Re: The Vivacious Deadlock: S3G6: Round One: Genreshift
09-05-2011, 10:35 PM
Originally posted on MSPA by fluxus.
The world was a fog.
The sky had become a swirling nether of deep blues and grays and for a moment Ivan had thought he’d gone blind. It had been as though he was peering from behind a frosted window. Surreal shapes wearing the vague outline of something human drifted in and out of focus and only to the extent of an unsettling three feet in front of him could he even distantly register details; everything else was lost to a misty daze. Blinking hard had done nothing to dissolve the film on his eyes and rubbing them proved fruitless. For a brief moment Ivan had allowed dread to seize him. But that was only until he’d realized he could see more clearly without using his eyes.
Suddenly something in his brain had clicked and he could hear the world thrumming, humming, moving and alive around him. Through him. The ground was full of electrical pulses and so were the humans that clustered about him, their lifes’ energy buzzing brightly just beneath their skin. Humans… he was one of them- had been one of them, hadn‘t he? Now he wasn’t so certain. One stood behind him- the boy who’d taken his pistol. But instead of the imposing weight of a seasoned warrior, Ivan could read the tapestry of his interwoven pressure points like an open book. With a few quick jabs to the solar plexus and shoulder, the soldier was on the ground, his own gun scuttling away across the pavement, and Ivan was scampering through the disarray of the crowd, light on his feet as he’d ever been.
The world was a fog and yet he’d never seen so clearly.
Stiff, acrid air salted his skin as he slunk away from the turmoil and he paid little heed to the bullets that whizzed past his left ear in his haste. The air was charged and the blustering wind whispered pleasantly of the storm to come as Ivan holed up in a hollow formed by broken bits of castle and mentally explored the layout of the grounds. His ability to map his surroundings had increased dramatically and he now found he could precisely and immediately pinpoint his own location in accordance with cardinal directions. It was as though he were looking at an actual map and could see himself moving amidst landmarks, rivers, roads. He furrowed his brow as he listened eagerly to the sounds of movement through the earth. Unless he’d suddenly experienced a strange case of what his mother had called ‘late blooming’, the only logical explanation he could come to was that a bookmark had been put into play. And apparently this shift in genre suited him quite nicely.
Physically little had changed about him, though he knew deep down that he was finally what CARET had expected him to be. He wasn’t from earth in this genre-shifted universe, that much was certain. Even his bones felt different; his skin had a gray sort of pallor and his pupils seemed to be oblongly stretched. His clothing had taken on a more rugged quality and he now sported a worn and slightly oversized jacket and a pair of sturdy leather shin-guards that left the soles of his feet exposed. In one of the many pockets of his lopsided coat he found a pair of unusual multi-lensed glasses that he swore to investigate if he got the chance. But they did nothing to enhance his suffering vision and he reluctantly put them away, cocking a grin as he mused that he now looked like he was on a proper adventure.
He supposed this drastic shift in reality should be worrisome… but somehow Ivan couldn’t bring himself to care anymore. He could compartmentalize his thoughts more efficiently and the uncertainties that had plagued him upon being caught by Lieutenant Ryan’s crew now seemed distant. If this was what being an Autian felt like, Ivan would be more than happy to get used to it.
It wasn’t far from where Ivan sat hidden that two blundering figures stumbled from the main entrance of Matic’s castle, one leaning heavily on the other for support and talking gibberish all the while. Qyp and Asus carved an unhappy path through a setting that fit their science fiction garb surprisingly well. Despite the fact that they’d both been shot, a wailing Qyp was being supported bodily by his tight-lipped partner. A pang of guilt shot through Ivan as he watched them, but it quickly dissipated as he realized they were both of them unhurt. And alone.
“Hey fellas.” Ivan stepped lightly from his hiding place and into their line of sight, smiling. “Strange we, hah, keep meeting this way.” He tried his best to sound pleasant and gestured to their space-aged surroundings. “This change of scenery really suits you.”
The duo faltered in their steps and Asus nearly dropped Qyp. “What’s he doing here?” Qyp screeched. He waggled a finger in front of Ivan‘s long, pointed nose. “I thought we were done with you!” Asus merely sighed and mumbled something that sounded like “Not this again”.
