Re: The Relentless Slaughter [Round 2: S'kkoi]
09-24-2011, 06:07 PM
Originally posted on MSPA by Ixcalibur.
Connection Lost.
Martin was used to quickly trying to assess an unfamiliar situation, admittedly most of the time the answer was if not readily apparent then at least able to be inferred from context. He wasn’t really sure how anything could explain the situation he found himself in. First things first; he was underwater, though as a machine, and with the compulsion to breathe completely optional, this was not such a big deal. What was more distressing was that below this waist his body was replaced with that of a shark. A long silver tail curved beneath him and a feel along his back revealed a triangular fin growing from his spine. Reflected in the shattered glass of what was once a mirror Martin quickly identified the folds of skin upon his neck as gills. It might have been the mirror but he could have sworn his mouth was wider than it ought to have been, and inside his teeth were sharpened to a point. It gave him an intimidating smile, or would have done if this bizarre situation had given him any inclination to smile.
As bewildering as suddenly discovering yourself to be half shark is, it did not seem like an explanation was going to be forthcoming. He hesitantly pushed it to one side and focused on things he had half a chance of coming up with some kind of rationalization for. Around him, the debris of what was just about recognisable as being a house at one point. The walls had crumbled away and seaweed had grown across more or less everything but it was apparent that at some point in time it had been a building that someone had lived in. From this vantage alone Martin could see scores of buildings, some more ruined than others. The tallest structure remaining was a skeleton picked clean; it laid across the town several stories tall. Martin gazed out across the underwater ruin and tried to piece together a rational explanation for what was going on.
Not that it did him any good. The only explanation that made any semblance of sense of this far-fetched situation was the notion that he was dreaming. Admittedly he had never experienced a memory lapse during a dream before, or to be more accurate he couldn’t remember having a memory lapse during a dream before. Still if this place was something constructed from his own subconscious he had to wonder what the hell was going on in his head to produce such a dark and dismal visage. Martin not feeling much like wandering… swimming around a dark and dismal mindscape, tried to force himself awake without much in the way of success. He pinched himself and though his perfectly recreated skin registered the pressure and slight pain of his pinch he did not jolt upright in bed like he wished that he would.
The next couple of minutes were spent attempting to recreate that feeling of falling that jolts you awake just as you are falling asleep. Though, since he was underwater, it was easier said than done. Hell, he couldn’t even splash cold water on his face. It was as he futilely tried to unbalance himself something stirred in the ruins. If he had been paying attention to his surroundings he might have noticed a long thin shape slinking across the ruins, cautiously approaching him. It was not till the creature erupted from the shadows of a nearby ruin, all teeth and eyes that Martin reacted. He would later admit that it was not the best or manliest reaction. He jammed his eyes closed, instinctively pulled his limbs in and angled himself way from the oncoming threat (as best he could in the couple of seconds the creature took to reach him anyway) and whispered to himself ‘wake up wake up wake up!’.
The creature, its scales slick and midnight black, plunged its needle sharp teeth into Martin’s shoulder. Artificial pain shot through his body as the eel-like thing attempted to puncture his metal chassis. Martin quickly opted to turn off the artificial pain, and after taking a quick moment to recover he reached over and grabbed the creature. Though the creature attempted to struggle and squirm loose from his grip, the more obviously mechanical of his hands gripped it tight and pulled it loose. It flailed in his hand, alternating between trying to slip free and dig its fangs into the mechanical hand that held it tight. Martin swung the creature round; slamming it against the ruined wall until it finally stopped moving.
He took a look at his shoulder, gashes torn through the memory polymer that was his skin. The water around it was ever so slightly red as blood diffused from his body. It was rather obviously as fake as everything else about Martin, but somehow he did not think that would matter if there were any real sharks in the vicinity. He glanced around anxiously searching for some kind of shelter he could take. With none in his immediate vicinity he picked a direction and swam, deeper into the city, looking for somewhere he could hole up. Though he wasn’t exactly sure what was going on he was pretty sure he wasn’t dreaming.
Connection Lost.
