weapons. Please, don't let me stop you. Go down the corridor make a right and enter the second door. You'll find all you need in there. They were all tested out and work well. One of the few things GZS helped design that wasn't prone to failure." You leave Alex to his brooding, and follow his directions; you soon come across a room with the weapons, or what's left of them. There's not the great arsenal that Alex made out there was. He most likely used most of them when he was creating his robots and cyborgs. You're disappointed, but still it's better than nothing and the few that are here will help. You collect what you can for this trip, when Alex enters the room. "So, now that you have what you're looking for, are you going to keep your word?" "Well…ah fuck it…what the hell. Keep in mind though people are going to be pretty mistrustful of you. Don't expect a warm welcome." "Didn't expect one." "Good, now grab the rest of those weapons, so I don't need to make a round trip down here." You and Alex come back up with the weapons (and their power cells). The confidence level increases in everyone, you delivered some cool weapons and you braved going into the "dreaded" underground of Pandora again. They're definitely more inclined to follow you more loyally now. Alex makes himself useful by using his technical skill to build and set traps in the surrounding wilderness. You radio Vivica to let her know what's going on as well, she's behind you and will make sure to send a few people to harass Harry's men when they decide the lay siege to Pandora. Everyone spends time preparing and organizing for the battle that's sure to come. A month passes and sure enough Harry's men come thinking its going to be an easy victory, but it's a slaughter. Many are killed by the traps Alex set, the rest are fried by the laser and plasma weapons. A couple more months pass and another invasion force arrives, this one better prepared and much bigger. More reinforcements show up armed to the teeth and despite the rugged terrain that prevents cars to come to this place, they managed to find some dirt bikes which whiz around Pandora while the riders nimbly dodge your fire while they toss grenades at (and sometimes over) the walls. You still have the advantage obviously, but they're doing a hell of a lot of damage to Pandora now. The siege is now in full effect, fortunately you're fairly well stocked to hold out, and Vivica's men manage to get through sometimes with more supplies. Sensing that this is not going well for him and costing him a lot more time, man power and resources than he wanted to spend, he orders a final push. People armed with rocket launchers come this time, and with a few volleys, Harry's men finally breach the walls of Pandora and storm into the place. > You continue to fight "Keep fighting the bastards! Pandora will never fall!" you shout as you mow down another dirt biker. In all the fighting though you begin to worry where Marina is, you look around for her in the chaos, and then you see her fighting with multiple enemies converging on her position. You rush towards her to back her up and then you're blown back by an explosion. You slam up against a wall of one of the barracks, other than some minor pain and some scars you're going to have you aren't harmed, however your heart is when you see Marina lying bloody on the ground. She isn't moving. Ignoring everything else you run to her, you kneel down to pick up her body, she grabs weakly on to you, but she's in bad shape. "Keep fighting to rebuild civilization…its still worth it…" she says before losing total consciousness. Alex suddenly comes up to you. "Hey! We got people firing on us; you need to get the fuck outta the open!" "You! You're a fucking surgeon! You fix her! Save her! Save her NOW!" you shout, picking her up and shoving her into Alex's arms. "Wha…I…" Alex realizes you mean fucking business so he just nods and runs with her to one of the few undamaged buildings. You're blind with rage, you begin charging into battle trying take out as many of these motherfuckers as you can, its quite possible with your actions alone you turned the tide, but you are still just one man, and you nearly get yourself killed, if it hadn't been for Vivica managing to get a few people from Ashtown to help out, and they arrive just in time. Ophelia shoots a Combine soldier who was sneaking up on you. You turn around to see her, you nearly don't recognize her decked out in battle gear. "Told you, you'd see me in the future." She says and runs off to clean up the stragglers running away. The Combine is pulling back. You've won, but at a high cost. When you return to check on Marina, you find her dead. Alex explains there was nothing he could do for her. You ask to be alone which he complies. You spend the rest of the night alone with Marina's lifeless body weeping and vowing revenge. The next day, you come out with one focus. To assault Fort Justice. This will never be over until Harry is dead. You need to strike now when he's weak. A lot of people are wondering if you shouldn't wait to regroup, but you won't hear of it, you're determined to do it now and everyone who's in fighting condition is coming with you. In a couple days you and your small army arrive at Fort Justice. You half expect to die this day assaulting the place, but once again destiny is with you. Fort Justice is experiencing a minor authority problem. You can take the scum out of the wasteland, but you can't make them disciplined soldiers. The last defeat has shattered morale, and apparently some are starting to question Harry's orders, while others aren't willing to die for him. The gate is wide open and parts of the place are in flames. You walk in relatively unopposed. Some fighting occurs, but you're looking for Harry and when the loud mouth shithead sees you, instead of confronting you, he runs for the trapdoor to the underground. You immediately run to cut him off and shoot him in both legs. He falls and grabs for his pistol, but you take careful aim and blow his hand off, he screams in pain when he sees his fingers all over the ground. A kick to his face follows, and then a stomp, and another, and another. You don't stop until his face looks like tenderized hamburger. He tries to act defiant by trying to give you the finger with his good hand, but you take it and break the motherfucker along with the rest of his hand. "This is for Marina and the rest of the deaths you caused." You say, before blasting his mushy bloody head into mushy bloody pieces. Now its over. You collapse by Harry's body, spent and drained. Alex goes over to see if you're alright, but Ophelia tells him to just make sure all the enemy are either dead or running. Ophelia takes you to a barrack and puts you on a bed and tells you to rest, which you do. "I did it Marina…I got him…" you mumble while falling asleep. The next few weeks consist of rebuilding. Rebuilding everything. Fort Justice. Base Pandora. All the damage Harry caused. Word gets out to the Combine occupied towns about their current situation, with no centralized authority figure anymore, the Combine dissipates as wasteland scum flee and return to the outlands where they belong. The townspeople of those places are very grateful for your help, and you're now in charge of everything but you take no joy in any of it, or anything. You're numb. You go through the motions, but you're basically in a daze. All your thoughts are of Marina, you feel empty without her. If it wasn't for her, you wouldn't even be alive right now. You would've died in a big mushroom cloud death. You start blaming yourself for not being able to save her, you start thinking about suicide. Everyone gets a little worried about you. Vivica starts radioing in wondering about your condition, Alex (Who's quite familiar with mental breakdowns) attempts to talk to you, but it's Ophelia who turns you around, though not immediately, but it's her actions that become the turning point. Late one night, as you wallow in the emptiness, Ophelia visits you. You expect her to tell you not blame yourself for Marina's death again, but she doesn't. Instead she talks about the time when you saved her from the cultists and how grateful she was that day and how she would've almost done anything to repay you for saving her life. "Mm…well you repaid it already. You saved mine back at Pandora." You say wishing to be left alone. "No, I'm saving it now." Ophelia begins to remove her clothing, something that takes you completely by surprise. You feel you shouldn't, you know you shouldn't, but maybe it's feeling of loneliness, maybe it's the feeling of confusion, or maybe its just plain hormones, and you give in to Ophelia's advances. And for that one night, the emptiness within you disappears. The next day Ophelia is gone leaving you a note saying she's going back to Ashtown and tells you that you shouldn't give up on life since you have so much more to change in this new world. When you think about it, Marina saved you, so you could carry that goal out. She always did see the potential in you to do great things. With this new perspective, you begin to return to normal, though there still was a little piece of you that died when Marina did. You'll never completely be the same. Life goes on though. Five more years pass… It's been ten years since the bombs dropped and civilization is starting to rebuild itself again…well somewhat. Hard to believe you would've become any type of leader trying to rebuild civilization. Marina might not be around anymore, but obviously her influence on you still is and always will be as you follow her dream of rebuilding civilization again. You're still running things from Base Pandora, which is now the unofficial head of the Atomic Alliance. The towns formally under Combine occupation are included, but are now treated as equals rather than glorified labor camps, though getting everyone to agree completely on anything still remains a problem. Fort Justice is now under Vivica's command and the Farmhouse, now known as Eden is a fully functional agricultural community. (It supplies food as well as biofuel for vehicles now) After that one night with Ophelia you don't see her anymore, but last you heard she had a baby and got married to someone in Ashtown. Good for her. Other than political disagreements, everything has been going fairly well; raiders are still a problem, but much less than in the past. For the most part people are pretty happy living in your territory. One thing that's been debated among you and some of other leaders, are the few GZS Shelters the Alliance has stumbled across over recent years. No effort has been made to open them, but they're all sealed shut by their main computers. From what you know by reading some of the GZS documents found in Base Pandora (and Alex who definitely has some knowledge of GZS protocols) the Shelters weren't supposed to open up until the central computer determined that sufficient amount of time had passed and the surface deemed safe. Apparently the computers still think the surface sucks. (And that assessment wouldn't exactly be wrong) Most of the other Alliance leaders say that some sort of contact should be made with them. You get the impression some of them might've done it anyway, it's just you have most of the equipment that makes it a lot easier. > You open them up At one time you thought about actually buying one of those things, sometimes you even wonder how things would've been living underground completely oblivious to what's going on the surface. Things might've been a lot easier…or maybe they wouldn't. You'll just have to wonder about the road not traveled. You see no harm in making contact; they may even have useful resources to trade and might appreciate knowing that the surface is exactly the hell on Earth that they might think. Plus the rest of the Alliance leaders seem pleased that you're agreeing with them. Maintaining good relations to keep everyone happy is always a sure way of keeping the Alliance stable. Even Ashtown makes mention of a Shelter nearby that they've been debating about whether to contact or not. You organize how to go about this, since you don't want to make enemies unnecessarily. It doesn't take long to open up the Shelters and bypass the computer elevator systems with your help. First contact with most of the shelters is a very large surprise for its inhabitants, though a lot of them seem really grateful. Apparently GZS Shelters weren't built very well, you hear reports of how inhabitants had to improvise and constantly repair various things. Alex tells you he isn't surprised. "The main reason why I outlived my cyborgs when I was…uh…indisposed… was due to having faulty GZS equipment. Granted they made a lot of good stuff, but they had a terrible habit of cutting corners. When I think about it, I really can't believe I thought I was actually going to DO something with them, probably wouldn't have even lasted in a real fight…still it would've been interesting…my God I can't believe I used to think things like this…like…I dunno…" Every now and then Alex talks like that. Probably wondering about his own road not traveled. It creeps people out though, however it doesn't prevent him from being a good doctor. You almost get the impression he feels like by being a good doctor and patching folks up real well is sort of like his "penance". One he feels necessary to do until the day he dies. This line of thinking becomes really noticeable within a few weeks of the Shelter openings. The Shelter near Ashtown is in bad shape. From the reports you've heard some sort of weird "social experiment" was going on down there which resulted in some sort of catastrophe. There are many dead bodies and broken equipment. Many of the people are sick and infected with something, and they aren't in very good shape to go anywhere. Looks like they've been slowly dying. In fact the Mayor of Ashtown, Carlos, is taking the hard line stance refusing to let the ones that went down there to come back up, for fear that they will infect his town. This isn't a popular decision, so he's hoping you can send some sort of medical team to help since Ashtown doesn't have the experts you do. Carlos says that he'll formally join the Atomic Alliance if you get him out of this jam. Alex insists on going to help. "Please, let me go help. I'm the best doctor in the Alliance. I…I need to do this. I need to help these people…" Alex says almost in a begging fashion. "…Well alright Alex, but you're taking one of those biohazard suits! Who knows what the hell those people have, and I really can't risk losing my best doctor." Alex thanks you profusely, and gathers a couple of his assistants and all the necessary equipment before leaving. A couple weeks pass and you get a report from Carlos. He mentions that Alex has determined there is nothing contagious about whatever the Shelter people are infected with, and the Ashtown citizens are allowed to come back up and return. Alex is still working on the problem though and it might take awhile, he requests for more equipment, which you allow Ashtown formally joins the Alliance. You personally go there to welcome them in. It's strange that you've never actually been to Ashtown before, given a lot of your dealings with it. While you're here on business you think about Ophelia, and that one night. A night that possibly saved you from committing suicide, given the downward spiral you were in at the time. There's a few times you thought about going to see her to thank her…but then you think how she has a family now and it would just be too weird. A month passes and you suddenly get a call from Alex on your radio. "Alex? Where are you?" "I'm in the Shelter. I managed to rig the computer to transmit a signal! Now I can talk to you directly! Great huh?" "Uh yeah…what's going on over there?" "Oh, nothing much. This place is pretty fascinating; I've been trying to figure out what was going on down here. This one diary was really interesting" "Alex what about the people?" "It seems there was this guy called Elliot who had a lot of weird ideas, he was a doctor…" Alex says seemingly oblivious to your question. "Yeah, I know the type. ALEX WHAT ABOUT THE FUCKIN' PEOPLE?" "Oh yeah…the people. They're okay…I guess." "You guess? What the fuck Alex, don't you know?" "Well, uh y'know... this isn't an exact science, and I'm still trying to figure some things out…I went to Ashtown recently for some more supplies, but I think I need some more higher qulity equipment from you, its getting kind of complicated down here…" "What the fuck Alex? No, you're not getting anything else! We're not an endless supply of resources! Now you work with what you got and I better hear some progress soon!" "…work with what I got…yeah…story of my life…" Alex says and disconnects. Another week passes and this time you get a message from Carlos, he doesn't sound well, but he does sound angry. "…we ally with you and this is (Cough) what happens? We're all sick and it's (Cough!) all you and that doctor's fault! He contaminated us! YOU contaminated us! The town is Uhhh…" There's an old saying, that a scorpion, no matter how well you take care of it or treat it, its nature will always be to sting you. And that's just what happened. Shit. > You do not take chances, purge EVERYTHING You've got to keep this quiet and you've got to keep whatever this is from spreading. You quietly call the most loyal and capable soldiers under your command to meet you immediately. You explain to them what needs to be done. Any still living Ashtown inhabitants must be killed, and the entire town burned to the ground. Alex must also be killed and the Shelter rendered inaccessible forever. You tell them to keep you informed at all times. The strike team is sent in the middle of the night in Hazmat suits and tons of hardware. Everyone in Base Pandora wonders what's going on, but due to the more military mindset here, people know not to ask too many questions. Eventually you get a message from one of your soliders. "Uh sir, it looks like most of the town is dead already, I don't think it's airborne, because it doesn't look like the children were affected…" "Are you sure about that? Just because they look sick doesn't mean they aren't. They could be carrying." "Sir?" "…I said kill everything Sergeant…" "But I think…" "DON'T THINK! JUST DO IT!" The Sergeant disconnects and you can only imagine what happened next, but you don't really want to. A little while later you get another report. It's the Sergeant again, he sounds very hollow. "Sir…it's uh over. Alex is dead…he didn't even put up a fight…we're putting the explosives in Shelter entrance as I speak…should implode and bury the Shelter from being accessible…" "Very good. You've done a necessary thing Sergeant." "…no I haven't…goodbye…" You hear a gunshot on the other end followed by a bunch of other voices shouting and dead air. Your official report to the Atomic Alliance (Because it's not like you can completely cover this up) is that a ruthless gang of raiders completely destroyed Ashtown as well as the Shelter and that you're sending squads to go hunt them down. This isn't really a satisfactory answer, but given how far away Ashtown is from the rest of the Alliance towns nobody really questions it. At least not initially. Over the past few months you're noticeably distracted, and can't concentrate on anything. You're constantly thinking someone's going to investigate, or one of those you sent on the mission is going to blab (Now you wish they all blew their brains out) your behavior starts becoming a bit erratic as you give out strange orders to cover up things you think are going to lead to your exposure. You constantly rationalize your orders as attempting to keep the Alliance from falling, since you're convinced that everyone knew what Alex did, you'd be blamed for incompetence for allowing it to happen and without you running things you just know the Alliance wouldn't survive. However something like this couldn't be covered up forever. Eventually someone gets suspicious of your behavior which leads to rumors, which then in turn leads to investigating. Eventually the truth comes out. The Alliance citizens are appalled, in fact if you hadn't proceeded with your extreme plan and just come out with the truth about Alex's actions in the beginning you might not have been hated quite so much. You displayed poor judgment, by allowing Alex to go about his own devices. Strike one. You ruthlessly had children killed to possibly contain a contagion. Strike two. You attempted to cover all this up and lied about it. Strike three. This type of behavior makes you look like deceitful murderous tyrant, something the Alliance towns had enough of under Harry during the Combine regime. People are calling for your blood, and your immediate resignation of Atomic Alliance leader, in fact you might be imprisoned…or worse. You've lost all support. By the end, you've barricaded yourself in an underground room in Base Pandora with people telling you to give yourself up; of course you have no intention of doing that. In your last moments as you point the pistol to your head, you think about Marina, and how it all would've been easier had you died with her and how you tried to rebuild civilization even after she was gone, but just failed without her around, however once again you rationalize. "Yeah…they all united against me…I kept them united… then Vivica will certainly take power…the Alliance will live on…I didn't fail…Marina…I didn't fail…" Your delusional thoughts come to an end with a door burst open, and a bullet to the brain.

At one time you thought about actually buying one of those things, sometimes you even wonder how things would've been living underground completely oblivious to what's going on the surface. Things might've been a lot easier…or maybe they wouldn't. You'll just have to wonder about the road not traveled. You see no harm in making contact; they may even have useful resources to trade and might appreciate knowing that the surface is exactly the hell on Earth that they might think. Plus the rest of the Alliance leaders seem pleased that you're agreeing with them. Maintaining good relations to keep everyone happy is always a sure way of keeping the Alliance stable. Even Ashtown makes mention of a Shelter nearby that they've been debating about whether to contact or not. You organize how to go about this, since you don't want to make enemies unnecessarily. It doesn't take long to open up the Shelters and bypass the computer elevator systems with your help. First contact with most of the shelters is a very large surprise for its inhabitants, though a lot of them seem really grateful. Apparently GZS Shelters weren't built very well, you hear reports of how inhabitants had to improvise and constantly repair various things. Alex tells you he isn't surprised. "The main reason why I outlived my cyborgs when I was…uh…indisposed… was due to having faulty GZS equipment. Granted they made a lot of good stuff, but they had a terrible habit of cutting corners. When I think about it, I really can't believe I thought I was actually going to DO something with them, probably wouldn't have even lasted in a real fight…still it would've been interesting…my God I can't believe I used to think things like this…like…I dunno…" Every now and then Alex talks like that. Probably wondering about his own road not traveled. It creeps people out though, however it doesn't prevent him from being a good doctor. You almost get the impression he feels like by being a good doctor and patching folks up real well is sort of like his "penance". One he feels necessary to do until the day he dies. This line of thinking becomes really noticeable within a few weeks of the Shelter openings. The Shelter near Ashtown is in bad shape. From the reports you've heard some sort of weird "social experiment" was going on down there which resulted in some sort of catastrophe. There are many dead bodies and broken equipment. Many of the people are sick and infected with something, and they aren't in very good shape to go anywhere. Looks like they've been slowly dying. In fact the Mayor of Ashtown, Carlos, is taking the hard line stance refusing to let the ones that went down there to come back up, for fear that they will infect his town. This isn't a popular decision, so he's hoping you can send some sort of medical team to help since Ashtown doesn't have the experts you do. Carlos says that he'll formally join the Atomic Alliance if you get him out of this jam. Alex insists on going to help. "Please, let me go help. I'm the best doctor in the Alliance. I…I need to do this. I need to help these people…" Alex says almost in a begging fashion. "…Well alright Alex, but you're taking one of those biohazard suits! Who knows what the hell those people have, and I really can't risk losing my best doctor." Alex thanks you profusely, and gathers a couple of his assistants and all the necessary equipment before leaving. A couple weeks pass and you get a report from Carlos. He mentions that Alex has determined there is nothing contagious about whatever the Shelter people are infected with, and the Ashtown citizens are allowed to come back up and return. Alex is still working on the problem though and it might take awhile, he requests for more equipment, which you allow Ashtown formally joins the Alliance. You personally go there to welcome them in. It's strange that you've never actually been to Ashtown before, given a lot of your dealings with it. While you're here on business you think about Ophelia, and that one night. A night that possibly saved you from committing suicide, given the downward spiral you were in at the time. There's a few times you thought about going to see her to thank her…but then you think how she has a family now and it would just be too weird. A month passes and you suddenly get a call from Alex on your radio. "Alex? Where are you?" "I'm in the Shelter. I managed to rig the computer to transmit a signal! Now I can talk to you directly! Great huh?" "Uh yeah…what's going on over there?" "Oh, nothing much. This place is pretty fascinating; I've been trying to figure out what was going on down here. This one diary was really interesting" "Alex what about the people?" "It seems there was this guy called Elliot who had a lot of weird ideas, he was a doctor…" Alex says seemingly oblivious to your question. "Yeah, I know the type. ALEX WHAT ABOUT THE FUCKIN' PEOPLE?" "Oh yeah…the people. They're okay…I guess." "You guess? What the fuck Alex, don't you know?" "Well, uh y'know... this isn't an exact science, and I'm still trying to figure some things out…I went to Ashtown recently for some more supplies, but I think I need some more higher qulity equipment from you, its getting kind of complicated down here…" "What the fuck Alex? No, you're not getting anything else! We're not an endless supply of resources! Now you work with what you got and I better hear some progress soon!" "…work with what I got…yeah…story of my life…" Alex says and disconnects. Another week passes and this time you get a message from Carlos, he doesn't sound well, but he does sound angry. "…we ally with you and this is (Cough) what happens? We're all sick and it's (Cough!) all you and that doctor's fault! He contaminated us! YOU contaminated us! The town is Uhhh…" There's an old saying, that a scorpion, no matter how well you take care of it or treat it, its nature will always be to sting you. And that's just what happened. Shit. > You send another medical team to Ashtown You immediately dispatch another team of medics in hazmat suits to Ashtown. Vivica insists on going since she's probably the second best doctor in the Alliance, you order her not to since you can't afford to lose her as well, not to mention she runs Fort Justice, but she's defiant and goes anyway. You also order Eden to not let ANYONE who wasn't already working there in, until this situation is resolved. You can't afford your major food source to get contaminated. You decide not to inform the rest of the Alliance towns, since you hope maybe you can contain this before panic occurs. You next step is to radio Alex, but as predicted you don't get an answer. You soon get a report from Vivica, "It looks bad. REAL Bad. Most of Ashtown is already dead or dying. Whatever it is, I don't think it's airborne. It might be the water supply. The only weird thing is, the children didn't seem to be affected…it's very sad though. We're going to have a bunch of orphans." "Can't you do ANYTHING?" "No, I have no idea what this is and I think it's too late anyway, uh there's something else I think you'll want to know…though I'm not sure how to say this…" "Vivica just spit it the fuck out!" "Well, uh…I tired to treat Ophelia, but I failed, her husband was already dead by the time I got here." "…Vivica, I appreciate you trying to save someone I had fond memories of, but there's a whole town at stake…" "I know, I know, but that's not what I'm getting at. Ophelia had a daughter you know. Her name's Laura. She's five. Ophelia told me before she died; she wanted her daughter to have a good home." "Well of course! I mean we'll give good homes to all the orphans!" "Again, that's not it. She asked for you specifically to give her that home. She said she said it's about time her daughter got to know her father anyway." The surprises just keep coming. "Excuse me?" "Looks like you're this little girl's father…the timing is about right, I mean you did have that encounter with her five years ago. She's five and if I may say, I see the family resemblance, she doesn't look anything like Ophelia's husband, I mean granted he's dead right now, but…" "Why the hell didn't she tell me? I mean I would've…" "I asked the same question, during her final moments. She's said she was sorry she never told you before, but she knew you had other things on your mind and bigger concerns with rebuilding civilization and all. She always thought she would've lived in Marina's shadow anyway and by keeping Laura to herself it was like she still had a piece of you…sir I hate to break this information up since I know it probably really important to you, but what are we going to do about the town and Alex and everything?" "Start evacuating the children to Base Pandora, the town is dead. I'll take care of Alex." You say grimly before disconnecting. Armed and focused, for the first time in a long time you travel by yourself to the Shelter where Alex is at. You meet up with Vivica on the way, who tries to advise you to at least go in with back up, but you won't hear of it and tell her to continue on to Base Pandora. You also see Laura and some of the other orphaned children. They're obviously still upset about their parents dying horrible deaths. You approach Laura whose eyes are all red from crying. She looks up at you. "Are…are you really my daddy?" she asks, obviously having been informed of the situation. Contrary to what Vivica said, you think she looks more like her mother, but yes there is a resemblance to you particularly the hair. Unsure of how to respond, you give a straight forward answer. "Yes I am and I'll be home soon to take care of you." you stroke her face and get back in your vehicle and drive off. You drive through Ashtown and see the dead bodies, by the facial expressions you get the impression it wasn't a pleasant one. Once again you think about going to see Ophelia's body, but you quickly decide against it. You'd rather remember her how she was the last time you saw her. Besides you'll always see her now in your daughter, plus you've got a score to settle with Alex. You get to the Shelter and enter its foyer and surprisingly its elevator is at the top, looks like some modifications have been made to it as it looks as if the call buttons were there originally. You really don't care about any of it though, you're on a mission. When you get to the bottom, you see the same modified call buttons near the elevator on this level as well (You can't believe the idiotic way GZS designs their Shelters though, effectively trapping their "customers" down here) You also see more dead bodies in various stages of decay, some look like they were dead long before Alex got here. Much of the equipment and place in general is in disarray, but you also notice some of it has been recently repaired. Probably by Alex no doubt. You hear cursing coming from a nearby room, it sounds like Alex. > You confront him now Knowing Alex, he's probably killed his assistants too; you go in with your weapon ready. "FUCK! Goddamn GZS equipment! Always fucks up!" Alex says as he's trying to install some sort of implant in the head of some corpse on a table. Its one of his assistants and his brains are leaking all over the place, you don't even know what the hell Alex was trying to accomplish, and you get the impression he doesn't either. He stares at you with eyes telling you he's finally gone over the edge for good this time. "You see? You see what I have to work with? Can't fucking work under these conditions! Not enough equipment! Plenty of bodies, just need the equipment…is it lunch time?" "Is that why you infected Ashtown? So you could rebuild your insane dreams of cyborgs again?" "It's not insane! Its evolution! You really think the Atomic Alliance can last in its current form? NO! It NEEDS to be remade! Y'see I tried…I really did…I really tried to delude myself into thinking civilization can be rebuilt and survive in its current form…but it wasn't until I came here and found this diary…this Elliot guy…had lots of good ideas about the nature of man…and how control IS the only way to maintain order…of course he obviously failed when his so called "obedience serum" had a long term detrimental health effect on the inhabitants here. Comes in handy as a virulent toxin when altered a bit and dumped into a water supply though. Strange how it doesn't affect pre-pubescent children." "You fuckin' sonofabitch…" you say pointing your rifle at him, he doesn't even seem to notice, he just keeps talking. "His ideas were sound, just his method was flawed, and it made me realize I was right in the beginning, I was just prevented from seeing my plan come to fruition due to YOUR own ambition and meddling! Shit, you can barely keep the Alliance leaders to agree on anything! The only reason why they follow you is because of the polite threat of superior firepower that you have access to and the major food source you have under your direct control in Eden. If that advantage ever disappeared, you'd have another civil war on your hands. You're petty dictator hiding in democracy. Your own method of control is as clumsy as Elliot's." "I'm not controlling anyone, you psychotic fuck!" "Bullshit! You've built your whole career on it! Your destruction of my plans, your war with the Combine, creating the Atomic Alliance and being the head of it. You really expect me to believe you did all this without ambition?" "Actually yeah. Had it not been for Marina's influence, I probably wouldn't have bothered…" "How long are you going to hide behind THAT ghost? Perhaps she did have influence on you in the beginning as far as motivation was concerned, but nobody, NOBODY that has gotten this far can say they've been doing this all this as some sort of monument for the love of a dead woman! You're lying to yourself because YOU don't have the fuckin' balls to admit you're a goddamn friendly fascist! And after you're dead? Do you think the Atomic Alliance will really live on? I predict it falls apart and in fighting occurs within a month! Humans are incapable of ruling themselves! The LAST WAR PROVED THAT! The Cybernetic Evolution is the ONLY thing that makes sense!" You think about some of the things Alex's insane ranting, before responding. "…you might be right Alex. You might be right, but there's just one thing..." "Oh what's that?" "Your method sucks too, mainly because you were too idiotic to ever get it off the ground in the first place and this isn't for Marina, its for my daughter Laura you fucking mass murdering motherfucker." You riddle Alex's body with bullets until he's such a bloody heap that he's actually ripped in half by your burst. You then pull out your pistol and blast his face into a red pulpy mess. Its over. You return to Base Pandora where Vivica has been trying to keep control of things as everyone is starting to wonder what's going on exactly. You give a full report to the entire Atomic Alliance about what happened. It's a big event that nearly shatters the Alliance. When you think about it, maybe that was Alex's "back up plan", as even if he had been killed, he must've known you'd catch heat for what happened. Some say it really wasn't your fault, others say it was, since you left an unstable element like Alex to his own devices. Some say your past deeds should be taken into consideration, others say it doesn't make up for the death of an entire town. Some say you tried to make things right, others say you shouldn't be applauded for attempting to fix something that was your fault in the first place. Still others say it wasn't your fault to begin with since the opening of the Shelters was most of the OTHER town leader's idea not yours. It's apparent everyone is divided on the situation, so you do the only thing that makes sense and step down from being the head of the Atomic Alliance. This has more of an effect than you hoped. Some people still think you should be punished directly, but for the most part most are just satisfied that you aren't the head of the Alliance anymore. The ones closest to you think it's unfair, but you don't really care. You probably saved the Alliance again with your actions, another civil war would've occurred otherwise. You can only hope in time people will see that. Vivica becomes the new head of the Alliance. Some object to her as well since she's somewhat close to you, but most accept her since her reputation is pretty spotless and fair minded. You remain in control of Base Pandora, which now mainly concentrates on strictly military matters as in defending the AA borders. Less politics, but not less responsibility since you now have a daughter to take care of… Ten more years pass… Twenty years have passed since the bombs dropped, and the Atomic Alliance is the largest known stretch of civilization known in the immediate area. It's now become an official democratic political entity rather than just a collection of separate towns and forts which were merely aligned. Vivica is now officially the President. GZS Shelters have been converted into major the supplier of water. Gone are the days of wondering if water was safe to drink. These Shelters have also been modified to have surrounding land to become agricultural centers like Eden; the water is piped in from underground to help grow crops. They're probably more useful than what they were initially intended for. Ashtown was repopulated, but a big memorial is now standing there in memory of the dead, the Shelter near Ashtown was destroyed. Explosives were placed in the entryway such a manner that it imploded in on itself forever burying the place. As for you, you find less and less to do each day at Base Pandora. While it's foolish to think that the world is now a safe place that an Atomic Alliance military isn't needed, it's just that it has fewer threats. Raiders might lurk on the outskirts of it, but to actually attack it now would be folly. Only the craziest and most desperate raiders do that nowadays, and they're usually easily dispatched by the AA Police Force. (Most of course having trained at Base Pandora combat academy) Civil unrest mainly consists of a few normal complaints, never anything like what happened in the past. It almost like the "Old World" again. You however are glad of this, since you have enough trouble trying to look after your daughter Laura. She's quite willful now that's she's a teenager, but fortunately your relationship isn't really bad though, you just never did get a hang of this whole father thing. The best thing you did was train her to take care of herself. Though now you're wondering if that was such a good idea. "I want to join the Atomic Alliance City Project!" she says. Having tamed most of the surrounding area, the next big agenda for the Alliance is to restore the City. You never really thought this was the best idea Vivica had, since the City has always been considered a very dangerous place, with nothing but deadly radiation levels and mutant monstrosities. In fact you turned down the option to head up the project when she proposed it to you. You remember way back in your early days of the Compound, when a few people were sent to the City, and only one returned speaking of the horrible creatures inside. Since then, nobody ever really went there. Every now and then you heard about a few hostile mutants wandering from the city, but it was rare, it seems as if they were content on living in their own area. You lived on "your side" and they lived on "their side" and that's the way it should stay. Seems like fucking around with the City might be inviting trouble, sort of like when you decided to fuck around the Shelters ten years ago… Your daughter on the other hand like most youthful sorts, sees "adventure". True she's not some delicate flower and she grew up relatively fast (She did see her mother die in front of her along with the rest of the town) but its not like she's had any real combat experience, plus she's only fifteen and you do feel the need to protect her. > You restrict her from going She's still fifteen; you're still able to restrict her from doing whatever the hell she wants. You do however realize that too much restriction isn't going to help and possibly even drive her away, so what you propose is a compromise and you allow her to go on border patrol mission and minor recon duty. Let her deal with some raiders and see if she still wants to pursue this life of adventure… She isn't exactly enthusiastic about this idea, probably because it doesn't seem as "exciting". Most raiders go running at the first sign of trouble, so there's actually little in the way of combat. She starts becoming a little more daring and patrols further than she's supposed to. You tell others to keep an eye on her, but of course that's impossible all the time. Then your worst fears come true. Laura is ambushed, beaten and gang raped. She would've probably been killed, but the rest of the recon team arrived in time to drive them off. They managed to kill a few…but not all. You've suffered a lot of tragedies in your life, but this one has got to be the worst since you lost Marina…worse even. You don't sink into depression though, you fly into a rage. You immediately gather your best men and personally hunt the rest of these scumfucks down. There is no where they can hide; you are the embodiment of vengeance. As is typical you find them hold up in a cave where you catch most of them off guard, as ordered, your men don't shoot to kill, they shoot to maim. You'll be the one doing the killing. You cut off the genitals of each one of them and stuff them into their mouths. You yell and scream at them as you repeatedly shoot and kick their bloody bodies. You don't stop tormenting them even after death until one of your men finally tells you stop. You don't really feel any better though, once again you feel like you've failed, just like you did ten years ago with Alex killing most of Ashtown. You can't do this anymore; you resign your command at Pandora, despite Vivica not wanting you to. It takes Laura awhile to get over the traumatic event, and she never really does. She picks a safer career path and she never marries or even dates, despite you telling her that she should and that its okay, but she says she's satisfied just living with you. (And while you blamed yourself for what happened, she never did) And while you don't mind her company, this also saddens you. In your remaining years, you spend a lot of time regretting a lot of decisions you made in the past. You can't even take "pride" in the fact that you contributed greatly to rebuilding civilization. When yet another war breaks out with the mutants due to the Atomic Alliance City Project you just shake your head wondering if it was all worth it to begin with. Eventually when you die, it's sort of a release for you. A small respectful funeral is held for you as you're buried next to Marina like you always wanted to be, but as time goes on after Vivica and those who were with you from the beginning in the Compound die off, your name and deeds are forgotten completely as what happens to most "heroes" of history.

Knowing Alex, he's probably killed his assistants too; you go in with your weapon ready. "FUCK! Goddamn GZS equipment! Always fucks up!" Alex says as he's trying to install some sort of implant in the head of some corpse on a table. Its one of his assistants and his brains are leaking all over the place, you don't even know what the hell Alex was trying to accomplish, and you get the impression he doesn't either. He stares at you with eyes telling you he's finally gone over the edge for good this time. "You see? You see what I have to work with? Can't fucking work under these conditions! Not enough equipment! Plenty of bodies, just need the equipment…is it lunch time?" "Is that why you infected Ashtown? So you could rebuild your insane dreams of cyborgs again?" "It's not insane! Its evolution! You really think the Atomic Alliance can last in its current form? NO! It NEEDS to be remade! Y'see I tried…I really did…I really tried to delude myself into thinking civilization can be rebuilt and survive in its current form…but it wasn't until I came here and found this diary…this Elliot guy…had lots of good ideas about the nature of man…and how control IS the only way to maintain order…of course he obviously failed when his so called "obedience serum" had a long term detrimental health effect on the inhabitants here. Comes in handy as a virulent toxin when altered a bit and dumped into a water supply though. Strange how it doesn't affect pre-pubescent children." "You fuckin' sonofabitch…" you say pointing your rifle at him, he doesn't even seem to notice, he just keeps talking. "His ideas were sound, just his method was flawed, and it made me realize I was right in the beginning, I was just prevented from seeing my plan come to fruition due to YOUR own ambition and meddling! Shit, you can barely keep the Alliance leaders to agree on anything! The only reason why they follow you is because of the polite threat of superior firepower that you have access to and the major food source you have under your direct control in Eden. If that advantage ever disappeared, you'd have another civil war on your hands. You're petty dictator hiding in democracy. Your own method of control is as clumsy as Elliot's." "I'm not controlling anyone, you psychotic fuck!" "Bullshit! You've built your whole career on it! Your destruction of my plans, your war with the Combine, creating the Atomic Alliance and being the head of it. You really expect me to believe you did all this without ambition?" "Actually yeah. Had it not been for Marina's influence, I probably wouldn't have bothered…" "How long are you going to hide behind THAT ghost? Perhaps she did have influence on you in the beginning as far as motivation was concerned, but nobody, NOBODY that has gotten this far can say they've been doing this all this as some sort of monument for the love of a dead woman! You're lying to yourself because YOU don't have the fuckin' balls to admit you're a goddamn friendly fascist! And after you're dead? Do you think the Atomic Alliance will really live on? I predict it falls apart and in fighting occurs within a month! Humans are incapable of ruling themselves! The LAST WAR PROVED THAT! The Cybernetic Evolution is the ONLY thing that makes sense!" You think about some of the things Alex's insane ranting, before responding. "…you might be right Alex. You might be right, but there's just one thing..." "Oh what's that?" "Your method sucks too, mainly because you were too idiotic to ever get it off the ground in the first place and this isn't for Marina, its for my daughter Laura you fucking mass murdering motherfucker." You riddle Alex's body with bullets until he's such a bloody heap that he's actually ripped in half by your burst. You then pull out your pistol and blast his face into a red pulpy mess. Its over. You return to Base Pandora where Vivica has been trying to keep control of things as everyone is starting to wonder what's going on exactly. You give a full report to the entire Atomic Alliance about what happened. It's a big event that nearly shatters the Alliance. When you think about it, maybe that was Alex's "back up plan", as even if he had been killed, he must've known you'd catch heat for what happened. Some say it really wasn't your fault, others say it was, since you left an unstable element like Alex to his own devices. Some say your past deeds should be taken into consideration, others say it doesn't make up for the death of an entire town. Some say you tried to make things right, others say you shouldn't be applauded for attempting to fix something that was your fault in the first place. Still others say it wasn't your fault to begin with since the opening of the Shelters was most of the OTHER town leader's idea not yours. It's apparent everyone is divided on the situation, so you do the only thing that makes sense and step down from being the head of the Atomic Alliance. This has more of an effect than you hoped. Some people still think you should be punished directly, but for the most part most are just satisfied that you aren't the head of the Alliance anymore. The ones closest to you think it's unfair, but you don't really care. You probably saved the Alliance again with your actions, another civil war would've occurred otherwise. You can only hope in time people will see that. Vivica becomes the new head of the Alliance. Some object to her as well since she's somewhat close to you, but most accept her since her reputation is pretty spotless and fair minded. You remain in control of Base Pandora, which now mainly concentrates on strictly military matters as in defending the AA borders. Less politics, but not less responsibility since you now have a daughter to take care of… Ten more years pass… Twenty years have passed since the bombs dropped, and the Atomic Alliance is the largest known stretch of civilization known in the immediate area. It's now become an official democratic political entity rather than just a collection of separate towns and forts which were merely aligned. Vivica is now officially the President. GZS Shelters have been converted into major the supplier of water. Gone are the days of wondering if water was safe to drink. These Shelters have also been modified to have surrounding land to become agricultural centers like Eden; the water is piped in from underground to help grow crops. They're probably more useful than what they were initially intended for. Ashtown was repopulated, but a big memorial is now standing there in memory of the dead, the Shelter near Ashtown was destroyed. Explosives were placed in the entryway such a manner that it imploded in on itself forever burying the place. As for you, you find less and less to do each day at Base Pandora. While it's foolish to think that the world is now a safe place that an Atomic Alliance military isn't needed, it's just that it has fewer threats. Raiders might lurk on the outskirts of it, but to actually attack it now would be folly. Only the craziest and most desperate raiders do that nowadays, and they're usually easily dispatched by the AA Police Force. (Most of course having trained at Base Pandora combat academy) Civil unrest mainly consists of a few normal complaints, never anything like what happened in the past. It almost like the "Old World" again. You however are glad of this, since you have enough trouble trying to look after your daughter Laura. She's quite willful now that's she's a teenager, but fortunately your relationship isn't really bad though, you just never did get a hang of this whole father thing. The best thing you did was train her to take care of herself. Though now you're wondering if that was such a good idea. "I want to join the Atomic Alliance City Project!" she says. Having tamed most of the surrounding area, the next big agenda for the Alliance is to restore the City. You never really thought this was the best idea Vivica had, since the City has always been considered a very dangerous place, with nothing but deadly radiation levels and mutant monstrosities. In fact you turned down the option to head up the project when she proposed it to you. You remember way back in your early days of the Compound, when a few people were sent to the City, and only one returned speaking of the horrible creatures inside. Since then, nobody ever really went there. Every now and then you heard about a few hostile mutants wandering from the city, but it was rare, it seems as if they were content on living in their own area. You lived on "your side" and they lived on "their side" and that's the way it should stay. Seems like fucking around with the City might be inviting trouble, sort of like when you decided to fuck around the Shelters ten years ago… Your daughter on the other hand like most youthful sorts, sees "adventure". True she's not some delicate flower and she grew up relatively fast (She did see her mother die in front of her along with the rest of the town) but its not like she's had any real combat experience, plus she's only fifteen and you do feel the need to protect her. > You ask Vivica to make you the head of the project If your daughter's going to insist on this foolishness, you're going to make sure you're at least observing her. You travel to New Justice (Formally called Fort Justice) to see Vivica. Lately you and Vivica haven't been agreeing on too much about this, so you end up storming into her office and demanding the position. "Vivica! I want that City Project job, I don't give a shit who you've already applied the position to already, I'm fuckin' taking it!" "Sure. You got it. Anything else?" Vivica says not looking up from her writing some document. "…uh no? You don't mind?" "Why would I? I asked you to take this position in the first place." "Yeah I know, but I was sort of an asshole about turning it down before." "Well I figured you'd come around, even if you don't agree with this project." "I still don't…I mean don't you think we'll be doing more harm than good by fucking around with the City? I mean the mutants inside don't normally come out, if we start going in, we might be stirring up a bee's nest." Vivica stop writing and looks at you. "Let me ask you something…didn't you stir up a bee's nest when you first confronted Alex at Base Pandora twenty years ago? Think about it. Had you not gone in, isn't it possible that he would've actually built up a large enough army of cyborgs and robots to attack us later and we wouldn't have been able to defend against?" "Well MAYBE, but…" "How about when we fought those cultists at Eden? Your actions saved a woman who you would later give birth to your daughter. Not to mention that once run down farm house became a great agricultural center that is still a big supplier of AA food today. Not to mention Biofuel." "Yeah, but…" "How about standing up to Harry and the Combine? I'm sure you could've easily run away from the situation, but you didn't." "Well I stayed because of Marina." "True, but you also stay because deep down you KNEW that the Combine was corrupt and evil and needed to be destroyed and yes the loss was great, to you especially. But look what happened, the Atomic Alliance was created, and is still the closest thing to civilization in this little part of this fucked up world, well that we know of anyway." "I guess, but…" "What about the opening of the Shelters? Now I know that's a sore point with you. I know some people blame you for what happened due to that bastard Alex's treachery. I know you probably still blame yourself to a certain degree, but think about it we use most of those Shelters as the major suppliers of food and water now. I don't even think Atomic Alliance would be as prosperous as it is today without them. You've done more for the Atomic Alliance than anyone. Marina always said you never gave yourself a lot of credit for what you were capable of, it's one of the reasons why she always felt the need to push you a bit." "Okay, but…" "And you want to know why I wanted you to head this project? Because you're the only one capable of pulling it off. Seriously if anything this shitty new world has taught us is we can't just leave things alone. We have to take a pro-active approach to things just like we always have. I mean sure the mutants aren't leaving the city NOW, but who knows what the hell the future holds? Shouldn't we find out if those muties are forming their own army rather than finding out about it when it's crossing our borders? Shouldn't we find out if they aren't ALL insane freaks and perhaps some of them are even civilized enough to make friends with? You've dealt with situations like this so many times that you're about the only expert on the matter; you always seem to have made the decisions that turned out for the best in the long run. Maybe you aren't running the Alliance, but you ARE the fuckin' founder. So while perhaps you're only taking this position to keep an eye on your daughter, you'll eventually realize that you're doing the right thing anyway, just like you always have." "…how'd you know that's why I was doing this?" you ask totally surprised. "Because a few weeks ago Laura snuck into my office begging me to let her join and I told her she better clear it with you. I figured your reaction would've been telling her no, or you would've let her only to demand to be head of the project to keep an eye on her. Glad it was the latter." She says with a grin. So it happens, you take control of the Project. You organize and plan and all the rest that goes along with it. A relatively large force made up of the best Pandora's combat academy has to offer make a trip to the City. The radiation levels aren't quite as high as expected, but everyone is still expected to wear their radiation suits. While you aren't worried about yourself, you are sort of worried about Laura. Even if the mutants aren't a problem, the higher radiation levels could render her sterile. You never thought about it before, but you would like to have grand-children someday…but if it doesn't happen, it doesn't happen. No more regrets or wondering about what could be done differently. You've done enough of that in the past, and Vivica was right, you don't give yourself enough credit for your accomplishments. You personally go on every patrol Laura does. It embarrasses her a bit, that you're being so over protective, but she appreciates it later when a gang of hungry mutants attack. (Though some snickering is heard later from some of the others in the squad when you help her up, and she has to endure a few taunts of being "Daddy's little girl", but she soon proves to be able capable in combat which makes you proud) After a few weeks of exploration, you find that there's a whole little world going on in the city. There are more factions here than you've ever come across! Some mutants are just mindless cannibals roaming the streets, while others are more organized and vicious. Still others follow weird new religions (Never friendly types in your experience) and others are actually friendly and have collected, fixed and horded lots of equipment over the years and would be willing to trade with "pretties" such as yourselves. (You don't like the way they look at Laura though even if she is in a radiation suit) Oddly new mutants are being born, not a lot, but a few. Seeing as they're going to be a factor in years to come you guess it would be best to make alliances with the friendly mutants and provide them with help…this of course comes in the form of firepower. Of course you aren't so idiotic to start giving them rocket launchers and such, but ammunition and few extra rifles to your new mutant "friends" can't hurt the balance of power in the city since you don't see it as it ever being fully part of the Alliance. You think it'll always be known as Zeropolis (As the mutants call it) where the mutants live and chaos will always be a way of life where only the fittest survive. Hmmm, just like before the bombs hit actually… One other good thing about this experience is after her first tour in Zeropolis, Laura decides to pursue a slightly safer career as a member of the Atomic Alliance Police Force. You're beyond relieved. Thirty years pass… Fifty years have passed and you're now celebrating the forty fifth anniversary of the founding of the Atomic Alliance at its capital of New Justice, of course you and Ex-President Vivica are about the only ones still alive who were around from the VERY beginning when it was only just "The Compound". You personally are receiving some sort of honor for all your deeds in making the AA possible. You even get a statue and while you're publicly humble about it, you do secretly really like it. After all you do deserve the recognition, and you're finally being given your credit. After you and Vivica give your speeches and get off stage, Laura hugs you and says how happy she is for you. Your grandson David does as well. You were always happy Laura's fertility wasn't affected by the trip to Zeropolis. Though David's six fingers on each hand display some of the effects, but he's normal in every other way. (If anything he may make a great diplomat to the mutants when he grows up!) After the grand night of celebration, you go back home to rest. You're really tired. Like you feel like you could sleep forever. Sometimes it weird to think that before the bombs hit, you were never really a social person, but then afterwards, you became a warrior, a diplomat and a founder of a new civilization leading people through it all. "I guess you were right Marina…I always did have it in me…" you say as you drift off to sleep…

You immediately dispatch another team of medics in hazmat suits to Ashtown. Vivica insists on going since she's probably the second best doctor in the Alliance, you order her not to since you can't afford to lose her as well, not to mention she runs Fort Justice, but she's defiant and goes anyway. You also order Eden to not let ANYONE who wasn't already working there in, until this situation is resolved. You can't afford your major food source to get contaminated. You decide not to inform the rest of the Alliance towns, since you hope maybe you can contain this before panic occurs. You next step is to radio Alex, but as predicted you don't get an answer. You soon get a report from Vivica, "It looks bad. REAL Bad. Most of Ashtown is already dead or dying. Whatever it is, I don't think it's airborne. It might be the water supply. The only weird thing is, the children didn't seem to be affected…it's very sad though. We're going to have a bunch of orphans." "Can't you do ANYTHING?" "No, I have no idea what this is and I think it's too late anyway, uh there's something else I think you'll want to know…though I'm not sure how to say this…" "Vivica just spit it the fuck out!" "Well, uh…I tired to treat Ophelia, but I failed, her husband was already dead by the time I got here." "…Vivica, I appreciate you trying to save someone I had fond memories of, but there's a whole town at stake…" "I know, I know, but that's not what I'm getting at. Ophelia had a daughter you know. Her name's Laura. She's five. Ophelia told me before she died; she wanted her daughter to have a good home." "Well of course! I mean we'll give good homes to all the orphans!" "Again, that's not it. She asked for you specifically to give her that home. She said she said it's about time her daughter got to know her father anyway." The surprises just keep coming. "Excuse me?" "Looks like you're this little girl's father…the timing is about right, I mean you did have that encounter with her five years ago. She's five and if I may say, I see the family resemblance, she doesn't look anything like Ophelia's husband, I mean granted he's dead right now, but…" "Why the hell didn't she tell me? I mean I would've…" "I asked the same question, during her final moments. She's said she was sorry she never told you before, but she knew you had other things on your mind and bigger concerns with rebuilding civilization and all. She always thought she would've lived in Marina's shadow anyway and by keeping Laura to herself it was like she still had a piece of you…sir I hate to break this information up since I know it probably really important to you, but what are we going to do about the town and Alex and everything?" "Start evacuating the children to Base Pandora, the town is dead. I'll take care of Alex." You say grimly before disconnecting. Armed and focused, for the first time in a long time you travel by yourself to the Shelter where Alex is at. You meet up with Vivica on the way, who tries to advise you to at least go in with back up, but you won't hear of it and tell her to continue on to Base Pandora. You also see Laura and some of the other orphaned children. They're obviously still upset about their parents dying horrible deaths. You approach Laura whose eyes are all red from crying. She looks up at you. "Are…are you really my daddy?" she asks, obviously having been informed of the situation. Contrary to what Vivica said, you think she looks more like her mother, but yes there is a resemblance to you particularly the hair. Unsure of how to respond, you give a straight forward answer. "Yes I am and I'll be home soon to take care of you." you stroke her face and get back in your vehicle and drive off. You drive through Ashtown and see the dead bodies, by the facial expressions you get the impression it wasn't a pleasant one. Once again you think about going to see Ophelia's body, but you quickly decide against it. You'd rather remember her how she was the last time you saw her. Besides you'll always see her now in your daughter, plus you've got a score to settle with Alex. You get to the Shelter and enter its foyer and surprisingly its elevator is at the top, looks like some modifications have been made to it as it looks as if the call buttons were there originally. You really don't care about any of it though, you're on a mission. When you get to the bottom, you see the same modified call buttons near the elevator on this level as well (You can't believe the idiotic way GZS designs their Shelters though, effectively trapping their "customers" down here) You also see more dead bodies in various stages of decay, some look like they were dead long before Alex got here. Much of the equipment and place in general is in disarray, but you also notice some of it has been recently repaired. Probably by Alex no doubt. You hear cursing coming from a nearby room, it sounds like Alex. > You check to make sure his assistants are not lurking around You figure Alex is occupied, so you can check to make sure he doesn't have one of his assistants skulking about. You'd hate to confront him only to get shot in the back by one of them. Unfortunately that's exactly what happens anyway. While you search for other enemies, Alex hears and sneaks up on you, shooting you in the back. You drop to the floor gasping for air. "I always said you'd make an excellent candidate for remaking…trust me, I'm saving the Alliance, by doing this…" are the last words you hear by Alex before you fall unconscious and never wake up.