“Listen. Guys,” Ivan placated, hands outstretched. “If it means anything, I’m sorry about the whole… uh, shooting fiasco. Really, I am. And I suppose you’ve figured out by now that I’m not exactly who I claimed to be earlier. I‘d like to apologize for that too. I think we… may have started out on the wrong foot.”
Qyp was evidently puzzled by that one but Asus nodded his understanding. “You cost us our jobs, kid. Hell, lucky we walked outta there with our skins in tact.” He adjusted his helmet and shook his head. “No apology’s gonna fix that for us. And don’t go thinkin’ we’re curious as to why you’d want to pretend to be that Matic’s son. ‘Cause we’re not.” Although Qyp didn’t help his argument by asking who Ivan was while Asus spoke.
Ivan smiled grimly, picking at his thumb nail. “It’d be a waste of my time and yours to give you my life’s story. I’m just some dumb kid, that’s all you need to know.” Their position was still relatively concealed but some of Ryan’s dispersed troops were getting dangerously close. “Look. I know you’ve really no reason to trust me but I need to ask you for a few minutes of your time. I won’t threaten you,“ Ivan almost smiled then, seeing as Qyp and Asus both had a few good inches on him,” but I’ll tell you that there’s another angry gang and a wild hydra on the loose just over my shoulder.” He pointed a thumb behind him and hoped they‘d believe that Nalzaki was still there. “But. If you’d be willing to answer a few of my questions I’d gladly get you safely to wherever it is you need to go.”
The two men exchanged glances and muttered words that Ivan tried his best not to listen to. But it wasn’t long until Asus agreed with a curt “Fine” and Qyp with a smile. Ivan grinned despite himself and they hunkered down behind a broken bit of machinery.
The next fifteen minutes left Ivan with more information than he’d expected. Qyp and Asus had been a part of a gang called the ‘Strangers’, a somewhat-organized mob made up of the people who’d either been kicked out of their original genre gangs or who‘d been denied entry altogether. When Qyp had been booted from something called the ITF, Asus had left with him. It hadn’t been long until they’d been approached by someone who claimed to be the Boss of a new underground gang that found it’s strength in the numbers of, well, rejects, for lack of a better term. Directionless, they’d not hesitated to join, and had been making a pretty penny harvesting the bodies other genre gangs left in the wake of their confrontations for one Dr Matic- who was a apparently a very, very sick man.
However, assuming that what Asus and Qyp had said was true, the most important aspect of the explanation was that gangs were dissolving and potentially forming at a rapid pace. And that at least some of the members who were no longer seen fit to serve their specific mob were living long enough to form their own mobs.
Ivan felt another stab of guilt when he thought about his two informants losing their place in a gang of misfits because of something he’d done. “I only have one more question for you, and then you‘ll be on your way,” he said. “Do you have any idea where I can find a ‘Lord Horrorshow‘?”
---
They were creeping along at a sluggish pace and Ivan could tell it was wearing on Qyp. In return for their information he’d offered to draw them a map indicating all the potential dangers they could encounter on their way home but Asus more than anything had insisted he escort them himself. Despite the fact that he’d need to confirm Lord Horrorshow’s whereabouts with a few more sources more reliable than Qyp and Asus, Ivan was anxious to get on his way. They hadn’t even cleared the Castle grounds yet.
But just above a particularly cavernous sewer Ivan stopped where he stood, much to the chagrin of his companions. Below them, mutants raged in the sewers- though a shiver ran up Ivan’s spine for a different reason, pricking the back of his neck. There was an excess of energy here, unlike anything else he‘d felt since the genre-shift, and he knew it was able to be harnessed. A memory of Ninian’s voice swam to the forefront of his mind: ‘Geomantic energy. A natural force that remains untapped by the majority of human beings. An energy that has the potential to make wormholes a reality. Can only be detected by certain species of animals. And by people like you.’.
For whatever reason, Ivan removed the strange spectacles from his pocket and placed them on his nose, feeling slightly foolish as he did so. He fiddled with the lenses for a good while until he could see it, faint at first, but growing stronger with the proper combination of shaped glass. Before him was a clearly visible electrical current, purple-white crackles of energy illuminating a path across the grounds.
