Thursday, Feb 25th, 2010
I peek open my eyes. Where am I? Not on the bus anymore. Damn I can't move, paralyzed somehow. Fuck. Well not entirely, I can move my eyes, tongue, and jaw, everything from the neck up. Throat is hoarse though, can barely whisper. Maybe best not to speak at all; not let anyone know I'm awake.
I'm in some kind of room, chained to the floor. Several of the other passengers also chained to the floor. Notifications are still flashing, still can't move yet. Still can't speak above a whisper, don't need to, sub-vocal activation works.
Harold Williamson has been removed from your relationship sheet
Peter Johnson has been removed from your relationship sheet
Sarah Johnson has been removed from your relationship sheet
Oh fuck, that means they're dead doesn't it? The Bus Driver, that was that couple with the… No, don't think about that. There's other names, I read and dismiss them. Oh thank God, the Sanchez family isn't there. I can't see them in front of me, but I can't turn around. I haven't interacted with everyone on the bus, a lot aren't on my sheet. Maybe some are still alive? Just finish looking through notifications and stats.
Your Drug & Poison Resistance skill has increased by 1
Your Drug & Poison Resistance skill has increased by 1
Your Drug & Poison Resistance skill has increased by 1
The status effect 'Unconscious' has been removed
Sub-quests? Well fuck. My HP is back to maximum, MP is almost there, fatigue fully recovered. Blood on my clothes from the broken bus windows has done its weird voxel fade-away. I slowly lift my head. Ow, dizzy headache. How long have I been unconscious? Couple hours at least, based on what I recovered. Time? My watch is in my inventory, that means it's in stasis, won't be accurate. Phone is destroyed. Hmm, Fredrico's phone's still in there. Don't have enough maneuverability to retrieve anything.
"Status Effects" I subvocalize.
Well damn it, no wait. That's counting down a lot faster than that. Drug Resistance at work? "Skills", Yep, steady, active increases; can only do so much till it's gone. Bonesaw, why's that name familiar?
I'd observed two people that came on the bus before I blacked out. The Observe windows aren't open anymore, but FRAPS is still running. Rewinding to review might take too long. Cape Database? Yep there she is, and it captured my Observe info.
A wave of disgust, loathing and pity washes over me. What about the rest of the Nine? I click on the links to read the rest of the entries. There, that's Jack, the other one I observed.
God-damn, just why? Why? I haven't even seen the other members yet. Clearly, Shatterbird is about to have done that to the bus. The others have to be nearby as well. How? How can I possibly have a chance at escaping these murder-hobos?
Out run them? Can I even do that against the likes of Crawler or Siberian? I have to get out first, and I'm chained up here. Play dead? No, Bonesaw will just dissect me. Out-think them? Is that even possible? Out talk? I don't want to be near enough to have a conversation…
My limbs start feeling tingly as sensations are coming back into them, another notification fires off.
Your Drug & Poison Resistance skill has increased by 1
Think about this. What can I plan? What can I do? I need to know where I am and what I'm dealing with. What are my immediate obstacles? What resources do I have? Can I help or save the others? I want to, is it feasible? I look over my inventory, still can't fully make the gestures to pull anything out yet. I have weapons in there, a first aid kit, my costume, things I'll need. I have to get creative.
Wait, not yet, am I being watched? I glance at my stealth interface. One Camera and two persons observing, fuck. I have to wait, get the feeling back into my hands; hide my movements. I can't get out of here while chained to the floor. I activate stealth but it doesn't take, still not sure how that skill works, probably doesn't while under observation; but try again as much as I want, no risk there.
Every so often the count of people observing me will drop to zero, someone is looking away? Wait for it and make faster movements then. Is it someone in the room watching or someone behind the camera? Does my observation detector even work like that? Must be behind the camera, my hearing is cranked up and all I can hear right now is the others breathing, no footsteps, no shuffling. Or is it a Stranger?
"Observe, Observe, Observe, Observe, Observe" I subvocalize again, a pretty heavy duty chain and combination lock, securing my hands and ankles. I wait till the human observer count hits zero. Shit, can't inventory it while it's attached to the floor. Maybe I can pick it, generic combo-lock, nothing special.