"Keep fighting the bastards! Pandora will never fall!" you shout as you mow down another dirt biker. In all the fighting though you begin to worry where Marina is, you look around for her in the chaos, and then you see her fighting with multiple enemies converging on her position. You rush towards her to back her up and then you're blown back by an explosion. You slam up against a wall of one of the barracks, other than some minor pain and some scars you're going to have you aren't harmed, however your heart is when you see Marina lying bloody on the ground. She isn't moving. Ignoring everything else you run to her, you kneel down to pick up her body, she grabs weakly on to you, but she's in bad shape. "Keep fighting to rebuild civilization…its still worth it…" she says before losing total consciousness. Alex suddenly comes up to you. "Hey! We got people firing on us; you need to get the fuck outta the open!" "You! You're a fucking surgeon! You fix her! Save her! Save her NOW!" you shout, picking her up and shoving her into Alex's arms. "Wha…I…" Alex realizes you mean fucking business so he just nods and runs with her to one of the few undamaged buildings. You're blind with rage, you begin charging into battle trying take out as many of these motherfuckers as you can, its quite possible with your actions alone you turned the tide, but you are still just one man, and you nearly get yourself killed, if it hadn't been for Vivica managing to get a few people from Ashtown to help out, and they arrive just in time. Ophelia shoots a Combine soldier who was sneaking up on you. You turn around to see her, you nearly don't recognize her decked out in battle gear. "Told you, you'd see me in the future." She says and runs off to clean up the stragglers running away. The Combine is pulling back. You've won, but at a high cost. When you return to check on Marina, you find her dead. Alex explains there was nothing he could do for her. You ask to be alone which he complies. You spend the rest of the night alone with Marina's lifeless body weeping and vowing revenge. The next day, you come out with one focus. To assault Fort Justice. This will never be over until Harry is dead. You need to strike now when he's weak. A lot of people are wondering if you shouldn't wait to regroup, but you won't hear of it, you're determined to do it now and everyone who's in fighting condition is coming with you. In a couple days you and your small army arrive at Fort Justice. You half expect to die this day assaulting the place, but once again destiny is with you. Fort Justice is experiencing a minor authority problem. You can take the scum out of the wasteland, but you can't make them disciplined soldiers. The last defeat has shattered morale, and apparently some are starting to question Harry's orders, while others aren't willing to die for him. The gate is wide open and parts of the place are in flames. You walk in relatively unopposed. Some fighting occurs, but you're looking for Harry and when the loud mouth shithead sees you, instead of confronting you, he runs for the trapdoor to the underground. You immediately run to cut him off and shoot him in both legs. He falls and grabs for his pistol, but you take careful aim and blow his hand off, he screams in pain when he sees his fingers all over the ground. A kick to his face follows, and then a stomp, and another, and another. You don't stop until his face looks like tenderized hamburger. He tries to act defiant by trying to give you the finger with his good hand, but you take it and break the motherfucker along with the rest of his hand. "This is for Marina and the rest of the deaths you caused." You say, before blasting his mushy bloody head into mushy bloody pieces. Now its over. You collapse by Harry's body, spent and drained. Alex goes over to see if you're alright, but Ophelia tells him to just make sure all the enemy are either dead or running. Ophelia takes you to a barrack and puts you on a bed and tells you to rest, which you do. "I did it Marina…I got him…" you mumble while falling asleep. The next few weeks consist of rebuilding. Rebuilding everything. Fort Justice. Base Pandora. All the damage Harry caused. Word gets out to the Combine occupied towns about their current situation, with no centralized authority figure anymore, the Combine dissipates as wasteland scum flee and return to the outlands where they belong. The townspeople of those places are very grateful for your help, and you're now in charge of everything but you take no joy in any of it, or anything. You're numb. You go through the motions, but you're basically in a daze. All your thoughts are of Marina, you feel empty without her. If it wasn't for her, you wouldn't even be alive right now. You would've died in a big mushroom cloud death. You start blaming yourself for not being able to save her, you start thinking about suicide. Everyone gets a little worried about you. Vivica starts radioing in wondering about your condition, Alex (Who's quite familiar with mental breakdowns) attempts to talk to you, but it's Ophelia who turns you around, though not immediately, but it's her actions that become the turning point. Late one night, as you wallow in the emptiness, Ophelia visits you. You expect her to tell you not blame yourself for Marina's death again, but she doesn't. Instead she talks about the time when you saved her from the cultists and how grateful she was that day and how she would've almost done anything to repay you for saving her life. "Mm…well you repaid it already. You saved mine back at Pandora." You say wishing to be left alone. "No, I'm saving it now." Ophelia begins to remove her clothing, something that takes you completely by surprise. You feel you shouldn't, you know you shouldn't, but maybe it's feeling of loneliness, maybe it's the feeling of confusion, or maybe its just plain hormones, and you give in to Ophelia's advances. And for that one night, the emptiness within you disappears. The next day Ophelia is gone leaving you a note saying she's going back to Ashtown and tells you that you shouldn't give up on life since you have so much more to change in this new world. When you think about it, Marina saved you, so you could carry that goal out. She always did see the potential in you to do great things. With this new perspective, you begin to return to normal, though there still was a little piece of you that died when Marina did. You'll never completely be the same. Life goes on though. Five more years pass… It's been ten years since the bombs dropped and civilization is starting to rebuild itself again…well somewhat. Hard to believe you would've become any type of leader trying to rebuild civilization. Marina might not be around anymore, but obviously her influence on you still is and always will be as you follow her dream of rebuilding civilization again. You're still running things from Base Pandora, which is now the unofficial head of the Atomic Alliance. The towns formally under Combine occupation are included, but are now treated as equals rather than glorified labor camps, though getting everyone to agree completely on anything still remains a problem. Fort Justice is now under Vivica's command and the Farmhouse, now known as Eden is a fully functional agricultural community. (It supplies food as well as biofuel for vehicles now) After that one night with Ophelia you don't see her anymore, but last you heard she had a baby and got married to someone in Ashtown. Good for her. Other than political disagreements, everything has been going fairly well; raiders are still a problem, but much less than in the past. For the most part people are pretty happy living in your territory. One thing that's been debated among you and some of other leaders, are the few GZS Shelters the Alliance has stumbled across over recent years. No effort has been made to open them, but they're all sealed shut by their main computers. From what you know by reading some of the GZS documents found in Base Pandora (and Alex who definitely has some knowledge of GZS protocols) the Shelters weren't supposed to open up until the central computer determined that sufficient amount of time had passed and the surface deemed safe. Apparently the computers still think the surface sucks. (And that assessment wouldn't exactly be wrong) Most of the other Alliance leaders say that some sort of contact should be made with them. You get the impression some of them might've done it anyway, it's just you have most of the equipment that makes it a lot easier. > You leave them alone You remember something the Colonel said years ago "They made their bed now they can sleep in it." You see no reason to disturb the Shelters; you have enough to do with surface matters. Your unwillingness to contact them though is frowned upon by the other alliance leaders. Some are even calling you "inhumane" for leaving them down there. You take great offense to this since you're anything but inhumane; you just don't see the need to contact a bunch of people who wanted to be shut off from society for a long period of time in the first place. Besides who says they want to be contacted? Who know how they'll act? Seems like it's just going to open up trouble you don't really need. It doesn't matter though, the other town leaders are determined to go through with it, and you can't stop them, it's not like you're running a dictatorship here. You are however denying all help from your end. Base Pandora, Fort Justice, and Eden are not to be involved. The Alliance relationship becomes a bit strained. A few weeks pass and you get a report from the Alliance towns, the first Shelter openings didn't go very peacefully. Due to their fumbling and having no plan other than "Opening them up." They manage to get into misunderstandings and a few fights occurred resulting in some deaths on both sides, but mostly on the Shelter people side, seeing as they haven't been hardened by the surface. Ultimately they pull everyone out the Shelters kicking and screaming. Some Alliance citizens don't like the fact that their local governments have engaged in these kinds of tactics, and you're wondering what the hell they think they're doing, since you said it was a bad idea in the first place and this just proves it. You later find out that one of the pettier leaders convinced most of the others that the Shelters contained resources that would make them less dependant on you (Such as operating filtrated water recycling systems) and decided taking the Shelters by force would be a good idea since if you were unwilling to help before you might be unwilling to help in the future. Of course that was just idiotic logic on their part since you were just against the idea of fucking around with the Shelters; you weren't on some power trip. Within the next few weeks reports start coming in about riots in the towns and mistreatment of the relocated Shelter people. It's the Combine all over again… You send in troops on your end to try to maintain some sort of peace, AND to stop all this unnecessary cruelty to the Shelter folks who were just peacefully living out their existence until some Alliance assholes pulled them from their homes. Naturally being a peacemaker is a thankless job. The "doves" think you're being a fascist by using force to stop the rioting and protests, and then by the same token the "hawks" think you're meddling in business that isn't your concern since you didn't want anything to do with the Shelters in the first place and shouldn't be telling them what to do with the Shelters OR its people. Now you start to get angry. "Motherfuckers I RUN the goddamn Alliance! I fuckin' built it! I'll say what the fuck goes!" That's the last transmission you make to the Alliance as a single entity. The next day it becomes a much smaller entity as the Alliance town leaders official break off from you and declare themselves independent and calling themselves the Atomic Confederation. You're so pissed of by all of this that you don't even WANT to bring them back into the "fold". You're ready to wash your hands of this exercise in stupidity. You withdraw all peacekeeping troops and instead of wasting more resources and man power on a long drawn out war taking town after town that will only weaken you, you decide to take a more strategic approach and attack the Shelters themselves. You send a strike team to locate each one that's been opened up and blow up the water recyclers, and then to blow up the elevators allowing access to the Shelters in the first place. You also of course aren't going to be trading food supplies from Eden anymore. "So much for your new resources. See how long you last without our help, fucktards." Is your last transmission to the Atomic Confederation. The Atomic Confederation doesn't last very long, it collapses mainly due to the inept and corrupt government, civil unrest, and even outside attack from raiders who are always attracted to chaos. By the time its all over the towns are little more than criminal havens that fight amongst each other. You're still in good shape though; however this event has caused a trend in isolationism. The Atomic Alliance doesn't expand past its now severely shortened borders. You still have dealings with Ashtown every now and then, but after they heard all the problems that were going on, it appears they become a bit isolationist as well (Which does have the benefit that they don't try to open the Shelter that they located nearby, thankfully someone learned the lesson to leave well enough alone.) and you even have less contact with them as well. You live out the rest of your years running the Atomic Alliance which mainly consists of protecting your borders. Your death comes suddenly when Alex unexpectedly assassinates you. (Theories point to simple revenge for all those years ago and just his underlying unstableness) You're buried next to Marina, he's immediately executed and Vivica takes over. The Alliance continues under her leadership, but after her, leaders become less capable as leaders are apt to do in government systems. Eventually like the Combine, and the Atomic Confederation, the Atomic Alliance collapses completely thus ending the attempt to rebuilding civilization in this part of the wasteland.

It's a brutal world and it just got more so. Rushing in outnumbered, isn't likely to save anyone and most likely going to get you killed. You radio in for reinforcements and keep an eye on the farm in the mean time. Later when the darkness comes you see a group of them come out with torches, form a circle in a nearby plain and begin chanting. You count ten of them altogether Soon two more come out with one of the prisoners from earlier. She's bound, gagged and naked; you know what's going to come next. Reggie and another one in your team wants to do something, but you insist that they do nothing and to keep quiet. It's all over soon anyway, as you see them sacrifice the poor girl for whatever outlandish beliefs they hold. You take first watch for the night. The next day your reinforcements arrive…both of them. "What the fuck? I asked for at least five more people!" "Sorry, but that other recon group you sent also ran into trouble, in fact two of them are already dead, and we had to send a rescue team to fetch the other two since one has a broken leg." "Oh that's wonderful." "So should we call this off?" one of you team asks. "No Vivica, we're going through with it, but we're going to employ some stealth, they had three prisoners, I get the feeling they'll be doing the same ceremony they did last night." "Are we going to attack them now then?" "No Leonard, I don't feel like fighting a bunch of fanatics armed with machine guns in an open plain with no cover. And we can't just start firing on them from here, we need to wipe them ALL out as quickly as possible without them having a chance the regroup, fortify or any of that shit. We're gonna sneak into the house and ambush the whole fuckin' cult while they're doing their little ceremony." You wait until night and sure enough they all come out like you thought, then come the others with the prisoner. That's when the six of you quickly sneak through an overgrown field towards the house. You get to the stairs when Reggie and Leonard break off towards the area were the cult is performing their ceremony. "I can't just let them kill another! We can take 'em now! They're off guard!" "Reggie get the fuck…shit!" Reggie and Leonard begin firing, the fucking idiots aren't even taking cover, they're going head long in like they're stupid ass action heroes. You and the others lay down some cover fire, but it's not enough. Reggie and Leonard are cut down after killing a whopping ONE cultist and not even saving the hapless girl, who's shot instantly. The cultists start spreading out, moving forward, and circling around you at the same time, they're also better shots than you too, as they're carefully aiming rather than just firing in the general vicinity. After seeing another one of your team members go down, you and the rest fall back into the house itself. The inside of the house looks like something out of a horror movie, there are skulls and bones littering it, along with it blood stains everywhere. "Holy shit! What've we gotten ourselves into?" Vivica yells. "Shut the fuck up, I hear something…like crying…it's downstairs." "What about the cultists?" "Well it's the same plan, they just know about us now, let's hope we can still get 'em in a good ambush." You and your team members spread out in the house, you head down into the basement, which looks more like a small temple layout. You see a young woman in a cage, and when she sees you her eyes fill with hope. You hear the cultists stomping around upstairs and some gunfire, at which point you try to find a good place to hide. A bunch of footsteps run down the stairs, you wait in anticipation…closer…closer… NOW! You pop up from your spot and begin firing, you kill six of them before they can even react, and the remaining two barely get off some wild shots before you splatter them as well. Still breathing heavy among the dead, you finally hear some good news. "Hey! Are you still alive down there?" Vivica shouts. "Yeah! What's going on up there?" "We got a few of them, but I think most of them converged on your position though." "Of course they did, I've always been popular." You reply. You release the girl in the cage who's very thankful. She mentions her name is Ophelia and she's from a place called Ashtown which is far from this place. She says the cultists came storming into her town specifically trying to capture young girls; they took three before they finally were driven away, and unfortunately Ophelia was one of the three. You tell Ophelia your story; she seems to think you've got the right idea about going about things. "I think I'm going to tell my people back in Ashtown that we need to start getting better organized as well, and I'll be sure to tell them all about you and how you rescued me! Maybe we'll see each other in the future." You and your team search the farm house which just like you thought was stocked with all sorts of goodies. You're going to have haul some of it back, but you decide that you could also establish another base of sorts here after it was cleaned up. You'd also like to establish more of a relationship with this Ashtown. So you allow Ophelia to take one of the vehicles for her to drive back there, she certainly doesn't have a problem with that! Before heading back you put Vivica in charge of the place and tell her you'll be sending some more folks to help get this farm up and running. Not bad for a first try. Four more years pass… It's been five years since you joined the Compound and things are going fairly well for you, the farm house has been converted into a way point to Ashtown, with which you have good relations with and is now producing food. You are no longer solely dependant on the Compound for supplies which might be just as well… You get less and less reports from the Compound itself other than its undergone a name change and due to its inclusion of a few towns now, its called the Combine and the Compound itself is called Fort Justice. You know about how the Colonel has gotten sick and seems to be getting worse as more time passes and how the population rate is growing, but it's slow. The major theory is the elevated levels of background radiation are probably affecting fertility. (You wonder about yourself and Marina since she hasn't once gotten pregnant in the five years you've been together) There have been more people sent here, mainly because they hear about how great it is in Pandora as opposed to the miserable place Harry has made Fort Justice since he's been getting freer reign of the place as the Colonel continues to get sicker. In fact you've been hearing some disturbing stories from others who have come here recently. Ranging from needlessly violent occupation of towns, sending people on dangerous unnecessary missions to the city, and recruiting desert scum into the Combine! People are saying Harry's going nuts with power. One day, one of your assistants comes in and has something to report. The Colonel has died, Harry has taken complete control of the Combine and his first order is for YOU to return to Fort Justice for reassignment. Harry's just plain gone completely nuts if he thinks you're going to do that. Speaking of nuts, that same day after you convince everyone in seceding from the Combine you get a radio message from someone who's been quiet until now. "Well well, it seems you've got a problem on your hands." It's Alex. You're guessing he's been surviving on rats and roaches down there. "What the hell do you want and how do you know what's been going on?" "How do you think? I've been listening in on all your incoming and outgoing radio transmissions since you betrayed me and trapped me down here! I must say though, you probably did the intelligent thing. And your progress with establishing your own separate territory has been intriguing…but I can tell you right now, you are going to need help with your current problem, a problem I will be willing to help with if you're willing to talk." "Alright, I'll play. What're you proposing?" "There are still a lot of those high tech weapons down here that you were coming to get when you came here five years ago. I'm sure they would be very useful in your up coming war with Harry, and don't tell me there isn't, because I know you aren't going to run or meekly follow his orders to return. You've obviously set your sights on higher ambitions than just following orders and survival. I'll be willing to give them to you, in exchange for my freedom." "Oh that easy huh? How do you propose we go about this? I send people down there to retrieve them while your death machines ambush them as soon as they enter?" "It would be kind of hard for that to happen since all my cyborgs are long dead and my robots have fallen into disrepair…I'm basically alone down here. You were guarding nothing!" Alex laughs. You're pretty skeptical about this little tale, but if it's true, those weapons would certainly help. > You disbelieve Alex "Nice try Alex, but I'm not falling for it, now don't bother calling me again, because I won't be listening to anymore of your lies." "Alright, suit yourself. I guess I better prepare for a change in landlords then. Pity, because I don't think Harry will be willing to let me just live down here, I guess I better prepare myself as well." Alex disconnects and you don't hear from him again. You radio Vivica to let her know what's going on as well; she's behind you and will make sure to send a few people to harass Harry's men when they decide the lay siege to Pandora. Everyone spends time preparing and organizing for the battle that's sure to come. A month passes and sure enough Harry's men come thinking its going to be an easy victory, but it's merely a stand off. They end up falling back and try to wait you out, but you still have the advantage for the most part though. A couple more weeks pass and reinforcements arrive and armed to the teeth and despite the rugged terrain that prevents cars to come to this place, they managed to find some dirt bikes which whiz around Pandora while the riders nimbly dodge your fire while they toss grenades at (and sometimes over) the walls. Pandora is a lot less secure, and you're just glad Vivica's skirmishers are doing a good job at diverting the invasion force's attention and getting through with supplies, though you catch wind that Harry is sending even MORE reinforcements. You doubt if you can handle it, Marina doesn't want to leave, but even she sees that things are pretty grim, and is willing to leave if need be. You've already decided the place to retreat to would be the Farmhouse. If you're going to leave though, you need to do it now, because when Harry's second wave of reinforcements arrive, it will be impossible to break out. > You leave "We're getting the hell outta here! Get everyone ready!" you tell Marina, before radioing Vivica, to tell her that you'll be arriving soon. You and everyone else start gathering everything you can carry, and before opening the gates you purposely blow up some of the buildings in the base, particularly the building with the water filtering and recycling system. You might be running, but you'll be damned if they'll get the prize fully intact. Due to the explosions, you throw the invasion force a little off guard, since they're wondering what the hell's going on. This works in your favor when you exit and make your risky escape. "Split up and meet you know where!" you shout to everyone as you haul ass to the Farmhouse. You, Marina and a few others stick together as you battle Harry's men who are in pursuit of you. Fortunately you know the lay of the land a little better, so your escape is fatality free by the time you make it to the Farmhouse. A few of the others who split up aren't quite as lucky, but most make it. You immediately tell Vivica to start beefing up the defenses. The Farmhouse is relatively well defended, and even has two vehicles to help you. Its also further away, so by the time Harry regroups a large enough invasion force, you figure you'll be ready for him. What you weren't ready for, was the hi-tech weaponry, Harry's men arrive with months later. Granted they don't have them per soldier, but they have enough to start laying waste to the Farmhouse and its surroundings. Apparently they grabbed the ones Alex told you about. Whether the Combine just took them and killed Alex, or Alex came to an agreement with Harry is unknown, but your guess is Harry just killed him and whatever cyborgs might've been down there. (Dictators aren't known to "share") Some help comes from Ashtown, but it really isn't enough and given Ashtown's even further position away, it doesn't do much good. Eventually you hear from Ophelia on the radio who suggests that you are all welcome to come live in Ashtown, as they have plenty of room and wouldn't mind having some good warriors with a variety of skills. Reluctantly you accept, though you hate the fact you have to run again. You, Marina, Vivica and the remaining survivors pile into the two vehicles in between attacks and drive off to Ashtown. No need for scorched Earth tactics this time since the Combine soldiers did a good enough job of that during their initial attacks. Eventually you arrive in Ashtown, where you're welcomed, but now you have to remember, you're not in charge anymore and things are a bit different. You welcome the change though, after all the time of fighting non-stop and being in charge you're happy to be able to relax more often as the only problems Ashtown has is the occasional bandit attack which aren't organized or well lead. Everyday though, you expect the Combine to show up again, but a year passes without a sign of them. One day you hear about the Combine again, from a wandering traveler who stops in Ashtown one day. Word is, it's currently undergoing another regime change. Apparently, shortly after the Farmhouse was completely destroyed, someone named Damon shot Harry and took over, then just recently someone blew him up and now someone else is in charge. Even though the Combine still pursues the idea of conquest, it now constantly has problems with infighting, hampering many of their plans. For now they've been concentrating on trying to maintain control in the places they already hold. It's quite possible the Combine will eventually turn its attention in this direction of conquest in your direction again, but you'll be ready as you always are, maybe you won't win, but you know you'll always survive to fight another day if necessary.

"Nice try Alex, but I'm not falling for it, now don't bother calling me again, because I won't be listening to anymore of your lies." "Alright, suit yourself. I guess I better prepare for a change in landlords then. Pity, because I don't think Harry will be willing to let me just live down here, I guess I better prepare myself as well." Alex disconnects and you don't hear from him again. You radio Vivica to let her know what's going on as well; she's behind you and will make sure to send a few people to harass Harry's men when they decide the lay siege to Pandora. Everyone spends time preparing and organizing for the battle that's sure to come. A month passes and sure enough Harry's men come thinking its going to be an easy victory, but it's merely a stand off. They end up falling back and try to wait you out, but you still have the advantage for the most part though. A couple more weeks pass and reinforcements arrive and armed to the teeth and despite the rugged terrain that prevents cars to come to this place, they managed to find some dirt bikes which whiz around Pandora while the riders nimbly dodge your fire while they toss grenades at (and sometimes over) the walls. Pandora is a lot less secure, and you're just glad Vivica's skirmishers are doing a good job at diverting the invasion force's attention and getting through with supplies, though you catch wind that Harry is sending even MORE reinforcements. You doubt if you can handle it, Marina doesn't want to leave, but even she sees that things are pretty grim, and is willing to leave if need be. You've already decided the place to retreat to would be the Farmhouse. If you're going to leave though, you need to do it now, because when Harry's second wave of reinforcements arrive, it will be impossible to break out. > You stay What's the point in running? Harry will just eventually send men to the Farmhouse and you'll probably have to run again. You refuse to run forever, if you're going to die soon, then you'd rather get it over with. Reinforcements arrive armed with rocket launchers come this time, and with a few volleys, Harry's men finally breach the walls of Pandora and storm into the place. The fighting is furious as you and your people don't allow Harry's troops to gain an inch without heavy losses, but ultimately it comes down to you, Marina, and a few others, holding up in one of the barracks, totally surrounded. As you wince in pain from a bullet wound in your arm you use the radio and give a final transmission to Vivica to prepare for an attack on the Farmhouse soon. Hopefully she has more sense to run when things get bad. "Damn it, I should've ordered a retreat." You say to yourself having second thoughts during this final hour. "No, you shouldn't have. You stood your ground. I'm glad you did." Marina says trying to comfort you. "I'm not! I've gotten us all killed, and I certainly didn't want that for you." "Its okay, if I'm going to die, at least it'll be with you." Marina kisses you passionately, which makes you briefly forget about the deep shit you're all in. What the hell, for someone who nearly bought it during the nuclear strike, you had a pretty good run. A lot longer than most in this new hell on Earth. You sense that if you don't come out soon, Harry's men will probably just start tossing grenades or launching rockets at your position, you're not going out like that. You look at Marina and everyone else. "Alright everyone, we're finishing this. I'll lead and try to soak up most of the bullets. I wish it wasn't going to end like this, but shit happens. Ready?" You get a nod from everyone and then rush out of the door, blasting everything in sight, with Marina and the rest following suit. You feel several bullets hit your body and then a couple to your head before firing one last burst and falling to the ground in a bloody heap.

Well there's nothing stopping you from sending your own exploration detachment teams, there's nothing stopping you from going yourself either. As far as you know, nobody from the Compound has bothered scouting past Base Pandora, you figure it's as good of place as any… "Okay I want two scouting detachments of four. I'm going with one of them. We're just going to go a few miles from this place and then come back. It'll give us a better lay of the land in case of an attack and it'll keep our skills sharp as well. The rest of you guard the base as usual." You half expect Marina to come with you, but she's content on staying behind to help look after the base. She looks at you admiringly though that you're taking the initiative. She tells you she loves you and that she can't wait for you to get back. You like the fact she's got confidence that you ARE coming back this time around. You and your team leave and start exploring. Base Pandora really was in a secluded location, most of your trek is through a small unspoiled woods, eventually you get to the end though after about a day. You notice the Geiger counter is clicking a bit more. Not a lot, but enough to be a little unsettling. Using some binoculars, up ahead you see a single run down farm house (the farm itself also looks run down and hasn't been up kept in years). Just then you see a few vehicles also approaching up ahead, you tell everyone else to pull back into the woods and keep down while you do likewise. You continue to look as the vehicle park nearby the farm house and figures begin to get out. All of them are wearing robes and carrying automatic weapons over their backs. You also see them dragging what looks to be a few hapless prisoners with them as they enter the structure. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that these folks aren't the nice type. "Oh shit, these guys look prepared. Who do you think they are?" one of your team asks. "How should I know Reggie? When we moved into Base Pandora it's not like we got a welcome to the neighborhood letter from every nearby freak within a few miles of us. If I had to guess and judging by the robes, they're probably some doomsday cult. Probably one that was building up a stock pile of shit even before the bombs hit. Got some interesting vehicles though." "So, what're we going to do?" What to do indeed. You definitely need to wipe these cultists out since it's possible you could have trouble with them in the future if they start wandering in your direction. They also have vehicles that could be of use and probably other supplies as well. You could radio in and wait for reinforcements, but the prisoners you just saw them take in might be dead by then. > You attack now No time like the present, besides, if you're careful you should be able to take them. You and your team briskly run through the field while keeping your head down. All is going well until you hear a shot ring out from the house, and one of your team members makes a stifled yelp. You turn around and see Reggie, clutching his throat and bleeding profusely from it. While you're all standing around watching him convulse, another shot rings out. This one clips Vivica in the head splattering her brains on to your clothing. "RUN!" you shout, not wanting to be the sniper's next target. There are multiple shots now, and one by one you see your team member's go down, until the last one is you when you feel a bullet severing your spine. You're fucked. As you lay the field still trying to crawl away, you hear the cultists coming for you, you do the only thing you can and turn over in order to aim at them in an effort to at least take a few out. You manage to kill about three over zealous ones advancing on your position until you hear one shouting for the snipers in the house to finish you off since you're not worth it. A single bullet enters your eye, ending it once and for all. You body is then taken along with your teams' to serve as food and bizarre rituals.

Maybe you're high on your new found physique and adrenaline, but for whatever reason, something comes over you to volunteer. Indeed you've made everyone a little surprised by your actions especially since you're an outsider. The Colonel looks at you with interest. "Hmm, you're the one I've heard about from Marina, didn't expect you to volunteer, she's always mentioned you're quiet loner type. Then again, you might be just what I need…alright you're coming with me. Harry, you start picking some of the others and form recon detachments. Everyone goes on assignment tomorrow." The Colonel then takes you to his office, where he sits down and gets a bunch of papers from his desk. "Okay, I'm sure during your short stay here, you probably think we're all a bunch of survivalist militia loonies, and to a certain extent, we probably are, however we aren't without a plan." The Colonel shows you some blueprints to what looks to be a small military base. "My friend Alex was stationed at this base. It's not exactly close by, but its closest military base around here." "Didn't realize there were any military bases in the area." "Most people don't, it was a top secret, and kept off the records so it wouldn't be targeted. There aren't even any roads leading to the place, you have travel by foot. Though I guess you could say it wasn't so much of a military base as it was a research facility. Obviously I know about it, because I had a friend stationed there who was feeding me information. He didn't exactly run the place, but he was attempting to work his way up to get special level clearance. Apparently GZS was working with the government on some high tech weaponry." "GZS?" "The Ground Zero Survival Corporation. I'm sure you've heard of them, they were the ones hawking their Shelters like snake oil salesmen before doomsday." "Oh yeah, I used to see their commercials on late at night, I thought about buying one of those." "Well good thing you didn't, only an idiot would've bought one of those things. Look at this." The Colonel now shows you a schematic of a GZS Shelter. "Why? It certainly looks just as equipped as this compound and has a lot more conveniences." You remark. "It would appear that way, but the fucking thing is a death trap. They engineered them so once you entered; you most likely couldn't get out of them. Supposedly the GZS computer is supposed to let you out when it deems that it's safe to do so. In fact the whole thing is controlled by the computer. A computer that could glitch and break down at anytime. Let a machine be in charge of your survival…yeah great idea. I dunno about you, but I'll take this compound any day. It might not look pretty, but I don't have to worry about getting trapped with no access to food or water. Not to mention I heard from Alex that they suffered cutback during the creation of most of those things meaning they cut a lot of damn corners, so they probably aren't as state of the art as they claimed. I'll bet those dumb bastards who are living in those things are regretting it as we speak." You're not sure where he's going with all this so you interrupt. "So, what does all this mean? Are we going to seek out these shelters and rescue the people inside?" "What?! HA HA! That's a good one!" The Colonel laughs. "Hell no son, as far as I'm concerned they've made their choice now they can live with it, we're not here to play white knight. We have to look out for ourselves, and part of that is making sure we're the best defended and from what I heard, whatever they were working on in that base, sounds like it would make things a lot easier in the defense department." "Whoa, hold on, if this is a military base won't they just shoot me on sight if I go there I mean won't it be heavily guarded? I mean I know I went through some training, but I doubt to the degree that I can take on an entire military base!" "Alex was making friends with most of the lower personnel there, getting them to follow him as it were. Last I heard, he was pretty successful, so chances are, as long as I gave you some identifiers to take with you proving that you were following my orders, you wouldn't have any problems when you arrived, but obviously there IS a problem or I wouldn't be sending you at all." "Of course…" you say expecting this assignment to be even more complicated. "I haven't heard anything from Alex for a month before the bombs dropped. I dunno what's happened to him." "Is it possible they discovered he was leaking information and killed him?" "I suppose, but chances are that afterwards they would've found out about us and also sent the National Guard as well as GZS private security here to lay waste to this compound." "Well the National Guard were busy trying to maintain order to the major cities at the time. I should know I was there when they were stationed in the one I was working at." "True, but I still think they would've sent someone here, and GZS still would have. As I said they had enough money to pay for their own security force. Maybe not as well trained as military personnel, but fanatical enough to eliminate anyone that GZS thought was discovering secrets about them. That's why Alex always focused on solely making friends with the grunts and government officials. The GZS employees always seemed a bit more dedicated to their corporation." "Okay, well is it possible that the base wasn't so secret and it got hit after all?" "Nope, mainly because I get the impression the background radiation level would be a hell of a lot higher, if that got nuked, so I'm pretty sure the place is intact, in fact I'm guessing its been abandoned. We recently figured out their frequency, we never used it before for obvious reasons, but now, why not? We're getting a signal, but no verbal answers from anyone. To sum up, I want you to go there to scout and explore as much as you can. Find out what the hell happened to Alex if possible, and let me know if that high tech weaponry is worth anything or just more bad engineering by GZS. Here. You'll probably need this security pass to enter, got it from Alex, last time he was here; I hope it's still valid. And here's my ring and a letter, if Alex IS still alive then those will prove that you're working for me. That's all I can do to help other than to give you a map to the place and what equipment you think you'll need." Before you leave you have to ask. "Okay why me?" "Why you? You volunteered son!" "I know, but for this particular job, surely you have others more qualified to tackle it." "Eh…you MIGHT think that, but to be quite honest, no. I mean don't get me wrong I see all of these people here as family, but a lot of them are a bunch of weekend warriors who were playing survival. I'm sure in the years to come we're going to see who's a REAL soldier and who isn't. Not that it matters, I mean I'll find something for them to do, but you're different. You certainly aren't some commando, but there's definitely something about you that makes you seem a bit more…detached from everything else. Like you'll be willing to do what's necessary to survive without hesitation. While you may never have been in a situation like this one, I got a feeling you'll do just fine. Besides Marina's previous beaming remarks about you are good enough for me. Now go get some rest, you'll be leaving tomorrow." You head back to your room and think about what the Colonel said. He might be right in a lot of ways, but you still wonder if he's sending you because as he said, "All these people here are like family, but you're different." Maybe if you get killed it won't feel like such a loss. You don't think anymore about it, mainly because Marina enters your room to interrupt your thoughts. "I hear you're leaving tomorrow, I just want to tell you how brave I think you are for doing this for all of us. I know we didn't get a lot of quality time with each other, but I wanted us to spend at least what could be the last time I see you together." Marina's ominous words that imply how much danger you're possibly getting yourself into might worry you more if she wasn't on top of you right now… The next day you load up with what you think you might need, water, food, rifle, pistol, knife, Geiger counter, all the basic essentials. You get a bunch of goodbyes and good lucks. Harry merely sneers and mentions he expects you to get yourself killed twenty feet after you leave. The Colonel is a little more supportive and gives you a silent salute, but you like Marina's goodbye kiss best of all. And with that, you're on your way. It's actually amazing to see that the outside world doesn't look drastically different, you can only assume the bombs didn't hit near your area. When you're out of sight of the compound, you go back to thinking about this mission you volunteered for and wondering if you should go through with it. You do have the suitable equipment and skills to survive off the land after all. Perhaps it would be better to just go AWOL as it were… > You go AWOL You like Marina and all, but that's about all you like about living at the compound. Being by yourself in the wilderness reminds you of how much you missed it. You have no idea what that secret base holds for you, why should you risk your life for a bunch of practical strangers? "What the hell was I thinking volunteering?" you say out loud. You decide to say fuck it, take to the road, and see where it leads you. A couple days pass and you haven't encountered anyone, then again you are still pretty far from any kind of civilization, of course you don't really mind. Suddenly you find out you aren't alone, when a crack of a rifle shot comes from a nearby hill. "You fuckin' idiot, you missed!" a voice shouts. "Yeah and you just gave away our fucking position asshole!" another retorts. You quickly take cover behind a rock. You recognize those voices though; they're a couple of the idiots from the compound! The Colonel must've had you followed to make sure you stayed on the mission! So much for his so called "faith" in you! (Then again, perhaps he did have a good reason considering you DID go AWOL!) Looks like you'll have to take care of them before you can truly put the compound behind you. While you're taking cover, you notice an abandoned gas station nearby; you could make a run for it and take better shelter in there, or return fire. > You run for it You make a mad dash for the gas station, as bullets just miss your feet and head. The Colonel was thankfully right, they are weekend warriors. The problem you notice now, is there's a crossfire, yet another spy is shooting at you from the other side as well, which means it's a good thing you moved from your position when you did. You manage to get to the gas station; the shelves have practically been stripped of anything that might be edible or useful. That doesn't matter right now as bullets begin penetrating the already broken glass windows. You hide behind the counter as you hear them advance on your position. "Yeah, he's hiding inside, we better be careful. Go around and see if there's a backdoor." You hear one shout. One thing working in your favor is they obviously aren't too bright, now you know one's going to come around the back. You also know one of them is coming through the front door since the tell tale signal bells that jingle when customers used to enter make a noise. You immediately stand up and unleash a burst of hot lead into one of your ambusher. He falls in a bloody heap, then you run towards the backdoor and when you see it just barely creek open, you let fly another burst. The slumping of a lifeless body is heard and you confirm the kill when the wind blows the door open again to reveal a body lying on the ground outside. You duck down again and scramble around the corner when your last assailant suddenly pops out from that same back door and nearly tears your head off with a shotgun. Victory is yours though when you point your assault rifle around the corner and just fire it, hoping you hit him, you do you hear that always satisfying drop of another body. After killing all of your enemies you begin to search their bodies, taking what you'll surely need. On one you find a radio, for a moment you wonder how the hell you forgot to take one of these with you, then you remember it doesn't really matter since you never went to the base. You hear a familiar voice coming in right now. "Leonard! Come in you dickhead! You better gimme some good news!" Harry shouts. You pick up the radio to answer Harry. "Sorry, but Leonard can't come to the phone right now, he currently has his face blown off and his tongue on the floor." "YOU! You fucking cowardly AWOL shit stain! I knew we shouldn't trust you! Don't think you're gonna get away with this! We WILL track you down! And when we do, I will personally blast a hole in your head and skull fuck you! Traitor!" "Yeah, yeah, we'll see." You drop the radio and let Harry continue his meaningless rant. Time for you to move on. A few days pass and nobody else comes looking for you, just like you expected, no doubt they have better things to worry about than punishing one lone outsider. Your brief stay at the compound served its purpose as far as you're concerned. It gave you a place to hide when the bombs hit as well as the necessary supplies with which to sustain you. Getting to have sex with Marina was a bonus. A somewhat self-serving approach, but that attitude will probably serve you well in this new harsh world and it does… for awhile. The day of reckoning eventually comes while you were attempting to waylay a traveler who actually wasn't as alone as she seemed. Your attempt at highway robbery is suddenly cut short in the same brutal way most folks die out in the wasteland; a bunch of bullets to the body.

You like Marina and all, but that's about all you like about living at the compound. Being by yourself in the wilderness reminds you of how much you missed it. You have no idea what that secret base holds for you, why should you risk your life for a bunch of practical strangers? "What the hell was I thinking volunteering?" you say out loud. You decide to say fuck it, take to the road, and see where it leads you. A couple days pass and you haven't encountered anyone, then again you are still pretty far from any kind of civilization, of course you don't really mind. Suddenly you find out you aren't alone, when a crack of a rifle shot comes from a nearby hill. "You fuckin' idiot, you missed!" a voice shouts. "Yeah and you just gave away our fucking position asshole!" another retorts. You quickly take cover behind a rock. You recognize those voices though; they're a couple of the idiots from the compound! The Colonel must've had you followed to make sure you stayed on the mission! So much for his so called "faith" in you! (Then again, perhaps he did have a good reason considering you DID go AWOL!) Looks like you'll have to take care of them before you can truly put the compound behind you. While you're taking cover, you notice an abandoned gas station nearby; you could make a run for it and take better shelter in there, or return fire. > You return fire You return fire, but you don't do any better. They're behind rocks just like you are. You and they return fire several times, before something important happens. The first one being that you eventually manage to hit one in the head when he popped up again. His buddy immediately ducks down and starts shout expletives at you for killing his friend. This first event is followed by a more unfortunate one, while you were shooting at the two spies you saw, you weren't paying attention to the third one shadowing you. He sneaks behind and shoots you in the back, severing your spine and puncturing a vital organ. You slump onto the rock you were hiding behind hard. Your assailant then kicks you over, and points his gun directly at you. "Nobody goes AWOL on the Colonel." He says before blowing your brains out.