And unbeknownst to Ivan was that the trail led straight to a scientist and an android that was branded PH-373.
The world was a fog.
The sky had become a swirling nether of deep blues and grays and for a moment Ivan had thought he’d gone blind. It had been as though he was peering from behind a frosted window. Surreal shapes wearing the vague outline of something human drifted in and out of focus and only to the extent of an unsettling three feet in front of him could he even distantly register details; everything else was lost to a misty daze. Blinking hard had done nothing to dissolve the film on his eyes and rubbing them proved fruitless. For a brief moment Ivan had allowed dread to seize him. But that was only until he’d realized he could see more clearly without using his eyes.
Suddenly something in his brain had clicked and he could hear the world thrumming, humming, moving and alive around him. Through him. The ground was full of electrical pulses and so were the humans that clustered about him, their lifes’ energy buzzing brightly just beneath their skin. Humans… he was one of them- had been one of them, hadn‘t he? Now he wasn’t so certain. One stood behind him- the boy who’d taken his pistol. But instead of the imposing weight of a seasoned warrior, Ivan could read the tapestry of his interwoven pressure points like an open book. With a few quick jabs to the solar plexus and shoulder, the soldier was on the ground, his own gun scuttling away across the pavement, and Ivan was scampering through the disarray of the crowd, light on his feet as he’d ever been.
The world was a fog and yet he’d never seen so clearly.
Stiff, acrid air salted his skin as he slunk away from the turmoil and he paid little heed to the bullets that whizzed past his left ear in his haste. The air was charged and the blustering wind whispered pleasantly of the storm to come as Ivan holed up in a hollow formed by broken bits of castle and mentally explored the layout of the grounds. His ability to map his surroundings had increased dramatically and he now found he could precisely and immediately pinpoint his own location in accordance with cardinal directions. It was as though he were looking at an actual map and could see himself moving amidst landmarks, rivers, roads. He furrowed his brow as he listened eagerly to the sounds of movement through the earth. Unless he’d suddenly experienced a strange case of what his mother had called ‘late blooming’, the only logical explanation he could come to was that a bookmark had been put into play. And apparently this shift in genre suited him quite nicely.
Physically little had changed about him, though he knew deep down that he was finally what CARET had expected him to be. He wasn’t from earth in this genre-shifted universe, that much was certain. Even his bones felt different; his skin had a gray sort of pallor and his pupils seemed to be oblongly stretched. His clothing had taken on a more rugged quality and he now sported a worn and slightly oversized jacket and a pair of sturdy leather shin-guards that left the soles of his feet exposed. In one of the many pockets of his lopsided coat he found a pair of unusual multi-lensed glasses that he swore to investigate if he got the chance. But they did nothing to enhance his suffering vision and he reluctantly put them away, cocking a grin as he mused that he now looked like he was on a proper adventure.
He supposed this drastic shift in reality should be worrisome… but somehow Ivan couldn’t bring himself to care anymore. He could compartmentalize his thoughts more efficiently and the uncertainties that had plagued him upon being caught by Lieutenant Ryan’s crew now seemed distant. If this was what being an Autian felt like, Ivan would be more than happy to get used to it.
It wasn’t far from where Ivan sat hidden that two blundering figures stumbled from the main entrance of Matic’s castle, one leaning heavily on the other for support and talking gibberish all the while. Qyp and Asus carved an unhappy path through a setting that fit their science fiction garb surprisingly well. Despite the fact that they’d both been shot, a wailing Qyp was being supported bodily by his tight-lipped partner. A pang of guilt shot through Ivan as he watched them, but it quickly dissipated as he realized they were both of them unhurt. And alone.
“Hey fellas.” Ivan stepped lightly from his hiding place and into their line of sight, smiling. “Strange we, hah, keep meeting this way.” He tried his best to sound pleasant and gestured to their space-aged surroundings. “This change of scenery really suits you.”
The duo faltered in their steps and Asus nearly dropped Qyp. “What’s he doing here?” Qyp screeched. He waggled a finger in front of Ivan‘s long, pointed nose. “I thought we were done with you!” Asus merely sighed and mumbled something that sounded like “Not this again”.
