Nitoichi - Future Imperfect 2 (Story)
By
Infinitron_EU,
Posted on: 2008-12-02 08:47 in Multi-Media Fan Creations
Again, as to the first one, very well written. I enjoyed reading it. A very interesting theory aswell, hopefully the idea doesn't get copied and abused.
Well, very few people can get their hands on the rock itself. The overall concept that there are alternative realities both in advance of and behind our timeline where something is slightly different is an established part of game lore. There's a mission through Portal Corps where you discover that you somehow took over and destroyed the world, there's the Psychic Clockwork King world, etc.
People can't really abuse it any more than it has been, often by the game designers.
Disclaimer: The above may be humerous, or at least may be an attempt at humour. Try reading it that way.
Posts are OOC unless noted to be IC, or in an IC thread.
I meant your specific style.
Ah, right... well, that's not totally original either, but I'm glad you like it.
I think there will be some more of these, but not for a while. It gets tough trying to think of new ways to have your friend's characters take over the planet. (Though, that said, there is one of mine who I could go there with.)
Disclaimer: The above may be humerous, or at least may be an attempt at humour. Try reading it that way.
Posts are OOC unless noted to be IC, or in an IC thread.
Well theres a plot coming up with Inf that hopefully lots of people will get involved with (separately for people who know him/like him, people who are heroes in general, and for people who aren't too fond of him - i.e. some who think he is a jerk - and may just be vindicated in that appraisal) that could have multiple resolutions.
I think i will start the story with interactive RP, and then as i work it through write the ending the way i want it; and possibly do multiple alternative endings aswell.
Will begin at the end of Seans Open RP.
(( Obviously, this is the sequel to Future Imperfect, so if you haven't read that, you may wish to, just to get the flavour and the reason for the stories. ))
Future Imperfect 2
December 1st, 2008, 9:20, The Barrington Club, London.
Annette found the stone in one of the locked side rooms in the Archive. Samantha, the librarian, had moved it there, as requested. Annette looked at it. It seemed to look back. She approached it nervously, raising her hand and letting it hover there. Summoning all of her will, she hesitantly let her fingers touch the smooth rock.
---
"Okay," the voice struggled to make itself heard over the various conversations in the room. "People!" Louder this time, and the conversations died down. Heads turned to the young man standing on the large box at one end of the room. "I'd like to call this meeting to order," he said.
People who were standing sat in the neatly rowed chairs. Others turned to face forward. The man waited, watching them settle, before continuing. "Alright, let's get the nasty stuff over with. We've lost two members in the past month. Mister and Mrs Charters were taken a week ago and implanted." There was a murmur from the assembly, and he waited for it to die away. "You all know the procedure. Follow it."
There was a pause, as he seemed to collect his thoughts. He was an incredibly handsome young man with very pale skin. His black turtleneck sweater and jeans counterpointed his skin tone, making it stand out more. "You all know why we're here," he said. "We've all managed to stay free when friends and relatives have become part of the Machine. It's taken over pretty much the whole of this continent, Europe, Russia, Japan, Australia. China is starting to cave in. There aren't many of us free now and people are talking about finding somewhere to hole up."
Again there was muttering. A lot of it sounded like agreement. "I heard there was a free community in Scotland," said a voice from the back, and voices rose in agreement.
The young man raised his hands for quiet, and the people subsided again. "The Scottish community is a myth," he said, and then went on quickly to cover the rise in volume, "and I have someone here who wants to talk to you about what we do next." He turned to his left, stepping backward off the box.
A figure stepped from the shadows at the back of the room and the gathering fell totally silent for the first time. It was her. They all recognised her. They had seen her on a hundred wanted bulletins. Nitoichi. Dressed in black battle armour, brown hair tied back, she stepped onto the vacated box and looked around at the assembled people. Then she smiled slightly at the young man. "Thank you, Torsten."
Her gaze swept the room again. "Do you all know why Torsten here leads your group?" Some nodded, others dumbly shook their heads. No one spoke. "Torsten's mother came to me with a worry one day. She was worried that something was wrong at the heart of what was then called the Unity Vigil. I think we all know what happened to Dinah Ewers. Dissected. Picked apart for scientific curiosity." Beside her, Torsten flinched. "She came to me because I had always shied away from invasive implants. Nothing more than an affectation, but it kept me out of the system.