You grab another TV and sit quietly by yourself in a separate office, watching world events unfold and get worse before your eyes as your co-workers reenact something out of a porno movie. You block out the sounds of ecstasy and turn up the TV. You're starting to wonder if you shouldn't have just stayed home, or better yet bought that damn bomb shelter… Just then someone else comes in to disturb your solitude. It's Marina. "Oh. I didn't know anyone was in here. I thought everyone was at the orgy." She says. "So did I…um how come you aren't?" you ask nervously. "Eh not really my thing, how come you aren't?" "Same here." "I see…so what are you doing to pass the time?" "Keeping up on events to see if things will change for the better." "Ah an optimist eh?" "Not really, I think I just get a kick out of living in a fantasy world and delusions to make myself feel better…that and I have a morbid fascination of the utter chaos that's occurring throughout the world right now." "Hmm, interesting approach to life…I've always noticed you seem to keep to yourself. You like solitude don't you?" "It's easier." "Yet, you stayed here for the end." "Yeah, and I'm really wishing I hadn't now, I can't mix with anyone here. Never could. Not even on the primal level that everyone seems to be favoring right now. I don't know why I thought things would change in the end…ah fuck it the world's gonna end and it's probably a good thing if our co-workers are an example of humanity. Still…I kind of wish I bought that bomb shelter…" "So you don't want to die?" "Of course not! I just don't really see how to avoid it at this point." "Well, for starters you could come with me; I'm getting ready to leave the city. It seems like things have died down for the most part out there, hopefully nobody's vandalized or stolen either of our vehicles." Marina suggests. "What? Leave? And go where? It's not like there's any place really safe to go at this late stage." "Sure there is. Look, I'll level with you, since you seem to be the only one here that's different. I stayed around here to see if there was anyone who was worthy enough to be saved, and apart from you, it pretty much looks like I wasted my time." "Save? What do you mean?" "Well despite the fact that you kept to yourself and never took any interest in any of the private lives of your co-workers doesn't we don't have them." Marina laughs. "But like you I never really mixed with any of our co-workers either, however unlike you I do have a very active social life filled with people who are close like a family, people who live clean and have a strong sense of freedom…and who have been preparing for this day ever since the Commies started the first Cold War. You don't have to die and you don't have to be alone anymore. Come with me, you'll be accepted as long as you're willing to work hard and from what I know, you aren't averse to doing that." You're not entirely sure of what Marina has in store for you, but it sounds better than staying here waiting to die. You agree to leave with her. You both make your way past the mass of naked bodies and head immediately to the parking structure. Unfortunately Marina's car is gone, it's been predictably stolen in the looting frenzy during the city exodus; however your old van is perfectly fine. It hasn't even been vandalized, of course the thing looks like it's already been vandalized which is probably why nobody bothered to steal it. You both get in the van and you drive while Marina tells you where you're going. While you're driving through the city, you keep expecting to be attacked by lawless hold outs still lingering in the city or open fired on by Nation Guardsman, but you suspect either they were ordered to pull out to reinforce a more important city or most of them abandoned their "job" long ago when they realized the futility of it. You make your way out of the city with no problems. Of course now you're just wondering if you're just going to get nuked at any second. You listen to the radio to keep up on events, which is more of the same that you were watching on TV. Eventually Marina turns it off and tells you not to worry about the old world anymore, a new one is going to be built. Your drive takes you far from the city, where ever Marina's leading you it's even further than where you live and you lived pretty way out. You drive through the night and into next morning; while Marina's asleep you turn the radio back on and keep it on low… Monday 8:00 AM "…BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE…" The radio suddenly stops broadcasting anything except a loud warning sound; it wakes up Marina before you can turn it off. Seeing her current surroundings, Marina hastily tells you to turn at a dirty road that's coming up, which then leads into a wooden gate. Looks like a compound of some sort, where a man is standing guard with an assault rifle. Marina gets out and talks to him a moment, to which he nods his head and opens the gate. As soon as you drive in another woman comes running out of one of the many log cabin like structures in the compound. She immediately starts talking to Marina through the passenger window. "Marina! Thank God you're here! We thought you were dead! Come on we gotta get down into the underground, its beginning!" Wasting no time Marina and you follow the woman into the cabin and down into a trap door in the floor. You find yourself in a wide tunnel with dim electrical lighting to what looks like a pretty elaborate underground complex. Marina and the woman are running ahead of you, but you can't help but stare in wonder of all this. "Holy shit, they really were working on this since the Cold War…" you say to yourself as you slow down to examine everything. Then it happens. You hear a loud noise above and you fall to the ground due to the tremors. Then all the lighting goes out. You attempt to get back up and try to feel the walls to get your bearings. You don't know where the hell you're going, but you can hear voices and shouting; some of it close and some of it far away. You have no idea where the hell you're at, let alone the layout of this place. Instead of getting yourself lost, you decide to just stay put until the lighting comes back on; surely they probably have an emergency generator that will kick in soon. The lighting suddenly comes on and you're just in time to see Marina and a man dressed fatigues arrive on your position. "Are you alright?" Marina asks you. "Yeah, I'm okay." No sooner do you get out those words when the man in military fatigues begins giving you the hard stare. "I've heard about you before from Marina, but don't think that hiding behind her skirt is gonna give you a fuckin' free pass in this place! You better prepared to pull your goddamn weight everyday! I catch you slipping and you're outta here!" "What the hell? I didn't say anything!" "And you better not say any fuckin' thing either if you don't wanna get on my bad side! The Colonel doesn't like slack offs in his compound and neither do I! So if you intend on staying here, you better get REAL used to the idea of getting your head outta your fuckin' ass and living like a real fuckin' person instead of the goddamn disgusting parasitic shit maggot you are!" You're about to reply to GI Jerk, but Marina stops you and insists on taking you to your room, leaving Harry to his own devices. "Alright Marina, what the hell was all that about, and who's full metal asshole back there?" "That was Harry, and don't pay any attention to him, he's just really gung ho and is second in command around here. The Colonel is the one who runs this place. He's actually a more even tempered man than Harry is." Marina and you arrive at a small room by itself at the end of one of the corridors. "Well here's the room you'll be staying for now. Things might change mind you, but rest assured this is the safest place you could be right now. We've prepared for this day and will definitely survive the aftermath of what's to come, and now you will too." Marina leaves with a smile, but you don't really share her optimism, given the fact that Armageddon has just happened. That reality has only just now sunk in that the world is probably one big radioactive desert at this point. Then again, Marina might be right, this place is probably safer than most and its better than being dead. At least you hope it is. You lie down on the bed provided and fall asleep; surprisingly it's the best rest you've experienced before the bombs dropped. A few weeks pass and you get acquainted with the compound. You and most of the others are to remain underground while until some scouts in radiation suits determine if the radiation level is low enough. In the mean time you're forced to do extensive combat training like everyone else. Most of the people are okay with you, even though you're an outsider. Harry gives you a hard time though. Still, you're probably in the best shape of your life and you got to brush up on your aim. Sometimes you get to spend time with Marina, funny how you find it easier to talk to her now. One day you finally see the Colonel you've been hearing about, he gives a speech to all of you in the cafeteria. "Well, I've been informed that the surface part of our compound only suffered minor damage and that the radiation level is fairly low all things considering…anyway we all knew this day would come, and we would be prepared for it, but we can't just sit on our asses hoping things will be alright! NO! We must take a proactive approach if we have to survive! As we speak, there are probably low lives scavenging the shell of the old world, we must secure as many abandoned resources as we can to ensure our future and some of you will be sent out into the world to do just that for the good of the compound. We're going to tame this new world and rebuild a new society! You have undergone rigorous training before hand, to ensure you will be able to survive the dangers. Now I'll be accepting volunteers first." > You stay silent Maybe you're a leaner meaner fighting machine now, but that's still no reason to be foolish and volunteer for things. Eventually The Colonel picks someone at random and tells Harry to start assigning recon detachments. "Alright you fuckin' bottom feeders, its time to put all that fuckin' training to good use! We're gonna go scout out the nearest towns we know of. Now I'm sure you know there were a lot of little towns dotted all over the place in these parts, are job is to make contact and see what the situation is. Don't be surprised if they open fire on you immediately. Catastrophes tend to make people behave like animals…and that's where we're coming in. We're here to be the tamers, just like the Colonel said, now then, Dixon, Bradson, Wilson, Copperheim! You're Alpha Team. Sams, Barns…" Harry goes down a list assigning people. Time passes and you're one of the last people left. You can't help but notice that the ones left aren't exactly the most competent. You start wonder if you'll just be assigned to Compound duty, which you wouldn't really mind since it offers less opportunity to get shot at. Your wonder is soon dispelled, when Harry puts down his list and addresses the rest of you directly. "Alright now the rest of you fucking shit eating pansies get a different assignment, because you're so goddamn special like a fucking epileptic retard. You folks get to go to the CITY!" Nobody looks too enthusiastic about that idea, except you're the only one with any balls to protest since you know Harry hates you anyway. "The fucking city, are you kidding? It's probably been nuked into slag! There can't be anything useful there!" "Y'know, I expected that kind of cowardly shit from you, so that's why you're going to be point man for the entire mission! Anyway, we don't know if the city has been completely destroyed, chances are that it not being a major city and its low importance, it may not have been hit with anything larger than the bomb that destroyed Hiroshima back in old World War 2." "OH well then, I'm SURE it'll be safe to enter then!" you reply. "Shut your fucking mouth and stop being a bitch! You're all going to be wearing radiation suits anyway, which will keep your yellow ass safe. That alleviate your worries cupcake? Fuckin' pussy ass faggot. You oughta be glad you're even here in the first place. You don't like the fuckin' rules, you can fuckin' leave and see how well you fare on your own. Now what's it gonna be Nancy Boy?" "Fuck it, fine, whatever." You retort giving in, but still weighing the option of possibly leaving later. "Yeah, that's what I thought cupcake. Alright, go pick up your equipment and get ready to set off, you'll be using one of the vehicles since the City is pretty far away. If in the event that cupcake IS right and the place is a glowing hole, then return immediately. Another thing the Colonel wants this mission secret, so don't fucking mention it to anyone else in the Compound! I find out you have and you're fucking history! This means you don't tell your little girlfriend, cupcake!" You all leave, with Harry still giving you a dirty look for your insubordination. You wonder if you shouldn't just leave when you exit the Compound. Take the equipment and then just disappear, who's going to come after you? It's not like there's going to be MPs searching for you all over the wasteland. The night before you leave, Marina comes to see you. "I hear you're leaving tomorrow, and I know we didn't get a lot of quality time with each other, but I wanted us to spend at least what could be the last time I see you together." Marina's apparently not familiar with the fact that you didn't really have a choice in the matter, but since she's on top of you right now, you're not going to bring up the issue… The next day you load up with what you think you might need, water, food, rifle, pistol, knife, Geiger counter, radiation suit, all the basic essentials, before you zoom off in the beat up car that's passing for your transportation to the city. You sit in the back seat, while your other three teammates Steve, Albert and Roger are talking with each other. Mostly about things that don't matter, none of them seem to even be thinking about the fact that you're possibly driving into a glowing hole in the ground. And you don't give a shit what you're wearing. All the lead panties in the world aren't going to completely protect you, if you're standing at ground zero! You end up going back to sleep for the first day of the trip, only being periodically awakened by the laughter your team mates. On the second day you stare out the window and see that the landscape has gotten worse looking as you get closer to your destination. The surrounding countryside around the Compound looks relatively untouched compared to what you're starting to see now. For shits and giggles, you roll the window open and shove part of the Geiger counter outside to get a reading, it starts clicking like a cricket and crack. "Hey! Roll up that window; you're letting all the radiation in! Ha ha!" Albert exclaims, who's sitting next to you. Idiot. "Check it out, looks like the city survived after all…well more or less." Steve says who's doing the driving. You turn your attention forward and see the shattered "skeletal" remains of skyscrapers looming in the distance. The city got hit, but apparently by something "small" and probably exploded high in the air. Of course that doesn't make you feel any better. Steve stops the car just outside the city limits mainly because the road is being blocked by burned out shells of other vehicles. You all pile out of the car. "Alright I think we can take it from foot on here, we probably shouldn't try to drive the car in the city anyway, we need to conserve gas. Alright you're in the lead." Steve says to you. "What? Why am I in the fucking lead?" you ask. "Because Harry said you fuckin' were, CUPCAKE! Ha ha!" Albert laughs. "Yeah, besides, you worked in the city, none of us did, so you probably know the place than we do." "What, so none of you assholes ever visited the place?" "Maybe a few times, not really enough to get deeply acquainted with it, look you're outnumbered, and you're taking lead, and that's that. Don't worry we'll be right behind you." Roger replies. "After seeing how you fuckers shoot, I don't know if that's stupider than going into a radioactive city to begin with." You take lead and begin walking; meanwhile your team members go back to talking about shit that doesn't matter again. Given their attention span, you wonder if you wouldn't just be better off exploring by yourself. > You explore by yourself You start briskly walking ahead, Roger suddenly notices. "Hey what's your fucking hurry?" "I'm not waiting around for your slow asses, you're taking too fucking long with all the goddamn talking. I'm gonna scout out ahead, I'm supposed to be on point right? I'm taking the risk, so what the hell do you care?" "But…oh fuck it, go on ahead and get yourself killed then, we'll be right here. Better be back by nightfall though, because we'll assume you're dead and leave without you." "Yeah, yeah." You leave the three stooges to their idiotic conversation, and proceed to go about your way, amongst the ruined buildings. It's weird to walk through the city and it being so quiet with no other people around. Ah, by yourself again, it's been awhile since you've had any private time to yourself. The Compound doesn't really allow for it. In fact with all this time to finally have to yourself gives you the opportunity to seriously consider leaving the Compound like you were thinking about earlier. It would be easy, all you have to do is wander off, and Roger did say they would assume you were dead by nightfall. You think about Marina though, you do like her…but you also like not having to have an asshole who hates you barking orders at you all the time too. While you're struggling with the delimma of your current living situation, you suddenly hear a gravelly voice nearby and some slow shuffling. "Meeeeeeeeat...(Wheez)" You turn your head to see a walking horror. A man with badly distorted features and limbs hobbles in your direction. One of the bomb victims no doubt. You knew you had to run into them eventually. The problem is now more of them are starting to appear, and they look like they can do more damage. Many of them have a half-crazed appearance and severe radiation burns. Apparently their minds have damaged along with their bodies. These ones aren't even making an attempt to speak; they're just looking at you menacingly and growling. They're beginning to encircle you. > You run back to your team You hastily make a break for it back to where your team is situated; unfortunately, "the survivors" are in your way and attempt to stop you. You shoot a couple of them, but not before a few of them manage to wound you. A couple of them manage to tear through your suit with their ragged and jagged, dirty nails (Which are almost like claws at this point) You suffer some scratches to the back and shoulders, but the worst is when one of them actually bites through your suit drawing blood. "Motherfucker!" you shout shooting your assailant in the face and breaking away from the cannibal mob. You run like mad with the horde chasing not far behind. When you finally reach your team, they all finally pay attention for the first time and start running back to the car! "HEY WAIT FOR ME YOU BASTARDS!" you yell, stepping up your pace. Eventually you just barely manage to get inside the car before Steve drives off. A couple of the city dwellers jump on the back of the car, but a shotgun blast through the back window gets them off. "Holy shit Albert! What the fuck?! Was it necessary to destroy our back window?" Roger shouts. "Oh I'm sorry I didn't know we were taking back survivors to the Compound, oh shit you're wounded man!" Albert says looking at you. "Ah I'm alright, there's medical supplies back at the Compound." "No man! I mean you're bit and shit! You're gonna turn into one of those things!" "For fuck's sake Albert, this ain't a low budget zombie film. It doesn't work like that!" "I dunno, I mean how do you know? I mean you saw them, sure they were still alive, but radiation might do all kinds of weird shit!" "Yeah, Albert's got a point. We don't know what the hell was in the air either and your suit was ripped. For all we know there was some sort of biological agent in the air too. Who knows what was dumped on the place. You could bring back some virus and infect everyone." Roger says. "If you think these suits protected us from everything, you're a goddamn idiot in the first place…" Suddenly you feel the butt from Albert's shotgun smack against the side of your skull, while Roger tells Steve to stop the car. You're too dizzy to fight back properly so you just pull the trigger on your rifle which results in you shooting Steve through the back several times before you get another smack in the head and getting your rifle taken from by Albert. Roger then gets out of the car and opens up the door on your side to drag you out. Giving you a few kicks before pointing his gun at your face. "Now I'm not killing you because you might be infected, I'm killing you because you just murdered my friend you sonofabitch!" Roger then shoots you in your half-conscious state.

You start briskly walking ahead, Roger suddenly notices. "Hey what's your fucking hurry?" "I'm not waiting around for your slow asses, you're taking too fucking long with all the goddamn talking. I'm gonna scout out ahead, I'm supposed to be on point right? I'm taking the risk, so what the hell do you care?" "But…oh fuck it, go on ahead and get yourself killed then, we'll be right here. Better be back by nightfall though, because we'll assume you're dead and leave without you." "Yeah, yeah." You leave the three stooges to their idiotic conversation, and proceed to go about your way, amongst the ruined buildings. It's weird to walk through the city and it being so quiet with no other people around. Ah, by yourself again, it's been awhile since you've had any private time to yourself. The Compound doesn't really allow for it. In fact with all this time to finally have to yourself gives you the opportunity to seriously consider leaving the Compound like you were thinking about earlier. It would be easy, all you have to do is wander off, and Roger did say they would assume you were dead by nightfall. You think about Marina though, you do like her…but you also like not having to have an asshole who hates you barking orders at you all the time too. While you're struggling with the delimma of your current living situation, you suddenly hear a gravelly voice nearby and some slow shuffling. "Meeeeeeeeat...(Wheez)" You turn your head to see a walking horror. A man with badly distorted features and limbs hobbles in your direction. One of the bomb victims no doubt. You knew you had to run into them eventually. The problem is now more of them are starting to appear, and they look like they can do more damage. Many of them have a half-crazed appearance and severe radiation burns. Apparently their minds have damaged along with their bodies. These ones aren't even making an attempt to speak; they're just looking at you menacingly and growling. They're beginning to encircle you. > You run elsewhere They've cut off a clear escape for you to go back, so you wisely run in the direction that's open in the opposite direction, while unleashing a burst of bullets just before your retreat. The cannibal freaks run after you, while you attempt to figure out how to lose them, since their noises are starting to attract others. When you manage to get out of sight of the horde, you see an open manhole you could enter, or you could just duck into one of the ruined buildings. > You go into the sewers Now it's understandable that you're not exactly thinking clearly right now with a bunch of cannibal freaks chasing you, but going into the sewers is usually NEVER a good idea! As soon as you enter the manhole your senses are assaulted by a terrible stench that smells like something is rotting in the very radiation suit you're wearing. You attempt to block it out of your mind and distance yourself from the manhole opening just in case some of those freaks get the idea to follow you down here. Of course it's dark and you don't have a flashlight so you're at a disadvantage when the overwhelming number of mutants living down here manage to sneak up and attack you. Your first reaction is to fire at everything. Your second reaction is to struggle. Your third reaction is to scream. Your fourth reaction is to die.

They've cut off a clear escape for you to go back, so you wisely run in the direction that's open in the opposite direction, while unleashing a burst of bullets just before your retreat. The cannibal freaks run after you, while you attempt to figure out how to lose them, since their noises are starting to attract others. When you manage to get out of sight of the horde, you see an open manhole you could enter, or you could just duck into one of the ruined buildings. > You run into one of the buildings You duck into the nearest building and hope you don't bump into anything inside. From what's left of it, it looks like a regular office building, similar to the one you used to work in. You find a relatively secluded office and lay low, hoping to hear the mob of freaks pass by the building. You really need to get out of this place. What the hell was Harry thinking sending you here, there's nothing here except death…well actually you just answered your own question. As the time passes, you think to yourself that the three stooges must've assumed you dead and left by now. They probably ran off when they heard your gunshots echo through the city. You were going to leave the Compound anyway, so you guess you've done that, now you just have to get out of this city alive and you'll be safe…well safer anyway. You explore a little bit of the building which has four floors, fortunately none of them inhabited. The fourth floor is exposed to the outside air and partially destroyed, so you don't linger too long, you never know who or WHAT might be watching. You do notice that it's getting to be night time though. You don't hear anything anymore maybe you should leave now, you really don't want to be here any longer than you have to be and its not just the crazed cannibals either, it's the fact you're standing in a radiated city with just a suit on that's probably not protecting you from all the damage your chromosomes are experiencing every second you stick around. Then again running through the city at night is probably even more dangerous than running through it during the day. > You leave now The longer you stay, the more likely you're going to get attacked again, and you certainly don't want to fall asleep here. You take a quick look outside one of the completely destroyed windows and see if the nearby street is empty and make haste. Of course its night and with no working lighting you can't see too well, so you're relying mainly on the moon to light your way. You try to retrace your steps back from where you came from, but all these damn streets look the same in the dark even with the dim moonlight, you end up taking the incorrect one and it isn't until you run into a blind alley that you realize you've made the wrong turn in more ways than one. "Do you want to see my dolly? It's soft and pink…just like yoooooooooou." Some sort of mutant freak lying against the wall says to you holding some sort of plush toy. "Holy fuck!" you shout as you're caught off guard, and waste not time in shooting the damn thing. Unfortunately you bring about unwanted attention, and more figures start to appear nearby, you can't get a good look at them, but their glowing eyes don't look friendly. You start running and firing again, but to your great surprise, some of them fire back! They're also better shots, having night vision and all. Your last moments are somewhat merciful though since you die of the gunshot wounds first as you hear the insane victory sounds the mutants are making as they approach your bloody body.

You duck into the nearest building and hope you don't bump into anything inside. From what's left of it, it looks like a regular office building, similar to the one you used to work in. You find a relatively secluded office and lay low, hoping to hear the mob of freaks pass by the building. You really need to get out of this place. What the hell was Harry thinking sending you here, there's nothing here except death…well actually you just answered your own question. As the time passes, you think to yourself that the three stooges must've assumed you dead and left by now. They probably ran off when they heard your gunshots echo through the city. You were going to leave the Compound anyway, so you guess you've done that, now you just have to get out of this city alive and you'll be safe…well safer anyway. You explore a little bit of the building which has four floors, fortunately none of them inhabited. The fourth floor is exposed to the outside air and partially destroyed, so you don't linger too long, you never know who or WHAT might be watching. You do notice that it's getting to be night time though. You don't hear anything anymore maybe you should leave now, you really don't want to be here any longer than you have to be and its not just the crazed cannibals either, it's the fact you're standing in a radiated city with just a suit on that's probably not protecting you from all the damage your chromosomes are experiencing every second you stick around. Then again running through the city at night is probably even more dangerous than running through it during the day. > You wait until daytime You've already spent enough time in radsville to get sick, or mutate, what's one more day? If something bad's going to happen to you internally there's really not much you can do about it now except hope the suit is more protective than you think it is. You can however probably lessen you chances of getting ripped apart and eaten if you don't go wandering the city at night. You decide to search the building before it gets too dark; you don't find anything really useful though, at least nothing that's any more useful than what you're already carrying. You end up looking in lunch area refrigerator and find some rotten food along side what would undoubtedly be flat pop at this stage. Nope you're not going to find any supplies in this place, you're just glad you had the sense to take extra water with you; you'll probably need it assuming you manage to get out the city alive. Eventually you go to an office that looks relatively secure and intact. You barricade the door and slump against one of the corners and fall asleep…lightly. The next day arrives and you're half surprised that you don't find something gnawing on your arm (And relieved!) now that you're fairly well rested again you take a quick check of your belongings, reload your rifle and prepare yourself. You exit the building and start quickly tracing your way back to where you first arrived in the city. You don't care where you end up, just as long as you're out of this place. You're about halfway to your destination when you come across a couple of bloody mangled bodies, radiation suited bodies. It's hard to tell who's who, since the heads have been taken and the entrails are lying all over the road, but it's obviously two of three stooges. Something didn't go well. Your brief inspection is interrupted by a shotgun blast that splatters the remains of one of the bodies all over your own suit. "HAAAAAAA MORE MEAT!" a raspy voice shouts, with a clicking reload of a shotgun. The thing that just tried to take your head off is shooting at you from an upper window of one of the buildings. You spin around and firing a burst causing it to duck for cover, but with his fellows being alerted, you really need to get the hell out of here. You start running with the horde of freaks chasing you again. You can't help feel like you've done this before! You see the end of the city though and can only hope they'll stop chasing you when you finally leave it. Of course THAT doesn't happen, even after you leave the city limits a lot are still in pursuit, In fact you even see a few lingering outside that join the chase, you turn around and unload a clip into the mob hoping it'll slow it down a bit. While the mob tends to back off and disperse a bit, they still aren't ready to give up completely, however you see more trouble, but possibly hope as well. The car you arrived in is still there, there's also another suited body lying close by it, you can only hope its Steve and that he still has the keys on him. Of course the cannibal freaks lingering around the body might be inclined to stop whatever plans of escape you might have. You step up your speed, raise your empty rifle and smash it into the skull of the first ugly radiated cannibal that attacks you. To your surprise your force causes the damn thing's face to completely cave in, killing it instantly. The other two grab on to your arms, causing you to back kick one in the stomach freeing up your other arm to punch the other one in the face. You grab Steve's pistol still on the ground and quickly put a couple of slugs in the pair of them before they can recover. You then thank gods of luck that your next find is his keys still in his hand, as the rest of the mob has regrouped and quickly approaching. Firing another few rounds into the mob, you quickly get in the car and start it up, which it does immediately. You spin the car around and drive off, the group chases you for a little while still, but eventually you leave them far behind. You've escaped. "Fuck yeah! That was just like a fuckin' zombie movie!" you say to yourself half laughing in victory. In fact it's a victory that's better than you could've thought, you now have a car to drive around in, well until it runs out of gas, but you're hoping you'll find someplace that's still somewhat civilized by the time that happens (Or at least some more gas). While you're driving you wonder if you shouldn't just go back to the Compound, but you shake your head at this idea. There has to be better places than that to stay, and even if there aren't you've proven to yourself that you're able to survive on your own under strenuous conditions. You like being by yourself anyway, though it's too bad you won't get to see Marina again, but as they say you can't have everything. You don't know what the possible future holds, but you're confident that you'll be able to handle it.

Maybe you're a leaner meaner fighting machine now, but that's still no reason to be foolish and volunteer for things. Eventually The Colonel picks someone at random and tells Harry to start assigning recon detachments. "Alright you fuckin' bottom feeders, its time to put all that fuckin' training to good use! We're gonna go scout out the nearest towns we know of. Now I'm sure you know there were a lot of little towns dotted all over the place in these parts, are job is to make contact and see what the situation is. Don't be surprised if they open fire on you immediately. Catastrophes tend to make people behave like animals…and that's where we're coming in. We're here to be the tamers, just like the Colonel said, now then, Dixon, Bradson, Wilson, Copperheim! You're Alpha Team. Sams, Barns…" Harry goes down a list assigning people. Time passes and you're one of the last people left. You can't help but notice that the ones left aren't exactly the most competent. You start wonder if you'll just be assigned to Compound duty, which you wouldn't really mind since it offers less opportunity to get shot at. Your wonder is soon dispelled, when Harry puts down his list and addresses the rest of you directly. "Alright now the rest of you fucking shit eating pansies get a different assignment, because you're so goddamn special like a fucking epileptic retard. You folks get to go to the CITY!" Nobody looks too enthusiastic about that idea, except you're the only one with any balls to protest since you know Harry hates you anyway. "The fucking city, are you kidding? It's probably been nuked into slag! There can't be anything useful there!" "Y'know, I expected that kind of cowardly shit from you, so that's why you're going to be point man for the entire mission! Anyway, we don't know if the city has been completely destroyed, chances are that it not being a major city and its low importance, it may not have been hit with anything larger than the bomb that destroyed Hiroshima back in old World War 2." "OH well then, I'm SURE it'll be safe to enter then!" you reply. "Shut your fucking mouth and stop being a bitch! You're all going to be wearing radiation suits anyway, which will keep your yellow ass safe. That alleviate your worries cupcake? Fuckin' pussy ass faggot. You oughta be glad you're even here in the first place. You don't like the fuckin' rules, you can fuckin' leave and see how well you fare on your own. Now what's it gonna be Nancy Boy?" "Fuck it, fine, whatever." You retort giving in, but still weighing the option of possibly leaving later. "Yeah, that's what I thought cupcake. Alright, go pick up your equipment and get ready to set off, you'll be using one of the vehicles since the City is pretty far away. If in the event that cupcake IS right and the place is a glowing hole, then return immediately. Another thing the Colonel wants this mission secret, so don't fucking mention it to anyone else in the Compound! I find out you have and you're fucking history! This means you don't tell your little girlfriend, cupcake!" You all leave, with Harry still giving you a dirty look for your insubordination. You wonder if you shouldn't just leave when you exit the Compound. Take the equipment and then just disappear, who's going to come after you? It's not like there's going to be MPs searching for you all over the wasteland. The night before you leave, Marina comes to see you. "I hear you're leaving tomorrow, and I know we didn't get a lot of quality time with each other, but I wanted us to spend at least what could be the last time I see you together." Marina's apparently not familiar with the fact that you didn't really have a choice in the matter, but since she's on top of you right now, you're not going to bring up the issue… The next day you load up with what you think you might need, water, food, rifle, pistol, knife, Geiger counter, radiation suit, all the basic essentials, before you zoom off in the beat up car that's passing for your transportation to the city. You sit in the back seat, while your other three teammates Steve, Albert and Roger are talking with each other. Mostly about things that don't matter, none of them seem to even be thinking about the fact that you're possibly driving into a glowing hole in the ground. And you don't give a shit what you're wearing. All the lead panties in the world aren't going to completely protect you, if you're standing at ground zero! You end up going back to sleep for the first day of the trip, only being periodically awakened by the laughter your team mates. On the second day you stare out the window and see that the landscape has gotten worse looking as you get closer to your destination. The surrounding countryside around the Compound looks relatively untouched compared to what you're starting to see now. For shits and giggles, you roll the window open and shove part of the Geiger counter outside to get a reading, it starts clicking like a cricket and crack. "Hey! Roll up that window; you're letting all the radiation in! Ha ha!" Albert exclaims, who's sitting next to you. Idiot. "Check it out, looks like the city survived after all…well more or less." Steve says who's doing the driving. You turn your attention forward and see the shattered "skeletal" remains of skyscrapers looming in the distance. The city got hit, but apparently by something "small" and probably exploded high in the air. Of course that doesn't make you feel any better. Steve stops the car just outside the city limits mainly because the road is being blocked by burned out shells of other vehicles. You all pile out of the car. "Alright I think we can take it from foot on here, we probably shouldn't try to drive the car in the city anyway, we need to conserve gas. Alright you're in the lead." Steve says to you. "What? Why am I in the fucking lead?" you ask. "Because Harry said you fuckin' were, CUPCAKE! Ha ha!" Albert laughs. "Yeah, besides, you worked in the city, none of us did, so you probably know the place than we do." "What, so none of you assholes ever visited the place?" "Maybe a few times, not really enough to get deeply acquainted with it, look you're outnumbered, and you're taking lead, and that's that. Don't worry we'll be right behind you." Roger replies. "After seeing how you fuckers shoot, I don't know if that's stupider than going into a radioactive city to begin with." You take lead and begin walking; meanwhile your team members go back to talking about shit that doesn't matter again. Given their attention span, you wonder if you wouldn't just be better off exploring by yourself. > You stick with the team You may not like this mission, and you may not like the people you're with, but it'll be a lot safer if you stick with these idiots, because you have a bad feeling about this place. In the meantime while you keep your eyes open, your ears are assaulted by your teammates' conversation. "I'm telling you she touched my hand dude! She's totally into me! I'm gonna talk to her more when we get back." Albert exclaims. "Bullshit, you didn't get anywhere with Vivica! I should know because I fuckin' tried once and she didn't give me any kind of play! I think she's a fuckin' dyke anyway." Roger replies. "Why the hell does she have to be some kind of dyke? Couldn't be that she didn't like your ugly ass?" "Fuck off Albert, go ahead and make an idiot of yourself trying to hit on some carpet muncher. I don't give a shit; I'm just trying to keep you from wasting your time." "Oh…well maybe she'll let me watch or something." "Yeah, right. That never happens except in the movies." Steve says. "The other problem with that plan, I can't think of any other woman in the Compound that might swing that way. Not unless you were some smooth pimp motherfucker that could talk her into it and given that you're far from that Albert, I'd say you're shit out of luck." "Well couldn't one of you guys help me? I mean, you could try to talk your girlfriends and we could all watch or something." "Yeah, there's a problem with that plan too Albert, namely neither one of those fuckers got girlfriends either." You interrupt. "Ha fuckin' ha. Nobody asked you for your opinion smart ass." Roger remarks annoyed. "Hey, do you think you could maybe talk to Marina then?" "Everyone shut the fuck up I hear something!" After looking around and up, in a split second of total silence, Roger speaks again. "There's nothing here, this city was fucking annihilated, ain't nothing alive except maybe rats and roaches. I dunno even know why we're so worried to begin with, do you think if anyone WAS still left alive they would be in any condition to…" Suddenly Rogers head explodes like a ripe melon after getting hit by a shotgun blast coming from the second floor window of a nearby building. The "thing" holding the shotgun is reloading and alerting his fellows. "MEEEEEEEEAAAT!" it screeches in a raspy voice. More figures start appearing. Most have a half-crazed appearance and severe radiation burns. Apparently these bomb survivors have had their minds damaged along with their bodies. "Holy shit, we're gonna die!" Albert screams and starts firing at everything. You and Steve do likewise while retreating back to the car. Before you all manage to leave the immediate area, the thing with the shotgun manages to get off another shot, blasting Albert in the leg, tearing it off. He screams and tries to crawl away, but is quickly mobbed and the last thing you see of him is some of the freaks sinking their teeth into him. "GET THE FUCK MOVING STEVE!" you shout stepping up your pace. Eventually you and Steve manage to get back to the car and speed off back to the Compound. Steve is pretty upset and while there isn't any traffic on the road, you still don't want him to be crashing into something else. "Steve calm the fuck down, and get a hold of yourself!" "Fuck you man! Didn't you see that?! They fuckin' killed Roger! And they ATE fuckin' Albert! Aw shit man! Shit! They're gonna come after us!" "I doubt that, they don't even know where we're from. Just be glad we got out of there. It was a stupid idea to go there in the first place. There's nothing there except crazed radioactive cannibals. I'm gonna tell Harry that much when we get back. Nobody's going there again, especially not me!" You're pretty pissed about this whole affair really and the more you're thinking about it; maybe you should just not return to the Compound, you have enough equipment and supplies to keep you in good shape for awhile. All you'd have to do is get rid of Steve and take the car. > You return to the Compound Nope, in for a penny in for a pound. If nothing else, Marina's still there and the fact her actions basically saved your life is enough to make you stay. The rest of the trip is Steve still ranting to himself about the deaths of his friends. True, they weren't your friends, but you guess you can see why he might be upset. You'd radio in to the Compound, but Roger was the one carrying it and he's a headless (and probably now eaten) corpse back in the city. You don't say anything else until Steve nearly drives the car into the gate of the Compound at which point you step out of the car and remove the hot ass radiation suit and demand to see Harry. Everyone is wondering what's going on. Harry hears your shouting and comes out of barracks, the Colonel does as well; good you want him to be here as well. "What is your major malfunction you screaming queen?" Harry asks angrily, as if you're the one at fault. "My malfunction is sending us to the goddamn city was a fucking stupid ass idea! What made you think there would anything of any use there anyway? You just trying to get us all killed?" "No, just you, cupcake." "You call me fuckin' cupcake one more time and me and you are gonna go round and round you dumb fucking gung ho military wanna be asshole!" Before Harry can respond to your insult the Colonel steps in. "ALRIGHT ENOUGH! I won't have infighting in my Compound! Harry we talked about this before that I didn't want any recon missions to the city! At least not until we got better established!" "But Colonel, I though we should…" "You DON'T THINK! That's for ME to do! You obey fucking orders! I'M in fucking charge around here and you better not forget that!" "Yes Colonel." Harry utters grudgingly. Now the Colonel turns his attention to you. "And YOU do not fucking rant like a goddamn maniac in front of everyone lowering morale and encouraging dissention! Like it or not, you're going to be sent on dangerous missions. If you want to stay here you better start learning to get with the fucking program and follow orders!" You're getting really tired of hearing that one. "So, all this aside, what exactly happened in the city and what did you find?" "Nothing! There's just a bunch of crazed cannibal freaks living there, armed and dangerous." "I see, well then all future missions to the city are going to be called off. I'm not risking anymore of my people's lives by sending them there. We've lost too many people on these recon missions quite frankly. I sent a couple of people on a special assignment and I haven't heard any word back from them, not to mention the people we've lost trying to contact other known towns. Fortunately, it hasn't been a complete loss we how found a few pockets of civilization. We need to start developing good relations with them now though. This will help in our rebuilding process. For now you're dismissed, but don't get too comfortable. I'll be sending you out again soon." You turn away and go back to your room in the underground part of the Compound wondering if you shouldn't just fucking leave, just then you get a visit from Marina. You're kind of glad to see her despite your pissed off mood. "Are you okay?" "Hell if I know I just spent a day in radiationville. I'll find out when my balls start shriveling up in three days!" "I think those suits would protect you from that happening." "Yeah, I know everyone thinks they're magical…nevermind I'm not even mad about that, I mean I understand we all got this lofty mission of re-establishing civilization or some shit, but I just don't see the fucking point in it. And I REALLY don't see the point in getting sent on suicide missions!" Marina sits next to you and tries to explain. "Okay, that WAS a mistake. In fact I wish you would've told me! I could've told the Colonel and he would've cancelled the mission! Harry likes to think he's second in command, but he's really just louder and more aggressive than most around here and that's why he's in a command position, but I think you could do just as good a job. I mean you've already braved and lived through going to the city and from what you described and Steve's mental breakdown it sounds like it was pretty bad. Total anarchy and lawlessness. And that's one of the reasons why rebuilding civilization is important. Do you really want to live in a world like that? I know you think this is all some sort of paramilitary bullshit, but we DO have a plan. Isn't it more advantageous to try to make the world a better place and have some sort of order?" "Trying to make the world a better place…yeah a lot of people in the past have thought they were doing that too and you can see how that turned out…THIS! Look, it's a nice idea, but I don't see it happening, not then, not now, not ever. I'd say our best bet would be to just try to live out the rest of lives as comfortably as we can in this hellhole of a world and not go messing around with shit unless its necessary." "…so I take it you're going to leave?" You look a Marina before responding. "No, I'm not leaving, but I'm staying for you, not an ideology or plan. My feelings for you override whatever disagreements I have with the current political agenda, if that's even the proper term for it." "Well that's sweet, but I do hope you develop a more positive attitude about this place." Marina says hugging you. "Doubt it, but I suppose anything's possible now." A year passes… You don't feel any different, but you're used to the Compound's plan of "re-building" civilization. You've moved up the ranks due to the fact that you're competent, something the Colonel realizes and respects even if Harry hates you. But due to your "loner" attitude you're usually sent on scouting missions by yourself rather than given any kind of command position. Ironically, you've been one of the key people in developing good relations with the nearby towns, since you've developed the knack of the sniper's art over the past year which really comes in handy when killing raiders. The Colonel's of the idea that if the Compound can prove its able to help defend towns from raiders, more people will want to join, the towns will be more willing to trade or even better a whole town will want a formal alliance. Perhaps slightly imperialistic, but what the hell, it's better to be the top dog and at least the intention is somewhat for good reasons. All part of the rebuilding process. Right now you're in the town that you found called Lost Springs, it's a remote little town that doesn't have any problems with raiders due to its somewhat hidden location (Though the wandering mutant bear is a problem sometimes) and while they're friendly with you, it's clear they just want to be left alone and keep to themselves. This might not be a problem, except they have a continual supply of fresh water from some underground stream. Not even mildly radioactive! (Though you're still convinced you're going to start mutating any day now since your trip to the city) It's a resource that can't just simply be ignored, but you're not exactly a diplomat, so you're not going to be convincing them on your own (And it's not like you can impress them with your super duper raider killing skills) > You leave them to their own devices If they don't want your help; they don't want your help. You can understand that. No point in bringing in anyone else to debate the issue. You get on your motorcycle and depart. When you get back to the Compound you just say you didn't find anything on this little excursion. Life continues. Four years pass… Five years total have passed and The Compound has grown somewhat, not much though. The theory to that of course is the background radiation has probably made a lot of folks sterile. (And you're damn sure you probably are, after that trip to the city that you still continue to think about) however it has become much more than "The Compound" now. Alliances have been forged with other towns thanks to you and others. The Compound has been renamed Fort Justice and the alliance itself is known as The Combine. However, not everything is stable. The Colonel hasn't been well lately; in fact he's been sick for the past year. Everyone's wondering if he's going to die. You've noticed Harry has been taking a lot of liberties with orders lately, which you're constantly always arguing with him about. If it was up to him, he'd put all the towns you're allied with under martial law. You can't even believe he suggested sending people to the city again, since he thinks that all the survivors were probably dead by now and it would be "safe". One day the Colonel wants to see you in private as he lies on what is probably going to be his death bed soon. He addresses you immediately when you enter. "Good you're here, I don't have long and I need to talk to you." "Uh, okay." "Go look at those schematics on the table over there." You do as the Colonel says, and see some blue prints of what looks to be a base of some sort. You also see the logo "GZS" in several places. You remember that was the logo of that corporation that was trying to sell everyone their Shelters before the bombs hit. You sometimes wonder how things would've turned out, if you bought one. While you're looking, the Colonel continues to speak. That's the floor plans to a top secret military base, my friend Alex got them for me a long time ago before the bombs dropped. He used to work there. It was some place where the government and the Ground Zero Survival Corporation were doing a secret joint project. Something to do with weapons. I always thought it would be a great benefit, if we could ever get a hold of whatever they were working on. I tried to make contact with the base since I know the radio frequency it used, but I never got any response from Alex or anyone." "Hmm, so why didn't you ever send some people there?" "Wow, you really are in your own little world, I figured you at least heard other people talk about it in the past. Anyway I did. Several times about five years ago. Everyone I ever sent never returned. Got to the point where I couldn't in good conscience sent people to what looked to be their deaths, besides a lot of people were less than enthusiastic to accept the mission, the last few times I sent people out they just deserted. Eventually I just wrote it off that maybe the place is occupied by a superior hostile force. Just one of the reasons why I was really keen on the idea of creating an alliance with surrounding towns. Who knows when that force would decide to venture out and start heading this way? Actually a couple of years ago, I thought about sending YOU out there. I figured you being the most capable; you might actually survive and get back to be able to report something." "What stopped you?" "I couldn't risk lose one of my best people, especially since you were doing a good job at proving we could help protect the other towns. Besides you already got sent to one unnecessary death trap five years ago, didn't seem right to send you to another." You're wondering where the Colonel going with all this, so you get to the point. "So what's all this ultimately have to do with me?" "I'm promoting you right now since I want you to take over after I die." "What?!" "This place needs someone stable, Harry isn't suitable. In fact, I dare say he won't be pleased with this decision…you may even have to kill him." You're a little overwhelmed by all this. "Whoa, whoa, hold the fucking phone! I don't want this!" "I know you don't, but it's the best chance for the Combine's survival, because that hostile force I mentioned? It's real. And it's on its way. Recently I've been picking up radio signals and they are from the base. They didn't say much, except that they were coming to cleanse this place. I haven't told ANYONE about this yet." "What, is it some sort of heavily armed professional military group or some shit?" "I wish. I question if they're even human. The voice sounded cold and robotic. I think we're going to find out first hand what exactly the government and GZS were secretly working on." "Well hold on, couldn't they be masking their voice?" "I suppose it's possible, but I dunno…something in my heart tells me that this is going to be really bad…like it won't just stop here. I'm almost glad I won't be around to see the destruction." "I still don't understand why you want me to take over; I'm not exactly the leader of men. In fact I'd say they'd listen to Harry before they listen to me." "I can't argue with you anymore…maybe you're right…maybe not…the choice I suppose will be up to you…all I'll say is with Harry in charge you might as well leave the Combine now, because I don't wager you'll be alive under his reign long enough to even see the attack occur. Maybe it might even be for the best, I wonder if even the total strength of the Combine will be enough to drive this attack back." The Colonel sounds like he's being a bit over dramatic, he's making a lot of assumptions here. You not sure you want all this responsibility, but if you're going to take it, you better do it now. > You take Command This was never anything you ever had in mind, but you've come this far, you have made a life here for yourself with Marina; you might as well stick with it. Besides, you'll be damned if you'll leave because of Harry. "Okay. I'll do it." The Colonel looks relieved. He struggles to get out of bed. "Alright, I still have some strength left, let's make this official." A meeting is called in the main courtyard where the Colonel weakly addresses everyone, while you stand by. He explains how you're going to be in charge and he also mentions the "robot invasion" he's convinced is going to happen. You see Marina in the crowd, who looks very proud and pleased. Harry however is severely pissed and makes it known immediately by confronting the both of you. "What the fuck is this shit? I'VE been here longer! I'VE been training all these fucking maggots and faggots INCLUDING Cupcake over there!" "Yes, and you've done a good job of that, but your temperament isn't suitable for taking command of this place. Besides, I've determined that…" "FUCK YOU OLD MAN! YOU WILL NOT DENY MY GOD GIVEN RIGHT!" Harry suddenly pulls out his pistol and shoots the Colonel in the stomach. He then tries to shoot you, but you've developed more experience than he has in terms of quickness. You pull your own pistol and drill Harry directly between the eyes, dropping him. "Wish I'd done that to begin with." You say while Vivica rushes over to the Colonel to try to help him, it's hopeless though, he was dying anyway. He calls you over one last time. "…well…I told (cough) you, that you'd probably have to kill him…defend the Combine…follow this man…(cough) he'll lead you…to victorrrrreeee…" The Colonel's passing is mourned by all, as everyone respected him. A major funeral ceremony is held. It's probably his last words (and Harry's shooting) that stabilizes most people's attitude towards you. They're willing to follow you, which gives you at least one less thing to worry about. Of course now you just have to worry about whether or not there is a bunch of robots coming to attack. You decide not to take any chances though and immediately order scouting to be done on the outskirts of the secret base that the Colonel had schematics of. You also order the area around Fort Justice to be heavily trapped along with increased training exercises. When your scouts return, only a couple of them do so, and they're badly wounded. They confirm the Colonel's suspicions. There IS an army of robots (though they say most of them are really cyborgs, but that hardly matters) in the area. They're very organized and heavily armed with high tech weaponry. Within a week, the first wave of cyborgs arrive. Surprisingly they give you the option of surrendering and be "remade" to serve the Cybernetic Evolution. You of course decline this offer and fight the steel bastards instead. They're tough, but your traps ensure you to defeat them much easier. During this time you send a few people to get more help from other Combine towns. You get it for the most part due to large participation in defending most of those towns in the past. You didn't think about it before, but that might've been another reason why the Colonel thought you'd be a better candidate for command, you had a high respect standing with the other towns even if you didn't initially have it in Fort Justice. A couple more months pass and you're assaulted by the second wave. Then again in another few months by a third wave. The cyborgs do a hell of a lot of damage, they breach some of the walls and you lose a lot of people, you're even heavily scarred in one of the attacks, but yet the Fort still holds and that's one of your main concerns, you know if the Fort falls that's it; The Combine will lose this war as the main trained combat force is here. You have to make sure that doesn't happen. You start to notice when the cyborgs retreat they attempt to take away any casualties that you have. In fact you could swear a few of the last few cyborgs you destroyed looked VERY familiar. This gives you the idea that this army is probably a lot more limited in number and not unstoppable. In fact even though they come in great force, it seems to take them awhile to gather up the same force in-between attacks. And while there's robots mixed in with the cyborgs, they aren't nearly as numerous. Looks like there's a shortage and the Cybernetic Evolution needs more warm bodies even more than you do. It's possible that if you just sit tight and defend, you'll win by sheer attrition, of course you could just finish it quicker by taking the fight to them. > You finish it In these past few months you've actually been fighting for something. Not just "following orders" or "going through the motions". You haven't even been doing it for mere survival, if you were interested in just survival, you would've just taken off and put as much distance as you could between you and the Combine before the cyborgs appeared. It took awhile, but you finally have a sense of purpose. You finally "got" all that shit Marina was talking about. Rebuilding civilization and all that. The Cybernetic Evolution is a real threat to that ever happening. It needs to be stopped here and now while it's weak. You get organized first and muster ALL the help you can from the rest of the Combine towns. This includes a bit of conscription from them and puts somewhat of a strain on relations and general feelings. Many think the war is "won" and you can just sit back and defend now, but you know you need to press the Cybernetic Evolution now before they "recruit" elsewhere and just attack you again and maybe successfully. Enthusiasm isn't exactly the highest, but you have proven to be a successful military leader so the people are willing to put up with your orders. The assault on the Cyborg Base occurs and it is not easy. The location and rough terrain prevents most vehicles you might've used in the assault to get close. The siege lasts months the losses are horrendous, and there's a point where people are really starting to question your leadership. However before a revolt in the Combine occurs, the Cyborg Base is breached and the topside is taken. The base's second level is easily accessed and the war is nearly at an end. Finally the leader of the Cybernetic Evolution is cornered and unceremoniously blown to bits by a grenade while he was trying to hide in one of the rooms. Oddly he wasn't a robot or even a cyborg. He was merely a human with megalomania, in fact after some investigation; it was the Colonel's old "friend" Alex. The threat to the Combine is at an end, but the threat OF the Combine is just beginning… Even though you were the one who orchestrated the defeat of the Cybernetic Evolution and probably saved not only the Combine, but the hope of humanity with your actions somehow a lot of people aren't all that grateful. They only see the immediate loss that was suffered rather than the larger picture. Fort Justice is of course firmly still under your control as well as the newly acquired cyborg base, but most of the other towns are wanting out of the Combine saying that you're being a dictator. > You let them leave Once again, you think back to that town of Lost Springs that didn't want to be part of the Combine, and you thought then "If they don't want your help, they don't want your help." Maybe they're calling you a dictator, but you know if that were true you'd enforce your will upon all of them. No, you're not going to do that. One by one the towns disband from the Combine. You still remain in control of Fort Justice and the newly acquire Cyborg Base, but "The Combine" as you know it is no more. One might even call it a Pyrrhic victory, however you do not. You saved civilization and humanity from a threat that might not have been stopped otherwise. Maybe you aren't going to be recognized for it, but then again some good deeds aren't recognized. Sometimes Marina thinks it's incredibly unfair of how you've been labeled, but you take it all in stride and always tell her after kissing her… "It was worth it." and you remain in control of Fort Justice and Base Victory, you never experience any more real threats mainly due to the superior high tech weaponry that was acquired when Base Victory was taken. Expansion is never seriously considered again however stable relations with towns are re-established eventually when they start having raider problems again. Many of your citizens hire themselves out as mercenaries in exchange for goods that are needed and to make a living. Indeed the "Old Combine" becomes known as the place one goes to; to get help, but nobody wants to be under Combine rule again. Civilization is re-establishing itself slowly, maybe very slowly, but at least it has a chance now. You spend the rest of your remaining years running your little section of civilization making things better when you can. One day you're stricken with sickness that progressively gets worse. All help is done for you, but you're dying. You're reminded of the Colonel except you don't have to worry about getting shot like he did, as you've already picked out a suitable successor. Your first choice would've been Marina, as you know her to be capable, but as she'd said many times in the past she's never had any desire herself for command. You never knew why, since she would've been perfect for it. After all right from the beginning she pushed you in the direction. You hold her hand as you talk to her one last time on your death bed. "So, you really don't mind Vivica taking charge of this place? You're sure you don't want it?" you ask while Marina shakes her head. "No. I never wanted it. I always wanted you to have the glory, and the recognition. You had so much potential…and you were never fully appreciated for the deeds you did." "Hey, you know what they say, no good deed goes unpunished. Don't worry about it, I never did." "I always wished we could've had kids…I'm sorry I couldn't give you any…to carry on your name…" "Marina, stop it. You know I never cared about that, besides I doubt if it was your problem anyway. I'm sure the time I spent in that fucking radiated city made me sterile. Hell, it's probably what's killing me now. Knew it was only a matter of time before that shit caught up with me. Marina, I don't want to spend my last moments of you sad and wishing for things that didn't happen. Let's just spend it together in silence." After telling each other you love one another, she holds on to your body until you draw your last breath. You funeral is a quiet and respectful one. Your loss is felt, but as always life goes on. Marina tries to make sure people don't forget what you did until the day she dies. Some heroes aren't meant to be remembered though and with her death, eventually you're virtually forgotten when Fort Justice is abandoned and a new one is rebuilt elsewhere. You become part of obscure history. However your now well worn tombstone (next to Marina's) in the Old Fort Justice cemetery still displays words that would sum up what your attitude about your obscurity would be if you were still alive. "It was worth it."

