Re: LAST. THING. STANDING. [S!1][ROUND ONE: TELEVISION LAND]
12-03-2011, 05:52 AM
Originally posted on MSPA by Sanzh.
Agents Winston and Manderley, while they should have been used to a variety of paranormal and extraterrestrial encounters, always tended to act somewhat surprised whenever they encountered something new. Winston would act incredulous, looking for alternative explanations for the phenomenon that avoided admitting that what they had found was real. Manderley was more enthusiastic, tending to hope that whatever new discovery they made was another step closer to confirming a conspiracy or advancing the human condition or otherwise proving to be of benefit. To an outside observer they would each be exaggerated caricatures simplified to be presentable to a television audience, but in this context they were normal, perhaps even engaging and dynamic compared to the numerous others that inhabited this channel.
Winston sat at his desk, shuffling through papers and presumably checking his computer-- the contents of both the paper and his computer weren’t essential, just something for him to do until Manderley arrived. Which he did, excitedly opening the door to Winston’s office.
“You’re not going to believe what they’ve got down in the basement.” Manderley had an overeager grin, more so than his usual smile at the prospect of the paranormal. Winston rolled his eyes.
“What’s the new ‘monster-of-the-week’ you’ve found this time, Manderley?” He waggled his fingers as he said monster-of-the-week-- if this channel hadn’t evolved past requiring a writer, no doubt some television staff member would be chuckling over his witticism.
“Oh, come on Winston. They’ve got an alien cyborg down there. It hasn’t been particularly cooperative-- yet, at least, it said it needed some time to examine our technology so we left the thing a couple of harmless samples to play with-- but just think about it. Confirmation of life beyond this planet! In the building’s basement! Do you know just how exciting that is?”
Winston realized that Agent Manderley wasn’t going to allow him to go back to work, so he acquiesced. “Alright, Manderley, we’ll see whatever it is you’re so excited about.”
The two of them departed the office, taking an overly circuitous route demanded by the logic of their channel. If they were any more genre savvy, they would have noticed the static on the monitor meant to be the closed-circuit feed of the alien’s room. They approached the room, Manderley removing his key-card to open the door to the containment area. He smiled at Winston, secure in the knowledge that even he would be impressed.
Kriok had just finished fabricating a handheld javelin launcher-- a particularly violent asteroid survey tool, used both for study and destruction-- as the door opened.
Her biological components experienced a rush of adrenaline as she heard the click of the locks disengaging and the automatic door slide open, and she quickly loaded the one javelin she had into the tool. Taking only a half-second to aim, she fired, feeling the force of the tool against her arm and the pneumatic hiss and whine of the pressurized propellant. The bolt impaled itself inside Manderley’s torso, sending him sprawling backwards with the sheer kinetic force. Winston was briefly shocked at the display, but before he could draw his gun the alien was on top of him, grabbing him with her robot prosthetic. Kriok began to speak, her voice firm.
“I don’t know who you are, or what any of this is, but I’m in need of answers-- a lot of answers. You can either endeavor to help me or you can end up like your partner.”
Winston was, as was characteristic of every unexpected twist, shocked-- but for a different reason than usual. The genre-blindness demanded of him prevented him from outright calling out the alien’s actions, but he subconsciously knew that Kriok Searae was not going by the conventions of this genre. Manderley’s injuries were a direct testament to that.
Not wanting to suffer the same fate as his friend, Agent Winston nodded an assent.
”Smart of you.” Searae released him, circling around to grab the spike embedded in Agent Manderley. She reloaded the javelin launcher before redirecting her attention to Agent Winston, aiming the pneumatic tool at him. If what had happened prior to her arrival wasn't just a hallucination, then what little information that was embedded within the cavalcade of yells and strobe lights would be somewhere to start.
“I need to find a television.”
Agents Winston and Manderley, while they should have been used to a variety of paranormal and extraterrestrial encounters, always tended to act somewhat surprised whenever they encountered something new. Winston would act incredulous, looking for alternative explanations for the phenomenon that avoided admitting that what they had found was real. Manderley was more enthusiastic, tending to hope that whatever new discovery they made was another step closer to confirming a conspiracy or advancing the human condition or otherwise proving to be of benefit. To an outside observer they would each be exaggerated caricatures simplified to be presentable to a television audience, but in this context they were normal, perhaps even engaging and dynamic compared to the numerous others that inhabited this channel.
Winston sat at his desk, shuffling through papers and presumably checking his computer-- the contents of both the paper and his computer weren’t essential, just something for him to do until Manderley arrived. Which he did, excitedly opening the door to Winston’s office.
“You’re not going to believe what they’ve got down in the basement.” Manderley had an overeager grin, more so than his usual smile at the prospect of the paranormal. Winston rolled his eyes.
“What’s the new ‘monster-of-the-week’ you’ve found this time, Manderley?” He waggled his fingers as he said monster-of-the-week-- if this channel hadn’t evolved past requiring a writer, no doubt some television staff member would be chuckling over his witticism.
“Oh, come on Winston. They’ve got an alien cyborg down there. It hasn’t been particularly cooperative-- yet, at least, it said it needed some time to examine our technology so we left the thing a couple of harmless samples to play with-- but just think about it. Confirmation of life beyond this planet! In the building’s basement! Do you know just how exciting that is?”
Winston realized that Agent Manderley wasn’t going to allow him to go back to work, so he acquiesced. “Alright, Manderley, we’ll see whatever it is you’re so excited about.”
The two of them departed the office, taking an overly circuitous route demanded by the logic of their channel. If they were any more genre savvy, they would have noticed the static on the monitor meant to be the closed-circuit feed of the alien’s room. They approached the room, Manderley removing his key-card to open the door to the containment area. He smiled at Winston, secure in the knowledge that even he would be impressed.
Kriok had just finished fabricating a handheld javelin launcher-- a particularly violent asteroid survey tool, used both for study and destruction-- as the door opened.
Her biological components experienced a rush of adrenaline as she heard the click of the locks disengaging and the automatic door slide open, and she quickly loaded the one javelin she had into the tool. Taking only a half-second to aim, she fired, feeling the force of the tool against her arm and the pneumatic hiss and whine of the pressurized propellant. The bolt impaled itself inside Manderley’s torso, sending him sprawling backwards with the sheer kinetic force. Winston was briefly shocked at the display, but before he could draw his gun the alien was on top of him, grabbing him with her robot prosthetic. Kriok began to speak, her voice firm.
“I don’t know who you are, or what any of this is, but I’m in need of answers-- a lot of answers. You can either endeavor to help me or you can end up like your partner.”
Winston was, as was characteristic of every unexpected twist, shocked-- but for a different reason than usual. The genre-blindness demanded of him prevented him from outright calling out the alien’s actions, but he subconsciously knew that Kriok Searae was not going by the conventions of this genre. Manderley’s injuries were a direct testament to that.
Not wanting to suffer the same fate as his friend, Agent Winston nodded an assent.
”Smart of you.” Searae released him, circling around to grab the spike embedded in Agent Manderley. She reloaded the javelin launcher before redirecting her attention to Agent Winston, aiming the pneumatic tool at him. If what had happened prior to her arrival wasn't just a hallucination, then what little information that was embedded within the cavalcade of yells and strobe lights would be somewhere to start.
“I need to find a television.”