"I investigated that problem she found. Stupidly, I persuaded Dinah to confront Zorielle Rolando." She hung her head. "It's a decision I regret every day." She raised her head again. "Oh, I avenged her death, little knowing that Zorielle, my friend and mentor, was little more than a puppet. I smuggled Torsten out. I set up secure communications networks and cells like this across the world. I'm here to tell you that there are no safe places left. There are still free counties, but with China rapidly turning to the implants, there will soon be no opposition to stop the Machine's army walking over everywhere it does not already control."
Nitoichi smiled then. It was not a nice smile. No one had seen a happy smile on the woman's face in the last decade. Instead, this was the smile of someone who had a plan which would see her enemies crushed. "In London, we've been keeping the spark of magic alive, monitoring communications, watching, and planning. We have a plan. We have a way to destroy the Machine at its very core."
Now she was interrupted. Cheers came from the throats of the assembly of scared, lonely people who lived in a world where everyone else was joined under one over-mind. "Yes," Nitoichi went on when the noise had died a little, her voice once more bringing total silence. "Yes, you will all have parts to play. This will need to be carefully coordinated with disruptions in several vital communication and power points around Paragon City. Your aim will be to blind the Machine for the short time my task force needs to get in. My partner will be leading the force which hits the Towers, I will be leading a force through the portal there to the Island. BODICIA's days are numbered!"
---
"Dinah?" Annette's voice rang through the house. "Dinah, where are you?"
A small, blonde haired child ran from the lounge, down the corridor, and wrapped herself around Annette's leg. "Mommy!" she cried, giggling happily.
"Yes, Munchkin, I'm back." Annette ruffled Dinah's hair, smiling, and then lifted the girl into her arms. "Where's your other mother?"
"In the kitchen," Dinah replied. "She's cooking."
"Of course she is," Annette chuckled. "I should never have let Ryan give her lessons."
"Unca Ryan and Unca Robrert are coming over later," Dinah told her happily.
"'Uncle', dear, and 'Robert.'" Annette was almost certain Dinah did it on purpose.
"That's what I said!" Dinah replied indignantly. Then she giggled and wrapped her arms around Annette's neck.
"Honey," Annette said as she entered the kitchen, "I'm home."
Linda turned from the pastry she was rolling, grinned, and advanced on her partner and daughter. Flower covered hands grabbed them both in a hug. "How was... Buenos Aires? It was Buenos Aires, wasn't it?"
Annette hugged Linda back with her free arm. "Yes. It was hot, in more ways than one. Ni had a good time."
"Mommy," Dinah broke in, "can I play with Ni later?"
"She's a little tired, dear, she'll play with you tomorrow." Annette grimaced slightly at the concerned look on Linda's face as she broke from the hug. "Forty-eight hours straight, but we did it. She let me sleep on the plane back so one of us would be with it when we got here."
"You push yourself too hard, Annie," Linda said. "Ryan's learned to take it easy. Why can't you?"
Annette shrugged, somewhat hampered by Dinah. "It's not like I have health problems, and there's two of me to share it between."
"There's just the one body, and you'll wear it out," Linda smiled, but there was concern in her eyes.
Thinking back on the last few days, she had to agree. Lady Gray had asked her to check out some odd signals in Buenos Aires. She had had to deal with local authorities throwing red tape in her way because they did not like Vanguard poking their noses in, and then the signals had turned out to be a new portal site. Vanguard had shipped in a task force with Ni and Annette acting as scout, landing site clearance team, and tactical leader.
The week before Zorielle had sent her out to pull a group of students out of the War Zone after their routine acclimatisation session had gone badly wrong.
She forgot what it was before that, something to do with the Club. "I'll talk to Zorielle and Elisabeth, see if I can get them to cut back a little."
"Yeah," Linda snorted. "The workaholic and the driven immortal are so going to listen. Let's at least take a holiday."
Leaning forward, Annette kissed Linda briefly on the lips. Then she licked her lips and grinned before leaning back for a longer kiss. "I'll arrange something for next week," she said.
---
Annette sat bolt upright in bed, looking around at the unfamiliar decor. Beside her, Richard stirred. She blinked at him and flickering images of the night before crept into her mind like traitors.
The bedroom door opened and Cass walked in, the half-smile on her face turning to one of horrified anger. Annette could only look back, not sure of what to say
---
Annette sat bolt upright in bed, looking around at the unfamiliar decor. On either side of her, Linda and Dinah stirred invoking memories of the night before. Annette flushed, smiling.
The bedroom door opened and Promethea walked in, a half-smile on her face. "Oh, you're awake," she said. "Coffee? Or can I persuade you to a foresome?" Annette grinned rather dopily.
---
"There's no choice, babe," Linda told her, "and you know it." Around them swarm missiles detonated, energy blasts rocked the bunker. "You've got seconds at best to get out of here with that thing. We'll try to hold them here and give you a chance."