In these past few months you've actually been fighting for something. Not just "following orders" or "going through the motions". You haven't even been doing it for mere survival, if you were interested in just survival, you would've just taken off and put as much distance as you could between you and the Combine before the cyborgs appeared. It took awhile, but you finally have a sense of purpose. You finally "got" all that shit Marina was talking about. Rebuilding civilization and all that. The Cybernetic Evolution is a real threat to that ever happening. It needs to be stopped here and now while it's weak. You get organized first and muster ALL the help you can from the rest of the Combine towns. This includes a bit of conscription from them and puts somewhat of a strain on relations and general feelings. Many think the war is "won" and you can just sit back and defend now, but you know you need to press the Cybernetic Evolution now before they "recruit" elsewhere and just attack you again and maybe successfully. Enthusiasm isn't exactly the highest, but you have proven to be a successful military leader so the people are willing to put up with your orders. The assault on the Cyborg Base occurs and it is not easy. The location and rough terrain prevents most vehicles you might've used in the assault to get close. The siege lasts months the losses are horrendous, and there's a point where people are really starting to question your leadership. However before a revolt in the Combine occurs, the Cyborg Base is breached and the topside is taken. The base's second level is easily accessed and the war is nearly at an end. Finally the leader of the Cybernetic Evolution is cornered and unceremoniously blown to bits by a grenade while he was trying to hide in one of the rooms. Oddly he wasn't a robot or even a cyborg. He was merely a human with megalomania, in fact after some investigation; it was the Colonel's old "friend" Alex. The threat to the Combine is at an end, but the threat OF the Combine is just beginning… Even though you were the one who orchestrated the defeat of the Cybernetic Evolution and probably saved not only the Combine, but the hope of humanity with your actions somehow a lot of people aren't all that grateful. They only see the immediate loss that was suffered rather than the larger picture. Fort Justice is of course firmly still under your control as well as the newly acquired cyborg base, but most of the other towns are wanting out of the Combine saying that you're being a dictator. > You enforce your will This ungratefulness doesn't exactly help you NOT become a dictator… You saved the Combine, you saved civilization, you fucking saved humanity, you aren't going to let it fall apart after all the shit you've been through. Not after you finally believe in it. Using the newly acquired technology from the cyborg base you establish a more intimidating presence in the Combine towns. Having depleted most of their fighting power during the CE War they really can't do much to stop you. There are a few initial protests, but a few executions squash any hint of rebellion. Five years pass… It's been ten years since the bombs dropped and you first entered Fort Justice when it was only known as "The Compound". Of course Fort Justice goes by the name Fort Bane Expansion eventually occurs again, in a less diplomatic way now though. Typically the option is given for the town to submit peacefully to the Combine, or else it will be incorporated by force. The first town to suffer this fate of the new Combine ruthlessness is that old remote town you found nine years ago, Lost Springs. The next one is a distant place called Ashtown. They put up a good fight, but eventually they too fall and put under martial law. When you come across them, you even start forcing open the underground Shelters that were created by GZS and incorporate the misguided souls who decided to hide during the nuclear holocaust under your ever expanding territory. Most of those folks put up little to no resistance. While they were cowering under the Earth YOU were surviving and making the blasted world a safer place for humanity. Despite the whispered discussions among everyone wishing you were dead, nobody actually does anything. The reason? The same as always. Your way works and has shown results. Yes you've had to be brutal; yes you've had to make some harsh decisions, but you've done it for the greater good. You've completely eliminated lawlessness within most areas, as most of the nearby raiders have asked for Combine citizenship since it's actually more profitable to be a soldier than a bandit. You gladly accept them. (Amusingly they're some of the most loyal citizens) Trade thrives, and the only thing the Combine citizens need to fear is YOU. The Combine is no longer a collection of small towns and a fort, it's an Empire and it can only grow. You've made all this possible, yet you know it is only you who can hold it together. You begin to ponder successors and while you know there are many who would covet your position, you also know that none of them are worthy. Its times like this that you wish had a child with Marina. Someone who could carry on the divine right as it were. As you know Marina's never once gotten pregnant in all your years with her, but you wonder if it's you, for all you know maybe that trip to the city didn't make you sterile. Maybe SHE'S sterile. You wonder… > You take another lover to try to create a successor The power has gone to your head in such a way that you've finally crossed that one line that was your downfall. You order your troops to scour the Combine for the women known to be fertile and to bring them to Fort Bane all for the purpose for you to pursue some delusional notion of spawning a successor. The fact that tearing most of these women away from their established families doesn't make you anymore popular. Of course that doesn't bother you. The fact that you've basically bullied these women into submitting to you doesn't make you anymore popular. But again that doesn't bother you either. What should bother you is that Marina finds out very quickly what you're doing. She's very hurt by this infidelity. She's stood by you from the very beginning, indeed she was the whole reason why you're in the position you are in the first place, and now you've treated that sacred bond and loyalty like it never meant anything to you. Perhaps if you had addressed this to Marina, she MIGHT have even understood your desire and allowed you to proceed with your plan to a limited degree, she is a pragmatic sort after all. But you didn't even do that, instead you made her an embarrassment as you carryon with other women some of which are little more than common whores, in fact you never get ANY of them pregnant, which pretty much confirms that you WERE sterile all along. Of course by this time you're so wrapped up in your new decadent activities that you forgot why you were doing it in the first place. This new reckless and careless behavior does not become you, and Marina has finally had enough of it. Part of her may still even love you, but she'll not be made a fool of and treated like this. One night, while you're eating a meal, you take a large swig of water. It tastes funny at first, but you dismiss it since funny tasting water's not exactly too unusual. You just order another bottle of it to be brought to you…then you start to feel dizzy. You stand up only to collapse on your dining floor. One of your servants goes to help, but then Marina appears to tell him to stop. "Ma…Marina? What's going on?" you say as her figure begins to get blurry. "A change. You always wondered who would take your place, and I've decided that I'm the only one worthy enough to do it. Don't worry, The Combine will live on, even if you will not. At least that was one thing you did right. I'm very sorry it had to end this way…I take no pleasure in this…but you can't betray your king maker without some sort of consequence. I'll try to remember the good times… Goodbye." And with your last breath, Marina kicks you in the face.

This ungratefulness doesn't exactly help you NOT become a dictator… You saved the Combine, you saved civilization, you fucking saved humanity, you aren't going to let it fall apart after all the shit you've been through. Not after you finally believe in it. Using the newly acquired technology from the cyborg base you establish a more intimidating presence in the Combine towns. Having depleted most of their fighting power during the CE War they really can't do much to stop you. There are a few initial protests, but a few executions squash any hint of rebellion. Five years pass… It's been ten years since the bombs dropped and you first entered Fort Justice when it was only known as "The Compound". Of course Fort Justice goes by the name Fort Bane Expansion eventually occurs again, in a less diplomatic way now though. Typically the option is given for the town to submit peacefully to the Combine, or else it will be incorporated by force. The first town to suffer this fate of the new Combine ruthlessness is that old remote town you found nine years ago, Lost Springs. The next one is a distant place called Ashtown. They put up a good fight, but eventually they too fall and put under martial law. When you come across them, you even start forcing open the underground Shelters that were created by GZS and incorporate the misguided souls who decided to hide during the nuclear holocaust under your ever expanding territory. Most of those folks put up little to no resistance. While they were cowering under the Earth YOU were surviving and making the blasted world a safer place for humanity. Despite the whispered discussions among everyone wishing you were dead, nobody actually does anything. The reason? The same as always. Your way works and has shown results. Yes you've had to be brutal; yes you've had to make some harsh decisions, but you've done it for the greater good. You've completely eliminated lawlessness within most areas, as most of the nearby raiders have asked for Combine citizenship since it's actually more profitable to be a soldier than a bandit. You gladly accept them. (Amusingly they're some of the most loyal citizens) Trade thrives, and the only thing the Combine citizens need to fear is YOU. The Combine is no longer a collection of small towns and a fort, it's an Empire and it can only grow. You've made all this possible, yet you know it is only you who can hold it together. You begin to ponder successors and while you know there are many who would covet your position, you also know that none of them are worthy. Its times like this that you wish had a child with Marina. Someone who could carry on the divine right as it were. As you know Marina's never once gotten pregnant in all your years with her, but you wonder if it's you, for all you know maybe that trip to the city didn't make you sterile. Maybe SHE'S sterile. You wonder… > You stay true to Marina You've undergone a lot of changes after the bombs hit. Many changes. Not all of them for the better, but there's still one thing that hasn't changed, and that's your love and loyalty to Marina. She's been there with you from day one. You're not going to betray that for the thin hope of creating some bastard that probably won't do as good a job as you anyway. Besides, regardless of Marina's fertility, you're damn sure you're sterile anyway, you're just still glad your balls didn't turn green and shrivel up after your trip to the city. Sometimes you get so wrapped up in your Empire that you forget to spend time with those who are REALLY important. "Fuck it, I'll be dead anyway. Really what the hell do I care who takes over?" you mumble to yourself and go spend some time with Marina. In fact from this time forward you vow to take more time out to spend with Marina, she seems very happy with this new attitude. Oddly this revelation makes you slightly more agreeable and as a result some of the more restrictive laws are lightened in time. The average Combine citizen is a little happier as a result. (Though mostly all of them still think you're a son of a bitch) Ten more years pass… Twenty years since the bombs hit, and you're the head of the largest known area of civilization. Hard to believe sometimes. You're thinking about this on your death bed. You're very sick and the best physician you have doesn't know what it is As usual, you're convinced it has something to do with that trip to the city so long ago, and you're probably right. Radiation shit is probably finally catching up with you. If Harry wasn't a pile of rotten bones underground, you'd kill him again for sending you to that fucked up place. Right now you're surrounded by advisors, military leaders and doctors, but right now you just want all of them to leave except Marina. "But…but whose's taking over after you die?" one of them asks. "Goddamn it I ain't dead yet! But if you don't get the fuck outta here I'm gonna make sure I outlive YOU! Now leave!" Soon you're left alone with Marina, who stays with you until the end. "Well it is a valid question, who is going to take over?" Marina asks. "Why don't you do it? I mean I've never understood why you never wanted it, you're certainly capable." "Maybe…but I prefer to be behind the scenes I guess…you know there's a lot less assassination attempts on the puppet master rather than the puppet." Marina half-jokes. "Ha ha, well, I hope you find another." "Never. I'll never find another like you." she says touching your face. You and Marina are just silent as you look at each other for awhile. Finally you begin to close your eyes and feel one last kiss. After composing herself, she exits the room to inform the top brass of the news. They of course are like vultures fighting over scraps. "So did he say who was taking over?" "Is it me?" "No! It's me!" "What did he say?" "Whoever can hold it." Marina answers and walks off. The years that follow your death aren't pretty for the Combine. A civil war occurs as several factions vie for control. Eventually it collapses into petty warlord fiefdoms. Your accomplishments are soon forgotten as other would be dictators try to establish their own "legacies". As for Marina, she moves on from the Combine after your death to parts unknown, always carrying your ashes in an urn with the inscription: "I'll never find another like you."

This was never anything you ever had in mind, but you've come this far, you have made a life here for yourself with Marina; you might as well stick with it. Besides, you'll be damned if you'll leave because of Harry. "Okay. I'll do it." The Colonel looks relieved. He struggles to get out of bed. "Alright, I still have some strength left, let's make this official." A meeting is called in the main courtyard where the Colonel weakly addresses everyone, while you stand by. He explains how you're going to be in charge and he also mentions the "robot invasion" he's convinced is going to happen. You see Marina in the crowd, who looks very proud and pleased. Harry however is severely pissed and makes it known immediately by confronting the both of you. "What the fuck is this shit? I'VE been here longer! I'VE been training all these fucking maggots and faggots INCLUDING Cupcake over there!" "Yes, and you've done a good job of that, but your temperament isn't suitable for taking command of this place. Besides, I've determined that…" "FUCK YOU OLD MAN! YOU WILL NOT DENY MY GOD GIVEN RIGHT!" Harry suddenly pulls out his pistol and shoots the Colonel in the stomach. He then tries to shoot you, but you've developed more experience than he has in terms of quickness. You pull your own pistol and drill Harry directly between the eyes, dropping him. "Wish I'd done that to begin with." You say while Vivica rushes over to the Colonel to try to help him, it's hopeless though, he was dying anyway. He calls you over one last time. "…well…I told (cough) you, that you'd probably have to kill him…defend the Combine…follow this man…(cough) he'll lead you…to victorrrrreeee…" The Colonel's passing is mourned by all, as everyone respected him. A major funeral ceremony is held. It's probably his last words (and Harry's shooting) that stabilizes most people's attitude towards you. They're willing to follow you, which gives you at least one less thing to worry about. Of course now you just have to worry about whether or not there is a bunch of robots coming to attack. You decide not to take any chances though and immediately order scouting to be done on the outskirts of the secret base that the Colonel had schematics of. You also order the area around Fort Justice to be heavily trapped along with increased training exercises. When your scouts return, only a couple of them do so, and they're badly wounded. They confirm the Colonel's suspicions. There IS an army of robots (though they say most of them are really cyborgs, but that hardly matters) in the area. They're very organized and heavily armed with high tech weaponry. Within a week, the first wave of cyborgs arrive. Surprisingly they give you the option of surrendering and be "remade" to serve the Cybernetic Evolution. You of course decline this offer and fight the steel bastards instead. They're tough, but your traps ensure you to defeat them much easier. During this time you send a few people to get more help from other Combine towns. You get it for the most part due to large participation in defending most of those towns in the past. You didn't think about it before, but that might've been another reason why the Colonel thought you'd be a better candidate for command, you had a high respect standing with the other towns even if you didn't initially have it in Fort Justice. A couple more months pass and you're assaulted by the second wave. Then again in another few months by a third wave. The cyborgs do a hell of a lot of damage, they breach some of the walls and you lose a lot of people, you're even heavily scarred in one of the attacks, but yet the Fort still holds and that's one of your main concerns, you know if the Fort falls that's it; The Combine will lose this war as the main trained combat force is here. You have to make sure that doesn't happen. You start to notice when the cyborgs retreat they attempt to take away any casualties that you have. In fact you could swear a few of the last few cyborgs you destroyed looked VERY familiar. This gives you the idea that this army is probably a lot more limited in number and not unstoppable. In fact even though they come in great force, it seems to take them awhile to gather up the same force in-between attacks. And while there's robots mixed in with the cyborgs, they aren't nearly as numerous. Looks like there's a shortage and the Cybernetic Evolution needs more warm bodies even more than you do. It's possible that if you just sit tight and defend, you'll win by sheer attrition, of course you could just finish it quicker by taking the fight to them. > You wait You're unwilling to risk more lives and so decide to just shore up your defenses. Another couple of months pass and a much smaller group of cyborgs arrive which confirms your ideas that they're running out of troops. One thing that's a little strange is that they don't immediately attack, they just make their presence known while attempting to stay out of the way of your snipers. They also make some "raiding" like attacks on anyone trying to leave the Fort to travel anywhere. They never directly attack the fort though. These annoying raids go on for a year, until you get sick of them and finally decide you need to get rid of these things once and for all. You order a concentrated attack on all the cyborg raiders in the area, after a few weeks it's confirmed that they've all been eliminated. Afterwards you send a scouting force to the secret base, to see if that's the end of this cybernetic thorn in your side. A week passes and you don't hear anything from your scouts. You curse and figure the cyborgs still have enough troops to defend their own base, but the truth is much worse as you come to find out. A week after you sent your scout team, a new cyborg army appears within the sight of Fort Justice. Better improved looking this time too. Obviously while you were playing around with the cyborgs raiding you, someone else was upgrading and gathering more "recruits" from elsewhere while you still haven't replenished your own losses from last year… Another battle is joined, but this time not in your favor. The fort is destroyed and in flames. Soon people are either, running, killed or captured. In the chaos of Fort Justice's final days, one of those you see captured is Marina as a big cyborg drags away her unconscious wounded body. You desperately try to rescue her, but your head is completely incinerated by its high powered laser beam as soon as your bullets fail to penetrate its armor. Your headless carcass falls to the ground and left to burn up with the rest of Fort Justice. Within the year, the Combine is no more and only the Cybernetic Evolution remains to continue its mission.

If they don't want your help; they don't want your help. You can understand that. No point in bringing in anyone else to debate the issue. You get on your motorcycle and depart. When you get back to the Compound you just say you didn't find anything on this little excursion. Life continues. Four years pass… Five years total have passed and The Compound has grown somewhat, not much though. The theory to that of course is the background radiation has probably made a lot of folks sterile. (And you're damn sure you probably are, after that trip to the city that you still continue to think about) however it has become much more than "The Compound" now. Alliances have been forged with other towns thanks to you and others. The Compound has been renamed Fort Justice and the alliance itself is known as The Combine. However, not everything is stable. The Colonel hasn't been well lately; in fact he's been sick for the past year. Everyone's wondering if he's going to die. You've noticed Harry has been taking a lot of liberties with orders lately, which you're constantly always arguing with him about. If it was up to him, he'd put all the towns you're allied with under martial law. You can't even believe he suggested sending people to the city again, since he thinks that all the survivors were probably dead by now and it would be "safe". One day the Colonel wants to see you in private as he lies on what is probably going to be his death bed soon. He addresses you immediately when you enter. "Good you're here, I don't have long and I need to talk to you." "Uh, okay." "Go look at those schematics on the table over there." You do as the Colonel says, and see some blue prints of what looks to be a base of some sort. You also see the logo "GZS" in several places. You remember that was the logo of that corporation that was trying to sell everyone their Shelters before the bombs hit. You sometimes wonder how things would've turned out, if you bought one. While you're looking, the Colonel continues to speak. That's the floor plans to a top secret military base, my friend Alex got them for me a long time ago before the bombs dropped. He used to work there. It was some place where the government and the Ground Zero Survival Corporation were doing a secret joint project. Something to do with weapons. I always thought it would be a great benefit, if we could ever get a hold of whatever they were working on. I tried to make contact with the base since I know the radio frequency it used, but I never got any response from Alex or anyone." "Hmm, so why didn't you ever send some people there?" "Wow, you really are in your own little world, I figured you at least heard other people talk about it in the past. Anyway I did. Several times about five years ago. Everyone I ever sent never returned. Got to the point where I couldn't in good conscience sent people to what looked to be their deaths, besides a lot of people were less than enthusiastic to accept the mission, the last few times I sent people out they just deserted. Eventually I just wrote it off that maybe the place is occupied by a superior hostile force. Just one of the reasons why I was really keen on the idea of creating an alliance with surrounding towns. Who knows when that force would decide to venture out and start heading this way? Actually a couple of years ago, I thought about sending YOU out there. I figured you being the most capable; you might actually survive and get back to be able to report something." "What stopped you?" "I couldn't risk lose one of my best people, especially since you were doing a good job at proving we could help protect the other towns. Besides you already got sent to one unnecessary death trap five years ago, didn't seem right to send you to another." You're wondering where the Colonel going with all this, so you get to the point. "So what's all this ultimately have to do with me?" "I'm promoting you right now since I want you to take over after I die." "What?!" "This place needs someone stable, Harry isn't suitable. In fact, I dare say he won't be pleased with this decision…you may even have to kill him." You're a little overwhelmed by all this. "Whoa, whoa, hold the fucking phone! I don't want this!" "I know you don't, but it's the best chance for the Combine's survival, because that hostile force I mentioned? It's real. And it's on its way. Recently I've been picking up radio signals and they are from the base. They didn't say much, except that they were coming to cleanse this place. I haven't told ANYONE about this yet." "What, is it some sort of heavily armed professional military group or some shit?" "I wish. I question if they're even human. The voice sounded cold and robotic. I think we're going to find out first hand what exactly the government and GZS were secretly working on." "Well hold on, couldn't they be masking their voice?" "I suppose it's possible, but I dunno…something in my heart tells me that this is going to be really bad…like it won't just stop here. I'm almost glad I won't be around to see the destruction." "I still don't understand why you want me to take over; I'm not exactly the leader of men. In fact I'd say they'd listen to Harry before they listen to me." "I can't argue with you anymore…maybe you're right…maybe not…the choice I suppose will be up to you…all I'll say is with Harry in charge you might as well leave the Combine now, because I don't wager you'll be alive under his reign long enough to even see the attack occur. Maybe it might even be for the best, I wonder if even the total strength of the Combine will be enough to drive this attack back." The Colonel sounds like he's being a bit over dramatic, he's making a lot of assumptions here. You not sure you want all this responsibility, but if you're going to take it, you better do it now. > You decline You've had your mind debates before about whether to leave or not, but it looks like this is the final one. You never sought this path and you certainly don't want to be commanding anything, but staying here really isn't an option anymore. Time to move on. In some ways you always thought it would come to this one day. "I can't do it Colonel. Sorry." "Very well then, I guess I can only hope Harry's ruthless nature and hamfisted way of leading works. After you leave, send him to see me. We won't speak again." You leave and for once go find Harry. He's in the cafeteria screaming at someone to scrub the floor harder. When he sees you, he gives you the typical hostility. "What the hell do you want Cupcake?" he sneers. "The Colonel wants to see you, better hurry too he doesn't have much time." Harry doesn't bother to retort, his eyes seem to light up at the prospect that the Colonel is dying and that this could ONLY mean he's getting official command. In his haste of rushing past you, he doesn't notice your foot, which you purposely stick out to trip him. He falls on floor and lands squarely on his nose, breaking it. "AH SHIT!" he yells holding his nose while still on the floor. "Whoops, sorry about that, cupcake." You say walking out the cafeteria. You go back to your room and start packing your belongings and determining what might be useful, Marina is there and wondering what's going on. "What're you doing?" "Leaving. My time here is done; Harry's going to take control of the Combine, which probably won't be for long if the Colonel's predictions are true. Now Marina, you know I love you, and you say you love me. So if you really do, you'll come with me." "And where the hell are we supposed to be going?" "I know a place. A place I found in my travels which I never told anyone about, and apparently nobody else found, hopefully it's still a friendly place." "Well hold on, isn't there some other way?" "Not unless Harry's attitude towards me does a complete turn around. I'm not going to stay some place where my life is in constant danger and besides the Colonel's going on about some robot invasion he think is going to take place. Can't say I want to stick around for that either. And I can't say I want YOU to stick around for it. Just come with me, why is that so difficult?" "Because I don't believe in fucking running from my home! Do you understand that THIS place has basically been my home longer than it's been yours? And that most of these people I'm friends with, and they're like a family to me? Maybe YOU don't have that bond, but I do. I'm not just going to abandon this place. Look, maybe you can talk to the Colonel, I mean he respects you more than you might think, maybe he'd see you as a more stable candidate to command this place, and then…" "He already tried to offer me the job. I turned it down." "You what?!" "I turned it down! I don't want the fucking responsibility. I never did. I've always said I've always just stayed here for you and for how you rescued me from dying in a nuclear firestorm, but my survival is severely at stake if I stay here. I mean what do you want me to die for you or something?" "I wanted you to be a fucking man and be ambitious, which I thought you were. I always saw potential in you, I saw it way back before the bombs hit. I thought you were trying to take some initiative by moving up the ranks like you did. Like you had your eyes set on becoming leader of this place. I saw you being able to really help the rebuilding process. I mean you were vital in many of our alliances. And what did you do? You just threw all of that work down the fucking drain, because you're fucking scared of more responsibility." You've always known Marina to be a bit of a "Lady Macbeth" type with her always wanting you to strive for power and be ambitious. And out of your feelings toward her, you have tried to oblige that to a degree, but after hearing this shit, you can see you were almost nothing more than some sort of pawn. You don't need this. You never needed this. Yet, there's no point in arguing. This is hard enough as it is. You take the high road with Marina. "Marina, I'm just gonna say this, you saw something in me that was never there to begin with. I'm sorry to disappoint you…thanks for saving my life and hopefully you have a nice one. Maybe you can marry Harry or even better, take control yourself, since you seem to have the proper mindset and already a lot smarter." Marina is silent. You finish packing and open the door, you linger a bit hoping she changes her mind, but you can tell she isn't when she turns her head to keep you from seeing that she's obviously upset and going to cry. You slam the door and go back up top to the surface; you take one of the motorcycles and zoom off. You do it all the time so nobody finds you leaving out of the ordinary. Eventually you head back to Lost Springs. Looks like it did when you found the place four years ago. You're welcomed again, but they tell you they still aren't interested in joining the Compound. You laugh and say that's not why you're here and immediately ask if there's any work that needs to be done since you plan of staying on a permanent basis. A year passes relatively uneventfully in Lost Springs. One day a wandering traveler passes through. For whatever reason he strikes up a conversation with you while you're sitting the local cafe. "Hey friend." The traveler says. "Hmn." You reply still reading a book. "This place is pretty remote huh? It was only by sheer dumb luck I stumbled upon it, you guys don't get many people coming here do you?" "Other than me, you'd be the first in a long time. We're pretty self-sufficient here and like to keep to ourselves." You say still without looking up. "Hey, good idea. It's a crazy fucking world out there. I say you got the set up. Still, doesn't the Cybernetic Evolution worry you?" "Cybernetic Evolution?" you ask finally looking up. "Yeah! You never heard of them? Well I guess I should warn you then. It's this group of killer cyborgs that want to remake humanity or exterminate them if they don't comply. There's robots too, but mostly cyborgs. I heard they're lead by some nut case called Alex. They've been spreading all over the place; the Combine is losing the war with them. That's mainly why I'm trying to get out of the area." "Hold on, the Combine?" "Yeah! Come on you never heard of them either? Wow you are in your own little world! The Combine is an alliance of towns with the head base called Fort Justice. Of course Fort Justice was razed to the ground months ago, and now the current towns are wondering how to proceed since Fort Justice was where the line was being held not to mention where the best soldiers were. I heard nobody was spared. Now most of the towns are suffering raider attacks again who are taking advantage of the chaos as well as attacks from the CE. Looks fucking bleak man." Bleak indeed. While the traveler concentrates on his drink, you stay silent thinking about Marina. What might've happened. Did she get killed, did she escape, or even if maybe she was turned into a cyborg? You'll never know you suppose. "Well, I have to get going. Nice talking to you and hope the CE doesn't find this place." The traveler says finishing his drink and getting up to leave. You continue remain silent while you reminisce. You wonder if you could've done a better job if you'd stayed behind. You do a lot of second guessing for awhile, of course that's been in your nature in the beginning. You didn't know whether or not you wanted to buy a bomb Shelter, and you were re-thinking the decision that you didn't. You spent what you thought were going to be your last days with your co-workers and you were re-thinking that decision after you did that. You thought about leaving the Compound several times, before you actually did it and now you're re-thinking that decision as well. "Shit, I would've made a lousy leader; it takes me forever to make up my mind and then I agonize over the decision." You say to yourself. Oddly this revelation makes you feel somewhat better, like you did make the right decision to leave. If nothing else you've at least been able to make good decisions concerning your own survival and you're about to make another one. You go to the run down motel that you've been staying at, and pack your belongings. Its time to move on again, you figure you should get out now while you can. You say goodbye to the few acquaintances you've had since your time here and warn them about the CE before leaving. It's up to them what they're going to do. You can't make people leave if they don't want to…even if you want them to. And once again, you're off, with the unknown future dead ahead of you.

Nope, in for a penny in for a pound. If nothing else, Marina's still there and the fact her actions basically saved your life is enough to make you stay. The rest of the trip is Steve still ranting to himself about the deaths of his friends. True, they weren't your friends, but you guess you can see why he might be upset. You'd radio in to the Compound, but Roger was the one carrying it and he's a headless (and probably now eaten) corpse back in the city. You don't say anything else until Steve nearly drives the car into the gate of the Compound at which point you step out of the car and remove the hot ass radiation suit and demand to see Harry. Everyone is wondering what's going on. Harry hears your shouting and comes out of barracks, the Colonel does as well; good you want him to be here as well. "What is your major malfunction you screaming queen?" Harry asks angrily, as if you're the one at fault. "My malfunction is sending us to the goddamn city was a fucking stupid ass idea! What made you think there would anything of any use there anyway? You just trying to get us all killed?" "No, just you, cupcake." "You call me fuckin' cupcake one more time and me and you are gonna go round and round you dumb fucking gung ho military wanna be asshole!" Before Harry can respond to your insult the Colonel steps in. "ALRIGHT ENOUGH! I won't have infighting in my Compound! Harry we talked about this before that I didn't want any recon missions to the city! At least not until we got better established!" "But Colonel, I though we should…" "You DON'T THINK! That's for ME to do! You obey fucking orders! I'M in fucking charge around here and you better not forget that!" "Yes Colonel." Harry utters grudgingly. Now the Colonel turns his attention to you. "And YOU do not fucking rant like a goddamn maniac in front of everyone lowering morale and encouraging dissention! Like it or not, you're going to be sent on dangerous missions. If you want to stay here you better start learning to get with the fucking program and follow orders!" You're getting really tired of hearing that one. "So, all this aside, what exactly happened in the city and what did you find?" "Nothing! There's just a bunch of crazed cannibal freaks living there, armed and dangerous." "I see, well then all future missions to the city are going to be called off. I'm not risking anymore of my people's lives by sending them there. We've lost too many people on these recon missions quite frankly. I sent a couple of people on a special assignment and I haven't heard any word back from them, not to mention the people we've lost trying to contact other known towns. Fortunately, it hasn't been a complete loss we how found a few pockets of civilization. We need to start developing good relations with them now though. This will help in our rebuilding process. For now you're dismissed, but don't get too comfortable. I'll be sending you out again soon." You turn away and go back to your room in the underground part of the Compound wondering if you shouldn't just fucking leave, just then you get a visit from Marina. You're kind of glad to see her despite your pissed off mood. "Are you okay?" "Hell if I know I just spent a day in radiationville. I'll find out when my balls start shriveling up in three days!" "I think those suits would protect you from that happening." "Yeah, I know everyone thinks they're magical…nevermind I'm not even mad about that, I mean I understand we all got this lofty mission of re-establishing civilization or some shit, but I just don't see the fucking point in it. And I REALLY don't see the point in getting sent on suicide missions!" Marina sits next to you and tries to explain. "Okay, that WAS a mistake. In fact I wish you would've told me! I could've told the Colonel and he would've cancelled the mission! Harry likes to think he's second in command, but he's really just louder and more aggressive than most around here and that's why he's in a command position, but I think you could do just as good a job. I mean you've already braved and lived through going to the city and from what you described and Steve's mental breakdown it sounds like it was pretty bad. Total anarchy and lawlessness. And that's one of the reasons why rebuilding civilization is important. Do you really want to live in a world like that? I know you think this is all some sort of paramilitary bullshit, but we DO have a plan. Isn't it more advantageous to try to make the world a better place and have some sort of order?" "Trying to make the world a better place…yeah a lot of people in the past have thought they were doing that too and you can see how that turned out…THIS! Look, it's a nice idea, but I don't see it happening, not then, not now, not ever. I'd say our best bet would be to just try to live out the rest of lives as comfortably as we can in this hellhole of a world and not go messing around with shit unless its necessary." "…so I take it you're going to leave?" You look a Marina before responding. "No, I'm not leaving, but I'm staying for you, not an ideology or plan. My feelings for you override whatever disagreements I have with the current political agenda, if that's even the proper term for it." "Well that's sweet, but I do hope you develop a more positive attitude about this place." Marina says hugging you. "Doubt it, but I suppose anything's possible now." A year passes… You don't feel any different, but you're used to the Compound's plan of "re-building" civilization. You've moved up the ranks due to the fact that you're competent, something the Colonel realizes and respects even if Harry hates you. But due to your "loner" attitude you're usually sent on scouting missions by yourself rather than given any kind of command position. Ironically, you've been one of the key people in developing good relations with the nearby towns, since you've developed the knack of the sniper's art over the past year which really comes in handy when killing raiders. The Colonel's of the idea that if the Compound can prove its able to help defend towns from raiders, more people will want to join, the towns will be more willing to trade or even better a whole town will want a formal alliance. Perhaps slightly imperialistic, but what the hell, it's better to be the top dog and at least the intention is somewhat for good reasons. All part of the rebuilding process. Right now you're in the town that you found called Lost Springs, it's a remote little town that doesn't have any problems with raiders due to its somewhat hidden location (Though the wandering mutant bear is a problem sometimes) and while they're friendly with you, it's clear they just want to be left alone and keep to themselves. This might not be a problem, except they have a continual supply of fresh water from some underground stream. Not even mildly radioactive! (Though you're still convinced you're going to start mutating any day now since your trip to the city) It's a resource that can't just simply be ignored, but you're not exactly a diplomat, so you're not going to be convincing them on your own (And it's not like you can impress them with your super duper raider killing skills) > You get some help You're in this for rebuilding civilization, so you figure you should do all you can. You leave the town to get in a better transmitting area and radio in and explain the situation. Steve's working the radio (Never could go out again after the incident in the city) "…yeah, so if you can send some more diplomatic people here, that might help." You finish saying. "So, you're saying there's a fresh supply of water and no standing defense force there?" Steve asks. "No, not really. They don't have any problems with raiders, just with some of the more aggressive wildlife. Defenses basically consist of a few good hunters with rifles, but like I said they aren't interested in us being able to defend them. A different bargaining chip is going to be necessary." Suddenly you're cut off for a little while, you think your radio is having problems, but soon you start getting a response again. "Okay, report back to the Compound. We'll send Vivica and a few others to take care of it. We got the location of the place from your information." Steve says and signs off. You head back to the Compound. You know Vivica's one of the more diplomatic types, so you don't think anything else of it. She'll ether be successful or she won't. When you get back though you find out one of the "others" that went with her was Harry. You find that suspicious, he's NEVER gone on a single recon mission, let alone anything diplomatic. Soon the group sent to Lost Springs returns and you see Harry and a couple of the more obedient people to him, who you don't see is Vivica. You can't help but think the worst. And you turn out to be right unfortunately. Harry tells a story to everyone of how the people became hostile and they had to defend themselves, Vivica was "unfortunately" killed in the process. He goes on to say that he's secured the town, by leaving some people in place. You're over hearing this in the courtyard of the Compound and you can't stay silent. "You fucking murdering liar. Those people were fucking peaceful! I was there and never once were they hostile! You took that town by force and probably had Vivica killed when she tried to stop you and your fucking mindless lackies!" "Watch your fucking mouth cupcake! Don't condemn my actions for your own failures because you're too much of a pussy to do what needs to be done! I'm telling you they attacked us! I got witnesses! What the fuck do you have? Shit, how do we even know you weren't fucking collaborating with them and trying to lead us into a trap? It's a well known fact you're not exactly loyal to the Compound." "LOYAL? What the fuck? You fucking dipshit I'M one of fuckin' people who's been key in the HELPING the fuckin' Compound! Or have you forgotten all the good relations we have with other towns due to me?" "Yeah and how do we know you're not getting all chummy with all these outsiders in the attempt to try to build up your own fucking army to take power? In fact I'm thinking I might be going on a lot more of these missions, I don't trust you and neither should the rest of you!" At this point Marina steps in to say something, but you stop her causing Harry to taunt you again. "Yeah, that's right Cupcake, hide behind Marina's skirt again." "Harry, I dunno if you're more jealous of the fact that I'm actually more useful to the Compound, or the fact that I have access TO Marina's skirt, something I heard you attempted before I got here and failed miserably." You struck a nerve there. Harry lunges at you and the both of you tussle on the ground for awhile before the Colonel finally arrives wondering what the fuck has been going on. After reprimanding the pair of you, he calls you in his office for a full report of what exactly happened when you were at Lost Springs, then he does the same with Harry, unfortunately Harry has a few people that are loyal to him that are willing to back up his bullshit. Assuming they would even be believed, the citizens of Lost Springs can't even back you up, since as it turns out later Harry killed them all. And while the Colonel isn't taken with the idea that you have some sort of ulterior motive, he does allow Harry to start heading out on missions, since he did acquire a useful resource for the Compound. Four more years pass… Five years total have passed and The Compound has grown somewhat, not much though. The theory to that of course is the background radiation has probably made a lot of folks sterile. (And you're damn sure you probably are, after that trip to the city that you still continue to think about) however it has become much more than "The Compound" now. Alliances have been forged with other towns. The Compound has been renamed Fort Justice and the alliance itself is known as The Combine. Of course the term "alliance probably isn't really appropriate here. After the Lost Springs incident, things started getting a lot more authoritarian. Over time the towns you'd established peaceful relations with, Harry started hinting that a more permanent military force be established in them. (To help with raider problems more readily as he tried to claim) New towns that were come across were usually bullied into "joining" or outright taken by force and lowest of all, there's been actual recruitment OF raiders, some of them being stationed in the very town they were attacking on a regular basis. You can't believe the Colonel doesn't stop Harry's actions, but the problem is, is it IS working. The Combine is thriving under this aggressive strategy and becoming a strong entity. You on the other hand are eventually relegated to guard duty at Fort Jusitce, Marina finds the whole thing unfair and becomes really disillusioned with the new direction that this place has taken. In fact she does something you never thought she would, she suggests you leave and you can't say you're not in agreement with the idea. Not just because you never really cared about the "rebuilding civilization" process anyway, but more because Harry's power is starting to increase day by day lately and the Colonel has been sick, in fact he's probably going to die any day now. It's only a matter of time before Harry is in total control and when that day comes, you'll be fucked if you're still here. You and Marina pack what supplies you can and start loading them into one of the vehicles. This doesn't go unnoticed, in fact you start being questioned since there was no order to take one of the vehicles out and you're no longer on scout duty anymore. You try to come up with a lie on the spot, but words fail you at the moment and you resort to more direct measures and slug the nosey bastard in the face, dropping him. "Get in the fuckin' car now Marina!" you shout as you do likewise. > You take the wheel Marina slides over and you take the wheel and screech off. Considering Harry's hatred of you and the fact that this is considering going AWOL and stealing Combine equipment, you aren't just going to get away with this. You don't get far when you're soon pursued by other vehicles. You tell Marina to fire upon them, while you attempt to lose them. She does her best, but she's not an expert marksperson like you. One of those raider scumbags that have been an all too common in the new Combine recruitment policy manages to drive up to your side window and shoot a crossbow bolt right through your neck. You clutch at your mortal wound and lose control of the car, flipping it over and killing Marina as well.

You're in this for rebuilding civilization, so you figure you should do all you can. You leave the town to get in a better transmitting area and radio in and explain the situation. Steve's working the radio (Never could go out again after the incident in the city) "…yeah, so if you can send some more diplomatic people here, that might help." You finish saying. "So, you're saying there's a fresh supply of water and no standing defense force there?" Steve asks. "No, not really. They don't have any problems with raiders, just with some of the more aggressive wildlife. Defenses basically consist of a few good hunters with rifles, but like I said they aren't interested in us being able to defend them. A different bargaining chip is going to be necessary." Suddenly you're cut off for a little while, you think your radio is having problems, but soon you start getting a response again. "Okay, report back to the Compound. We'll send Vivica and a few others to take care of it. We got the location of the place from your information." Steve says and signs off. You head back to the Compound. You know Vivica's one of the more diplomatic types, so you don't think anything else of it. She'll ether be successful or she won't. When you get back though you find out one of the "others" that went with her was Harry. You find that suspicious, he's NEVER gone on a single recon mission, let alone anything diplomatic. Soon the group sent to Lost Springs returns and you see Harry and a couple of the more obedient people to him, who you don't see is Vivica. You can't help but think the worst. And you turn out to be right unfortunately. Harry tells a story to everyone of how the people became hostile and they had to defend themselves, Vivica was "unfortunately" killed in the process. He goes on to say that he's secured the town, by leaving some people in place. You're over hearing this in the courtyard of the Compound and you can't stay silent. "You fucking murdering liar. Those people were fucking peaceful! I was there and never once were they hostile! You took that town by force and probably had Vivica killed when she tried to stop you and your fucking mindless lackies!" "Watch your fucking mouth cupcake! Don't condemn my actions for your own failures because you're too much of a pussy to do what needs to be done! I'm telling you they attacked us! I got witnesses! What the fuck do you have? Shit, how do we even know you weren't fucking collaborating with them and trying to lead us into a trap? It's a well known fact you're not exactly loyal to the Compound." "LOYAL? What the fuck? You fucking dipshit I'M one of fuckin' people who's been key in the HELPING the fuckin' Compound! Or have you forgotten all the good relations we have with other towns due to me?" "Yeah and how do we know you're not getting all chummy with all these outsiders in the attempt to try to build up your own fucking army to take power? In fact I'm thinking I might be going on a lot more of these missions, I don't trust you and neither should the rest of you!" At this point Marina steps in to say something, but you stop her causing Harry to taunt you again. "Yeah, that's right Cupcake, hide behind Marina's skirt again." "Harry, I dunno if you're more jealous of the fact that I'm actually more useful to the Compound, or the fact that I have access TO Marina's skirt, something I heard you attempted before I got here and failed miserably." You struck a nerve there. Harry lunges at you and the both of you tussle on the ground for awhile before the Colonel finally arrives wondering what the fuck has been going on. After reprimanding the pair of you, he calls you in his office for a full report of what exactly happened when you were at Lost Springs, then he does the same with Harry, unfortunately Harry has a few people that are loyal to him that are willing to back up his bullshit. Assuming they would even be believed, the citizens of Lost Springs can't even back you up, since as it turns out later Harry killed them all. And while the Colonel isn't taken with the idea that you have some sort of ulterior motive, he does allow Harry to start heading out on missions, since he did acquire a useful resource for the Compound. Four more years pass… Five years total have passed and The Compound has grown somewhat, not much though. The theory to that of course is the background radiation has probably made a lot of folks sterile. (And you're damn sure you probably are, after that trip to the city that you still continue to think about) however it has become much more than "The Compound" now. Alliances have been forged with other towns. The Compound has been renamed Fort Justice and the alliance itself is known as The Combine. Of course the term "alliance probably isn't really appropriate here. After the Lost Springs incident, things started getting a lot more authoritarian. Over time the towns you'd established peaceful relations with, Harry started hinting that a more permanent military force be established in them. (To help with raider problems more readily as he tried to claim) New towns that were come across were usually bullied into "joining" or outright taken by force and lowest of all, there's been actual recruitment OF raiders, some of them being stationed in the very town they were attacking on a regular basis. You can't believe the Colonel doesn't stop Harry's actions, but the problem is, is it IS working. The Combine is thriving under this aggressive strategy and becoming a strong entity. You on the other hand are eventually relegated to guard duty at Fort Jusitce, Marina finds the whole thing unfair and becomes really disillusioned with the new direction that this place has taken. In fact she does something you never thought she would, she suggests you leave and you can't say you're not in agreement with the idea. Not just because you never really cared about the "rebuilding civilization" process anyway, but more because Harry's power is starting to increase day by day lately and the Colonel has been sick, in fact he's probably going to die any day now. It's only a matter of time before Harry is in total control and when that day comes, you'll be fucked if you're still here. You and Marina pack what supplies you can and start loading them into one of the vehicles. This doesn't go unnoticed, in fact you start being questioned since there was no order to take one of the vehicles out and you're no longer on scout duty anymore. You try to come up with a lie on the spot, but words fail you at the moment and you resort to more direct measures and slug the nosey bastard in the face, dropping him. "Get in the fuckin' car now Marina!" you shout as you do likewise. > You ride shotgun Like there was any other choice? You slide in next to Marina who guns the engine and screeches off. Considering Harry's hatred of you and the fact that this is considering going AWOL and stealing Combine equipment, you aren't just going to get away with this. You don't get far when you're soon pursued by other vehicles. You tell Marina to concentrate on driving, while you attempt to do some road warrior shit. Luckily you're still an excellent marksman, and you manage to either shoot the tires or the drivers of the cars and motorcycles in pursuit of you. Eventually you escape. After a few days of driving you and Marina start wondering where you're going to go. You can't drive forever, you'll run out gas eventually and you don't relish the idea of walking. However, once again luck is with you and you find a small place called Ashtown where you stop. Fortunately the people seem to be friendly. You immediately make yourself useful by helping with eliminating some bandits and raiders (A bit like the old days actually). You and Marina decide to stay and make a new life here, though in the back of your mind you're always expecting some sort of arrival of the Combine, maybe not coming to look for you specifically, but you know they're probably still expanding. About a year passes and nothing unusual happens, until a wandering traveler passing through decides to talk to you for some reason while you're sitting in the local café. "Hey friend." The traveler says. "Hmn." You reply still reading a book. "This place is a pretty well organized town. Pleasant too. Glad I found it." "It's better than most places." You say still without looking up. "Hey, I know what you mean. It's a crazy fucking world out there. What with the Cybernetic Evolution and all." "Cybernetic Evolution?" you ask finally looking up. "Yeah! You never heard of them? Well I guess I should warn you then. It's this group of killer cyborgs that want to remake humanity or exterminate them if they don't comply. They're supposedly from some sort of secret military base that was doing high tech experiments. There are robots too, but mostly cyborgs. I'm surprised they haven't headed this way, but then again, they've been pretty busy trying to combat the Combine. Never thought I'd be glad that the Combine exists, but I gotta say if it weren't for them, the CE would've probably expanded all over the fuckin' place by now and I guarantee we wouldn't be sitting here having this pleasant conversation." "Hmm, so the Combine is winning?" you ask. "Well, I wouldn't say that, it's more like a stalemate. Kind of a good thing too, since I don't really want them winning either. Those Combine bastards are a bunch of bullying fascists. Especially with that fucker Damon in charge." "Damon? Who's that?" "Damon, is the newest leader of the Combine. Thinks he's some sort of military genius, but all he is, is a common desert thug who's a little more intelligent than his buddies, probably still more competent than the last leader Harry who Damon killed to get the job." A smile forms across your face when you hear that news, while the traveler continues his story "Anyway that's partly one of the reasons I'm traveling. I don't want to be around when the war finally ends, either way the people who live nearby are going to lose…speaking of which I gotta get going, nice talking to you." After the traveler leaves you do likewise and tell Marina what you just heard. She asks you if you think if it would be a good idea to leave as well. Perhaps you haven't made all the right decisions in this new harsh world, but if nothing else you've at least been able to make good decisions concerning your own survival and you're about to make another one. You and Marina pack your belongings. Its time to move on again, you figure you should get out now while you can. You say goodbye to the few acquaintances you've had since your time here and warn them about the CE-Combine War before leaving. It's up to them what they're going to do. And once again, you and Marina are off, with the unknown future ahead of you.