Martin was used to quickly trying to assess an unfamiliar situation, admittedly most of the time the answer was if not readily apparent then at least able to be inferred from context. He wasn’t really sure how anything could explain the situation he found himself in. First things first; he was underwater, though as a machine, and with the compulsion to breathe completely optional, this was not such a big deal. What was more distressing was that below this waist his body was replaced with that of a shark. A long silver tail curved beneath him and a feel along his back revealed a triangular fin growing from his spine. Reflected in the shattered glass of what was once a mirror Martin quickly identified the folds of skin upon his neck as gills. It might have been the mirror but he could have sworn his mouth was wider than it ought to have been, and inside his teeth were sharpened to a point. It gave him an intimidating smile, or would have done if this bizarre situation had given him any inclination to smile.
As bewildering as suddenly discovering yourself to be half shark is, it did not seem like an explanation was going to be forthcoming. He hesitantly pushed it to one side and focused on things he had half a chance of coming up with some kind of rationalization for. Around him, the debris of what was just about recognisable as being a house at one point. The walls had crumbled away and seaweed had grown across more or less everything but it was apparent that at some point in time it had been a building that someone had lived in. From this vantage alone Martin could see scores of buildings, some more ruined than others. The tallest structure remaining was a skeleton picked clean; it laid across the town several stories tall. Martin gazed out across the underwater ruin and tried to piece together a rational explanation for what was going on.
Not that it did him any good. The only explanation that made any semblance of sense of this far-fetched situation was the notion that he was dreaming. Admittedly he had never experienced a memory lapse during a dream before, or to be more accurate he couldn’t remember having a memory lapse during a dream before. Still if this place was something constructed from his own subconscious he had to wonder what the hell was going on in his head to produce such a dark and dismal visage. Martin not feeling much like wandering… swimming around a dark and dismal mindscape, tried to force himself awake without much in the way of success. He pinched himself and though his perfectly recreated skin registered the pressure and slight pain of his pinch he did not jolt upright in bed like he wished that he would.
The next couple of minutes were spent attempting to recreate that feeling of falling that jolts you awake just as you are falling asleep. Though, since he was underwater, it was easier said than done. Hell, he couldn’t even splash cold water on his face. It was as he futilely tried to unbalance himself something stirred in the ruins. If he had been paying attention to his surroundings he might have noticed a long thin shape slinking across the ruins, cautiously approaching him. It was not till the creature erupted from the shadows of a nearby ruin, all teeth and eyes that Martin reacted. He would later admit that it was not the best or manliest reaction. He jammed his eyes closed, instinctively pulled his limbs in and angled himself way from the oncoming threat (as best he could in the couple of seconds the creature took to reach him anyway) and whispered to himself ‘wake up wake up wake up!’.
The creature, its scales slick and midnight black, plunged its needle sharp teeth into Martin’s shoulder. Artificial pain shot through his body as the eel-like thing attempted to puncture his metal chassis. Martin quickly opted to turn off the artificial pain, and after taking a quick moment to recover he reached over and grabbed the creature. Though the creature attempted to struggle and squirm loose from his grip, the more obviously mechanical of his hands gripped it tight and pulled it loose. It flailed in his hand, alternating between trying to slip free and dig its fangs into the mechanical hand that held it tight. Martin swung the creature round; slamming it against the ruined wall until it finally stopped moving.
He took a look at his shoulder, gashes torn through the memory polymer that was his skin. The water around it was ever so slightly red as blood diffused from his body. It was rather obviously as fake as everything else about Martin, but somehow he did not think that would matter if there were any real sharks in the vicinity. He glanced around anxiously searching for some kind of shelter he could take. With none in his immediate vicinity he picked a direction and swam, deeper into the city, looking for somewhere he could hole up. Though he wasn’t exactly sure what was going on he was pretty sure he wasn’t dreaming.
Heaven Help Us | Make Room!!!! | I'm Not Okay (I Promise)
Hang 'Em High | The Only Hope For Me Is You | Zero Percent | Early Sunsets Over Monroeville | DESTROYA | Demolition Lovers | To The End
Surrender The Night | Disenchanted | The Ghost Of You | Party Poison | Vampires Will Never Hurt You | The Jetset Life Is Gonna Kill You
Hang 'Em High | The Only Hope For Me Is You | Zero Percent | Early Sunsets Over Monroeville | DESTROYA | Demolition Lovers | To The End
Surrender The Night | Disenchanted | The Ghost Of You | Party Poison | Vampires Will Never Hurt You | The Jetset Life Is Gonna Kill You