Annette looked at the canister hanging from a strap over her shoulder. "It should be you, you can fly, you'll be faster..."
"And get shot out of the air in a second." Linda shook her head. "You're the stealth expert, you're the better sneak. And I'm the girl who regenerates and hits things. I got all these Vanguard troops with me. We'll hold them as long as we can. Get that damn thing to Dark Watcher."
Annette looked at her blonde girlfriend and bit back a sob. "Lin... I... I can't lose you."
Linda pulled her quickly forward and planted a long, hard kiss on the brunette's mouth. "Bye, Annette," she said. "It's been great. Ni... get her out of here."
Annette's eyes widened. "No, don't..." she cut off as Nitoichi forced herself into control. "Bye, Linda. I'll miss you." Then she turned and bolted out of the bunker door, her camouflage system engaging as she ran. By the time she was a few yards away, Linda could no longer see her.
"Bye, babe," Linda whispered and turned to face the oncoming threat.
---
The view from the balcony was... spectacular. Annette looked out on it dressed in a simple white robe which draped from her shoulders and actually covered surprisingly little of her flesh. If the long millennia of her life had taught her one thing, it was that mores and morals changed, and it was best to go with the flow. Currently, the galaxy had swung into a phase of enlightened technocracy, climate control, even planet wide, was common, and public nudity was taken as something no one really cared about. Clothing had become a decorative affectation, or a safety measure. Not that anyone really bothered with manual labour unless they enjoyed it, but when gardening, it was still wise to wear boots. Annette just liked the way the fabric flowed over her body.
In the distance, the fields of purple-green grass around the house gave way to the outer edges of a city which appeared to be composed of pinnacles of white marble. Somewhere in one of them, Richard Huntington continued his research. In another, Jason Caine made sure that the enlightened technocrats never forgot that there was something out there called 'magic' which technology found it hard to act against. She smiled a little bleakly, and sighed. People she had known for thousands of years still around her, and so many others long gone in the past.
A pair of slim arms suddenly slid around her waist and she felt a female body pressing against her back. Lips touched her neck and she gasped. "Hello, lover," she said. "I was wondering when you'd finally get up." She turned, trying not the displace the arms around her waist, until she was facing the blonde girl who had been in their bed until a few moments before. "All these years, and you still can't drag yourself out of bed in the morning."
Linda grinned. "Maybe I can't drag myself out," she said, "but I'm damn good at dragging you back in."
---
"It doesn't show you the future, you know." Annette jerked at the sound of the voice and turned, suddenly. Jason was standing in the doorway of the little room, a slightly concerned look on his face.
"Um," Annette began, her face flushing, "I was just..."
"Samantha told me she thought you had touched it before," Jason said, stopping her from trying any excuses. "It doesn't work for me, so I'm pretty much immune to its effects, but I do know the power of the thing and what it does to people. But you have to know that you aren't seeing the future when you touch it."
Annette looked between Jason and the stone on its plinth. "It... there were things that can't exist yet. It had to be..."
Jason shook his head and smiled. "We figured it out about twenty years ago, and we've owned the thing for over two hundred. It always seemed as if it should be magic, which is why we obtained it, but it's actually a piece of very advanced technology which uses 'magic' as a conduit in some way to do what it does." He smiled as Annette opened her mouth to ask. "I'm getting to that, hold your horses. It connects you to other yous in alternative dimensions. Usually they are somewhat in advance of ours in the timeline, but once in a while, you actually get one which is further back in time. The first time someone noticed that was the big clue for us."
"So," Annette said, frowning, "I'm experiencing events through the eyes of another me, in another reality." Jason nodded. "So... these things could happen, but we don't know how likely they are, because we don't know how different that universe is to ours, right?"
"Exactly," Jason replied. "Oh, I guess there's some reasonable probability, since you have to be there for you to see that world. You notice you never see any situation where you've died, it's always friends, or family..? Or someone you trust has gone bad?" Annette nodded, swallowing hard. "You can't see yourself dead, because you'd be dead and it needs a live you to connect to. There's also some kind of malign intellect in there that likes showing people nasty things. It takes huge amounts of will to get it to show you any specific possibilities, or to even get it to show you something nice. Did you see anything you liked, Annette?"
Annette thought back to the last scene she had been shown and smiled, nodding. "Yeah... yeah, I did."
Disclaimer: The above may be humerous, or at least may be an attempt at humour. Try reading it that way.
Posts are OOC unless noted to be IC, or in an IC thread.