You may not like this mission, and you may not like the people you're with, but it'll be a lot safer if you stick with these idiots, because you have a bad feeling about this place. In the meantime while you keep your eyes open, your ears are assaulted by your teammates' conversation. "I'm telling you she touched my hand dude! She's totally into me! I'm gonna talk to her more when we get back." Albert exclaims. "Bullshit, you didn't get anywhere with Vivica! I should know because I fuckin' tried once and she didn't give me any kind of play! I think she's a fuckin' dyke anyway." Roger replies. "Why the hell does she have to be some kind of dyke? Couldn't be that she didn't like your ugly ass?" "Fuck off Albert, go ahead and make an idiot of yourself trying to hit on some carpet muncher. I don't give a shit; I'm just trying to keep you from wasting your time." "Oh…well maybe she'll let me watch or something." "Yeah, right. That never happens except in the movies." Steve says. "The other problem with that plan, I can't think of any other woman in the Compound that might swing that way. Not unless you were some smooth pimp motherfucker that could talk her into it and given that you're far from that Albert, I'd say you're shit out of luck." "Well couldn't one of you guys help me? I mean, you could try to talk your girlfriends and we could all watch or something." "Yeah, there's a problem with that plan too Albert, namely neither one of those fuckers got girlfriends either." You interrupt. "Ha fuckin' ha. Nobody asked you for your opinion smart ass." Roger remarks annoyed. "Hey, do you think you could maybe talk to Marina then?" "Everyone shut the fuck up I hear something!" After looking around and up, in a split second of total silence, Roger speaks again. "There's nothing here, this city was fucking annihilated, ain't nothing alive except maybe rats and roaches. I dunno even know why we're so worried to begin with, do you think if anyone WAS still left alive they would be in any condition to…" Suddenly Rogers head explodes like a ripe melon after getting hit by a shotgun blast coming from the second floor window of a nearby building. The "thing" holding the shotgun is reloading and alerting his fellows. "MEEEEEEEEAAAT!" it screeches in a raspy voice. More figures start appearing. Most have a half-crazed appearance and severe radiation burns. Apparently these bomb survivors have had their minds damaged along with their bodies. "Holy shit, we're gonna die!" Albert screams and starts firing at everything. You and Steve do likewise while retreating back to the car. Before you all manage to leave the immediate area, the thing with the shotgun manages to get off another shot, blasting Albert in the leg, tearing it off. He screams and tries to crawl away, but is quickly mobbed and the last thing you see of him is some of the freaks sinking their teeth into him. "GET THE FUCK MOVING STEVE!" you shout stepping up your pace. Eventually you and Steve manage to get back to the car and speed off back to the Compound. Steve is pretty upset and while there isn't any traffic on the road, you still don't want him to be crashing into something else. "Steve calm the fuck down, and get a hold of yourself!" "Fuck you man! Didn't you see that?! They fuckin' killed Roger! And they ATE fuckin' Albert! Aw shit man! Shit! They're gonna come after us!" "I doubt that, they don't even know where we're from. Just be glad we got out of there. It was a stupid idea to go there in the first place. There's nothing there except crazed radioactive cannibals. I'm gonna tell Harry that much when we get back. Nobody's going there again, especially not me!" You're pretty pissed about this whole affair really and the more you're thinking about it; maybe you should just not return to the Compound, you have enough equipment and supplies to keep you in good shape for awhile. All you'd have to do is get rid of Steve and take the car. > You get rid of Steve Fuck this shit, you're not dealing with it anymore. You point your rifle at Steve, who's still hysterical about his friends dying. "Alright Steve, pull this car over and get out." You say calmly. "Wha…WHAT? Are you fuckin' crazy man? What're you doing?" "I'm giving you a chance to fucking live that's what! Now pull this fuckin' car over!" "My friends just fuckin' died and you pull this shit?" "You wanna end up like your goddamn idiot friends? You pull this car over now or your brains are gonna be all over the fuckin' windshield! DO IT!" "NO!" Steve shouts and violently swerves the car into nearby wreck alongside the road which you didn't even notice until you went flying out of the windshield upon impact. You walk away from the crash, but you don't walk far when you fall unconscious from your head wound injury and never wake up.

You turn off the TV and head to work, no point in worrying about things you can't do shit about. You have other real everyday problems to deal with. You go about your mundane life, doing mundane tasks at your mundane job, talking to your mundane co-workers about mundane things. Not much changes. One month later... Monday 8:00 AM You groggily wake up from the sofa like you always do, dreading to have to go to work at your pointless job. You haven't been sleeping well lately, you don't know what the hell the problem is, and all you know is you're going to be tired for work again. As you go through your routine of getting ready, the TV can be heard; as usual you left it on from the night before. "…Russian hardliners seized control of the government…Chinese epidemic has worsened; entire country is under quarantine…UK has withdrawn all association from the EU…Senate dissolved in US, martial law enacted…India declared open war on Pakistan…mass starvation in Africa… world wide depression… Same old doom and gloom on TV, a lot more serious now though. Those "silly" bomb shelter infomercials have increased; you've also been noticing an increase in survival type book titles whenever you browse the book stores now and the Emergency broadcasting system has been doing A LOT of tests lately. Something bad is going to happen and it's going to happen soon. You go about your life which isn't quite so mundane, world politics is a constant topic at work, and many of your co-workers aren't even coming in to do their job. All the married ones are no doubt spending time with their families, in fact the work place really isn't a work place anymore so much as it is a "socializing site". A lot of them believe the world is coming to an end anyway, so they might as well have a good time. Attempting to go about your normal life isn't an option anymore; neither is buying a bomb shelter at this late stage. > You start staying home You really didn't have any desire to know these people before, why bother now? You only worked there because you needed to. Now that it appears the whole world is going to hell, you might as well just stay home. You wonder if you shouldn't have prepared yourself for this inevitable event, but it's too late now. Last time you heard, the city was in complete anarchy, riots were breaking out and the National Guard was shooting people, can't get supplies from there now. The nearest general store closed up by its owner who headed up north with his family a month ago. Whatever supplies you have in your house will have to do. You start walking around armed at all times as you often think you'll be attacked by stray looters, who have escaped the city, but then again you live in a house on the dead end of wilderness, nobody ever comes out this way normally, and you never see another living soul. You're all alone. You spend much of your time watching TV and on the internet keeping up on events, one day blurring into the next as you often fall asleep after spending long amounts of time of being awake… Monday 8:00 AM You groggily wake up from the sofa. "…BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE…." You wake up to a test pattern on TV. This is it. > You go for a drive You calmly go to your van and start it up. You drive towards the city like you would if you were going to work. You see large black smoke clouds over it in the distance, out of control fires do doubt. You guess the exodus from the city is over, because the roads are pretty empty, except for the various car wrecks you pass by, this would almost be a peaceful "Sunday drive" if there wasn't hints of carnage on the road and the fact that it was Monday. As you get closer to the city, your van stalls and then stops completely. You don't bother to turn it back on instead you get out of your car and look up in the sky shielding your eyes from the sun shining down. You see a bright light and then nothing at all.

You really didn't have any desire to know these people before, why bother now? You only worked there because you needed to. Now that it appears the whole world is going to hell, you might as well just stay home. You wonder if you shouldn't have prepared yourself for this inevitable event, but it's too late now. Last time you heard, the city was in complete anarchy, riots were breaking out and the National Guard was shooting people, can't get supplies from there now. The nearest general store closed up by its owner who headed up north with his family a month ago. Whatever supplies you have in your house will have to do. You start walking around armed at all times as you often think you'll be attacked by stray looters, who have escaped the city, but then again you live in a house on the dead end of wilderness, nobody ever comes out this way normally, and you never see another living soul. You're all alone. You spend much of your time watching TV and on the internet keeping up on events, one day blurring into the next as you often fall asleep after spending long amounts of time of being awake… Monday 8:00 AM You groggily wake up from the sofa. "…BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE…." You wake up to a test pattern on TV. This is it. > You head down to your basement It's always been like you to do things at the last minute. After grabbing your pistol and all the food and drink you can, then heading down in the basement with it, you think that things probably won't be that bad. After all you don't live in the city, or even by an important city, surely not EVERY place will get bombed. It's not like you live on the east or west coast, now those people are going to be fucked. No, all you have to do is wait this out, and then things will get back to normal…okay well maybe not normal, but surely the government will restore order of some sort, you're sure they have a complex plan for this kind of thing. Eventually you hear a very loud noise; whatever light you had on in the basement immediately goes out as you can hear your house being hit by a powerful force. You curl up in a ball and hold your ears half expecting the entire house to collapse in on you, but it doesn't happen. You stay in the basement, for what you guess to be a week. You mostly stumble around in the darkness as reality begins to set in and destroy your previous delusions. You mainly think about how you should've planned things out better, especially since your food and drink are running out. The only thing you know really know about nuclear attacks is what you've learned from movies, video games and comic books. You can only hope some of that shit was helpful, as you have little choice, but to leave your basement, the bucket you were using to relieve yourself down there was really starting to stink anyway. You open up your basement door, which remarkably stayed intact, along with most of your house. The windows and other glass objects have all broke, and there's no power, but that's about it. You can only guess that whatever it was that hit, was far enough away and probably very low yield. You don't really want to think about the radioactivity factor though; you'll know if you're catching a lethal dose soon enough if your hair and teeth start falling out and you begin vomiting blood. Damn you wish you bought that bomb shelter… You check the refrigerator again for more food, but there won't be enough to last you one day. You wonder if the water is still working and turn on the faucet, of course it doesn't, you don't think you'd want to risk drinking any of it anyway. Well it looks like you can't stay in your house either; you're going to have to leave to find food and some sort of drinkable liquid. Damn you wish you bought that bomb shelter… Well if you're going to leave, you decide some sort of protection is in order; you grab some dishwashing gloves underneath the sink, some safety goggles you've had since you college chemistry class, a winter coat and finally a scarf your grandmother knit you for one of your birthdays to wrap over your mouth. You look somewhat silly in this getup and it probably won't protect you at all, but you're back to deluding yourself again which is probably a good thing since your relapses into fantasy are keeping you from breaking down completely. You open your dented garage door and get in your old van expecting it not to work, surprisingly it does. You thought it wouldn't due to all that stuff you remember hearing about EMP waves or something, then again your car was built in a year before they started mounting entire computers in the fucking things, so maybe that's why it still works. You don't know, you're just glad its one of the things you still have that functions, you didn't want to be riding that bike you bought and hardly ever used. You throw your backpack of useful items (flashlight, small tool set, first aid kit, etc) into the van and ponder where to go. You've got two choices that immediately come to mind assuming both still exist; one is that "Mom & Pop" General Store that was abandoned at least a month ago. You can't imagine they took everything from the place. The other choice is to risk going to the city and finding something there. Despite all the looting and mass exodus that was going on there before any of this went down, the city's still a big place and there's probably lots of useful stuff there, the problem is wondering if you'll be heading into a death zone. That radioactivity concern is still in the back of your mind. Damn you wish you bought that bomb shelter… > You head to the general store You might be absorbing more rads than usual now, but heading to the city would just be retarded. You'd probably die of cancer just going near the place; everything there would be contaminated anyway. You don't even want to see the survivors what the survivors might look like assuming there were any. You head for the general store, that's at least a safer bet. You drive your Van to the general store not very far from your house. You remember the old guy who ran the place; Billy. He was always alright with you. Whenever you went in to buy food, he was always talking about how bad the state of world was getting and how he was going to be prepared for when the nukes started flying. You're guessing he probably invested in one of those Ground Zero Survival Shelters you always saw for sale on TV and took himself and his wife to it. The last time you saw the place it was all boarded up and looked closed up for good, still it's a start. You arrive at the store which is still all boarded up like the last time you've seen it. You always found it weird that Billy bothered to board the place up, if he was going to abandon it. Surely he couldn't have thought things would be restored so quickly after a nuclear exchange that he'd be able to return some day. You get out of your van and study the store more closely which you never bothered to do before, the windows are boarded up from the outside, but upon closer inspection the door hasn't been boarded up at all. You try the door, but it's firmly locked. Nothing else for it, but to bash it down. You begin prying, slamming, kicking and everything else to the door, but its not budging and you only succeed in bruising your shoulder. In frustration you pull out your pistol and finally just shoot at the lock and then try to open it, which it does slightly, something else is barring the door from the inside though. You're going to have to start ramming the thing again to shove it open enough to get inside. Suddenly you hear some noise from inside and the click of a shotgun, it's also only just then you realize that Billy's pick up truck is still parked by the side of his store. He's obviously still here and you were oblivious to the fact. "Goddamn it Martha, hasn't been a month yet an' we already got scum tryin' ta loot the place!" It's Billy. You thought he left, but apparently not. He just made it look like he did and barricaded himself inside. "Alright you looting shit stain, you better just get the fuck outta here right now, 'fore you find yourself with a new hole in your chest!" Billy says from inside. "Whoa Billy it's me! I used to shop here! Come on open up, I'm not a looter!" you reply. "…(sigh) hold on, and back away from the goddamn door." You back away as Billy presumably moves whatever was still blocking the door. When he finally opens it up, he stands in the doorway still pointing his shotgun at you. "Damnation boy, I coulda blown your head off! You fuckin' destroyed my lock! What the hell are you wearin'?" Billy asks looking at your silly form of protection. "I'm sorry; I thought you abandoned this place." "Oh and that gave you the excuse to break in? What're you think yer doin' anyway? Why aren't you in your shelter or something?" "Cause I don't have one that's why! I was going to see if this place had any supplies and maybe stay here, if it wasn't in bad condition." "Oh. Well, sorry to crush yer dreams, but this place is still occupied and OWNED by me. You're gonna have to skedaddle. Just enough supplies for me and my wife." "But…" "No buts! Now you were a good customer an' all, but this is a new world and the rules have severely changed! It's all about survival now. And it's not my fault your ass didn't prepare for somethin' that was comin' for a long time! Now if you don't leave now I'm gonna be less understanding about this lack of judgment on your part. Bye and good luck." "No wait!" At this point Billy slams the door shut mumbling about the lock being destroyed and going to have to fix it. Billy must have some sort of private bomb shelter of his own, if he barricaded himself inside his own store. One that must be stocked pretty well to sustain him and his wife for a good amount of time. An idea races through your head that you never thought you'd consider, well not before the nukes hit anyway, but Billy's statement of "This is about survival" rings true. It IS about survival, and not just his. You don't really want to do this, but you feel like you have no other choice. Billy is still trying to barricade the door, when you take another forceful charge into it. Your attempt is successful this time as it flies open causing Billy to fall and drop the heavy box he was going to place in front of it. The box half lands on Billy causing him crushing pain while he struggles to grab his shotgun from the floor. You're quicker though and point your own pistol at him. "Don't grab that shotgun Billy…I don't want to kill you." you say "Goddamn sonofabitch, you ain't taking this…" "Billy what's… OH MY GOD!" When you hear Martha's outburst, it startles you during this already tense moment, you end up turning around and firing. You hit Martha square in the chest; she looks down briefly in shock before falling over dead. You're a little in shock yourself. "MARTHA!" Billy screams, causing you to face him once more, he's now actually grabbed the shotgun, and you begin babbling. "Oh God! Oh man! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to do that! She came up and…Billy don't do that…I don't want to…please…" You fire again, hitting Billy in the head, splattering his brains all over the floor and killing him instantly. You feel sick and promptly run outside to vomit. You've never killed anyone before, though you don't think it was that, that made you sick. It was the fact you murdered two people who were really innocent. You were the trespasser and when you couldn't get what you wanted, you took it by force. You acted like a criminal even if there's no such thing as "law" anymore. You sit down in a daze for a few minute trying to take all this in, before realizing you have to take care of some clean up first. You remove the bodies of Billy and Martha from the store. (You also remove your silly "protection wear", well except the dishwashing gloves for moving the bodies) You wonder where you're going put them, but eventually you decide to just dump them in the wilderness nearby, you figure nature will take its course. You go back to the store and re-barricade it. The store itself is empty, but in a back room, you discover a trapdoor. You descend and discover a large shelter with a treasure of food and water supplies, along with other useful items like first aid kits. Looks like Billy was more prepared than you could've imagined. One necessity you're glad to find is a bathroom facility with a sink and toilet, there's a little bit of water seeping from the cracks of the walls. Billy must've hit the jackpot and found an underground water source and built a crude plumbing system. He's also installed a small hydro generator which would explain how come there's dim lighting down here. Finally you see some survivalist books Billy had on a small bookshelf by a bed and a couple of hunting rifles along with ammunition for them and the shotgun you've recently acquired as well. Well you're certainly set up, and all you had to do was kill an old couple. As you lie down on the bed you think about your actions in greater depth now. You're not sure how to feel. Part of you wants to feel bad, but somehow you can't make yourself feel as bad as you probably should. In fact you're already starting to rationalize your actions. The first murder was a mistake, and the second one was self-defense. "And this is survival." You say and fall asleep. The next day you wake up, you feel the most refreshed than you have in a long time. Something has changed within you. You don't recognize immediately, but as a few months go by you begin to. Granted you were never a big one for human contact, anti-social and reclusive even, but this "line" you've crossed recently, your continued isolation, and the absence of civilization have made you become a little unhinged. You also start becoming paranoid, about other people stumbling across your new place and attempt to break in and take it like you did. Using the knowledge you've been getting from the survivalist books, you start setting up traps, inside and outside the store. One time, you spend just about a whole day doing that. When the darkness approaches you go back to your underground haven to descend further into quiet madness, before you fall asleep. Suddenly in the middle of the night you hear a noise and a scream from above. Sounds like it's coming from outside and from more than one person. You immediately grab your shotgun and head upstairs. After going through the typical routine of taking down the barricades, you open the door and see a family in panic. A man is lying on the ground yelling in pain from the snap trap that has obviously broken his leg. A woman and a little boy are screaming frantically and totally clueless of what to do in this situation. Looks like your traps work. The family hasn't seen you yet and don't know your intentions, come to think of it, you aren't even sure of your intentions… > You finish them off Obviously they thought they could just stroll in and take shelter here, bad mistake on their part… You calmly point the shotgun at the man caught in the trap and blast him before he even notices you. The little boy now really begins screaming, but the woman just becomes silent and falls into shock turning her head in your direction covered in the blood of her husband. You don't feel sick like you did last time; you do feel an overwhelming sense of power though. The woman grabs her son's hand and turns to run, but realizes two seconds later that she's only holding on to his hand and the rest of him is lying on the ground, one arm less, from your second blast. "WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?!" the woman screams. "Because I can, and there's nobody around to stop me." You say and briskly walk over to the woman. After a pathetic struggle you knock her out and drag her into your new home. After all, you're not sure when you'll get to see another woman again… A couple days after the incident with the family (and disposing of all three bodies) you begin keeping yourself in better shape. You start exercising regularly, and fixing up your home. You need to be prepared, in case more people ever show up. You MUST defend yourself and your home. You don't get many, but every now and then another poor soul stumbles across your death lair. You're merciless. Soon you begin to arrange the vehicles of your victims to form a semi "wall" around your home and place some grisly totems as "decoration". A year passes… You don't get visitors anymore, though that's probably because of the unfriendly image you've projected with all the skulls you've stuck on the spikes outside. Part of you is glad that you aren't being disturbed anymore, but the other part misses the killing. You begin to wonder if you shouldn't start venturing out more, but you'd hate to leave your home. One day you're awakened by the roar of motorcycles. You've got visitors again, you ready your weapons. As you head upstairs you hear that inevitable "SNAP!" sound followed by screaming. Yet another victim to your traps, though you hear the typical sounds of distress, you also hear some laughter, taunting even, which has got you more curious than anything. You check through a little peephole you made and see a bunch of biker types, one is lying on the ground, his leg nearly severed by the hidden bear trap. While one is trying to free him, a couple of the others are just laughing and remarking about how it looks like it really hurts. "AAAAAARGH! AGHHH!" "Look are you assholes going to help or not?" one of them asks. "Hey, I told you fuckers not to go traipsing into a place that has skulls stuck on stakes. Y'all should've known it wasn't exactly going to be a friendly place." "We need fuckin' gas Jim, and this place has a lot of vehicles, and maybe some of them have gas. We had to go check!" "Well yeah, but that didn't mean just walking around unaware of your surroundings…shit that leg looks bad." "GET IT OFF! AAAAHHHH!" "That leg is bad. Even if you did get it off of him, he's probably going to lose it to infection. I wiped my own shit on it, not to mention it was developing a nice set of rust on it when I found it. I'd say his bike riding days are over." You say standing your doorway with your shotgun ready. The bikers look in your direction, one looks like he's going to pull his pistol, but the one called Jim stops him. He's obviously the leader. "You might be right, stranger, but that still leaves you outnumbered one to three. You sure you wanna take those odds?" Jim says. "I'll take 'em and I'll enjoy it. It's been a long time since I've killed a whole mess of people." "Oh, so you're a REAL killer eh?" "Better killer than you." "Hah! I doubt that! See me an' the boys here have been raisin' hell where ever we can. Come across a few towns and let's just say we're not real welcome there anymore. It's a brand new world, and only the strong are gonna survive it." "Yeah? Well it looks like one of your flock isn't so strong now." "Yeah…well you might be right about that stranger…maybe someone should put him out of his misery. Can't very well ride with one leg, that'd be kind of silly." The biker trying to help speaks up. "Oh come on Jim man! Clyde here saved all of our asses about a month ago!" "Yeah? Well what has he done for us lately? The stranger's right, we gotta put him down, it's the kind thing to do really. You gonna do it, Dan?" "No…I…mean…well…" "Pussy. Nevermind. Ramon you gonna do it?" "Shit yeah! Here hold on, oh fuck." Ramon says pulling out his pistol and then dropping it on the ground. Jim just shakes his head. "Ramon, its amazing you've even lasted this long with your clumsy ass. Fuck it, I'LL do it." > You let Jim kill Clyde As strange as it may seem, you're kind of glad for the company believe it or not, so you'd rather just let this play out and see where it leads. You can always kill them all later. Meanwhile Jim is pointing his gun at Clyde's head in an overly dramatic manner. "Alright Clyde you knew the risks. No begging or pleadin' now." "Come on Jim! Don't do this! I can still ride…I'll…" "Goddamn it, get a fuckin' hold of yourself you fuckin' sissy! Fuck, I was givin' you a chance to go out like a man! Guess you fucked that up. Die bitch!" Jim blows Clyde's brains out, and turns his attention back to you. "Can't say I didn't give him a fair chance." "Yes…so what do you have planned now?" you ask, forming an idea in your mind. "Planned? Ha ha! We don't do a whole lotta planning, we just kinda roam from place to place causing meaningless violence! I think there's a town around in this area somewhere…" "You probably should look for a more reliable fuel source, if you're going to continue with this line of work." "Yeah, well we'll be good after Ramon here sucks out the remaining gas from this vehicle graveyard you got here. I trust YOU won't have a problem with that right?" "I'm sucking what?!" Ramon says with a surprised look on his face. "No, I don't have a problem with it, but what happens when that runs out? Are you going hope you find some more in your travels?" "It's worked so far…what the hell are you getting at?" "Instead of spreading meaningless violence on a small scale, how about spreading meaningful violence on a grand scale for a change?" You explain how you've been reading in the survivalist books about how to create a still, except not being a drinker; you never felt the need to create one. However that same cheap hooch could probably work as a substitute for real gas, if certain modifications were made to the vehicles. Basically the vehicles would be running on "garbage" given that's what the booze is made out of. It would smell horrible, but you get the impression that Jim and his boys wouldn't know the difference anyway. You begin to explain even more technical aspects as well, but you soon realize it's too much to process for them, so you stop before their heads explode. They do realize you seem to be a lot smarter than the rest of them though, so they agree to your "grand" plan. You tell one of them that they should drive to the nearest town by themselves, try to get a feel of the place, to scout the entire place out, find out what the defenses are and all of that. Ultimately Dan is chosen for this task since he can actually come off as being a nice guy. You give him some canned food and some bottled water you have. You explain that he should use the stuff as something to barter with, so it looks like he's just a wandering traveler. While Dan goes and does some scouting, you get to work on the still and Jim and Ramon, work on their altering their bikes (At least they know how to do that) a few days pass and you all generally start getting along. Unsurprisingly Jim and the rest of his gang were criminals even before the bombs dropped. You lie and say you were in the life of crime as well, nothing too specific though and just common and vague enough for Jim to believe. Of course all the people you killed after the bombs, you don't need to lie about at all. When Dan comes back, he does so with some interesting news. He mentions the closest town is Cinderville. He mentions it's not a completely harmonious town and it does have its rougher elements, but the local law enforcement is still in control of the place and relies on a vigilante mindset of some of the townspeople. Apparently they're trying to keep the resemblance of the "old world". He mentions there's another gang that hangs around the outskirts of it which attempts raids every now and then, but they're poorly lead. Finally he states they have a small farming area with animals like cows and pigs. Not all for eating, but to mainly produce shit for biofuel to run the law enforcement vehicles. Originally you were just thinking you could strike hard and fast and get out, every few months to break up the monotony, with the still to keep your vehicle running so you could engage in this behavior. But with this new information, of other gangs in the area and bad elements in the actual little oasis of civilization, you wonder if you couldn't actually take over the town, at the very least you could destabilize it. The biofuel center wouldn't be a bad acquisition either. You're confident you can pull this off, you just need more help. > You recruit some of the locals You decide that the locals have more intimate knowledge of the town and would probably be better to enlist help from. You suggest that you all go to Cinderville and do just that. After re-trapping your home, and gathering what supplies you think you'll need, you and the bikers all take a trip to Cinderville (You take your Van). After about a day of traveling you arrive at the place. However you don't get very far. The townsfolk remember Dan, and the cops were watching him the whole time he entered town. They didn't really buy his whole "wandering traveler" act and neither did most other people. They figured he was up to no good. So when all of you come rolling in, the cops instantly arrive and tell you to leave immediately. Normally you might've done that and come up with another strategy, but Jim begins revving up his cycle and shooting at the fuckers and disregards whatever plan you had. His boys follow suit. After seeing Ramon getting his head blown off and Jim get shot off his bike, you have no intention of sharing that fate, so you swerve to turn the van around…which promptly dies on the spot. "SHIT! GODDAMN IT! I JUST FIXED IT!" you shout beating on the wheel. "GIVE UP, ALL YOUR LOWLIFE BUDDIES ARE DEAD! GET OUTTA THE VAN NOW ASSHOLE!" you hear one of the cops shout in a bullhorn. Do they really expect you to give up? This is a brand new world, the cops don't need to put anyone in jail anymore; they can just shoot criminals. Not to mention, Dan had mentioned a vigilante mindset of the common townsfolk. They probably have every intention in hanging your ass, assuming they don't shoot you immediately after you give up. Fuck it; you ain't going out without a fight. Hell maybe you'll even get back home, probably not. (Sigh) you think maybe you should've just stayed in your nice home waylaying wanderers when they came by. Too late for that now though. You grab the hunting rifle and put it on your back, check your pistol, and grab your shotgun to be your primary weapon. You take a deep breath and open up sliding door of your van and blast the first pig you see and make a break for it. You manage to get a few blocks with the cops in pursuit, before one of the neighborhood "Rambos" shoots at you, hitting you in the leg. You fall to the street hard, dropping your shotgun which spirals out of your hand several feet from you. You get some pay back by blasting the shithead who shot you in the leg when he came closer to confirm the "kill". You struggle to stand up, only to get hit by a fucking police car fully intent on running you down, except you go flying in the air instead and land on your face again with a pair of broken legs now. The car stops and a police woman with dreadlocks gets out, she shoots you in the arm, when you attempt to go for your pistol. "You're under arrest suga!" she says in a high voice. You merely turn to look at her, and laugh at the absurdity of it all. "Fuck you bitch." "You wish honey!" And with that last snappy come back, she decides that you were resisting arrest and shoots you.

As strange as it may seem, you're kind of glad for the company believe it or not, so you'd rather just let this play out and see where it leads. You can always kill them all later. Meanwhile Jim is pointing his gun at Clyde's head in an overly dramatic manner. "Alright Clyde you knew the risks. No begging or pleadin' now." "Come on Jim! Don't do this! I can still ride…I'll…" "Goddamn it, get a fuckin' hold of yourself you fuckin' sissy! Fuck, I was givin' you a chance to go out like a man! Guess you fucked that up. Die bitch!" Jim blows Clyde's brains out, and turns his attention back to you. "Can't say I didn't give him a fair chance." "Yes…so what do you have planned now?" you ask, forming an idea in your mind. "Planned? Ha ha! We don't do a whole lotta planning, we just kinda roam from place to place causing meaningless violence! I think there's a town around in this area somewhere…" "You probably should look for a more reliable fuel source, if you're going to continue with this line of work." "Yeah, well we'll be good after Ramon here sucks out the remaining gas from this vehicle graveyard you got here. I trust YOU won't have a problem with that right?" "I'm sucking what?!" Ramon says with a surprised look on his face. "No, I don't have a problem with it, but what happens when that runs out? Are you going hope you find some more in your travels?" "It's worked so far…what the hell are you getting at?" "Instead of spreading meaningless violence on a small scale, how about spreading meaningful violence on a grand scale for a change?" You explain how you've been reading in the survivalist books about how to create a still, except not being a drinker; you never felt the need to create one. However that same cheap hooch could probably work as a substitute for real gas, if certain modifications were made to the vehicles. Basically the vehicles would be running on "garbage" given that's what the booze is made out of. It would smell horrible, but you get the impression that Jim and his boys wouldn't know the difference anyway. You begin to explain even more technical aspects as well, but you soon realize it's too much to process for them, so you stop before their heads explode. They do realize you seem to be a lot smarter than the rest of them though, so they agree to your "grand" plan. You tell one of them that they should drive to the nearest town by themselves, try to get a feel of the place, to scout the entire place out, find out what the defenses are and all of that. Ultimately Dan is chosen for this task since he can actually come off as being a nice guy. You give him some canned food and some bottled water you have. You explain that he should use the stuff as something to barter with, so it looks like he's just a wandering traveler. While Dan goes and does some scouting, you get to work on the still and Jim and Ramon, work on their altering their bikes (At least they know how to do that) a few days pass and you all generally start getting along. Unsurprisingly Jim and the rest of his gang were criminals even before the bombs dropped. You lie and say you were in the life of crime as well, nothing too specific though and just common and vague enough for Jim to believe. Of course all the people you killed after the bombs, you don't need to lie about at all. When Dan comes back, he does so with some interesting news. He mentions the closest town is Cinderville. He mentions it's not a completely harmonious town and it does have its rougher elements, but the local law enforcement is still in control of the place and relies on a vigilante mindset of some of the townspeople. Apparently they're trying to keep the resemblance of the "old world". He mentions there's another gang that hangs around the outskirts of it which attempts raids every now and then, but they're poorly lead. Finally he states they have a small farming area with animals like cows and pigs. Not all for eating, but to mainly produce shit for biofuel to run the law enforcement vehicles. Originally you were just thinking you could strike hard and fast and get out, every few months to break up the monotony, with the still to keep your vehicle running so you could engage in this behavior. But with this new information, of other gangs in the area and bad elements in the actual little oasis of civilization, you wonder if you couldn't actually take over the town, at the very least you could destabilize it. The biofuel center wouldn't be a bad acquisition either. You're confident you can pull this off, you just need more help. > You approach the raiders Entering the town again, wouldn't be a good idea. From the sound of it, the town is suspicious of outsiders, if Dan showed up again with the lot of you; they'd know something was up. Not to mention he was the most "presentable" of all of you. You figure the raiders might be a better choice. If they're poorly led, then maybe just taking care of the leader will make the rest fall in line. "Alright Dan, you know where the raiders hang out?" you ask. "Um, not exactly, but its somewhere in the hills near Cinderville." "Okay let's go there. We can probably kick the leader's ass and…" Jim all of sudden stops you in mid-sentence. "Hold up, brain boy. I know you got all these great ideas, and you seem to be a pretty ruthless sonofabitch, and I respect that, but let's keep in mind that I'M running this fuckin' gang. Don't presume you can just order us all around about what we're going to do." He tells you in an authoritative voice and implies bodily harm if you disagree with him. (Sigh) You had a feeling this was going to happen. > You kill Jim "Y'know what, you're right Jim, you shouldn't have to take orders from me." "Good, I'm glad we understand each other." "That's why you won't be around to do it any longer!" Before anyone can do anything, you draw your pistol and shoot Jim three times in the chest before he falls dead. Ramon and Dan look like they want to react, but don't. "Good. Glad to see you guys are smarter than you appear. Now Dan, lead us to the raiders." After taking some supplies you think you'll need and re-trapping your home, you all set off to leave. (You take your van) In about a day, you arrive around in the area that Dan was talking about, in fact you don't need to look for the raiders; they instantly approach you when they see you coming. It would appear some of them have a few vehicles as well, you just hope you can pull this off. You get out of your van and your two new lackeys stop their bikes, they don't like the looks of this, especially since you're greatly outnumbered. "Hey, uh…maybe this isn't such a good idea…" Ramon says. "Yeah, when I was in Cinderville, I heard these guys could get pretty crazy." Dan adds. "Pfft, these types always fall in line when you display sufficient strength. All I gotta do is challenge the leader to hand to hand combat or some shit. Hell, you fuckers were in prison, you know how this works." You arrogantly reply. "Yeah, but even in prison there were rules! I mean there ain't no rules at all out here! Who says they're going to accept your challenge?" With Dan's last statement, you figure you'll soon find out when the raiders arrive and stop their own vehicles. The leader steps out of his beat up car, and steps forward. He looks mean enough, like he's been living in the wasteland from day one. "So, you got any last words, before we fuck you and eat you?" he asks. "Yeah, I heard you're the lame cocksucker, who can't even handle a few pigs and some wannabe vigilantes in Cinderville." You reply. The raider leader's expression gets even meaner looking if such a thing is possible. "Oh? And I suppose YOU can do a better job?" he sneers. "Sure the fuck can, all I need is more people. In fact I'd say yours would do just fine, so are you going to step down from your inept leadership, or am I gonna have to beat the shit outta you and take it?" After looking at you up and down, he speaks again. "Shit, I doubt if you could even last five minutes. Fuck this; I'm not wasting my time. Kill these assholes." As soon as he says those words, you immediately turn to run, ducking and trying to get into your van, but in the shooting, the raiders hit the van's front tires by the time you make it inside. Dan and Ramon speed off, with some of the raiders in pursuit, while you attempt to drive in reverse and turn around on flat tires. The raider leader rams your van with his own car, which has been fitted with extra plating. Eventually in the mayhem of the ramming, shooting and swerving around on flat tires on an incline, you roll the van over and over down the hill. It's amazing that you don't get killed and the van didn't blow up. You however aren't in such great shape. You barely manage to crawl from your wrecked van, and when you do, the raider leader arrives in his own car just in time to finish you off. He finds you crawling on the ground, when he opens up his door to point a sawed off shotgun in your face and pull the trigger.