“Listen. Guys,” Ivan placated, hands outstretched. “If it means anything, I’m sorry about the whole… uh, shooting fiasco. Really, I am. And I suppose you’ve figured out by now that I’m not exactly who I claimed to be earlier. I‘d like to apologize for that too. I think we… may have started out on the wrong foot.”
Qyp was evidently puzzled by that one but Asus nodded his understanding. “You cost us our jobs, kid. Hell, lucky we walked outta there with our skins in tact.” He adjusted his helmet and shook his head. “No apology’s gonna fix that for us. And don’t go thinkin’ we’re curious as to why you’d want to pretend to be that Matic’s son. ‘Cause we’re not.” Although Qyp didn’t help his argument by asking who Ivan was while Asus spoke.
Ivan smiled grimly, picking at his thumb nail. “It’d be a waste of my time and yours to give you my life’s story. I’m just some dumb kid, that’s all you need to know.” Their position was still relatively concealed but some of Ryan’s dispersed troops were getting dangerously close. “Look. I know you’ve really no reason to trust me but I need to ask you for a few minutes of your time. I won’t threaten you,“ Ivan almost smiled then, seeing as Qyp and Asus both had a few good inches on him,” but I’ll tell you that there’s another angry gang and a wild hydra on the loose just over my shoulder.” He pointed a thumb behind him and hoped they‘d believe that Nalzaki was still there. “But. If you’d be willing to answer a few of my questions I’d gladly get you safely to wherever it is you need to go.”
The two men exchanged glances and muttered words that Ivan tried his best not to listen to. But it wasn’t long until Asus agreed with a curt “Fine” and Qyp with a smile. Ivan grinned despite himself and they hunkered down behind a broken bit of machinery.
The next fifteen minutes left Ivan with more information than he’d expected. Qyp and Asus had been a part of a gang called the ‘Strangers’, a somewhat-organized mob made up of the people who’d either been kicked out of their original genre gangs or who‘d been denied entry altogether. When Qyp had been booted from something called the ITF, Asus had left with him. It hadn’t been long until they’d been approached by someone who claimed to be the Boss of a new underground gang that found it’s strength in the numbers of, well, rejects, for lack of a better term. Directionless, they’d not hesitated to join, and had been making a pretty penny harvesting the bodies other genre gangs left in the wake of their confrontations for one Dr Matic- who was a apparently a very, very sick man.
However, assuming that what Asus and Qyp had said was true, the most important aspect of the explanation was that gangs were dissolving and potentially forming at a rapid pace. And that at least some of the members who were no longer seen fit to serve their specific mob were living long enough to form their own mobs.
Ivan felt another stab of guilt when he thought about his two informants losing their place in a gang of misfits because of something he’d done. “I only have one more question for you, and then you‘ll be on your way,” he said. “Do you have any idea where I can find a ‘Lord Horrorshow‘?”
---
They were creeping along at a sluggish pace and Ivan could tell it was wearing on Qyp. In return for their information he’d offered to draw them a map indicating all the potential dangers they could encounter on their way home but Asus more than anything had insisted he escort them himself. Despite the fact that he’d need to confirm Lord Horrorshow’s whereabouts with a few more sources more reliable than Qyp and Asus, Ivan was anxious to get on his way. They hadn’t even cleared the Castle grounds yet.
But just above a particularly cavernous sewer Ivan stopped where he stood, much to the chagrin of his companions. Below them, mutants raged in the sewers- though a shiver ran up Ivan’s spine for a different reason, pricking the back of his neck. There was an excess of energy here, unlike anything else he‘d felt since the genre-shift, and he knew it was able to be harnessed. A memory of Ninian’s voice swam to the forefront of his mind: ‘Geomantic energy. A natural force that remains untapped by the majority of human beings. An energy that has the potential to make wormholes a reality. Can only be detected by certain species of animals. And by people like you.’.
For whatever reason, Ivan removed the strange spectacles from his pocket and placed them on his nose, feeling slightly foolish as he did so. He fiddled with the lenses for a good while until he could see it, faint at first, but growing stronger with the proper combination of shaped glass. Before him was a clearly visible electrical current, purple-white crackles of energy illuminating a path across the grounds.
And unbeknownst to Ivan was that the trail led straight to a scientist and an android that was branded PH-373.