Entering the town again, wouldn't be a good idea. From the sound of it, the town is suspicious of outsiders, if Dan showed up again with the lot of you; they'd know something was up. Not to mention he was the most "presentable" of all of you. You figure the raiders might be a better choice. If they're poorly led, then maybe just taking care of the leader will make the rest fall in line. "Alright Dan, you know where the raiders hang out?" you ask. "Um, not exactly, but its somewhere in the hills near Cinderville." "Okay let's go there. We can probably kick the leader's ass and…" Jim all of sudden stops you in mid-sentence. "Hold up, brain boy. I know you got all these great ideas, and you seem to be a pretty ruthless sonofabitch, and I respect that, but let's keep in mind that I'M running this fuckin' gang. Don't presume you can just order us all around about what we're going to do." He tells you in an authoritative voice and implies bodily harm if you disagree with him. (Sigh) You had a feeling this was going to happen. > Back down While you probably could kill this fat fucker, but for now you have to have all the help you can get and no disunity to pull this plan off, so you'll back down for now… "Hey, I never said I was the leader, I know you are Jim." "Good. Glad we understand each other." "So go ahead and tell us what YOU think is the best course of action for this plan." "Um…well…your strategy sounded pretty good." Jim says predictably Just as you thought, you're STILL in control, just had to give the fool the appearance that he's still in control. After taking some supplies you think you'll need and re-trapping your home, you all set off to leave. (You take your van) In about a day, you arrive around in the area that Dan was talking about, in fact you don't need to look for the raiders; they instantly approach you when they see you coming. It would appear some of them have a few vehicles as well. Jim signals for everyone to halt and he gets off his bike. Ramon and Dan halt near Jim, but don't get off their bikes. You in the meantime grab your hunting rifle and hang in the back a bit, you just hope Jim can pull this shit off, especially since you're greatly outnumbered. Soon the raiders arrive and stop their own vehicles. The leader steps out of his beat up car, and steps forward. He looks mean enough, like he's been living in the wasteland from day one. "So, you got any last words, before we fuck you and eat you?" he asks Jim. "Yeah, I heard you're the pussy ass bitch, who can't even handle a few pigs and some fuckin' vigilantes in Cinderville." Jim replies. The raider leader's expression gets even meaner looking if such a thing is possible. "Oh? And I suppose YOU can do a better job you fat tub of shit?" he sneers. "Sure the fuck can asshole, all I need is more men. In fact I'd say yours would do just fine, so I'd say you'd better just step aside and see a pro in action." "Don't think so, besides I've already seen a fag get his mouth gang fucked by a bunch of guys." You sure hope Jim is a better fighter, because he's losing in the battle of snappy comebacks right now. In fact he can't come up with a response, so he just slugs the raider leader instead. You fully expect the shooting to start, but instead the raider leader laughs, pulls out the biggest blade you've ever seen and screams "THIS ONE IS MINE!" During the fight, you scan all your potential greatest threats and the quickest order to pick them off, in case this all goes south. You're so busy doing that, that you're not really paying attention to the actual fight, which Jim as it turns out, is winning. After tussling on the ground, slamming into nearby vehicles, punching, kicking and all the rest, Jim finally puts an end to his opponent by shoving his own knife through his throat. Everyone goes silent, and Jim stands up wiping the blood off of himself. "Alright! Now listen the fuck up! Your previous leader was a lame ass who couldn't get the job done, and that changes right now! We're gonna get fuckin' organized and take that goddamn little town! Might makes fuckin' right! Are ya with me, or are ya gonna go running off like a limp wristed sissy?" Well, it's a good thing you didn't kill Jim, because these raiders seem to really identify with him and they unanimously accept him as their new leader. You doubt if you would've had that success. You've never been a people person, regardless of who those people might've been, however you are an idea person, and now you move on to your next phase. After Jim finally gets all the new people to listen, you begin to explain your plan, the problem before is they kept stupidly attacking from one direction, rather than doing the classic "pincer" maneuver and attacking from multiple sides. Using Dan's information, you specifically pick out areas where the most damage can initially be done with the least amount of risk. You point out the spot where there's still an old school being used to teach the children. Take control of that with the kids inside and you've severely reduced most of the townspeople's willingness to fight, which will curb the neighborhood "Charles Bronsons" from helping the police force. In fact you decide to take that job since you want Jim to lead the raiders in the main direct assault force with the cops. Dan and Ramon will be traveling with their own smaller force to attack other parts of the town, spreading out the cops' usually organized force. It's also hoped that the more disreputable elements that Dan mentioned living in the town, will join in the mayhem on your side, or at least against their side. The raider vehicles themselves are not in the best condition, and most of them are running low on gas, but they'll do for now. You figure if all goes well, the still fuel that you created back at your home, as well as the farming area in the town with the pig and cow shit biofuel can solve those problems later. In fact you specifically mention that NO damage should happen to that area in this attack, though you don't expect them to follow that order. You don't want to wait long to attack with this bunch, since they have the attention span of a gnat of crack. You have to attack soon when they're all hyped up. You suggest that to Jim, who agrees since he's anxious to get to this dastardly business anyway. In a couple days you're attacking the town as planned. You start on your end first, making a beeline to the school, before the main attack force arrives. A few of the raiders are in your van itching to start creating some havoc. You stop outside of the school and run inside with your current trigger happy cohorts. A couple of them kill a few kids and you have to remind them you're SUPPOSED to be holding them hostage right now! If the townsfolk don't comply THEN you can start capping the little bastards. You tell them to go and kill the teachers if they want. In the mean time you take the opportunity to shout from the window to the crowd gathering outside. You tell them that if any of them start trying to defend the town or help the cops, then their kids are going to be killed. To show you're really serious though, you tell one of the raiders to toss a kid out the window. A collective cry goes up from the crowd when the body hits the pavement and their pathetic begging is pleasing to your ears. You get a few people shooting at you anyway (Obviously not parents) but having a good vantage point and a hunting rifle, you start sniping the idiots who have decided to ignore your threats. A few more kids thrown out the window causes ALL the shooting to stop. You can hear the sounds of battle from your position; no cops have arrived so you're guessing Jim and the rest are doing their job. You're really enjoying all this chaos you've created, you were just stagnating before the bombs dropped, now in this new world you're free to embrace the darkest part of yourself that always existed, but wasn't allowed the flourish. You love this fucking shit. Eventually you hear a roar of a motorcycle, followed by the sound of some bottles breaking. You go to check the window and see the crowd outside running and screaming, some of them on fire from the Molotov Cocktails just thrown at them. You also see Ramon shouting up to you. "Hey! We're winning man! The remaining cops are barricaded in their fucking station, broke the Mayor's legs and dragged him through the street and best of all we got some of the other local punks to join us! There's practically no more resistance left! Its total fucking anarchy man!" You turn around and begin smiling at the kids you're holding hostage which somehow scares them even more. You pick up a young girl and kiss her hard on the lips and laugh at the fear in her eyes. You then throw her down and tell the raiders with you they can do whatever they want, because you're going to indulge in some pure havoc on your own. After a couple days and nights of indulging in this activity, Jim finally gets around to settling his new gang down (Which he's inventively called "Jim's Reapers") and wondering about what to do with the town now that he has control over it. He seems to have forgotten already that it was YOU, who orchestrated this. Now that the task has been accomplished perhaps this would be the time to discuss the leadership role again. Then again, you wonder if you even want to bother. Sure there's the power and such, but there's also the headache of dealing with all these morons on a regular basis and running the town. The "fun" part is over as it were. > You kill Jim for control of the town The whole point of this endeavor was to take control of the town and you're not going to let Jim get that glory. You go find him in the Mayor's Manor still tormenting the mayor and his wife. The mayor is currently lying on the floor bloody and helpless with his legs a useless mess. His wife is naked in a fetal position in a corner just rocking to herself in a state of perpetual shock, its apparent she's been raped over and over. Jim doesn't have anyone else with him, not even have Dan or Ramon, he's all by himself in a drunken stupor at the moment celebrating his new found power, unaware that you're about to relieve him of it. "Heeeeey! Killer! Its you! Have a drink! This fucker's got some classy shit stashed in his cellar! (Hic!)" "Nah, that's okay. So I see you've been having fun eh?" "Me? Oh fuck yeah! The mayor over here has got himself one fine piece of ass! Been tryin' her out every other hour y'know what I mean? HAR HAR HAR!" "Hmmm, yes." You say looking over at her again, while Jim continues to pontificate. "Shit man (Hic!) I think me, you, Dan and fuckin' Ramon are the few straight bastards in this gang! Those fuckin' raiders we recruited? I ain't even seen them try to get any of the pussy in this town. They must've been in the wasteland too damn long or somethin', I think they forgot what a god (hic!) damn bitch looks like. Been cornholin' each other so much they went an' fell in love! HAR HAR HAR HAR! (hic!) Ah hell I'm not judgin'. (hic!)" While Jim wanders into the next room still talking about his gang's sexual preference, you go over to the mayor who's been baring his mental and physical pain in silence the whole time. When you crouch near him and pull your pistol out, he thinks this is it, but you have something "special" in mind. You see that his hands are still in good shape so you keep your voice down and look him in the eyes. "You're gonna die. Nothing can stop this. Resign yourself to this fact. Life sucks and that's all there is to it." you say unloading your pistol, but keeping one bullet in the chamber. "…however, you can still get vengeance. I thought you might like to know that I'm the one who planned this attack. I'm the one who orchestrated this town's destruction. A town you no longer have any control over and has had many of its citizens viciously killed thanks to my actions… the fat piece of drunken shit in the next room has personally beaten you and violated your wife, repeatedly. Over and over. In front of you. His fat smelly flesh all over her while he enjoyed it the whole time. Probably shoved his cock in all three holes too huh?" He looks at you with a mixture of fear, hate, and sorrow, while tears fill his eyes. You place the gun in his hand. "…well anyway, there's one bullet in the gun. Remember, you got one shot, one chance for vengeance, make your choice. Better hide that, here comes Jim." Jim comes stumbling back in room, while the mayor holds the gun close to himself in a bad attempt to hide it. The stand back waiting to see what happens next. "…I mean hell I've fucked a few prags when I (hic!) was in prison, but…hey…what have you got there?" Jim asks seeing the mayor holding something, but not able to make it out clearly due to his inebriated state. Jim gets closer, closer, and then mayor draws on him. He sobers up just long enough to realize he's got a bullet between his eyes. "…what the fuuuuuuuuck…" Jim says before falling face first on the floor. "Wow, that was pretty intense, I mean my own life was on the line there! Whew! But I figured you'd kill Jim, too bad it wasn't the right choice on your part." You say punching the mayor in the face and take your pistol back, loading it again. "Stupid bastard, didn't it occur to you that I'd do the same thing to your wife?" "No…don't…" he says looking up at you with blood coming from his mouth, as your own curls cruelly upward. "Just kidding, I wouldn't stick my dick anywhere near Jim has been. Looks like you made the right choice after all!" You put the mayor out of his misery and shoot him in the face. You then approach the mayor's wife who's still been rocking to herself this whole time. You look at her a little closer. "Hmm, you must've been very beautiful before this all happened." You remark, caressing her damaged face, before ending her life as well. Having had your fun, you go and announce you're the leader now. Unfortunately you don't quite have the charisma or imposing physique Jim had, so not everyone is willing to follow. (Ramon and Dan are among the first ones you kill for disobeying you) What ultimately happens is the town becomes a factional warzone where nobody is really in control and the poor Cinderville townsfolk are caught in the middle. Eventually things stabilize and a few of the "heavy weights" carve out their own territories and there's an unstable peace in the town. Fights still break out, but there's never an imbalance of power or advantage for long. (Though, maintaining a hold on the biofuel refinery gives you a little bit of an advantage…) Four years pass… Five years have passed since the bombs dropped and you couldn't be happier. You've accomplished more than you ever did in the old world. World War Three was the best thing that ever happened to you. You've been running your own slice of heaven in this hellish world and had the freedom to live out your true nature, which you've done for the past five years. And now that freedom could be coming to an end. Recently through rumors and wandering travelers who have the misfortune of finding Cinderville, you've found out that there's a growing organization trying to "tame" the wasteland. They call themselves The Combine. Apparently they're at war with another organization called the Cybernetic Collective and the Combine's been aggressively taking towns and conscripting the citizens to fight in their war. And now they've come to Cinderville. They arrive in well taken care of vehicles, with better training, better discipline and better weapons. They begin talking to everybody they can. They aren't going to take the entire town by force, no what they intend to do is to back one of the stronger factions to wipe out the rest, and then absorb their puppet into the Combine to have control over the entire town. You're not fooled. The question just remains is; are you going to ally with them first, or fight this threat to your freedom? > You ally with the Combine If you have any motivation to keep your position, you'll have to ally with the Combine, for now at least. You decide to at least hear what they have to say. Two envoys come to speak to you; one of them is some rough looking man that probably thinks he's some sort of hard ass. The other is a woman, she looks like she's probably seen battle, but you're more interested in her seeing your dick up close and personal if that's possible. "So, I hear you're one of the Warlords of this town. My name's Roger and this is Vivica. We belong to The Combine as I'm sure you already know." "Yeah, yeah, I already know all about your little paramilitary outfit. Trying to tame the wasteland or some shit. Futile endeavor I say. It all comes down to chaos in the end. The last world war proved that." "Yeah, and I've ran into your type before. Typical petty despot who thrives off of the suffering around you. Let me guess, you were probably a petty criminal or prisoner in your old life. A loser. Someone who never could accomplish anything, until AFTER the bombs hit. And look at you; you can't even do that right. You don't even control this whole town. You're still a loser." You smile at Roger's poor attempt at psychology. "Oh, is that what I was eh? Well I guess that makes us both sides of the same coin. You were probably some boring fucktard in a boring job, with a boring life. You probably watched reality shows about cops and mercs an' shit wishing you could do that, but were too much of a sheep to go out and have adventures of your own. You just obeyed the laws and followed the rules. Now look at you. Mr. wasteland fuckin' warrior, but even in this new world you're still a fucking sheep. Still following the rules, the only reason you're having adventures now is because your superiors tell you to. You're just as much of a fucking loser as I am." Roger noticeably grows angry by your own psychological evaluation, but Vivica steps in to mediate. "Look, you fuckers compare dick sizes later, we ain't got time for it right now." "Ooowee! I like the mouth on this one! I'd like it more around my dick though…you interested in seeing just what my dick size exactly is honey?" "(Sigh) I suggest you better explain why the Combine should back you for control of this shithole town and what you'd even bring to the table other than your miniscule cock you like flapping in the wind." "Why do I need to convince you? You're the fuckers who want the damn town, but if you must know, I already have control of a biofuel refinery. I'd say that puts me as a pretty good favorite right there." "Eh, not really. One would wonder why someone who has such an advantage doesn't already HAVE control of the entire town. It seems like only someone who is really stupid or too incompetent to lead his side to ultimate victory would be the only logical explanation." "Oh it's just that simple to you huh? For your information I don't exactly HAVE the same amount of people as the other warlords. I have enough to defend my territory and that's about it and sure I can refuel all my vehicles easy enough, but so fuckin' what? You think that means shit in close urban combat? Some sniper can just blast a driver riding down the street. Don't mean shit. However! My refinery can be used to help fuel YOUR vehicles in your war with…what those cyborgs right? I mean you guys are fighting in the open battlefield where you can maneuver and drive around. You can also transport supplies quicker. And I know why you also want control of this place. You want conscripts. Well, you'll get no protests from me; take anyone you want, except my workers at the refinery and myself of course." Vivica and Roger look at each other and discuss in quiet about what you've told them, Vivica speaks up again. "And you would be willing to join the Combine and supply us with whatever we need?" "Sure, like I said, take anyone you want except me or the people needed to run the refinery, of course I hope this isn't a one way street, I mean I want something too…" "Yes, of course we will transport food and water supplies if you need…" "What? No not that shit. Fuck, I got my own private stash of food and water. And the rest of the shitheads in this town can fend for themselves. Nah, what I want is right here in front of me…" you say beginning to leer at Vivica. Now she begins to feel very uncomfortable. Good. You like that. "Hold on we have to talk this over…" Roger says. "WHAT?!" Vivica shouts. "Sure, sure, you do that. Just remember, this is my offer and I might say it's a very generous one, I doubt you'll get a better one. The rest of these warlords are greedy bastards, they'll want weapons, and a bunch of other shit. All I'm asking for is for some time with a woman and your help with getting rid of the other warlords of course. After I gain control of the entire town, you'll be able to take whatever you want with no resistance. You want fuel? You got it. You want cannon fodder? You got that too. Decline my offer and well…let's just say I'll make sure I do a lot of damage before you fine Combine folks bring me down. I'll leave you to it to decide." Vivica and Roger leave your office and you can hear arguing outside. Obviously Vivica is NOT real keen on this compromise and she's even less keen when it's decided she needs to "take one for the team". You fucking love this shit. How far people are willing to degrade themselves for the "greater good". What a fucking joke. Later that night, you and Vivica are ready to finalize the "deal", though she's still trying to maintain some semblance of dignity. "Don't think you're gonna be pulling some kinda sick shit with me or hitting me either, because if that happens, I won't give a fuck about the deal, the Combine, or even if I live, but regardless of what happens, you'll be singing soprano, and pissing like a bitch for the rest of your life." A threat without fear of consequence. Somehow you can respect that. Hell you think you might even be in love. "Okay, calm down sweetheart, none of that's gonna happen. Now let's start off by getting that pretty mouth of yours in action like I mentioned earlier today…" Afterwards, Vivica grabs her clothes and leaves immediately. You're a little disappointed, since you almost got the impression she enjoyed herself…oh well, back to business. With the Combine's help, wiping out the other warlords is a snap. Indeed you could've done it yourself long ago if you'd had disciplined people and more of them. Of course none of that matters now, you're officially head of the town, though the Combine leave a few troops behind as a reminder that Cinderville is now part of it. They don't do too much though, and mostly leave you to your own devices. You're giving them free fuel, free conscripts, and even letting them use most of your remaining vehicles, and barely asking for anything in return, why shouldn't they let you do what you want? They're doing what they want. Besides they're busy at war with a bunch of cyborgs and you're so far away. They won't be interfering anytime soon. Five years pass… Ten years have passed since the bombs dropped and civilization seems to be reforming…unfortunately. The Combine won the war with the Cybernetic Evolution a couple years ago and have had time to focus on their current holdings a lot more. This means they're focusing more on Cinderville, which you don't like. In fact more and more of a Combine influence is being felt. They're starting to supply the town regardless of what you said before. No longer are the people living in poverty and near starvation. By God, they're even trying to REBUILD parts of it! You don't like this. You protest their meddling, but they don't pay any attention to you, Cinderville IS under Combine control after all. You're just there for looks and in fact you're not looking too good to them anymore. It seems the Combine wants to put one of their own in power here to run things. They don't need to compromise their ideology anymore now that the war's over. They don't need to associate with scum like you anymore now. Things are truly coming to an end… > You try to acclimate yourself You "resign" your position and leave Cinderville. Not knowing where to go, you go back to your second home outside Cinderville. You try to live a quiet isolated life like before, but you can't do it now, your urge to control, to kill, and create anarchy is too strong now. You can't go back, so you try to go back to your past activities by visiting Cinderville every now and then to commit a few murders in the night, however being under direct Combine control now, things like that are investigated a little more now, especially when the body count starts piling up. It's during one of your nightly visits, that you're captured and delivered quick and efficient justice by Combine troops.

If you have any motivation to keep your position, you'll have to ally with the Combine, for now at least. You decide to at least hear what they have to say. Two envoys come to speak to you; one of them is some rough looking man that probably thinks he's some sort of hard ass. The other is a woman, she looks like she's probably seen battle, but you're more interested in her seeing your dick up close and personal if that's possible. "So, I hear you're one of the Warlords of this town. My name's Roger and this is Vivica. We belong to The Combine as I'm sure you already know." "Yeah, yeah, I already know all about your little paramilitary outfit. Trying to tame the wasteland or some shit. Futile endeavor I say. It all comes down to chaos in the end. The last world war proved that." "Yeah, and I've ran into your type before. Typical petty despot who thrives off of the suffering around you. Let me guess, you were probably a petty criminal or prisoner in your old life. A loser. Someone who never could accomplish anything, until AFTER the bombs hit. And look at you; you can't even do that right. You don't even control this whole town. You're still a loser." You smile at Roger's poor attempt at psychology. "Oh, is that what I was eh? Well I guess that makes us both sides of the same coin. You were probably some boring fucktard in a boring job, with a boring life. You probably watched reality shows about cops and mercs an' shit wishing you could do that, but were too much of a sheep to go out and have adventures of your own. You just obeyed the laws and followed the rules. Now look at you. Mr. wasteland fuckin' warrior, but even in this new world you're still a fucking sheep. Still following the rules, the only reason you're having adventures now is because your superiors tell you to. You're just as much of a fucking loser as I am." Roger noticeably grows angry by your own psychological evaluation, but Vivica steps in to mediate. "Look, you fuckers compare dick sizes later, we ain't got time for it right now." "Ooowee! I like the mouth on this one! I'd like it more around my dick though…you interested in seeing just what my dick size exactly is honey?" "(Sigh) I suggest you better explain why the Combine should back you for control of this shithole town and what you'd even bring to the table other than your miniscule cock you like flapping in the wind." "Why do I need to convince you? You're the fuckers who want the damn town, but if you must know, I already have control of a biofuel refinery. I'd say that puts me as a pretty good favorite right there." "Eh, not really. One would wonder why someone who has such an advantage doesn't already HAVE control of the entire town. It seems like only someone who is really stupid or too incompetent to lead his side to ultimate victory would be the only logical explanation." "Oh it's just that simple to you huh? For your information I don't exactly HAVE the same amount of people as the other warlords. I have enough to defend my territory and that's about it and sure I can refuel all my vehicles easy enough, but so fuckin' what? You think that means shit in close urban combat? Some sniper can just blast a driver riding down the street. Don't mean shit. However! My refinery can be used to help fuel YOUR vehicles in your war with…what those cyborgs right? I mean you guys are fighting in the open battlefield where you can maneuver and drive around. You can also transport supplies quicker. And I know why you also want control of this place. You want conscripts. Well, you'll get no protests from me; take anyone you want, except my workers at the refinery and myself of course." Vivica and Roger look at each other and discuss in quiet about what you've told them, Vivica speaks up again. "And you would be willing to join the Combine and supply us with whatever we need?" "Sure, like I said, take anyone you want except me or the people needed to run the refinery, of course I hope this isn't a one way street, I mean I want something too…" "Yes, of course we will transport food and water supplies if you need…" "What? No not that shit. Fuck, I got my own private stash of food and water. And the rest of the shitheads in this town can fend for themselves. Nah, what I want is right here in front of me…" you say beginning to leer at Vivica. Now she begins to feel very uncomfortable. Good. You like that. "Hold on we have to talk this over…" Roger says. "WHAT?!" Vivica shouts. "Sure, sure, you do that. Just remember, this is my offer and I might say it's a very generous one, I doubt you'll get a better one. The rest of these warlords are greedy bastards, they'll want weapons, and a bunch of other shit. All I'm asking for is for some time with a woman and your help with getting rid of the other warlords of course. After I gain control of the entire town, you'll be able to take whatever you want with no resistance. You want fuel? You got it. You want cannon fodder? You got that too. Decline my offer and well…let's just say I'll make sure I do a lot of damage before you fine Combine folks bring me down. I'll leave you to it to decide." Vivica and Roger leave your office and you can hear arguing outside. Obviously Vivica is NOT real keen on this compromise and she's even less keen when it's decided she needs to "take one for the team". You fucking love this shit. How far people are willing to degrade themselves for the "greater good". What a fucking joke. Later that night, you and Vivica are ready to finalize the "deal", though she's still trying to maintain some semblance of dignity. "Don't think you're gonna be pulling some kinda sick shit with me or hitting me either, because if that happens, I won't give a fuck about the deal, the Combine, or even if I live, but regardless of what happens, you'll be singing soprano, and pissing like a bitch for the rest of your life." A threat without fear of consequence. Somehow you can respect that. Hell you think you might even be in love. "Okay, calm down sweetheart, none of that's gonna happen. Now let's start off by getting that pretty mouth of yours in action like I mentioned earlier today…" Afterwards, Vivica grabs her clothes and leaves immediately. You're a little disappointed, since you almost got the impression she enjoyed herself…oh well, back to business. With the Combine's help, wiping out the other warlords is a snap. Indeed you could've done it yourself long ago if you'd had disciplined people and more of them. Of course none of that matters now, you're officially head of the town, though the Combine leave a few troops behind as a reminder that Cinderville is now part of it. They don't do too much though, and mostly leave you to your own devices. You're giving them free fuel, free conscripts, and even letting them use most of your remaining vehicles, and barely asking for anything in return, why shouldn't they let you do what you want? They're doing what they want. Besides they're busy at war with a bunch of cyborgs and you're so far away. They won't be interfering anytime soon. Five years pass… Ten years have passed since the bombs dropped and civilization seems to be reforming…unfortunately. The Combine won the war with the Cybernetic Evolution a couple years ago and have had time to focus on their current holdings a lot more. This means they're focusing more on Cinderville, which you don't like. In fact more and more of a Combine influence is being felt. They're starting to supply the town regardless of what you said before. No longer are the people living in poverty and near starvation. By God, they're even trying to REBUILD parts of it! You don't like this. You protest their meddling, but they don't pay any attention to you, Cinderville IS under Combine control after all. You're just there for looks and in fact you're not looking too good to them anymore. It seems the Combine wants to put one of their own in power here to run things. They don't need to compromise their ideology anymore now that the war's over. They don't need to associate with scum like you anymore now. Things are truly coming to an end… > You leave this lousy civilization You can't really say you didn't see this coming entirely, The Combine may try hide beneath the guise of being some organization out to rebuild civilization, but at the core it's just another dictatorship in development. You've seen the hypocrisy first hand of how they deal with those like you when it suits their purpose, and then dispose of them, when it doesn't. However, none of this really matters, the fact remains you can't stay here at least not in the way you'd want to anyway. You "resign" your position and return back to your second home outside Cinderville where you gather some supplies for your travels and get in your van (which has long been upgraded to function on a more reliable basis now) and decide to live life as a wandering bandit, but not without first sabotaging the biofuel refinery in Cinderville. A sabotage that results in the refinery not only blowing up and killing folks, but also spraying shit all over most of the town. "HA HA! HAVE A NICE LIFE SHITHEADS!" you're heard saying before driving off. Months go by and you eventually become enemy number one by The Combine for your criminal activity of destroying caravans, murdering citizens, and creating mayhem whenever you can. Sometimes you work alone, sometimes you manage to form a gang for raids, but in all cases your goal is to cause as much misery as you're able. You're determined to prove that the concept of order is doomed to failure as it always has. Eventually along with Combine soldiers, freelance bounty hunters are set upon you. You remain free however, always one step ahead… One day driving along an old unused road, you see a strange man standing along side it. He doesn't look quite human, you've heard stories of mutants, (and certainly seen mutated animals) but you've also heard most of them stay in the City where they were created by the radioactivity there. Of course there's always a few that wander away. Looks like this one has, in fact he looks like he has with a purpose, he pulls a gun on you as your van barrels down the road, in his other hand is a piece of paper, probably a wanted poster of you. It looks like this mutie is being dramatic, but you don't know… there's something really creepy about him. He looks like death personified with the way he's just waiting for you. > You run him down You swerve your van in the mutant bounty hunter's direction, but he dodges out of the way so quick that you almost don't see him move. As he dodges, you hear your tires blow out (Which is weird since you didn't hear any shots) before you to crash into some nearby rocks. You fly out the windshield and smash your head open into those same rocks, amazingly you aren't immediately killed and you manage to crawl off your hood and onto the ground. Unfortunately a strange mutant worm like creature was making its home in the rocks and after you disturbed it, it came outside to investigate. You're in no condition to escape. Unlike most, you became food for the worms while you were still alive.

You can't really say you didn't see this coming entirely, The Combine may try hide beneath the guise of being some organization out to rebuild civilization, but at the core it's just another dictatorship in development. You've seen the hypocrisy first hand of how they deal with those like you when it suits their purpose, and then dispose of them, when it doesn't. However, none of this really matters, the fact remains you can't stay here at least not in the way you'd want to anyway. You "resign" your position and return back to your second home outside Cinderville where you gather some supplies for your travels and get in your van (which has long been upgraded to function on a more reliable basis now) and decide to live life as a wandering bandit, but not without first sabotaging the biofuel refinery in Cinderville. A sabotage that results in the refinery not only blowing up and killing folks, but also spraying shit all over most of the town. "HA HA! HAVE A NICE LIFE SHITHEADS!" you're heard saying before driving off. Months go by and you eventually become enemy number one by The Combine for your criminal activity of destroying caravans, murdering citizens, and creating mayhem whenever you can. Sometimes you work alone, sometimes you manage to form a gang for raids, but in all cases your goal is to cause as much misery as you're able. You're determined to prove that the concept of order is doomed to failure as it always has. Eventually along with Combine soldiers, freelance bounty hunters are set upon you. You remain free however, always one step ahead… One day driving along an old unused road, you see a strange man standing along side it. He doesn't look quite human, you've heard stories of mutants, (and certainly seen mutated animals) but you've also heard most of them stay in the City where they were created by the radioactivity there. Of course there's always a few that wander away. Looks like this one has, in fact he looks like he has with a purpose, he pulls a gun on you as your van barrels down the road, in his other hand is a piece of paper, probably a wanted poster of you. It looks like this mutie is being dramatic, but you don't know… there's something really creepy about him. He looks like death personified with the way he's just waiting for you. > You duck down and speed past him You figure he's probably expecting that, so you speed up and duck your head down. You hear the sound of two of your tires blowing out, which is strange because you didn't hear any shots. You just barely avoid crashing into some nearby rocks; however you do flip your van on its side. Cursing your situation, you quickly recover, grab what supplies you can and crawl out the side window. You briefly turn your head to see how far the mutant bounty hunter is, but he's completely disappeared. You have no idea where he's gone. Just then a different gunshot is heard and coming from another direction down the road. "Hey get that bastard, we gotta collect that bounty!" an armored man says to another. "What the fuck? Did they hire the whole state to bring me down?" you say to yourself hauling ass out of the area, with more bullets whizzing your way. Eventually you manage to lose all of them. You find a nearby abandoned gas station to rest in and reflect on things. That was a very close call. Its obvious The Combine is REALLY out for your blood, they got bounty hunters scouring the wasteland for you, and you've noticed your encounters have only increased recently. This is going to be your life now. You're going to be hunted until the day you die which will be soon, if you aren't careful. You can kill all the Combine troops, hunters and mercs you want, they'll still send people after you. The only thing you can do is leave the area altogether or find some place to hide for awhile. > You hide You have to lay low somewhere for a few months, maybe even a year! However, you doubt if going to a town is going to be suitable. Your reputation at this point is pretty infamous, not to mention The Combine has a nasty habit of incorporating towns into their organization, if they aren't affiliated already. Even an "Outlaw" town wouldn't be suitable, you'd just have to watch your back even more, and bounty hunters aren't adverse to entering those either. You don't know where to go, so you just start walking, it's during this time when you find something that just might help you. Its something you haven't though about in years…those old late night commercials you used to see before the bombs dropped. Ground Zero Survival. The corporation that was trying to sell their shelters to people. You remember when you were hiding in your basement after the attack, you thought about how much you should've bought a bomb shelter. Indeed, you wonder what things would've been like if you had… Well you've found one, sitting right here in the middle of nowhere. You go inside. You enter the shelter entrance and see a single elevator door across from you and an ATM like machine nearby. Upon looking at the ATM machine thing, the display reads "ERROR". You press a few buttons and hit the machine a couple times, just to see what happens, to your surprise the elevator door opens up. "HELLO JOHNATHAN! YOUR IDENTIFICATION HAS BEEN CONFIRMED AND YOUR CARD HAS BEEN APPROVED! WE AT GZS HOPE YOU AND YOUR FAMILY HAVE A PLESANT STAY DURING THE APOCALYPSE!" Huh, that's weird. You shrug your shoulders and guess the computer thinks you're someone else. You briefly wonder what happened to the family that was supposed to use this shelter though. You enter the elevator which goes down. You can't help but notice there aren't any call buttons on the thing, when you exit you also notice there aren't any call buttons on the outside either. When it closes behind, you suddenly get the sinking feeling you're trapped down here and you're pretty much right. "What the hell kind of idiotic design is this shit? GZS must've been run by a bunch of fucktards!" Before you worry about it, you explore the Shelter a bit more and this really isn't so bad. You're really well stocked here. Food, water, entertainment, comfortable living conditions. Actually it's like a much bigger and better version of your old home outside of Cinderville. You decide if you have to be a prisoner here, this isn't really a bad way to spend it. You settle in and make yourself comfortable. Ten years pass… Twenty years have passed and even you're amazed you survived this long given all the things you did. Of course hiding down here probably helped. In fact you've been reflecting on your past life lately. Or more accurately re-examining it. It's weird since it was isolation that sort of set you on the dark path you chose, yet now, your isolation is creating a sense of regret and sorrow in you. And its not the isolation itself, it's just the fact you've had more time to think about all the terrible things you've done in the past and much of it is extremely appalling. Unforgivable really. You've lied. You've stole. You've tortured. You've betrayed. You've used people as slave labor. You've murdered countless people. You've killed children. You've raped women. You've orchestrated chaos. You've committed numerous atrocities and you did it mostly all for your own pleasure. And oddly you've gotten away with all of it for the most part. Why did you do any of it? You don't even know why anymore, you're just sorry that you did. You've begun to have nightmares about some of the things you've done. All the faces of your victims. It's like it's all starting to finally catch up with you…in more ways than one. You wake up in a cold sweat from one of your nightmares one day, except this time you see something at the foot of your bed. Something familiar, but strangely appropriate. "Y'know, everyone else stopped looking for you after you disappeared, but I knew if I continued my search, I'd find you eventually." It's that mutant bounty hunter you saw ten years ago. At this range he really does look like death personified. In fact, you don't think he's a mutant at all. For the first time in your life, you feel fear, but there's something very surreal about all of this. "You can't be here! The elevator doesn't work! I would've heard you coming down!" you say in disbelief. "Well you were asleep, but it's amazing what you can block out of your mind, I think you know all about that don't you?" "…how did you find me?" "You can't hide from the past. Of course I think you know all about that too, right?" "I'm hallucinating! I'm seeing things that aren't there. I'm sick!" "That's probably the understatement of the decade. But you haven't been well in twenty years and that's why I'm here now. I can make it all go away. Tried to do it ten years ago, but you weren't ready yet I guess." It suddenly occurs to you. This…being isn't here to punish you at all; he's here to release you. And it's finally welcome. "Will you really make it all go away?" you ask with a quiver in your voice. "Of course, like I said that's why I'm here." "Oh good, thank you!" you begin to sob. The pale being readies his weapon, but before he releases you, you still have some questions. "Wait, before you do it. Do you know why I did it?" "Because you could." "That's it?" "That's it. All those other reasons you might've toyed with in the past were merely philosophical smoke screens to mask the truth from your mind. You did what you did, because you could. There is no deeper reason. The people who started World War three did it, because they could. None of it makes any sense, and any attempt to make sense of it, is meaningless. Your time here was meaningless. Whether you killed a bunch of people or you had saved a bunch of people, it wouldn't have mattered. Life and world would've gone on regardless. You weren't special, you never were. And you know it, deep down inside you know it." For the first time you finally see everything so clearly. "Yes…you're right. I see that now." "Of course I'm right…so now are you ready?" "Yes." You sit up in your bed and close your eyes. You hear the sound of a pistol being cocked and feel a steel barrel against your temple. You breathe hard in anticipation. Then you hear a shot.

You figure he's probably expecting that, so you speed up and duck your head down. You hear the sound of two of your tires blowing out, which is strange because you didn't hear any shots. You just barely avoid crashing into some nearby rocks; however you do flip your van on its side. Cursing your situation, you quickly recover, grab what supplies you can and crawl out the side window. You briefly turn your head to see how far the mutant bounty hunter is, but he's completely disappeared. You have no idea where he's gone. Just then a different gunshot is heard and coming from another direction down the road. "Hey get that bastard, we gotta collect that bounty!" an armored man says to another. "What the fuck? Did they hire the whole state to bring me down?" you say to yourself hauling ass out of the area, with more bullets whizzing your way. Eventually you manage to lose all of them. You find a nearby abandoned gas station to rest in and reflect on things. That was a very close call. Its obvious The Combine is REALLY out for your blood, they got bounty hunters scouring the wasteland for you, and you've noticed your encounters have only increased recently. This is going to be your life now. You're going to be hunted until the day you die which will be soon, if you aren't careful. You can kill all the Combine troops, hunters and mercs you want, they'll still send people after you. The only thing you can do is leave the area altogether or find some place to hide for awhile. > You leave Hiding won't do any good, you have to get out the area altogether. Hopefully your infamous reputation hasn't spread THAT far yet. Of course there's the fact you have to get out of the area first. You make haste immediately. Over the course of a mere week, you're hounded by attackers. You barely get out of the situations alive half of the time. You're exhausted and can't even afford to sleep for very long. Eventually within the month your days soon come to an end, when a bounty hunter snipes you from a vehicle with a high powered rifle, striking you in the back. You don't die right away though, but you're in no condition to do anything as you collapse to the ground. The vehicle stops nearby and another one of your assailants kicks you over before finishing you off. You can't help but be surprised by who you see. "Hey, now I got something for YOUR mouth!" Vivica says to you, before shooting you in the head.

The whole point of this endeavor was to take control of the town and you're not going to let Jim get that glory. You go find him in the Mayor's Manor still tormenting the mayor and his wife. The mayor is currently lying on the floor bloody and helpless with his legs a useless mess. His wife is naked in a fetal position in a corner just rocking to herself in a state of perpetual shock, its apparent she's been raped over and over. Jim doesn't have anyone else with him, not even have Dan or Ramon, he's all by himself in a drunken stupor at the moment celebrating his new found power, unaware that you're about to relieve him of it. "Heeeeey! Killer! Its you! Have a drink! This fucker's got some classy shit stashed in his cellar! (Hic!)" "Nah, that's okay. So I see you've been having fun eh?" "Me? Oh fuck yeah! The mayor over here has got himself one fine piece of ass! Been tryin' her out every other hour y'know what I mean? HAR HAR HAR!" "Hmmm, yes." You say looking over at her again, while Jim continues to pontificate. "Shit man (Hic!) I think me, you, Dan and fuckin' Ramon are the few straight bastards in this gang! Those fuckin' raiders we recruited? I ain't even seen them try to get any of the pussy in this town. They must've been in the wasteland too damn long or somethin', I think they forgot what a god (hic!) damn bitch looks like. Been cornholin' each other so much they went an' fell in love! HAR HAR HAR HAR! (hic!) Ah hell I'm not judgin'. (hic!)" While Jim wanders into the next room still talking about his gang's sexual preference, you go over to the mayor who's been baring his mental and physical pain in silence the whole time. When you crouch near him and pull your pistol out, he thinks this is it, but you have something "special" in mind. You see that his hands are still in good shape so you keep your voice down and look him in the eyes. "You're gonna die. Nothing can stop this. Resign yourself to this fact. Life sucks and that's all there is to it." you say unloading your pistol, but keeping one bullet in the chamber. "…however, you can still get vengeance. I thought you might like to know that I'm the one who planned this attack. I'm the one who orchestrated this town's destruction. A town you no longer have any control over and has had many of its citizens viciously killed thanks to my actions… the fat piece of drunken shit in the next room has personally beaten you and violated your wife, repeatedly. Over and over. In front of you. His fat smelly flesh all over her while he enjoyed it the whole time. Probably shoved his cock in all three holes too huh?" He looks at you with a mixture of fear, hate, and sorrow, while tears fill his eyes. You place the gun in his hand. "…well anyway, there's one bullet in the gun. Remember, you got one shot, one chance for vengeance, make your choice. Better hide that, here comes Jim." Jim comes stumbling back in room, while the mayor holds the gun close to himself in a bad attempt to hide it. The stand back waiting to see what happens next. "…I mean hell I've fucked a few prags when I (hic!) was in prison, but…hey…what have you got there?" Jim asks seeing the mayor holding something, but not able to make it out clearly due to his inebriated state. Jim gets closer, closer, and then mayor draws on him. He sobers up just long enough to realize he's got a bullet between his eyes. "…what the fuuuuuuuuck…" Jim says before falling face first on the floor. "Wow, that was pretty intense, I mean my own life was on the line there! Whew! But I figured you'd kill Jim, too bad it wasn't the right choice on your part." You say punching the mayor in the face and take your pistol back, loading it again. "Stupid bastard, didn't it occur to you that I'd do the same thing to your wife?" "No…don't…" he says looking up at you with blood coming from his mouth, as your own curls cruelly upward. "Just kidding, I wouldn't stick my dick anywhere near Jim has been. Looks like you made the right choice after all!" You put the mayor out of his misery and shoot him in the face. You then approach the mayor's wife who's still been rocking to herself this whole time. You look at her a little closer. "Hmm, you must've been very beautiful before this all happened." You remark, caressing her damaged face, before ending her life as well. Having had your fun, you go and announce you're the leader now. Unfortunately you don't quite have the charisma or imposing physique Jim had, so not everyone is willing to follow. (Ramon and Dan are among the first ones you kill for disobeying you) What ultimately happens is the town becomes a factional warzone where nobody is really in control and the poor Cinderville townsfolk are caught in the middle. Eventually things stabilize and a few of the "heavy weights" carve out their own territories and there's an unstable peace in the town. Fights still break out, but there's never an imbalance of power or advantage for long. (Though, maintaining a hold on the biofuel refinery gives you a little bit of an advantage…) Four years pass… Five years have passed since the bombs dropped and you couldn't be happier. You've accomplished more than you ever did in the old world. World War Three was the best thing that ever happened to you. You've been running your own slice of heaven in this hellish world and had the freedom to live out your true nature, which you've done for the past five years. And now that freedom could be coming to an end. Recently through rumors and wandering travelers who have the misfortune of finding Cinderville, you've found out that there's a growing organization trying to "tame" the wasteland. They call themselves The Combine. Apparently they're at war with another organization called the Cybernetic Collective and the Combine's been aggressively taking towns and conscripting the citizens to fight in their war. And now they've come to Cinderville. They arrive in well taken care of vehicles, with better training, better discipline and better weapons. They begin talking to everybody they can. They aren't going to take the entire town by force, no what they intend to do is to back one of the stronger factions to wipe out the rest, and then absorb their puppet into the Combine to have control over the entire town. You're not fooled. The question just remains is; are you going to ally with them first, or fight this threat to your freedom? > You resist them You're not going to be some fucking puppet, if you're ever going to control this whole town, you'll do it yourself, in fact you display your feelings about the Combine immediately when their little envoy unit enters your part of the town by telling your followers to shoot them on sight. Of course killing a few of their number doesn't endear you to them, not that it was supposed to, but unfortunately one of the other town warlords decides to take advantage of the Combine visit and isn't quite as proud as you are. An all out battle for the town occurs again, and you're not on the winning side as the warlord who sold out to the Combine gains more ground. You vow to do as much damage as you can though, namely by burning down most of your side of the town, killing every non-combatant living under your control there, as well as destroying the biofuel refinery and ultimately fleeing Cinderville. It all comes to a final end though when you make your last stand against Combine soldiers in your old home where you killed your first victims five years ago. After all the trouble you gave them back at Cinderville, the Combine soldiers don't even attempt a long drawn out shoot out with you. They just start bombarding the place with rockets and grenades. The entire place is razed to the ground with you in it.

While you probably could kill this fat fucker, but for now you have to have all the help you can get and no disunity to pull this plan off, so you'll back down for now… "Hey, I never said I was the leader, I know you are Jim." "Good. Glad we understand each other." "So go ahead and tell us what YOU think is the best course of action for this plan." "Um…well…your strategy sounded pretty good." Jim says predictably Just as you thought, you're STILL in control, just had to give the fool the appearance that he's still in control. After taking some supplies you think you'll need and re-trapping your home, you all set off to leave. (You take your van) In about a day, you arrive around in the area that Dan was talking about, in fact you don't need to look for the raiders; they instantly approach you when they see you coming. It would appear some of them have a few vehicles as well. Jim signals for everyone to halt and he gets off his bike. Ramon and Dan halt near Jim, but don't get off their bikes. You in the meantime grab your hunting rifle and hang in the back a bit, you just hope Jim can pull this shit off, especially since you're greatly outnumbered. Soon the raiders arrive and stop their own vehicles. The leader steps out of his beat up car, and steps forward. He looks mean enough, like he's been living in the wasteland from day one. "So, you got any last words, before we fuck you and eat you?" he asks Jim. "Yeah, I heard you're the pussy ass bitch, who can't even handle a few pigs and some fuckin' vigilantes in Cinderville." Jim replies. The raider leader's expression gets even meaner looking if such a thing is possible. "Oh? And I suppose YOU can do a better job you fat tub of shit?" he sneers. "Sure the fuck can asshole, all I need is more men. In fact I'd say yours would do just fine, so I'd say you'd better just step aside and see a pro in action." "Don't think so, besides I've already seen a fag get his mouth gang fucked by a bunch of guys." You sure hope Jim is a better fighter, because he's losing in the battle of snappy comebacks right now. In fact he can't come up with a response, so he just slugs the raider leader instead. You fully expect the shooting to start, but instead the raider leader laughs, pulls out the biggest blade you've ever seen and screams "THIS ONE IS MINE!" During the fight, you scan all your potential greatest threats and the quickest order to pick them off, in case this all goes south. You're so busy doing that, that you're not really paying attention to the actual fight, which Jim as it turns out, is winning. After tussling on the ground, slamming into nearby vehicles, punching, kicking and all the rest, Jim finally puts an end to his opponent by shoving his own knife through his throat. Everyone goes silent, and Jim stands up wiping the blood off of himself. "Alright! Now listen the fuck up! Your previous leader was a lame ass who couldn't get the job done, and that changes right now! We're gonna get fuckin' organized and take that goddamn little town! Might makes fuckin' right! Are ya with me, or are ya gonna go running off like a limp wristed sissy?" Well, it's a good thing you didn't kill Jim, because these raiders seem to really identify with him and they unanimously accept him as their new leader. You doubt if you would've had that success. You've never been a people person, regardless of who those people might've been, however you are an idea person, and now you move on to your next phase. After Jim finally gets all the new people to listen, you begin to explain your plan, the problem before is they kept stupidly attacking from one direction, rather than doing the classic "pincer" maneuver and attacking from multiple sides. Using Dan's information, you specifically pick out areas where the most damage can initially be done with the least amount of risk. You point out the spot where there's still an old school being used to teach the children. Take control of that with the kids inside and you've severely reduced most of the townspeople's willingness to fight, which will curb the neighborhood "Charles Bronsons" from helping the police force. In fact you decide to take that job since you want Jim to lead the raiders in the main direct assault force with the cops. Dan and Ramon will be traveling with their own smaller force to attack other parts of the town, spreading out the cops' usually organized force. It's also hoped that the more disreputable elements that Dan mentioned living in the town, will join in the mayhem on your side, or at least against their side. The raider vehicles themselves are not in the best condition, and most of them are running low on gas, but they'll do for now. You figure if all goes well, the still fuel that you created back at your home, as well as the farming area in the town with the pig and cow shit biofuel can solve those problems later. In fact you specifically mention that NO damage should happen to that area in this attack, though you don't expect them to follow that order. You don't want to wait long to attack with this bunch, since they have the attention span of a gnat of crack. You have to attack soon when they're all hyped up. You suggest that to Jim, who agrees since he's anxious to get to this dastardly business anyway. In a couple days you're attacking the town as planned. You start on your end first, making a beeline to the school, before the main attack force arrives. A few of the raiders are in your van itching to start creating some havoc. You stop outside of the school and run inside with your current trigger happy cohorts. A couple of them kill a few kids and you have to remind them you're SUPPOSED to be holding them hostage right now! If the townsfolk don't comply THEN you can start capping the little bastards. You tell them to go and kill the teachers if they want. In the mean time you take the opportunity to shout from the window to the crowd gathering outside. You tell them that if any of them start trying to defend the town or help the cops, then their kids are going to be killed. To show you're really serious though, you tell one of the raiders to toss a kid out the window. A collective cry goes up from the crowd when the body hits the pavement and their pathetic begging is pleasing to your ears. You get a few people shooting at you anyway (Obviously not parents) but having a good vantage point and a hunting rifle, you start sniping the idiots who have decided to ignore your threats. A few more kids thrown out the window causes ALL the shooting to stop. You can hear the sounds of battle from your position; no cops have arrived so you're guessing Jim and the rest are doing their job. You're really enjoying all this chaos you've created, you were just stagnating before the bombs dropped, now in this new world you're free to embrace the darkest part of yourself that always existed, but wasn't allowed the flourish. You love this fucking shit. Eventually you hear a roar of a motorcycle, followed by the sound of some bottles breaking. You go to check the window and see the crowd outside running and screaming, some of them on fire from the Molotov Cocktails just thrown at them. You also see Ramon shouting up to you. "Hey! We're winning man! The remaining cops are barricaded in their fucking station, broke the Mayor's legs and dragged him through the street and best of all we got some of the other local punks to join us! There's practically no more resistance left! Its total fucking anarchy man!" You turn around and begin smiling at the kids you're holding hostage which somehow scares them even more. You pick up a young girl and kiss her hard on the lips and laugh at the fear in her eyes. You then throw her down and tell the raiders with you they can do whatever they want, because you're going to indulge in some pure havoc on your own. After a couple days and nights of indulging in this activity, Jim finally gets around to settling his new gang down (Which he's inventively called "Jim's Reapers") and wondering about what to do with the town now that he has control over it. He seems to have forgotten already that it was YOU, who orchestrated this. Now that the task has been accomplished perhaps this would be the time to discuss the leadership role again. Then again, you wonder if you even want to bother. Sure there's the power and such, but there's also the headache of dealing with all these morons on a regular basis and running the town. The "fun" part is over as it were. > You go back home You don't want any part of this. You indulged in some chaos on a mass scale, killed a bunch of people and now you're done. You don't really want to bother running a town. You leave to go back to your home, a few days later Jim comes by asking you why you left, and you explain, you're a loner by nature and just want to live in solitude for the most part. If you ever desire to go raise some hell, you'll visit Cinderville and bust some heads or something. Jim says he gets it and says you'll always be welcome in Cinderville, as long as you don't get in his way running the place You tell him that won't be a problem, and then you quickly shove a knife in his throat. Jim gives you a surprised look for a brief second, clutches at his bloody throat, lets out a gurgled hiss and dies. You drag his body inside and chop it up to make a new totem to put outside. You half expect someone to come looking for their new fearless leader, but nobody does, presumably someone else attempted to fill the power vacuum, actually several people did. (Ramon and Dan were among the first to try and fail miserably) Cinderville descends into a chaotic place of constant strife and you go back to waylaying travelers. Though sometimes you take a trip to Cinderville when you want to be "social", but it's mostly to better hone your survival skills, though you also take the opportunity to sadistically murder some of the poor original inhabitants of Cinderville who's lives have become a living hell now. It's like you created your own personal "gym". Four years pass… Five years have passed since the bombs dropped and you've enjoyed yourself more or less since it's happened, you have complete independence and freedom to do whatever you want, but as always all things do come to an end. During your trips to the Cinderville, you've heard about some new organization called The Combine, attempting to "tame" the wasteland. It seems they're in some sort of war with another organization called the Cybernetic Evolution. From what you heard, neither one seems to be a shining beacon of light in this dark world, and that sort of reassures you too. It means that civilization won't be making a come back anytime soon, however it also means they've both been scouring the wasteland for recruits, neither one really asking for permission either. Eventually The Combine arrives in Cinderville. They quickly subdue the disorganized rabble there and place the town under their thumb. Indeed the original inhabitants are happy to put up with the totalitarianism of the Combine after the years of mindless chaos. The Combine being the paramilitary organization it is, tends to do a lot of scouting and exploration, so you know its only a matter of time before they find you and chances are that they're not going to leave you alone. > You leave You know when you're out numbered and outgunned, no point in sticking around waiting for them to show up. You pack your stuff, fuel up your van and leave. You don't get far before your van finally breaks down on a permanent basis. It sucks, but you've learn enough in the past few years to survive on foot in the wilderness, which you do for a few months, until you encounter something you've never dealt with before. Over the horizon you see some shiny figures approaching, they don't look friendly so you fire upon them immediately. As they get closer, you think they're some sort of robots, maybe cyborgs. This must be the other faction fighting the Combine. When you realize your bullets aren't doing enough damage, you turn to run, only to have your legs blasted by some sort of laser beam. The smell of your own burnt flesh hits your nose and the sight of your new stumps hits your eyes as the cybernetic soldiers advance on your position. You pass out from the pain. When you wake up you've been fitted with brand new cybernetic implants and legs. The only things going through your mind are to kill humans and to obey someone called Alex. As it turns out you're a very efficient killing machine, and a key cyborg resulting in the eventual destruction of The Combine. The only problem is in your new "remade" state, you are unable to enjoy any of it. You exist only to follow orders and follow them mindlessly until the very end when you're finally blown to irreparable scrap and bones during a Combine retreat.

You don't want any part of this. You indulged in some chaos on a mass scale, killed a bunch of people and now you're done. You don't really want to bother running a town. You leave to go back to your home, a few days later Jim comes by asking you why you left, and you explain, you're a loner by nature and just want to live in solitude for the most part. If you ever desire to go raise some hell, you'll visit Cinderville and bust some heads or something. Jim says he gets it and says you'll always be welcome in Cinderville, as long as you don't get in his way running the place You tell him that won't be a problem, and then you quickly shove a knife in his throat. Jim gives you a surprised look for a brief second, clutches at his bloody throat, lets out a gurgled hiss and dies. You drag his body inside and chop it up to make a new totem to put outside. You half expect someone to come looking for their new fearless leader, but nobody does, presumably someone else attempted to fill the power vacuum, actually several people did. (Ramon and Dan were among the first to try and fail miserably) Cinderville descends into a chaotic place of constant strife and you go back to waylaying travelers. Though sometimes you take a trip to Cinderville when you want to be "social", but it's mostly to better hone your survival skills, though you also take the opportunity to sadistically murder some of the poor original inhabitants of Cinderville who's lives have become a living hell now. It's like you created your own personal "gym". Four years pass… Five years have passed since the bombs dropped and you've enjoyed yourself more or less since it's happened, you have complete independence and freedom to do whatever you want, but as always all things do come to an end. During your trips to the Cinderville, you've heard about some new organization called The Combine, attempting to "tame" the wasteland. It seems they're in some sort of war with another organization called the Cybernetic Evolution. From what you heard, neither one seems to be a shining beacon of light in this dark world, and that sort of reassures you too. It means that civilization won't be making a come back anytime soon, however it also means they've both been scouring the wasteland for recruits, neither one really asking for permission either. Eventually The Combine arrives in Cinderville. They quickly subdue the disorganized rabble there and place the town under their thumb. Indeed the original inhabitants are happy to put up with the totalitarianism of the Combine after the years of mindless chaos. The Combine being the paramilitary organization it is, tends to do a lot of scouting and exploration, so you know its only a matter of time before they find you and chances are that they're not going to leave you alone. > You stay You figure the Combine has better things to do than bother one person living alone. They're at war with goddamn cyborgs for fuck's sake and trying to "tame" the wasteland by taking over towns, you doubt if they'll even notice you. The problem is, the original citizens that managed to survive the hell you created in their town four years ago, tell the Combine all about you. It's well known at this point that it was YOU who caused the attack in the first place, it's well known you participated in numerous atrocities during the attack; it's well known that you'd periodically stalk the streets of Cinderville at night like some demented hunter, viciously killing men, women and children. One of the only requests that they had for The Combine, was for YOU to be killed. The Combine always being an organization to keep the masses at least happy enough for them not to rebel, agrees to their request. After all you're a scumbag anyway that would probably still continue to harass the town, the best thing to do IS eliminate you. They soon arrive in force outside your home. You're well stocked and prepared for a siege though; you figure you'll be able to hold out long enough before it gets to costly to them and they'll have to break off their attack, at which point you'll make your escape. However, they've also been informed just how dangerous you are, not to mention they don't want to waste too much time with you, so after confirming you're inside (Which they do when you kill one of them attempting to get closer to your front door) they just start bombarding the place with rockets and grenades. The entire place is razed to the ground with you in it.

Obviously they thought they could just stroll in and take shelter here, bad mistake on their part… You calmly point the shotgun at the man caught in the trap and blast him before he even notices you. The little boy now really begins screaming, but the woman just becomes silent and falls into shock turning her head in your direction covered in the blood of her husband. You don't feel sick like you did last time; you do feel an overwhelming sense of power though. The woman grabs her son's hand and turns to run, but realizes two seconds later that she's only holding on to his hand and the rest of him is lying on the ground, one arm less, from your second blast. "WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?!" the woman screams. "Because I can, and there's nobody around to stop me." You say and briskly walk over to the woman. After a pathetic struggle you knock her out and drag her into your new home. After all, you're not sure when you'll get to see another woman again… A couple days after the incident with the family (and disposing of all three bodies) you begin keeping yourself in better shape. You start exercising regularly, and fixing up your home. You need to be prepared, in case more people ever show up. You MUST defend yourself and your home. You don't get many, but every now and then another poor soul stumbles across your death lair. You're merciless. Soon you begin to arrange the vehicles of your victims to form a semi "wall" around your home and place some grisly totems as "decoration". A year passes… You don't get visitors anymore, though that's probably because of the unfriendly image you've projected with all the skulls you've stuck on the spikes outside. Part of you is glad that you aren't being disturbed anymore, but the other part misses the killing. You begin to wonder if you shouldn't start venturing out more, but you'd hate to leave your home. One day you're awakened by the roar of motorcycles. You've got visitors again, you ready your weapons. As you head upstairs you hear that inevitable "SNAP!" sound followed by screaming. Yet another victim to your traps, though you hear the typical sounds of distress, you also hear some laughter, taunting even, which has got you more curious than anything. You check through a little peephole you made and see a bunch of biker types, one is lying on the ground, his leg nearly severed by the hidden bear trap. While one is trying to free him, a couple of the others are just laughing and remarking about how it looks like it really hurts. "AAAAAARGH! AGHHH!" "Look are you assholes going to help or not?" one of them asks. "Hey, I told you fuckers not to go traipsing into a place that has skulls stuck on stakes. Y'all should've known it wasn't exactly going to be a friendly place." "We need fuckin' gas Jim, and this place has a lot of vehicles, and maybe some of them have gas. We had to go check!" "Well yeah, but that didn't mean just walking around unaware of your surroundings…shit that leg looks bad." "GET IT OFF! AAAAHHHH!" "That leg is bad. Even if you did get it off of him, he's probably going to lose it to infection. I wiped my own shit on it, not to mention it was developing a nice set of rust on it when I found it. I'd say his bike riding days are over." You say standing your doorway with your shotgun ready. The bikers look in your direction, one looks like he's going to pull his pistol, but the one called Jim stops him. He's obviously the leader. "You might be right, stranger, but that still leaves you outnumbered one to three. You sure you wanna take those odds?" Jim says. "I'll take 'em and I'll enjoy it. It's been a long time since I've killed a whole mess of people." "Oh, so you're a REAL killer eh?" "Better killer than you." "Hah! I doubt that! See me an' the boys here have been raisin' hell where ever we can. Come across a few towns and let's just say we're not real welcome there anymore. It's a brand new world, and only the strong are gonna survive it." "Yeah? Well it looks like one of your flock isn't so strong now." "Yeah…well you might be right about that stranger…maybe someone should put him out of his misery. Can't very well ride with one leg, that'd be kind of silly." The biker trying to help speaks up. "Oh come on Jim man! Clyde here saved all of our asses about a month ago!" "Yeah? Well what has he done for us lately? The stranger's right, we gotta put him down, it's the kind thing to do really. You gonna do it, Dan?" "No…I…mean…well…" "Pussy. Nevermind. Ramon you gonna do it?" "Shit yeah! Here hold on, oh fuck." Ramon says pulling out his pistol and then dropping it on the ground. Jim just shakes his head. "Ramon, its amazing you've even lasted this long with your clumsy ass. Fuck it, I'LL do it." > You kill Clyde yourself, along with the rest of them Before Jim can do anything, you take the initiative and splatter Clyde all over Ramon, and Dan. "SHIT! MY BOOTS!" Ramon yells. Dan doesn't say anything, he just falls backwards on his ass, fumbling to get out his own pistol. Another blast near him, stops him from pursuing that line of action though. Jim has pulled out his own weapon and is now pointing it at you. You're not worried. "Stop talkin' about killin' and just fuckin' do it." You say calmly. "Oh we're gonna stop talking alright, and the killing will be continuing with YOU!" "Still talkin'. How about we see how much of a bad ass you claim you are?" You toss away your shotgun and step out of your home, pulling a big ass knife from a sheath attached to your waist. No don't have any fear whatsoever. "Holy shit Jim this motherfucker's crazy!" Ramon shouts backing away. "I don't give a shit, this dickhead wants to play it this way, I'm more than willing to oblige." Jim tosses his pistol away and pulls out a knife as well, at which point you grab the pistol from your back. You shoot Dan in the head first, knowing that he's currently still the biggest threat, then you quickly shoot Jim in both of his legs. "ARRGH! FUCK! TREACHEROUS BASTARD!" Jim says holding on to his kneecaps. "Aww, look at that, looks like you won't be able to ride either; you know what that means…that's right." "Ramon kill this fucker!" Jim yells, but Ramon's already run off to get on his motorcycle. He manages to get it started and go a couple feet, before your bullets to his back cause him to fall off and dump the bike which skids out of control and slide noisily across the empty road. Ramon's still alive, but he's not going anywhere, you turn your attention back to Jim, who's attempting to retrieve his weapon, but you prevent that from happening with a couple more shots. Finally you go back over to Ramon's bloody limp body. He begs for his life pitifully. "Please…don't…shoot…me…" "I'm not; I've wasted too many bullets on you fucktards this day; I'll be finishing you off with my knife." Four more bodies. While these types at first seemed like "kindred spirits" they really weren't. They were just more victims. You hack off their heads and put them on stakes as is your routine. You place them a little further from your home this time, as if to stretch out your "domain" a little more. After this distraction, you go back to your usual solitary existence of talking to yourself and laughing at your own macabre jokes. 4 more years pass… It's been five years since you embraced your mad hermit ways. Over the years you haven't had many visitors, at least not directly. You started getting bored and began venturing a bit further from your home, not too far though. For the most part you never really found anybody, except the odd bandit, or lone wanderer. You started torturing most of these people before killing them. Not for entirely for pleasure, but more for information, since you began to get curious about what else was going on in the world, or at least in your area, you found most of the information fascinating. Apparently to a few towns, this area is considered a dangerous area inhabited by mutant cannibals and everyone advises all right thinking people to stay away! Nobody thinks it's just one person killing everyone. Some how that fills you with pride. However, you also hear about some new organization called The Combine, attempting to "tame" the wasteland. It seems they're in some sort of war with another organization called the Cybernetic Evolution. From what you heard, neither one seems to be a shining beacon of light in this dark world, and that sort of reassures you too. It means that civilization won't be making a come back anytime soon, you LIKE the way things are. Of course there are drawbacks, to the strongest of the fittest ideology and that's the fact there's usually someone always stronger; one day you get more direct visitors again. This time you're awakened by the sounds of a couple of vehicles and several people. You prepare you weapons and head upstairs, watching from your peephole before acting. You see a bunch of paramilitary types; they're armed and look a lot more prepared for combat than your past visitors. "Whoa! Watch that trap Steve! This whole area seems to be filled with them." "Roger, why the hell are we here anyway? We should be fighting those fucking cyborgs. We've got them on the run!" "Because Harry said the towns around this area are worried that due to their loss in man power from the current war, they'll be defenseless from the mutant cannibals that live here." "Since when does Harry give a shit about the Combine citizens?" "I dunno Leonard; he doesn't…though I have noticed a slight change in his personality ever since he hooked up with Marina. He's slightly less of an asshole now that he's getting some every once in awhile. Shit, I'm glad he sent us here, I was sick of killing cyborgs. Mutants would be a nice change of pace. Probably easier to take out as well." "I don't even think there's any mutants here. I mean come on, some of you guys went to the city, and other than there and a few of them wandering around the outskirts, have you ever heard of any organized mutant presence anywhere else? It's probably just a really vicious biker gang, look at those bikes over there." "Well that's a good point Vivica, but I doubt if its simple raiders or bikers. Those types actively attack towns, not linger in one place, though I suppose it's possible." "You know what I think? I think its just one crazy fucker killing people in the area. I mean look at all the vehicles here. If it was mutants OR raiders, we would've come across some of them by now, and besides, since when do either extensively use traps? Nah, this is some sort serial killer survivalist. He's probably listening to us right…" You open up the door and blast the current talkative Combine soldier with your shotgun, spraying his skull and brains all over the place. "RUN!" Robert shouts, as all of them scatter. The one called Leonard scatters in the wrong direction though and falls into a pit trap. From his screams it sounds like the sharpened poles inside didn't kill him immediately. The Combine soldiers hide behind the various vehicles and fire upon your position, but you've already closed and locked the door at this point, staying low to the ground as bullets begin finding their way into your home. After the barrage of bullets, things go silent for a moment You look through your peephole only to see them all throwing grenades at your home! You immediately retreat to the backroom of the store, as the grenades explode behind you giving the Combine soldiers a way in. > You descend into your underground lair and ambush them there You fling open the trap door and quickly climb down; you figure as soon as they attempt to come in after you, you can easily pick them off. Unfortunately the Combine soldiers are a little too smart for that. They've been fighting cyborgs for so long that their usual response to a tricky situation is throw explosives at it. Which is exactly what they do. They dump a few more grenades down the hatch, you see them and get cover just in time, but the explosion causes a weakening of the foundation and ultimately causing part of the store to collapse in on itself. Your murderous ways are finally put to an end when a wooden beam falls on your head and the rest of the debris buries your unconscious body forever.

Before Jim can do anything, you take the initiative and splatter Clyde all over Ramon, and Dan. "SHIT! MY BOOTS!" Ramon yells. Dan doesn't say anything, he just falls backwards on his ass, fumbling to get out his own pistol. Another blast near him, stops him from pursuing that line of action though. Jim has pulled out his own weapon and is now pointing it at you. You're not worried. "Stop talkin' about killin' and just fuckin' do it." You say calmly. "Oh we're gonna stop talking alright, and the killing will be continuing with YOU!" "Still talkin'. How about we see how much of a bad ass you claim you are?" You toss away your shotgun and step out of your home, pulling a big ass knife from a sheath attached to your waist. No don't have any fear whatsoever. "Holy shit Jim this motherfucker's crazy!" Ramon shouts backing away. "I don't give a shit, this dickhead wants to play it this way, I'm more than willing to oblige." Jim tosses his pistol away and pulls out a knife as well, at which point you grab the pistol from your back. You shoot Dan in the head first, knowing that he's currently still the biggest threat, then you quickly shoot Jim in both of his legs. "ARRGH! FUCK! TREACHEROUS BASTARD!" Jim says holding on to his kneecaps. "Aww, look at that, looks like you won't be able to ride either; you know what that means…that's right." "Ramon kill this fucker!" Jim yells, but Ramon's already run off to get on his motorcycle. He manages to get it started and go a couple feet, before your bullets to his back cause him to fall off and dump the bike which skids out of control and slide noisily across the empty road. Ramon's still alive, but he's not going anywhere, you turn your attention back to Jim, who's attempting to retrieve his weapon, but you prevent that from happening with a couple more shots. Finally you go back over to Ramon's bloody limp body. He begs for his life pitifully. "Please…don't…shoot…me…" "I'm not; I've wasted too many bullets on you fucktards this day; I'll be finishing you off with my knife." Four more bodies. While these types at first seemed like "kindred spirits" they really weren't. They were just more victims. You hack off their heads and put them on stakes as is your routine. You place them a little further from your home this time, as if to stretch out your "domain" a little more. After this distraction, you go back to your usual solitary existence of talking to yourself and laughing at your own macabre jokes. 4 more years pass… It's been five years since you embraced your mad hermit ways. Over the years you haven't had many visitors, at least not directly. You started getting bored and began venturing a bit further from your home, not too far though. For the most part you never really found anybody, except the odd bandit, or lone wanderer. You started torturing most of these people before killing them. Not for entirely for pleasure, but more for information, since you began to get curious about what else was going on in the world, or at least in your area, you found most of the information fascinating. Apparently to a few towns, this area is considered a dangerous area inhabited by mutant cannibals and everyone advises all right thinking people to stay away! Nobody thinks it's just one person killing everyone. Some how that fills you with pride. However, you also hear about some new organization called The Combine, attempting to "tame" the wasteland. It seems they're in some sort of war with another organization called the Cybernetic Evolution. From what you heard, neither one seems to be a shining beacon of light in this dark world, and that sort of reassures you too. It means that civilization won't be making a come back anytime soon, you LIKE the way things are. Of course there are drawbacks, to the strongest of the fittest ideology and that's the fact there's usually someone always stronger; one day you get more direct visitors again. This time you're awakened by the sounds of a couple of vehicles and several people. You prepare you weapons and head upstairs, watching from your peephole before acting. You see a bunch of paramilitary types; they're armed and look a lot more prepared for combat than your past visitors. "Whoa! Watch that trap Steve! This whole area seems to be filled with them." "Roger, why the hell are we here anyway? We should be fighting those fucking cyborgs. We've got them on the run!" "Because Harry said the towns around this area are worried that due to their loss in man power from the current war, they'll be defenseless from the mutant cannibals that live here." "Since when does Harry give a shit about the Combine citizens?" "I dunno Leonard; he doesn't…though I have noticed a slight change in his personality ever since he hooked up with Marina. He's slightly less of an asshole now that he's getting some every once in awhile. Shit, I'm glad he sent us here, I was sick of killing cyborgs. Mutants would be a nice change of pace. Probably easier to take out as well." "I don't even think there's any mutants here. I mean come on, some of you guys went to the city, and other than there and a few of them wandering around the outskirts, have you ever heard of any organized mutant presence anywhere else? It's probably just a really vicious biker gang, look at those bikes over there." "Well that's a good point Vivica, but I doubt if its simple raiders or bikers. Those types actively attack towns, not linger in one place, though I suppose it's possible." "You know what I think? I think its just one crazy fucker killing people in the area. I mean look at all the vehicles here. If it was mutants OR raiders, we would've come across some of them by now, and besides, since when do either extensively use traps? Nah, this is some sort serial killer survivalist. He's probably listening to us right…" You open up the door and blast the current talkative Combine soldier with your shotgun, spraying his skull and brains all over the place. "RUN!" Robert shouts, as all of them scatter. The one called Leonard scatters in the wrong direction though and falls into a pit trap. From his screams it sounds like the sharpened poles inside didn't kill him immediately. The Combine soldiers hide behind the various vehicles and fire upon your position, but you've already closed and locked the door at this point, staying low to the ground as bullets begin finding their way into your home. After the barrage of bullets, things go silent for a moment You look through your peephole only to see them all throwing grenades at your home! You immediately retreat to the backroom of the store, as the grenades explode behind you giving the Combine soldiers a way in. > You fight them off right here Since these fuckers like throwing grenades, going underground would be unwise. You begin hollering in pain like the initial blast injured you. "Arrrrgh! My arm! Shit! My leg! No!" you shout as loud as you can. "Get that bastard who killed Reggie! I'm goin' in to finish him off!" "Hold on get back here! Damn it Steve!" Steve runs in the store looking around for you through the smoke left from the explosions. He finds you just in time for you blast him in the crotch, you barely have time to take cover yourself, when the rest of the Combine soldiers come blazing away behind him. They toss more grenades into the back room where you're hiding, instinctively you throw one of them back and then jump down the trap door hatch as you narrowly avoid yet another explosion, you also hear a few more yelps of pain, sounds like an explosion got some of them as well. You still don't feel comfortable being underground like this though, in fact the couple explosions from above, result in some creaking and debris falling. You don't want to be here in case this thing starts collapsing on you. You climb back up and the whole store is smoky now, well what's left of it, half of the front is a gaping hole now exposed to the elements. You hear a groaning Combine soldier, and pull your pistol to finish him off. This noise draws attention however. "THERE! SHOOT THE BASTARD!" A Combine soldier snipes you from afar with a powerful rifle when he catches your movement, still it's smoky so he doesn't get a clear head shot, and only catches you in the shoulder, however you've got really big hole in your arm now. You collapse to the floor and drop your pistol. "I got him! Vivica! Albert! Go in!" Roger shouts. You still have some strength left, and you're not going down this easy. You pull out your knife, stand up and charge through the smoke. "YAAAAAARGH!" you scream and tackle into the first Combine soldier approaching, jamming the knife deep into their stomach and pushing upwards. You look at the face of your victim, it's the female one. You lick her face as the brief flash of life begins to ebb from her eyes. "Oh shit, that fuckin' gives me a hard on." you whisper to her before she dies. "Holy Fuck! Shoot him! Shoot him!" Albert screams seeing his comrade killed right next to him. The other remaining Combine soldiers do fire on you, and you take multiple bullets to the body, before taking once last murderous act of stabbing Albert in the back when he attempted to run from you and get out of the way of the fire of his fellow Combiners. Finally Roger finishes you off with a clear shot to your head, exploding half of it. Oddly in your transition to death you hear one last thing. "Holy shit, that was fuckin' brutal. We coulda used a guy like him during the Cyborg siege of Fort Justice!"

You might be absorbing more rads than usual now, but heading to the city would just be retarded. You'd probably die of cancer just going near the place; everything there would be contaminated anyway. You don't even want to see the survivors what the survivors might look like assuming there were any. You head for the general store, that's at least a safer bet. You drive your Van to the general store not very far from your house. You remember the old guy who ran the place; Billy. He was always alright with you. Whenever you went in to buy food, he was always talking about how bad the state of world was getting and how he was going to be prepared for when the nukes started flying. You're guessing he probably invested in one of those Ground Zero Survival Shelters you always saw for sale on TV and took himself and his wife to it. The last time you saw the place it was all boarded up and looked closed up for good, still it's a start. You arrive at the store which is still all boarded up like the last time you've seen it. You always found it weird that Billy bothered to board the place up, if he was going to abandon it. Surely he couldn't have thought things would be restored so quickly after a nuclear exchange that he'd be able to return some day. You get out of your van and study the store more closely which you never bothered to do before, the windows are boarded up from the outside, but upon closer inspection the door hasn't been boarded up at all. You try the door, but it's firmly locked. Nothing else for it, but to bash it down. You begin prying, slamming, kicking and everything else to the door, but its not budging and you only succeed in bruising your shoulder. In frustration you pull out your pistol and finally just shoot at the lock and then try to open it, which it does slightly, something else is barring the door from the inside though. You're going to have to start ramming the thing again to shove it open enough to get inside. Suddenly you hear some noise from inside and the click of a shotgun, it's also only just then you realize that Billy's pick up truck is still parked by the side of his store. He's obviously still here and you were oblivious to the fact. "Goddamn it Martha, hasn't been a month yet an' we already got scum tryin' ta loot the place!" It's Billy. You thought he left, but apparently not. He just made it look like he did and barricaded himself inside. "Alright you looting shit stain, you better just get the fuck outta here right now, 'fore you find yourself with a new hole in your chest!" Billy says from inside. "Whoa Billy it's me! I used to shop here! Come on open up, I'm not a looter!" you reply. "…(sigh) hold on, and back away from the goddamn door." You back away as Billy presumably moves whatever was still blocking the door. When he finally opens it up, he stands in the doorway still pointing his shotgun at you. "Damnation boy, I coulda blown your head off! You fuckin' destroyed my lock! What the hell are you wearin'?" Billy asks looking at your silly form of protection. "I'm sorry; I thought you abandoned this place." "Oh and that gave you the excuse to break in? What're you think yer doin' anyway? Why aren't you in your shelter or something?" "Cause I don't have one that's why! I was going to see if this place had any supplies and maybe stay here, if it wasn't in bad condition." "Oh. Well, sorry to crush yer dreams, but this place is still occupied and OWNED by me. You're gonna have to skedaddle. Just enough supplies for me and my wife." "But…" "No buts! Now you were a good customer an' all, but this is a new world and the rules have severely changed! It's all about survival now. And it's not my fault your ass didn't prepare for somethin' that was comin' for a long time! Now if you don't leave now I'm gonna be less understanding about this lack of judgment on your part. Bye and good luck." "No wait!" At this point Billy slams the door shut mumbling about the lock being destroyed and going to have to fix it. Billy must have some sort of private bomb shelter of his own, if he barricaded himself inside his own store. One that must be stocked pretty well to sustain him and his wife for a good amount of time. An idea races through your head that you never thought you'd consider, well not before the nukes hit anyway, but Billy's statement of "This is about survival" rings true. It IS about survival, and not just his. You don't really want to do this, but you feel like you have no other choice. Billy is still trying to barricade the door, when you take another forceful charge into it. Your attempt is successful this time as it flies open causing Billy to fall and drop the heavy box he was going to place in front of it. The box half lands on Billy causing him crushing pain while he struggles to grab his shotgun from the floor. You're quicker though and point your own pistol at him. "Don't grab that shotgun Billy…I don't want to kill you." you say "Goddamn sonofabitch, you ain't taking this…" "Billy what's… OH MY GOD!" When you hear Martha's outburst, it startles you during this already tense moment, you end up turning around and firing. You hit Martha square in the chest; she looks down briefly in shock before falling over dead. You're a little in shock yourself. "MARTHA!" Billy screams, causing you to face him once more, he's now actually grabbed the shotgun, and you begin babbling. "Oh God! Oh man! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to do that! She came up and…Billy don't do that…I don't want to…please…" You fire again, hitting Billy in the head, splattering his brains all over the floor and killing him instantly. You feel sick and promptly run outside to vomit. You've never killed anyone before, though you don't think it was that, that made you sick. It was the fact you murdered two people who were really innocent. You were the trespasser and when you couldn't get what you wanted, you took it by force. You acted like a criminal even if there's no such thing as "law" anymore. You sit down in a daze for a few minute trying to take all this in, before realizing you have to take care of some clean up first. You remove the bodies of Billy and Martha from the store. (You also remove your silly "protection wear", well except the dishwashing gloves for moving the bodies) You wonder where you're going put them, but eventually you decide to just dump them in the wilderness nearby, you figure nature will take its course. You go back to the store and re-barricade it. The store itself is empty, but in a back room, you discover a trapdoor. You descend and discover a large shelter with a treasure of food and water supplies, along with other useful items like first aid kits. Looks like Billy was more prepared than you could've imagined. One necessity you're glad to find is a bathroom facility with a sink and toilet, there's a little bit of water seeping from the cracks of the walls. Billy must've hit the jackpot and found an underground water source and built a crude plumbing system. He's also installed a small hydro generator which would explain how come there's dim lighting down here. Finally you see some survivalist books Billy had on a small bookshelf by a bed and a couple of hunting rifles along with ammunition for them and the shotgun you've recently acquired as well. Well you're certainly set up, and all you had to do was kill an old couple. As you lie down on the bed you think about your actions in greater depth now. You're not sure how to feel. Part of you wants to feel bad, but somehow you can't make yourself feel as bad as you probably should. In fact you're already starting to rationalize your actions. The first murder was a mistake, and the second one was self-defense. "And this is survival." You say and fall asleep. The next day you wake up, you feel the most refreshed than you have in a long time. Something has changed within you. You don't recognize immediately, but as a few months go by you begin to. Granted you were never a big one for human contact, anti-social and reclusive even, but this "line" you've crossed recently, your continued isolation, and the absence of civilization have made you become a little unhinged. You also start becoming paranoid, about other people stumbling across your new place and attempt to break in and take it like you did. Using the knowledge you've been getting from the survivalist books, you start setting up traps, inside and outside the store. One time, you spend just about a whole day doing that. When the darkness approaches you go back to your underground haven to descend further into quiet madness, before you fall asleep. Suddenly in the middle of the night you hear a noise and a scream from above. Sounds like it's coming from outside and from more than one person. You immediately grab your shotgun and head upstairs. After going through the typical routine of taking down the barricades, you open the door and see a family in panic. A man is lying on the ground yelling in pain from the snap trap that has obviously broken his leg. A woman and a little boy are screaming frantically and totally clueless of what to do in this situation. Looks like your traps work. The family hasn't seen you yet and don't know your intentions, come to think of it, you aren't even sure of your intentions… > You help them You haven't completely given up on your conscience. These people didn't do anything to you; they were probably just trying to find some place to be. "Hold on! I got a medical kit!" you shout and run to go fetch it along with small wooden plank and some rope. When you come back the entire family seems to have calmed down a bit, you remove the trap from his leg and look at it. You didn't use anything with blades, so its just broken, not punctured in any way. "Damn, it's a good thing I didn't use that bear trap I found, your leg would've been completely severed! Now if I remember reading this right, I have to reset the leg…" "Wait! You mean you've never done this before?" the man shouts. "Well no, but I've been reading! Now brace yourself!" "No Wait! AAAAAAAAGH! SHIT! That hurt!" "There now I just have to tie this splint thing around your leg, and you'll be all set, well more or less. What the hell are you people doing out here anyway? Shouldn't you be in a shelter or something?" The woman answers your question. "We were supposed to, but when we got to the GZS shelter we bought it wouldn't let us in! It just ate our debit card and said error! We tried like hell to get in, but the elevator door just wouldn't budge. When the bombs hit, we were in the shelter entrance foyer, and stayed there for a few days, but we realized we couldn't stay there forever, so we left and tried to find a nearby town that we might try to continue life as usual, but the one we found was quite unfriendly, they wouldn't even let us stay! This catastrophic event has made people paranoid and hostile!" "Huh. People were like that before the bombs; did you think they'd be different afterwards?" you say. Now the man speaks again, as he attempts to sit up "Well I'd at least expect some hospitality. When we got there, they looked at us like we were going to loot the entire town." "Probably thought you were, you know its going to take a while before most folks become trusting again. People are going to barely trust people they know. Hell, I heard they were rioting in the city before the bombs dropped. So I'd imagine there are lots of bad types out there willing to kill people over supplies as simple as fresh water." "But you helped us." "Yeah, I guess I did…" "Is this your store? Looks like you were better prepared than we were." "Uh…yeah, okay well I guess you guys can stay out here for awhile until you're ready to move on. Good luck." As you turn to leave the woman speaks again. "Hey wait! You mean you're not going to let us in? You'd just leave us out here? We told you, we were low on gas! And now my husband Jonathan has a broken leg! How are we going to get by?" "So, you can drive can't you? Look, this isn't my problem. I helped out, because I realized you guys weren't bandits or some shit, but I'm not here to take care of you. I have my own concerns." "But…" "Let it go Doris, I guess we should be grateful he fixed my leg and didn't kill us." "Are we going to be okay Dad?" the boy asks, speaking up for the first time without yelling. "We'll see Tyler, we'll see." Ah fuck, you started to give shit and now it's coming back at you. You turn around, and give in. "Alright, you can come in, but you're staying in the topside of the store, you can even stay until your leg heals, but after that, you gotta go. I don't have supplies to sustain all of you indefinitely." The family is very grateful, and moves in immediately. Over the months you all get to know each other a little better though you still don't exactly tell them how you "acquired" this place. You just say your "Uncle Billy" gave it to you when he died. Soon Jonathan's leg is much better, but you're wondering if you shouldn't let them stay on a more permanent basis; however as it turns out, that's exactly what Jonathan had in mind for his family except YOU weren't included. This treachery for your good graces comes as a surprise one night, when Doris suddenly wakes you up by banging on the trap door, yelling about how she thinks there's someone out side and how Jonathan went to check, but she thinks he's in trouble. You immediately grab your shotgun and go see what's wrong. You barely get out the front door, and you're suddenly hit in the head, knocking you to the ground. Jonathan grabs your shotgun and points it at you. Doris and Tyler come to the doorway. "Doris, take Tyler down into the underground…this'll be over soon I hope." Jonathan replies grimly. Doris nods and then looks at you, with a sad expression. "We're sorry about this…we really are…" she says and then takes her son away leaving just you and Jonathan. You stand up and brush yourself off. "So, were you planning this all along or what?" "Well…I dunno…nowadays, you don't really plan anything, it just sort of happens y'know?" "Oh yeah, I know." "Well you can understand that this is a good place for me and my family, and I can't allow you to just kick us out." "Stupid bastard, I was just thinking about letting you all stay on a more permanent basis." you laugh. This response surprises Jonathan, and it almost looks like he's going to change his mind, but he doesn't. "…It's too late now. You'd never trust me now, and I'd always think you'd try to get revenge. You have to leave. Besides you said it yourself one time, there aren't an indefinite amount of supplies, to sustain all of us." "Well you might as well pull that goddamn trigger John, because I'm not leaving." "Come on, man I'm serious! I'll do it. I don't want to, but I got a family to think about and there's nothing that's gonna make me change my mind…look I'll let you leave with some supplies. How about that? I mean you can take one of these vehicles or even mine! Just you gotta leave, we're taking this place now. I'm sorry." Well it's not much of a choice, but it may be more preferable than death. Though you can't help but think of the irony that how you tried to do the right thing and got fucked in the ass big time, while when you murdered Billy and his wife, you hit the damn jackpot. > You insist on staying "Fuck you John, I'm not making it that easy for ya. You think it's really that easy to kill someone? You go right ahead." You're hoping that you're just calling his bluff and he really won't shoot you, whether he was or not, he hesitates long enough for you to take advantage of the situation. You dive into Jonathan's legs as hard as you can, causing the both of you to fall to the ground, he attempts to get you off by smashing you in the head with the shotgun butt, however you knock it from his hands and re-break his leg, this time so the bone comes through. He bellows in pain, and then you kick him in the face. You pick up the shotgun and point it at him. "You stupid motherfucker! I woulda let you stay here! If you'd just…bah! You're right, it's too late now, and you fucked…ARGH!" A shot rings out and a sharp pain shoots into your side, causing you to fall. You look over in the direction of the store and its Doris holding one of the hunting rifles, though it seems she's not entirely comfortable with it and her second shot misses, giving you time to retaliate. "Bitch!" you say and swing the shotgun in her direction blowing a hole in her side as well, though hers is instantly fatal. "DORIS!" Jonathan screams before he crawls in your direction in some vain attempt for revenge. "Told ya, it's not that easy to kill someone, unless you've done it before…" you remark and finish off Jonathan. You're bleeding profusely and in a lot of pain, and you briefly wonder if you're going to survive your wounds, but that wonder comes to an end, when another shot rings out, hitting your upper body dropping you. It's Tyler holding your pistol, silent, with tears in his eyes upon seeing his dead parents. You give up, even if you had the strength to pick up your shotgun, you're not going to kill a kid. In fact you figure you probably deserve to die anyway given that you've killed two couples now who didn't really deserve it. You decide to give some last minute advice to this newly orphaned lad, who's going to surely have a hard time of it now, but still he might survive if he listens to your words… "Don't trust anyone kid…nobody."

You haven't completely given up on your conscience. These people didn't do anything to you; they were probably just trying to find some place to be. "Hold on! I got a medical kit!" you shout and run to go fetch it along with small wooden plank and some rope. When you come back the entire family seems to have calmed down a bit, you remove the trap from his leg and look at it. You didn't use anything with blades, so its just broken, not punctured in any way. "Damn, it's a good thing I didn't use that bear trap I found, your leg would've been completely severed! Now if I remember reading this right, I have to reset the leg…" "Wait! You mean you've never done this before?" the man shouts. "Well no, but I've been reading! Now brace yourself!" "No Wait! AAAAAAAAGH! SHIT! That hurt!" "There now I just have to tie this splint thing around your leg, and you'll be all set, well more or less. What the hell are you people doing out here anyway? Shouldn't you be in a shelter or something?" The woman answers your question. "We were supposed to, but when we got to the GZS shelter we bought it wouldn't let us in! It just ate our debit card and said error! We tried like hell to get in, but the elevator door just wouldn't budge. When the bombs hit, we were in the shelter entrance foyer, and stayed there for a few days, but we realized we couldn't stay there forever, so we left and tried to find a nearby town that we might try to continue life as usual, but the one we found was quite unfriendly, they wouldn't even let us stay! This catastrophic event has made people paranoid and hostile!" "Huh. People were like that before the bombs; did you think they'd be different afterwards?" you say. Now the man speaks again, as he attempts to sit up "Well I'd at least expect some hospitality. When we got there, they looked at us like we were going to loot the entire town." "Probably thought you were, you know its going to take a while before most folks become trusting again. People are going to barely trust people they know. Hell, I heard they were rioting in the city before the bombs dropped. So I'd imagine there are lots of bad types out there willing to kill people over supplies as simple as fresh water." "But you helped us." "Yeah, I guess I did…" "Is this your store? Looks like you were better prepared than we were." "Uh…yeah, okay well I guess you guys can stay out here for awhile until you're ready to move on. Good luck." As you turn to leave the woman speaks again. "Hey wait! You mean you're not going to let us in? You'd just leave us out here? We told you, we were low on gas! And now my husband Jonathan has a broken leg! How are we going to get by?" "So, you can drive can't you? Look, this isn't my problem. I helped out, because I realized you guys weren't bandits or some shit, but I'm not here to take care of you. I have my own concerns." "But…" "Let it go Doris, I guess we should be grateful he fixed my leg and didn't kill us." "Are we going to be okay Dad?" the boy asks, speaking up for the first time without yelling. "We'll see Tyler, we'll see." Ah fuck, you started to give shit and now it's coming back at you. You turn around, and give in. "Alright, you can come in, but you're staying in the topside of the store, you can even stay until your leg heals, but after that, you gotta go. I don't have supplies to sustain all of you indefinitely." The family is very grateful, and moves in immediately. Over the months you all get to know each other a little better though you still don't exactly tell them how you "acquired" this place. You just say your "Uncle Billy" gave it to you when he died. Soon Jonathan's leg is much better, but you're wondering if you shouldn't let them stay on a more permanent basis; however as it turns out, that's exactly what Jonathan had in mind for his family except YOU weren't included. This treachery for your good graces comes as a surprise one night, when Doris suddenly wakes you up by banging on the trap door, yelling about how she thinks there's someone out side and how Jonathan went to check, but she thinks he's in trouble. You immediately grab your shotgun and go see what's wrong. You barely get out the front door, and you're suddenly hit in the head, knocking you to the ground. Jonathan grabs your shotgun and points it at you. Doris and Tyler come to the doorway. "Doris, take Tyler down into the underground…this'll be over soon I hope." Jonathan replies grimly. Doris nods and then looks at you, with a sad expression. "We're sorry about this…we really are…" she says and then takes her son away leaving just you and Jonathan. You stand up and brush yourself off. "So, were you planning this all along or what?" "Well…I dunno…nowadays, you don't really plan anything, it just sort of happens y'know?" "Oh yeah, I know." "Well you can understand that this is a good place for me and my family, and I can't allow you to just kick us out." "Stupid bastard, I was just thinking about letting you all stay on a more permanent basis." you laugh. This response surprises Jonathan, and it almost looks like he's going to change his mind, but he doesn't. "…It's too late now. You'd never trust me now, and I'd always think you'd try to get revenge. You have to leave. Besides you said it yourself one time, there aren't an indefinite amount of supplies, to sustain all of us." "Well you might as well pull that goddamn trigger John, because I'm not leaving." "Come on, man I'm serious! I'll do it. I don't want to, but I got a family to think about and there's nothing that's gonna make me change my mind…look I'll let you leave with some supplies. How about that? I mean you can take one of these vehicles or even mine! Just you gotta leave, we're taking this place now. I'm sorry." Well it's not much of a choice, but it may be more preferable than death. Though you can't help but think of the irony that how you tried to do the right thing and got fucked in the ass big time, while when you murdered Billy and his wife, you hit the damn jackpot. > You leave "Alright, fine I'll leave…but you know this isn't right." You say backing away. "…I know…I know…" he replies. Jonathan calls his wife to get you few days supply of water, and some food. She soon returns with both which are throw at your feet, you take them and head to your van. They aren't going to give you a weapon though for obvious reasons. They tell you that maybe the town they stopped at before will be friendlier to you and you could try to live there. You don't say anything else, you just go to start up your van and drive off, you aren't sure where you're heading, but you figure you'll take the "friendly advice" of Doris and Jonathan and go to the town they told you about. You get a few miles and then your van decides to die on you. Nothing's going your way. After futile attempts to fix it, kicks, and threats, you realize you're walking now, which wouldn't be completely bad if you weren't without some sort of weapon. While walking along the desolate road, a dog like creature appears in the distance, then another, then more. They look like wolves, but something is obviously different about them, like they're deformed in some way, either way they don't look friendly, but they do look very hungry. You attempt to outrun them, but the mutant wolves are faster, and they ultimately catch you and rip you apart.

It's always been like you to do things at the last minute. After grabbing your pistol and all the food and drink you can, then heading down in the basement with it, you think that things probably won't be that bad. After all you don't live in the city, or even by an important city, surely not EVERY place will get bombed. It's not like you live on the east or west coast, now those people are going to be fucked. No, all you have to do is wait this out, and then things will get back to normal…okay well maybe not normal, but surely the government will restore order of some sort, you're sure they have a complex plan for this kind of thing. Eventually you hear a very loud noise; whatever light you had on in the basement immediately goes out as you can hear your house being hit by a powerful force. You curl up in a ball and hold your ears half expecting the entire house to collapse in on you, but it doesn't happen. You stay in the basement, for what you guess to be a week. You mostly stumble around in the darkness as reality begins to set in and destroy your previous delusions. You mainly think about how you should've planned things out better, especially since your food and drink are running out. The only thing you know really know about nuclear attacks is what you've learned from movies, video games and comic books. You can only hope some of that shit was helpful, as you have little choice, but to leave your basement, the bucket you were using to relieve yourself down there was really starting to stink anyway. You open up your basement door, which remarkably stayed intact, along with most of your house. The windows and other glass objects have all broke, and there's no power, but that's about it. You can only guess that whatever it was that hit, was far enough away and probably very low yield. You don't really want to think about the radioactivity factor though; you'll know if you're catching a lethal dose soon enough if your hair and teeth start falling out and you begin vomiting blood. Damn you wish you bought that bomb shelter… You check the refrigerator again for more food, but there won't be enough to last you one day. You wonder if the water is still working and turn on the faucet, of course it doesn't, you don't think you'd want to risk drinking any of it anyway. Well it looks like you can't stay in your house either; you're going to have to leave to find food and some sort of drinkable liquid. Damn you wish you bought that bomb shelter… Well if you're going to leave, you decide some sort of protection is in order; you grab some dishwashing gloves underneath the sink, some safety goggles you've had since you college chemistry class, a winter coat and finally a scarf your grandmother knit you for one of your birthdays to wrap over your mouth. You look somewhat silly in this getup and it probably won't protect you at all, but you're back to deluding yourself again which is probably a good thing since your relapses into fantasy are keeping you from breaking down completely. You open your dented garage door and get in your old van expecting it not to work, surprisingly it does. You thought it wouldn't due to all that stuff you remember hearing about EMP waves or something, then again your car was built in a year before they started mounting entire computers in the fucking things, so maybe that's why it still works. You don't know, you're just glad its one of the things you still have that functions, you didn't want to be riding that bike you bought and hardly ever used. You throw your backpack of useful items (flashlight, small tool set, first aid kit, etc) into the van and ponder where to go. You've got two choices that immediately come to mind assuming both still exist; one is that "Mom & Pop" General Store that was abandoned at least a month ago. You can't imagine they took everything from the place. The other choice is to risk going to the city and finding something there. Despite all the looting and mass exodus that was going on there before any of this went down, the city's still a big place and there's probably lots of useful stuff there, the problem is wondering if you'll be heading into a death zone. That radioactivity concern is still in the back of your mind. Damn you wish you bought that bomb shelter… > You head to the city You have no real idea where to go so you head to the City. You might live in the boonies, but you aren't an outdoorsman. You aren't some survivalist that's been training yourself for this "moment" so it's not like you can just start living off the land, and unless the City was completely flattened by a nuclear bomb, you'll probably still find something there. As for the radiation factor, you're probably receiving a lethal dose of radiation right now. It's not like you were so far away from blasts that you wouldn't be receiving it, though you try to think back to your Grandfather who was in the army and had to witness some nuclear test blasts back in the old days. He was certainly in the danger zone, and lived a fairly long time. One of the few though. Hopefully you've inherited that level of resistance, or at least that level of luck. But unless you find food and water supplies you aren't going to be living long enough to die of the radiation. You continue your drive to the city, watching the surroundings getting progressively worse looking, You then see the shattered "skeletal" remains of skyscrapers looming in the distance. The city got hit, but apparently by something "small" and probably exploded high in the air. Of course that doesn't make you feel any better. You make a mental note of all the "useful" locations you used to do your shopping. You goal is to go in and grab what you can to sustain you for a long time and leave for some place else. When you finally reach the city, it feels a little creepy. Everything seems so empty and dead. You have the windows up, but it's not like you wouldn't be able to hear noises if there were any, which there aren't. Just the silent remains of destroyed buildings and vehicle husks. You wonder if any people survived, though you're guessing if they did they won't be in great condition. In fact it's been a week since the attack; survivors might've died by now without medical attention. Your first stop is the supermarket. You don't have high hopes of finding anything though. You know looting was going on in the city even before the bombs hit, still this IS the reason why you came here, so you enter through one of the big broken floor windows. No lighting inside of course, but the sunlight from outside is providing enough, plus you have your flashlight if you need it. The entire place has an unpleasant odor, but you're guessing it might be rotten food from the meat section and diary section, assuming those sections even have any of those items left. Oddly you do find that the aisles aren't completely empty. Most of the canned food gone, but there's still a ton of cereal and nothing says you have to eat it with milk! Beef Jerky survives anything as well. You can't believe people didn't take that stuff. There are some soft drinks left in the now non-working freezers. Probably flat and warm as fuck, but again you hardly care at this point. You get yourself a hand basket and start loading up on what you can. When you get back to your van you finally hear something besides the crunch of debris underneath your own feet and the blowing wind. Its footsteps…several of them. You then see something you only thought existed in horror movies. These must be the bomb victims you though were dead by now, but it seems they're not dead, or at least you're guessing they're not. A group of them staggers towards youMany of them have a half-crazed appearance and severe radiation burns. Apparently their minds have damaged along with their bodies. Some of them are armed with blunt instruments. As they approach you, they just looking at you menacingly and start growling, until one of them points at you and shouts in raspy voice. "MEEEEEEAAAT!" "Shit! Die motherfuckers!" you shout back, shooting and quickly getting in your van as they hasten their pace towards you. You manage to drive off, but not before they manage to smash your windshield and both of your side windows. You think you killed a few of them, you saw a few go down when you shot at them, and you know you ran that one over. Of course it's not like you hung around to see if they got back up, but you're pretty sure now they aren't reanimated corpses. Of course that doesn't make this situation any less fucked up or them any less dangerous, since they seemed intent on eating you. You need to get out of the City, but now what appeared previously empty, now appears to be more inhabited then you thought as more of these…things come out of woodwork. You haven't gotten far, when your van is bombarded by bricks and even fired upon! Some of those bullets hit the wheels causing you to skid out of control. You attempt to regain control of the van, but fail and smash into nearby building. Attempts to restart it also fail, though you don't have that much time anyway as some of these freaks are fast approaching on your position. You get out of the van with your supply bag and start running. You don't even know where you are right now; you were in such a hurry to get the hell out that you didn't realize you took the wrong streets, now you're in unfamiliar territory and the fact that all the landmarks have been blown to shit doesn't help. Though this looks like some sort of industrial district. You duck into one of the warehouses hoping to lose the freaks. The place has destroyed sections of the roof. Pallets and empty boxes of varying sizes lie all over the place. You look for someplace more secure to hide just in case, but all you can find that looks suitable is what looks to be a manager's office. When you enter, the office is also in disarray. You decide to wait here awhile to consider what to do next, during which time you inspect the various papers on the ground. You also remove the silly "protection wear", you're getting hot and it's not going to protect you from anything anyway. After scanning through many of the documents, most have the insignia of "GZS" on them or Ground Zero Survival, that corporation that was trying to sell people bomb shelters before the war. (One you still wish you bought right now) You didn't even know they had any holdings in the City. Looks like this place shipped a lot of equipment to said Shelters during their building process. No map locations though unfortunately, just a bunch of random shelter numbers. You end up kicking the desk in frustration only to succeed in hurting your foot, and making another discovery. When your foot moved the desk, you notice it was hiding a trapdoor! Though you wonder what the hell one is doing here. This seems a little weird, but then again the whole situation is weird, so you open it up and climb down. The first thing you notice is what a long climb it is, the second thing you notice is there's lighting when you reach the bottom, dim, but lighting. The corridor leads to a heavy duty door not to far ahead, so you head that way, but when you go to open the door you find it locked. Before you can shoot the lock you hear a voice on the other side. "Lisa is that you?" the voice says. > You tell the truth "Uh, no." you reply "Who the fuck are you?" "I'm a survivor like you, I came to the City to get supplies, but I got attacked by some sort of mutant things or something, and I got temporarily trapped here." "Ha ha! You are one stupid motherfucker then! Why the hell would you come BACK to a bombed out city for ANY reason?" the voice mocks. "Well why the hell are you here?" "Business." "What kind of business?" "That's for me to know and for you not to know. Now get the fuck outta here, you don't belong here. This is GZS property an' you obviously aren't an employee in any shape or form." "Can't you let me in?" "NO!" "Fuck you! There's a bunch of cannibalistic mutants up there!" "Shoulda though about that before your stupid ass came to the city." "Oh fuck this, I'll just blow the handle off the door and..." "You blow the handle off and I'll blow your head off as soon as you enter through door, though I doubt you will since it's also barricaded and deadbolted from the inside. You ain't getting in here unless you're packing some serious firepower. Better just go away and try to get out of the City before it gets dark." You shout a few more things at the voice behind the door, but it doesn't reply back, you think about shooting at the door, but you'll probably only be wasting bullets that you'll undoubtly need. Having no other options you head back to the surface where after making a quick check to see if the coast is clear which it is so you continue your attempt at escape from the city as night begins to fall. Unfortunately you don't get far before the roving gangs of mutants stumble upon you again; these ones seem even more vicious and organized though. After a short game of shoot and run, eventually they manage to surround and trap you. Sensing that your death is near, you shoot yourself in the head to save yourself the pain of being eaten alive. The mutants seem disappointed, but they eat you anyway.

You have no real idea where to go so you head to the City. You might live in the boonies, but you aren't an outdoorsman. You aren't some survivalist that's been training yourself for this "moment" so it's not like you can just start living off the land, and unless the City was completely flattened by a nuclear bomb, you'll probably still find something there. As for the radiation factor, you're probably receiving a lethal dose of radiation right now. It's not like you were so far away from blasts that you wouldn't be receiving it, though you try to think back to your Grandfather who was in the army and had to witness some nuclear test blasts back in the old days. He was certainly in the danger zone, and lived a fairly long time. One of the few though. Hopefully you've inherited that level of resistance, or at least that level of luck. But unless you find food and water supplies you aren't going to be living long enough to die of the radiation. You continue your drive to the city, watching the surroundings getting progressively worse looking, You then see the shattered "skeletal" remains of skyscrapers looming in the distance. The city got hit, but apparently by something "small" and probably exploded high in the air. Of course that doesn't make you feel any better. You make a mental note of all the "useful" locations you used to do your shopping. You goal is to go in and grab what you can to sustain you for a long time and leave for some place else. When you finally reach the city, it feels a little creepy. Everything seems so empty and dead. You have the windows up, but it's not like you wouldn't be able to hear noises if there were any, which there aren't. Just the silent remains of destroyed buildings and vehicle husks. You wonder if any people survived, though you're guessing if they did they won't be in great condition. In fact it's been a week since the attack; survivors might've died by now without medical attention. Your first stop is the supermarket. You don't have high hopes of finding anything though. You know looting was going on in the city even before the bombs hit, still this IS the reason why you came here, so you enter through one of the big broken floor windows. No lighting inside of course, but the sunlight from outside is providing enough, plus you have your flashlight if you need it. The entire place has an unpleasant odor, but you're guessing it might be rotten food from the meat section and diary section, assuming those sections even have any of those items left. Oddly you do find that the aisles aren't completely empty. Most of the canned food gone, but there's still a ton of cereal and nothing says you have to eat it with milk! Beef Jerky survives anything as well. You can't believe people didn't take that stuff. There are some soft drinks left in the now non-working freezers. Probably flat and warm as fuck, but again you hardly care at this point. You get yourself a hand basket and start loading up on what you can. When you get back to your van you finally hear something besides the crunch of debris underneath your own feet and the blowing wind. Its footsteps…several of them. You then see something you only thought existed in horror movies. These must be the bomb victims you though were dead by now, but it seems they're not dead, or at least you're guessing they're not. A group of them staggers towards youMany of them have a half-crazed appearance and severe radiation burns. Apparently their minds have damaged along with their bodies. Some of them are armed with blunt instruments. As they approach you, they just looking at you menacingly and start growling, until one of them points at you and shouts in raspy voice. "MEEEEEEAAAT!" "Shit! Die motherfuckers!" you shout back, shooting and quickly getting in your van as they hasten their pace towards you. You manage to drive off, but not before they manage to smash your windshield and both of your side windows. You think you killed a few of them, you saw a few go down when you shot at them, and you know you ran that one over. Of course it's not like you hung around to see if they got back up, but you're pretty sure now they aren't reanimated corpses. Of course that doesn't make this situation any less fucked up or them any less dangerous, since they seemed intent on eating you. You need to get out of the City, but now what appeared previously empty, now appears to be more inhabited then you thought as more of these…things come out of woodwork. You haven't gotten far, when your van is bombarded by bricks and even fired upon! Some of those bullets hit the wheels causing you to skid out of control. You attempt to regain control of the van, but fail and smash into nearby building. Attempts to restart it also fail, though you don't have that much time anyway as some of these freaks are fast approaching on your position. You get out of the van with your supply bag and start running. You don't even know where you are right now; you were in such a hurry to get the hell out that you didn't realize you took the wrong streets, now you're in unfamiliar territory and the fact that all the landmarks have been blown to shit doesn't help. Though this looks like some sort of industrial district. You duck into one of the warehouses hoping to lose the freaks. The place has destroyed sections of the roof. Pallets and empty boxes of varying sizes lie all over the place. You look for someplace more secure to hide just in case, but all you can find that looks suitable is what looks to be a manager's office. When you enter, the office is also in disarray. You decide to wait here awhile to consider what to do next, during which time you inspect the various papers on the ground. You also remove the silly "protection wear", you're getting hot and it's not going to protect you from anything anyway. After scanning through many of the documents, most have the insignia of "GZS" on them or Ground Zero Survival, that corporation that was trying to sell people bomb shelters before the war. (One you still wish you bought right now) You didn't even know they had any holdings in the City. Looks like this place shipped a lot of equipment to said Shelters during their building process. No map locations though unfortunately, just a bunch of random shelter numbers. You end up kicking the desk in frustration only to succeed in hurting your foot, and making another discovery. When your foot moved the desk, you notice it was hiding a trapdoor! Though you wonder what the hell one is doing here. This seems a little weird, but then again the whole situation is weird, so you open it up and climb down. The first thing you notice is what a long climb it is, the second thing you notice is there's lighting when you reach the bottom, dim, but lighting. The corridor leads to a heavy duty door not to far ahead, so you head that way, but when you go to open the door you find it locked. Before you can shoot the lock you hear a voice on the other side. "Lisa is that you?" the voice says. > You make up a story Given the whole suspicious nature of this set up you have a feeling the truth will not help you here; you'll have to bullshit your way it. You try to remember some of the stuff you were reading on the documents upstairs. "No, I'm from GZS Headquarters, Shipping Division. And I hope you got some answers because there's been a bunch of fucking mistakes in where things were getting transported! Who are YOU?" "…I'm Owen! What the fuck? I ain't in charge of that! I'm just security!" "I don't give a shit WHO you are! Where's your supervisor?" "…I..uh…I guess Lisa is my supervisor, but she's not here!" "Oh? And where the hell is she? GZS Headquarters is VERY displeased!" "I don't understand, Lisa wasn't in charge of any kind of shipping. She was an egghead! A researcher! We were down here for…other reasons…but you should know that!" "LOOK! I work in a cramped fucking office with boring paper work all goddamn day, I don't have a window, someone keeps stealing my stapler, and they don't tell me shit unless it's to scream at my fucking face. I don't care WHY you're here! All I know is; I got my ass chewed out by HQ for someone else's fuck ups! We got Shelters all over the goddamn tri-state area with mixed up equipment during the building process and we're only NOW just finding out about it! You know how BAD that makes us look to our customers? I got sent down here to see if I could find out anything and all I've found out is the goddamn City is crawling with fucking cannibalistic mutants! Now that I've FOUND someone who might have some answers for me, I'm not just gonna dismiss that! So open up the goddamn door and let me in!" Your act and tone is very convincing of someone who's had to deal with red tape and silly corporate orders. (Though you do know something of them having had to deal with them at your own job in your "old life") obviously the security guard knows about them as well, because he lets you in. When the door opens up, you see a surprisingly scrawny man. You were expecting someone a little more burly, but he still wields an assault rifle slung around his shoulder making the need for physical strength unnecessary. "You…you don't look like a GZS employee…shouldn't you be in a suit and tie or something?" "I'm not gonna be running all over the nuclear wasteland in a hot ass suit and tie! Shit, I swear we hire dumber and dumber security guards each year. Just goes to show even natural selection fails sometimes in the face of near mass extinction. So where the hell is this Lisa?" you ask walking past him and noticing the well lit room and its sterile appearance. Some sort of generator sits in a corner giving off a low hum. "I told you she's not here; she went to the surface again. She should be back soon." The security guard says still eyeing you suspiciously. "Again? Why's she going up there in the first place? Ain't nothing left up there." "You're telling me. I went up once and nearly got myself killed. Since then Lisa says she'd rather me stay guard here and not get in the way of here so called research. Fine by me." "I still don't understand, what's this research?" "Uh…well…um…it's supposed to be a secret. I'm really surprised you being from HQ that you don't know about it…" "I told you, I get BURIED in paperwork, and they don't tell me shit. I mean I've heard things here and there, but I don't know what else was going on here." "Well…I guess it really doesn't matter now…I mean what's done is done and HQ probably should know anyway…okay well you know how GZS has dealings with the military and the government and shit right?" "Sure." "Well it's something like that going on, but I don't know the intricate details about it, just what I know from Lisa, but I guess GZS was trying to develop some sort of radiation drug, y'know something to make the body immune to the shit." "That does sound pretty useful, but this place doesn't exactly look like a complex lab for doing something like that." "Oh, its not. This is just a research outpost as it were. The real drug was made somewhere else, but it needed to be tested right? So they decided to test it here, a batch of it got dumped in the water supply months before the bombs hit. The idea is that the survivors of the initial blast would still be able to live and not get cancer, sterility or tumors and all that other bad shit that radiation causes. So even people caught in the cities would survive and be able to eventually rebuild and get civilization up and running again. I think they wanted to dump the drug into ALL the major cities, but it looks like world war three happened sooner than they though eh?" What you just heard sounds like some sort of science fiction tale! Then again being the cynic you are, you can't say you're completely surprised by it. Though now you have a more important question. "Okay, but if that was the intention…what's with all the mutants in the City trying to eat me?" "Uh…well…I guess it didn't work the way it should've? That's sort of why Lisa and me were still here. Lisa was supposed to record the results of the drug after the bombs hit and that's what she's been doing. Lisa says the drugs are affecting people's minds, and combined with the already fucked up situation I'd say it probably explains a lot already. Though I gotta say there was some pretty bad rioting even before the bombs dropped so I wonder if the drug was starting to affect the minds of people even then…but that's silly I mean me and Lisa haven't been affected by it at all, I dunno." "YOU and her drank the water too?" "Well yeah, our personal water recycling system has it. I mean if we were going to be here, we damn well had to be pretty resistant to radiation…wait a minute I just realized something… you mean GZS sent you down here without this knowledge? Oh shit! You realize how many rads you've probably soaked up without the drug's protection? Oh man, you were right! They must hate your guts at HQ! Ha ha ha ha ha! Sucks to be you!" Owen laughs uncontrollably "Yeah, yeah…" "Man, I mean shit! They pretty much sent you to die! I mean really why the hell would they worry about whether shelters got the right equipment shipments now for anyway? GZS already got their money, did you actually think they were going to go send someone personally to each shelter correct the mistakes? They were already built man! Use your head!" "Uh huh, so…" "Ha ha ha ha! I mean damn, you work in shipping, GZS fucking up shouldn't even be news to you! Look at what happened with this goddamn anti-radiation drug! I mean what asshole fucking moron thought up those shelter elevator designs?" "Why what's wrong with the elevator designs?" you ask innocently, which suddenly puts Owen in a less jovial mood, he begins to get suspicious again. "Something ain't right here…anyone who works for GZS knows how idiotic the computerized shelter elevator set up is. People got fired for that one. Why hell why do you think WE have a ladder? You claim you're from HQ and you don't know? I don't care HOW much you say you're out of the loop… I'm a lowly security guard and even I heard about the fucked up elevator designs!" Owen goes for his assault rifle slung on his shoulder, and you charge slamming him into the wall with an elbow to his face. You then pistol whip him a couple times before taking his rifle away from him. He holds on to his bloody face looking at you. "Ughhhh, shit…my face…" he groans. "Okay look, I was probably wrong for lying about working for GZS and…" "Fuck you…you goddamn piece of shit…" "HEY! Asshole! I'm the one with the gun here! Now I don't want to kill you, but…" Owen unsuccessfully tries to grab his rifle back, you kick him back down. "Are you fuckin' kiddin' me? I nearly shot you, dumb fuck! I'd probably be able to kick your ass even without these guns, so you better just calm…" Owen once again attempts to attack you, this time you butt him with the rifle hard, and kick him out the door then lock it. "Fuck you then asshole! Let the mutants eat you!" you shout, you expect to hear banging on the door, or even pleading, but you don't hear anything. After a few hours pass, you open up the door, and Owen is gone. You close the door back up and explore your surroundings a bit more. There's not much to explore though, just two simple bedrooms, an eating area, bathroom and the "living area" which you're already familiar with. The generator provides power, and a water recycling system provides water. Looks like there's some sort of food dispensing system as well, though what it dispenses isn't particularly tasty. You could be set up here for awhile if you wanted to be, though perhaps you just want somewhere to rest first before getting out of the city. > You leave the city You don't really want to stick around here any longer than you have to, so as soon as you're rested up, you're going to leave in the morning. You think about what Owen said about the water supply and the anti-radiation drugs in it then you think about what happened to a majority of the survivors. It didn't seem to do them any good, so you decide not to risk drinking any of the water or taking any with you. You also wonder about Owen's supervisor Lisa. He did say she was supposed to return soon, you form some ideas on how to handle the situation, but as it turns out, she never does. Probably got killed no doubt. The next morning you leave. You half expect Owen to be waiting to ambush you, but he's completely gone. After making sure the coast is clear you get your bearings again, and make haste for leaving the City. Luckily you have no further encounters, and you're just a little bit safer for leaving the City of course now there's the problem of find another stretch of civilization, but you think you have enough supplies. A few days go by and you eventually do stumble upon a small town. Its more like a ghost town actually, barely anyone lives there, but that suits you just fine after having to deal with mutant cannibals. You take residence in one of the abandoned houses, you figure it's going to be temporary before you move on in the future, but you're starting not to feel too well so you stick around. About a month passes and you feel tired all the time, you get the shakes pretty bad, and soon, you start vomiting blood, then there's the hair loss… You lie on the dirty bed in the house lamenting how ill prepared you really were for all this and the bad decisions you chose that made it worse. You can't go on waiting for the end, you're in hell right now, and a quick death would be a welcome release. You get the idea to shoot yourself, but you're so weak now that you merely collapse when you try to reach for your pistol, however as it turns out your wish is shortly granted during this time when you also fall unconsciousness and lapse into a coma. Death soon follows.

Given the whole suspicious nature of this set up you have a feeling the truth will not help you here; you'll have to bullshit your way it. You try to remember some of the stuff you were reading on the documents upstairs. "No, I'm from GZS Headquarters, Shipping Division. And I hope you got some answers because there's been a bunch of fucking mistakes in where things were getting transported! Who are YOU?" "…I'm Owen! What the fuck? I ain't in charge of that! I'm just security!" "I don't give a shit WHO you are! Where's your supervisor?" "…I..uh…I guess Lisa is my supervisor, but she's not here!" "Oh? And where the hell is she? GZS Headquarters is VERY displeased!" "I don't understand, Lisa wasn't in charge of any kind of shipping. She was an egghead! A researcher! We were down here for…other reasons…but you should know that!" "LOOK! I work in a cramped fucking office with boring paper work all goddamn day, I don't have a window, someone keeps stealing my stapler, and they don't tell me shit unless it's to scream at my fucking face. I don't care WHY you're here! All I know is; I got my ass chewed out by HQ for someone else's fuck ups! We got Shelters all over the goddamn tri-state area with mixed up equipment during the building process and we're only NOW just finding out about it! You know how BAD that makes us look to our customers? I got sent down here to see if I could find out anything and all I've found out is the goddamn City is crawling with fucking cannibalistic mutants! Now that I've FOUND someone who might have some answers for me, I'm not just gonna dismiss that! So open up the goddamn door and let me in!" Your act and tone is very convincing of someone who's had to deal with red tape and silly corporate orders. (Though you do know something of them having had to deal with them at your own job in your "old life") obviously the security guard knows about them as well, because he lets you in. When the door opens up, you see a surprisingly scrawny man. You were expecting someone a little more burly, but he still wields an assault rifle slung around his shoulder making the need for physical strength unnecessary. "You…you don't look like a GZS employee…shouldn't you be in a suit and tie or something?" "I'm not gonna be running all over the nuclear wasteland in a hot ass suit and tie! Shit, I swear we hire dumber and dumber security guards each year. Just goes to show even natural selection fails sometimes in the face of near mass extinction. So where the hell is this Lisa?" you ask walking past him and noticing the well lit room and its sterile appearance. Some sort of generator sits in a corner giving off a low hum. "I told you she's not here; she went to the surface again. She should be back soon." The security guard says still eyeing you suspiciously. "Again? Why's she going up there in the first place? Ain't nothing left up there." "You're telling me. I went up once and nearly got myself killed. Since then Lisa says she'd rather me stay guard here and not get in the way of here so called research. Fine by me." "I still don't understand, what's this research?" "Uh…well…um…it's supposed to be a secret. I'm really surprised you being from HQ that you don't know about it…" "I told you, I get BURIED in paperwork, and they don't tell me shit. I mean I've heard things here and there, but I don't know what else was going on here." "Well…I guess it really doesn't matter now…I mean what's done is done and HQ probably should know anyway…okay well you know how GZS has dealings with the military and the government and shit right?" "Sure." "Well it's something like that going on, but I don't know the intricate details about it, just what I know from Lisa, but I guess GZS was trying to develop some sort of radiation drug, y'know something to make the body immune to the shit." "That does sound pretty useful, but this place doesn't exactly look like a complex lab for doing something like that." "Oh, its not. This is just a research outpost as it were. The real drug was made somewhere else, but it needed to be tested right? So they decided to test it here, a batch of it got dumped in the water supply months before the bombs hit. The idea is that the survivors of the initial blast would still be able to live and not get cancer, sterility or tumors and all that other bad shit that radiation causes. So even people caught in the cities would survive and be able to eventually rebuild and get civilization up and running again. I think they wanted to dump the drug into ALL the major cities, but it looks like world war three happened sooner than they though eh?" What you just heard sounds like some sort of science fiction tale! Then again being the cynic you are, you can't say you're completely surprised by it. Though now you have a more important question. "Okay, but if that was the intention…what's with all the mutants in the City trying to eat me?" "Uh…well…I guess it didn't work the way it should've? That's sort of why Lisa and me were still here. Lisa was supposed to record the results of the drug after the bombs hit and that's what she's been doing. Lisa says the drugs are affecting people's minds, and combined with the already fucked up situation I'd say it probably explains a lot already. Though I gotta say there was some pretty bad rioting even before the bombs dropped so I wonder if the drug was starting to affect the minds of people even then…but that's silly I mean me and Lisa haven't been affected by it at all, I dunno." "YOU and her drank the water too?" "Well yeah, our personal water recycling system has it. I mean if we were going to be here, we damn well had to be pretty resistant to radiation…wait a minute I just realized something… you mean GZS sent you down here without this knowledge? Oh shit! You realize how many rads you've probably soaked up without the drug's protection? Oh man, you were right! They must hate your guts at HQ! Ha ha ha ha ha! Sucks to be you!" Owen laughs uncontrollably "Yeah, yeah…" "Man, I mean shit! They pretty much sent you to die! I mean really why the hell would they worry about whether shelters got the right equipment shipments now for anyway? GZS already got their money, did you actually think they were going to go send someone personally to each shelter correct the mistakes? They were already built man! Use your head!" "Uh huh, so…" "Ha ha ha ha! I mean damn, you work in shipping, GZS fucking up shouldn't even be news to you! Look at what happened with this goddamn anti-radiation drug! I mean what asshole fucking moron thought up those shelter elevator designs?" "Why what's wrong with the elevator designs?" you ask innocently, which suddenly puts Owen in a less jovial mood, he begins to get suspicious again. "Something ain't right here…anyone who works for GZS knows how idiotic the computerized shelter elevator set up is. People got fired for that one. Why hell why do you think WE have a ladder? You claim you're from HQ and you don't know? I don't care HOW much you say you're out of the loop… I'm a lowly security guard and even I heard about the fucked up elevator designs!" Owen goes for his assault rifle slung on his shoulder, and you charge slamming him into the wall with an elbow to his face. You then pistol whip him a couple times before taking his rifle away from him. He holds on to his bloody face looking at you. "Ughhhh, shit…my face…" he groans. "Okay look, I was probably wrong for lying about working for GZS and…" "Fuck you…you goddamn piece of shit…" "HEY! Asshole! I'm the one with the gun here! Now I don't want to kill you, but…" Owen unsuccessfully tries to grab his rifle back, you kick him back down. "Are you fuckin' kiddin' me? I nearly shot you, dumb fuck! I'd probably be able to kick your ass even without these guns, so you better just calm…" Owen once again attempts to attack you, this time you butt him with the rifle hard, and kick him out the door then lock it. "Fuck you then asshole! Let the mutants eat you!" you shout, you expect to hear banging on the door, or even pleading, but you don't hear anything. After a few hours pass, you open up the door, and Owen is gone. You close the door back up and explore your surroundings a bit more. There's not much to explore though, just two simple bedrooms, an eating area, bathroom and the "living area" which you're already familiar with. The generator provides power, and a water recycling system provides water. Looks like there's some sort of food dispensing system as well, though what it dispenses isn't particularly tasty. You could be set up here for awhile if you wanted to be, though perhaps you just want somewhere to rest first before getting out of the city. > You stay You decide to stay, and think about what Owen said about the water supply and the anti-radiation drugs in it then you think about what happened to a majority of the survivors. It didn't seem to do them any good, but he was right; it WAS stupid to come here! You can't really do much about it now, but you're hoping that water can keep you from dying a slow horrible death, though you don't know how it works exactly since you weren't drinking it before you absorbed rads. Still, you'll try anything now. The first thing you do is start drinking the water, and a lot of it. You also wonder about Owen's supervisor Lisa. He did say she was supposed to return soon, and you form some ideas on how to handle the situation when it arises (to keep your mind occupied), but as it turns out, she never does. Probably got killed no doubt. A few days go by and there's not much to do for entertainment purposes and you're reluctant to leave your "safe haven" now. There are some books in what is Lisa's room that you peruse through. You also look for maybe some notes on her research since the stuff Owen told you about did sound interesting. Maybe even ideas on what the drugs in the water supply might've done to people (Something ELSE you're starting to worry about) but unfortunately you don't find anything. She must've taken those with her. Owen's room has an old TV set which amusingly has an equally as old game console hooked up to it. You spend a lot of time shooting different colored circular objects with your white triangle on the screen. After a week you start feeling weird. Like mildly delirious. You start lying in bed a lot, only getting up to quench your thirst since you don't have much of an appetite. After a month you start feeling sick. You begin throwing up and having diarrhea even though you've barely been eating anything. You have the shakes and you often just lie on the floor aching all over you body. You drink the water in the steadily failing hopes that it will miraculously cure you. When patches of your hair start falling out, and cough up bits of blood, you really start to lose all hope. "Oh fuck…I don't wanna die like this…shit…" you sob. You begin thinking about suicide, but you're so weak that the one time you seriously attempt it; you collapse on the floor when reaching for your pistol and fall unconscious for a full day. When you wake up, you feel a little better physically, but not much. However your mind is a little warped. As it turns out this is somewhat fortunate as you don't worry about dying so much anymore. You do start talking to yourself at great lengths though. You begin having bizarre thoughts about things in general. Sometimes you go into a fit and start ranting until you're hoarse. Another month passes and you're completely better physically, in fact you feel stronger than you ever did before. Your mind is still in la la land though. You begin to get very violent. You begin punching the walls (and even doing some damage to them) and ripping up books. What temporarily "sobers" you up is when you smash the food dispenser, breaking it completely. While you still have real food left you've just destroyed your only means of food-substitute when the real stuff runs out. "SHIT!" you yell. "I gotta get a fuckin…grip…I gotta get fuckin' food!" You grab your pistol and assault rifle and throw open the door in search of food. After climbing back up to the surface, you notice that you can see pretty well in the dark warehouse. It would appear you've developed some minor "dark vision". In the darkness you also notice that the warehouse has lots of rats and roaches crawling around in it. Those could be food… > You eat the rats and roaches Something you wouldn't ever consider eating before suddenly makes a lot of sense to you. You start off by grabbing the nearest crawling roaches you see and start popping them in your mouth and chew. They taste terrible, somehow though you don't suffer a gag reflex though. You just find them unpleasant, like eating something bitter rather than disgusting. After having had enough of eating bugs you try to catch a rat. It takes awhile, but eventually you stomp on one severely crippling it and then stomp once more to kill it. Eating a raw rat doesn't particularly taste any better, but again you don't suffer any sort of natural revulsion during this act. It would seem you've gone through a change of some sort, one that has put you in a better frame of mind for survival. One that has also put your body in better condition for survival as well since you suffer no ill effects from eating such unclean creatures under equally unclean conditions. You temporarily have some problems with lice and fleas you catch from the rats, but even that doesn't really become a problem considering the rest hair has fallen out now. (Well you have a few wisps left) You skin also begins to harden in time, making fleas no longer a problem. Whatever internal parasites any of these might've carried also have no effect as it seems your resistance and immunity system has increased quite a bit. You look in the bathroom mirror one day and see that you've changed alright. Changed into something better. You aren't going to win any beauty contests, but you're going to live… A year passes… You've been living a relatively simple life of eating and sleeping and it's basically been enough. For the past year your mind hasn't really been the most stable, so you haven't really thought about anything other than your immediate survival, and given you have a water supply and the rats and roaches for food, you haven't ventured outside of the GZS warehouse since you entered. That's starting to change. Lately your mind seems to have a little more clarity. Indeed you're starting to feel like "yourself" before the change. Not entirely like yourself, but you don't go shithouse rat crazy screaming at the walls like you used to. You've been getting a little curious about the rest of the City. If you're mostly sane now, maybe other survivors are as well. Maybe even some things have been fixed; it would be nice if they were, as its getting boring where you're currently staying. Taking your weapons with you, you leave your new home to explore. (Making sure to hide the trapdoor before leaving of course) The City streets are still as desolate as you remember them, and mostly empty as well. You expect to run into gangs of mutants though. You suddenly stop and think about that for a moment and realize that YOU are also a mutant now! Still, that doesn't necessarily mean mutantism is a club. You're sure there's a lot of fighting for resources. In fact you come across some fighting, though in a different way than you'd imagine. While you're walking through a neighborhood by a corner store that has all its windows boarded up, you hear voices inside. You step through the open doorway to investigate. It's dark inside, but some candles light up the place. "Ted, what do you mean you won't gimme anything for this? This is a solid gold watch man!" a skinny mutant asks an exceptionally ugly one eyed mutant he has pistol strapped to his side. "Goddamn it Carl, would you fuckin' think? What the hell am I gonna do with a gold piece of shit that doesn't even work anymore in the first place?" "Well can't you trade it for something? I mean gold's gotta be worth something to someone! It's not like I gave you a sack of dollar bills!" "Didn't stop you from trying though did it? Look Carl, unless it's something useful you know damn well I ain't taking it. Bring back some batteries, a first aid kit, hell some canned corn would be a welcome change of pace than watery roach soup! Just stop bringing me shit I have no use for!" "But Carl! I need some bullets! You can't expect me to do any scavenging downtown without bullets for my pistol! How will I defend myself against the Ferals or how about at night when the Shadow Horde comes out?" "Cry me a river Carl, you're a fast guy I'm sure you can outrun the roving gangs of Ferals, ain't that hard. And second of all you shouldn't even BE out at night! If you get caught out at night I got no sympathy for what happens to you! Now…" suddenly Ted's one good eye catches sight of you. "Who the fuck are you pretty boy?" Ted asks, Carl just backs off when he sees the assault rifle strapped to your back. "Pretty boy? Have you seen my face?" you retort. "Yeah, I see your fucking face an' you're a fuckin' pretty boy as far as I'm concerned. Shit you ain't even got any scars. So what the hell do you want, I ain't seen you before. Ain't seen too many here with an assault rifle either. You part of the Zeropolis Guard? Then again you don't wear the uniform…maybe you just killed one of them then? Heh heh." "Who are the Zeropolis Guard?" "You ain't heard of them? Huh, well they've only just been making scouting missions in this area. Basically a collection of ex-National Guardsmen that insisted on staying here to the very end. They got the best hardware as far as I know, but the delusional fuckers think it's STILL their job to keep peace in the damn City. Ain't no peace in Zeropolis!" "What's Zeropolis exactly?" you ask feeling completely out of the loop, which only gets you some mighty strange stares by Carl and Ted. "Uh, Zeropolis, y'know…The City? That's what this place is called now." Carl says. "Holy shit pretty boy, you been livin' under a damn rock or something?" "Well, uh sort of…" "I guess so! Where the hell ARE you from? "Er…I never actually lived in the City...I guess you can kind of say I got trapped here and then shortly after went mad for a little while and I'm only just now starting to feel like myself." You explain without giving too much information out. "Hmm, well that might explain some things. I think we all know about that madness you're speaking of. Think it happened to everyone after this place got nuked, still going on for most people. You get that hunger craving and violent thoughts pervade your mind…though the first one I killed and ate was my wife so it wasn't ALL bad har har har!" Ted laughs. "Hey how many people did you eat during that time?" "Uh, none actually." "None? Ah, you must be like Carl here. He just ate roaches and rats because even when the madness hit him he still was a big pussy!" "Fuck you Ted! I'M the one going out risking my ass scavenging, not YOU! I…just didn't want to eat anybody…I guess I just never suffered the madness as much as the rest." "Yeah, well anyway what do you guys actually sell here?" you ask. "Well Carl doesn't sell shit, because he doesn't own this place, I do. And as you can probably tell we run on the barter system here that being the only real way to do business anymore. However I have a wide variety of items, but not obviously not right here, since this part of the store ain't the most secure as you can see, but bring me something I might find useful and maybe we can do business; just don't bring fuckin' broken gold watches!" Ted exclaims looking back at Carl. "There's a lot of stuff downtown to scavenge, hey…maybe you could come with me?" Carl suddenly asks hopefully. > You go with Carl You don't really have anything better to do, and you are sort of interested in learning more about your surroundings. You are living here now after all. "Uh sure I'll go with you. What do I do exactly?" "You'll go? Great! You don't really have to do too much really, I just need someone to help with the whole protection thing while I search, since Ted here is being a jackass and not giving me any bullets!" "Hey those are in damn scarce supply in the first place! In fact, you better start finding them on your own soon, because I don't have too many to spare anymore anyway. I need something to defend my shop with. Here!" Ted pulls out three bullets from his ragged pockets and gives them to Carl. "That's coming out anything you bring back too, and if you guys are going downtown, you better do it now, before nightfall. See you later." You and Carl set off, while you're walking you notice other mutants wandering in the neighborhood, but they don't attack, in fact many of them are just watching the both of you or going about their business. (Like catching a rat to eat) "So is this area safe or something? Nobody's attacking us." You ask. "Of course it's safe, well safe as anything can be in this place. I mean there's still always the Ferals that roam around, but not so much around here anymore. The people around here in the Dust District don't even try to eat one another. Probably due to the fact that a lot of people used to live here and work together in the factory and warehouses nearby, so I guess there's that sense of unity as it were. Though I'm sure most of them did attack each other at one time. Still, this is a severely new situation, you can't blame TOO much on what happened during people's madness. Weird what happened though, I mean do you think the enemy dropped some sort of nuclear nerve agent combo on this place? Or did we all just go temporarily insane in the face of the shear devastation?" "I really couldn't tell you, Carl. Maybe the second one I guess." You say keeping your secret information on the reasons to yourself. "Yeah, doesn't take much for us to fall apart I suppose. The Zeropolis Guard have also claimed they're going to make this place even safer when they set up a new base here, though I sort of wish they'd just leave us alone. I get the impression they'll be trying to tell us all what to do and conscripting us to fight the Shadow Horde." "What is the Shadow Horde anyway?" "Man, you don't know who THEY are? Then again you didn't know the city name either! Anyway The Shadow Horde is a group of mutants who primarily live in the sewers, though they do come out at night and attack anyone who isn't part their group. They're sort of like the Ferals, except they are a lot more organized and even more vicious. I've heard they have a leader of some sort; I've only heard rumors though; ranging from a giant abomination, to a beautiful priestess of some sort. Have a hard time believing a lot of them, the only thing I do know is you don't want to get outside at night, let alone even enter the sewers!" Carl continues to about various things of Zeropolis on your way Downtown. As fucked up as things are, you can't help but be fascinated by it all. You feel like you're actually living in some sort of 80s low budget post apocalyptic movie. You ask him if anyone actually leaves Zeropolis, but he says it's rare. The Ferals and other more territorial mutants seem content on staying in the City, and as for the other "normal" ones, it's happened, but it seems mutation isn't a common theme outside Zeropolis. Most mutants are shot on sight or at least chased off. At least those are the stories he's heard from a couple of people he knows that have left only to come back. The closer you get to Downtown the more Carl stops talking only telling you to keep a look out and to be quiet. Lots of Ferals fight each other in the Downtown area and will obviously attack anyone else. Plus there are other scavengers here that will try to bushwhack each other as well. Carl pulls out a large bag and you and he start going into various devastated buildings where he grabs things of varying interest. A few instance you see large groups of Ferals in the street, but Carl tells you not to fire, since they're all fighting each other at the time. Another instance when you're on the second floor of an apartment store, another mutant clobbers Carl with a lead pipe and tries to make off with the bag of goodies, but a couple of shots put the thief down. "Thanks. Oh fuck, I think the shots caught the attention of the Ferals outside, we better get out of here!" You and Carl rush out the building and after you fire a few more shots at the Ferals you both make a beeline back the Dust District, unfortunately you and Carl have to retreat and backtrack several times to avoid large groups of Ferals, until finally when you get out of the area, its twilight and you still haven't gotten back to the Dust District yet. You and Carl hear a nearby sewer manhole opening up… "Oh shit we're gonna die!" Carl yells and starts running. He's in such a hurry to getaway he trips and dumps his bag with all the contents inside! He frantically starts putting everything back in, but already you can see the Shadow Horde starting to come out, and yeah they do look a hell of a lot meaner than the typical Ferals, which is pretty hard to do. The fact that they start shouting "CARL GET YOUR ASS UP, WE GOTTA GET OUTTA HERE!" you yell and start blasting Horde members with your assault rifle, picking your shots, but when they fire back, you can't stand your ground for long and run leaving Carl behind. You hear Carl trying to catch up with you, but you soon hear more shots, yell of pain followed by the collapsing of a body. You turn around to see one of the Horde trying to finish Carl off with a spiked bat, but he blasts the mutant in the head with his pistol twice killing it. He's wounded and even if you went back to get him, the rest of the Horde is closing in and you'd never outrun them if you carried Carl on your back. Sensing the end is near; Carl uses his last bullet to save himself a torturous death by the hands of the Horde. Of course now you have worry about yourself. > You continue a straight forward run No time for fancy shit, you just have to RUN! You run and don't look back, though you can still hear them chasing you, and other Horde members start popping out of other sewer gratings. Eventually you get to the Dust District, but they're still chasing you, that's when you hear shouting coming from in front and above you as well. "ALRIGHT START THROWING AND FIRING!" Suddenly from up high bottles crash to the ground releasing gouts of fire. Molotovs. Next comes the sounds and flash of machine gun fire from everywhere. "OH SHIT!" you shout and duck down and roll into a nearby building. The Horde was still chasing you, but most of them got burned by the Molotovs, the shrieking is unnatural sounding, but it's soon put to an end when the flaming flailing bodies are shot by the machine guns. After it's all over you pick yourself up only to get kicked in the ribs and a rifle shoved in your face. "Don't fuckin' move Shadow scum!" a uniformed mutant orders. "I'm not…" "Silence!" another kick, this time to the nuts. While you hold your crotch in pain, another uniformed mutant arrives, but this one has a higher rank. "Alright Private, that'll do for now, let's see what this fucker has to say about his buddies…what the fuck? This ain't no Shadow! He's too fuckin' pretty for one thing, and not nearly muscular enough." "(Groan) I'm not, I live in this area! I was scavenging Downtown with another and we got caught after dark…he's dead." You say picking yourself up. "Yeah, that's usually what happens. Woulda happened to you too had we not set up base here in the Dust District. This place will be completely safe from now on as it is officially under direct protection by the Zeropolis Guard. I'm Captain Salazar." Well that explains the uniforms. "…yeah I heard of you guys. I also heard you only had scouts in the area though." "Well we move fast, and we needed a new base camp. Our last position was steadily being overrun by Ferals during the day and the Shadow Horde at night. But I think here is a good position to make a stand. This area doesn't have as many sewer entrances, Feral activity is low, and best of all there's the abandoned factory and plant nearby. Maybe one day we can power up the entire City again, but for right now we're trying to just get power to this district, though even that will take awhile. The Zeropolis Guard is dedicated to bringing order to this city and I think this is the best place to start." "Hey that's great, okay I've had a hard day; I think I'll just go home now…" Captain Salazar suddenly stops you. "While you're free to go back home citizen, I can't help but notice your weapons…now while I certainly understand the need for personal protection, especially given this unstable situation and your current choice of profession, so you may keep your pistol. However, your assault rifle would be of great use to us. We need all the maximum firepower we can get to better defend this area." "Well it doesn't have many bullets left though." You say, but Salazar merely smiles at your attempt to keep your rifle. The private who kicked you looks at you like he's anxious for you to try something. "That's alright; we have plenty of ammo suitable for it. However, if you wish to actively join the Zeropolis Guard, then you certainly would have need for such a weapon… do you wish to join?" "Uh no. That's okay." You say helplessly handing over you weapon. Salazar takes it. "Pity, you seem like you'd make an excellent solider. Still, our offer is always open and I'm sure you'll be able to easily find us. You may return to your home." You make you way back home, in fact you'll be really glad to get home, today wasn't very fun, reminds you of why you always preferred your own company. You sort of wonder though about how things might change with the Guard messing around in the area. While this warehouse is sort of in an isolated part of the Dust District, you can only imagine that it's a matter of time before the Guard start snooping around here and given you have a generator and water recycler, they'll probably want this place for themselves and you'd have to go live in one of the crappy neighborhoods like everyone else. Of course you might be able to swing things to your benefit if you did join the Zeropolis Guard, though that might mean they'll be sending you on missions where you can get yourself killed. Before you fall asleep, you think about the future and how you're going to deal with this situation. > You join the Zeropolis Guard You see where this is going; the Zeropolis Guard is fully intent on their delusional plan and they're going to be the top assholes in this area, so you might as well join them to reap the benefits. It's better than being at their complete mercy and it's certainly better than living in fear of the Shadow Horde, at least the Guard seems to want to restore order. The next day you go find Captain Salazar who is pretty easy to find since he's currently giving speeches in the streets to the Dust District inhabitants of how they should actively join the Zeropolis Guard. Not too many takers, but none of them are in any position to argue with the occupation. When you go up to Salazar to tell him you're interested in joining, he's pleased to just have someone taking him up on his offer. Of course he wants to know more about you and where you're currently staying, and you do tell him about the warehouse, just not about the secret GZS rooms underneath. He's a little bewildered of why you're staying there rather than a proper house in one of the neighborhoods, or even your own house. To this you reply that you used to live in one of the Downtown apartments, and couldn't live there anymore due to the danger. You mention during your time of madness you ended up wandering this way and just took up residence there and now even though you're better, you've made it your home and feel comfortable at that place. You also go on to say that you prefer to be away from large crowds of people. Captain Salazar frowns at that last statement. "Y'know we are a military unit, teamwork is encouraged here…though I suppose we need all the help we can get right now, so I guess you'll be on scouting duty. Maybe if you prove yourself, I'll put you on sniper duty. As for your living arrangements…I guess you can stay there. That area is pretty empty and there isn't anything there except a few warehouses, we're more interested in the plant and factory. However it's the perfect place where the Shadow Horde might stage a sneak attack from due to its remoteness. So consider yourself the sentry in that area. I wish we could use our radios, but the radiation levels here…well are sort of screwing up the signals. We've been trying to train messenger rats, but so far the little furry bastards just run off to the nearest source of food, so you'll be reporting to me personally every two days where I'll either give you new instructions or tell you to continue what you're doing. Unless I hear otherwise and you don't report, I'll give you one more day and then I'll assume you're either dead or have deserted. If you're dead then you're dead, but if I find out you've deserted, my wrath will be terrible, and you'll wish you were dead." "Okay, but what if I was captured?" "Ha ha ha ha! You're joking right? Not really much of a chance of that happening. Ferals just kill, and the Shadow Horde might capture you, but they won't let you live afterwards. I trust you won't let yourself get captured then right?" "Guess not." "Good. Let's see, what can you do…I got everyone else working on other things, right now we're tracking down all the sewer manholes in the area and shoving the remains of cars on top of them. Others have been sent to raid nearby police stations in the hopes of finding more weapons and ammo. Okay what you'll be doing is scouting and clearing out the factory; we've discovered that all the Feral activity in the area has been coming from those places. At least that's where we've seen them all run off to, you can go retrieve your assault rifle seeing as I haven't given it to anyone else yet." "Am I working by myself, or with others?" "Well from the impression of getting, you'd probably prefer working alone, but that's simply too dangerous for what I'm sending you in to do, you'll need someone watching your back, so I'm sure you're familiar with Private Ackman here…" You then see the soldier who kicked you yesterday. He doesn't look any friendlier and just nods at you. "There will be other small detachments exploring various parts of the factory as well so more ground can be covered, but for the most part you two are on your own. Dimissed." You and Ackman go carry out the mission in relative silence. Private Ackman doesn't seem to care for you, or at best he doesn't want talk to you unless it's absolutely necessary. This doesn't really bother you though since he is a good fighter, and is making this mission a lot easier. The factory is a huge place though even in its current devastated state; there are several sections, multiple levels and it covers a lot of land. It's going to take awhile. After a few months of factory clearing you and Ackman have the highest Feral body count so far, and their attacks on the Dust District are becoming non-existent. Due to this accomplishment, many of the inhabitants have a little more confidence in the Zeropolis Guard and as a result more people have volunteer to help, either by joining directly or by attempting to fix the power plant. Shadow Horde attacks occur sometimes, but even those aren't as frequent. Zeropolis is a big place, and presumably they've turned their attention to easier areas. Four years pass… It's been five years since you set foot in Zeropolis, and the place has changed quite a bit, well in your area anyway. Most of the factory has been safely stripped to help rebuild the district. The nearby plant has parts of it fixed and partial electricity has been restored to the district as well. Feral attacks are completely unheard of in the area now, they've either all been killed, or in a few cases, managed to retain their sanity again. The Zeropolis Guard has firm control of the area and has been attempting to restore a few old vehicles to work again mainly using jury-rigged steam engines, though the many stills created to make hooch certainly serve the same purpose to create "Garbage fuel" as it were for vehicles. Oddly one thing that has surprised everyone is that new mutants are actually being born! Not many, but it still came as a surprise when one of the female mutants found out she was pregnant, when it was assumed everyone would've been sterile due to the radiation, but then again the fact that you're all still alive is proving that you're all working on a different biological level now. You've risen in rank with your superior sniping skills, and saving others you've effectively become second in command. You're looked upon as sort of a "hero" figure among the Dust District. The Shadow Horde is still around, but attacks have less frequent. This perpetual war with them is basically at a standstill. The Zeropolis Guard has many more resources, but not nearly enough people. Captain Salazar is irritated by this fact, but there's not much he can do about it. His big idea of bringing order to the entire City is slowly being crushed as he realizes this might never be possible. In desperation he's sent a few people OUT of Zeropolis in the hopes of somehow getting help, but so far all his efforts have resulted in failure. People don't like or trust mutant, and it's mainly due to another organization attempting to "tame the wasteland" known as The Combine. With most of the outside towns under their control, they've developed "a shoot mutants from the City on sight" policy. Salazar's behavior which was at one time just pleasantly dedicated is now becoming obsessively totalitarian. However, you're standing by your warehouse home one day when you see some outsiders visit Zeropolis. They aren't entirely human though, they look like cyborgs. Which would explain why they have no rad suits. There have been reports of The Combine currently at war with their own enemy called the Cybernetic Evolution. You're not sure what it's all about, but you're guessing they probably see themselves as superior to humans. (You've seen enough movies in the past to know that's always the case!) You can't imagine what they'd be doing here, unless they intend on proving themselves superior to mutants as well. There aren't many of them, but most of them are heavily armed. > You open fire immediately The Cybernetic Evolution's opinion of mutants probably isn't much better than their opinion of humans. This is probably a scouting force to assess the defenses and resistance level here, well to hell with that you aren't going to let them report shit. You immediately open fire. You kill the smaller one in the center with relative ease, but the others go into battle mode and start laying down the firepower. You nearly get yourself killed before managing to take cover. Other mutants hear the sounds of battle and rush to the area to help you, and soon the metal interlopers are a pile of sparking scrap. "What the hell, you find new enemies for us?" one of the mutants asks you. "Nah, I don't think we'll be having any more problems with them. They're busy with a war with the Combine; I doubt an army of cyborgs will be coming here anytime soon. Better go report this to the Captain though." Soon after the cyborg diversion a lot of rumors start flying around that the Cybernetic Evolution will be attempting to invade Zeropolis or even that they've somehow allied with the Shadow Horde, but none of these rumors even come true. Though it does make Captain Salazar paranoid enough to take the current war with the Shadow Horde more on the offensive, of course this doesn't pan out too well. When Salazar starts sending troops into the actual sewers they're at a severe disadvantage and the losses on your side are terrible, yet the Captain insists on carrying out this plan. A few years go by and the Dust District's defenses are nearly completely destroyed. You're one of last defenders left and the Zeropolis Guard no longer exists as you know it. After Captain Salazar was struck down by an assassin the organization dissolved and it just became a bunch of armed mutants trying to defend their homes. It's a futile endeavor though the Shadow Horde is relentless and as much as you might hate it, you have to leave; it's just simply not safe to stay where you are anymore. The question is where to go? There are probably other places in the City where the Shadow Horde isn't as strong or even in control, but that might just be a temporary solution and it might not be any safer. The only other option is to leave the City which is certainly going to be dangerous as you know mutants aren't looked upon too kindly. > You go to a different part of the City You gather your belongings and leave as quickly as possible to another part of Zeropolis. It's a big city after all; surely you can find some place to be. Eventually you do find a place to settle down. It isn't the safest, but it's better than where you currently were. Though in time, it begins to get dangerous once again as the Shadow Horde turns its attention to other parts of the City, and you have to move again, you continue this routine for a few more years until one day your luck runs out and you fail to leave in time and you finally become a victim to the ever growing Shadow Horde.