I glance at the other unconscious passengers I can see:
"Quests" I murmur under my breath and look over the stupidly named main quest. Random encounter my ass.
Saved: 0, Dead: 23, Pending: 21
I wince; more than half already gone. Why are we still alive? What's being planned? Some kind of game based on what Jack said on the bus, and his dossier; fucking psychopaths. His games are rigged, cheat, and don't play by his rules. Make that my mantra. Meditate; I can meditate while I wait for the poison timer to drop. Can't chant, don't want to make noise. Patience, wait for them to look away, and then move. Finally, after nudging with my tongue and jaw, then my shoulders and hands, I get my interface to where I can slowly operate the free camera controls with one tingly finger.
Now I can see the whole picture. One set of stairs leading up to a single door, no windows. Are we in a basement? There are sixteen of us, chained to the floor, the Sanchez family is here. I'm the only one awake. I observe everyone.
The four from before: Jordan, Arthur, Robert, and Macy. There's myself, Carmen, Rueben and Chela. Chela went down to level 0? Just a five level drop from being paralyzed and unconscious? She's also the youngest, then me. Level drop is not consistent among the rest. Stop it, that's not important! Focus!
,
Well there's hope for David, he knows how to fight, I may not be able to get out of this by myself. The last person in this room is… On no, just… fuck me.
Shit, she's not unconscious and not paralyzed, but pretending to be both. Melinda is still in there, terrified, and desperately wishing to die. Can she be saved? If not can she be removed without creating suspicion? Do the nine already know I'm a cape? Can I even do that? I feel sick, I want to throw up after reading…. can't force it down. She's a plant, an observer, the source of the camera or one set of human eyes watching me? No can't be, not facing in my direction at all, unless Bonesaw put eyes in the back of her head. No, Observe didn't mention it. I spot an electronic camera in the corner of the room, that's it.
We're chained up in some kind of McMansion. Probably once nice looking, now mostly bereft of furniture and items, except various trash, or things I suspect may have been placed on purpose. I zoom around the house, memorizing exits, doors, and windows. But they're all trapped and boarded up in a variety of ways, even some of the interior doors between rooms. The number of old blood stains I see… They must have been using this house for a while, prepared it multiple times for whatever they are going to put us through. The cameras in the rooms are installed, not part of the original house. Some clearly destroyed and fixed or replaced. Probably some hidden ones too, that's what I would do if I was a sick sadistic fuck… But why? Why go through all this trouble?
Nobody else is in the house and I can scry into all the rooms. That doesn't match the occupant count Observing the house directly gave me, which is twenty-seven. Seven fucking 'biomechanical spiders', whatever the hell that means, and twenty people. Since I can't find them, that means they're hiding, somewhere.
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
Where is the rest of the nine? Where are they, presumably, watching all this from? I push the camera further outside the house. It's dark, late at night, full moon, but no lights. Wait, no there is one lit house down the street. Free camera can't reach it. Twenty one occupants, ten spiders and eleven people. No ten people, the fuck? Did someone leave? A notification fires off.
Cindy Mitchel has been removed from your relationship sheet
Fuck.
Saved: 0, Dead: 24, Pending: 20
I see something moving in the moonlight on the street as I navigate my view around.
Crawler was… eating something… oh god. No, don't throw up, look away.
Your Empathy skill has increased by 1
What? Why is seeing all this suffering giving me Empathy skill?
I don't….I don't have time to dwell on it. That's enough, get back to the house. Select First Person view. Wait a moment, still only the sounds of breathing. I can move my hands more now, wait for it. No longer being watched… Stealth on; grab the lock. Still can't raise the thing to my ear, need to, to listen to it click to pick it. No, I can remote view again, double check Melinda. Okay, she's still facing away from me on the other side of the room, pretending to be unconscious.
There, maneuver the free camera inside the lock, zoom in, listen. Quietly turn the dial. Try, 1…, fail; reset. Stealth broke, freeze, being watched? Yes. Wait… can't wait forever, small slow movements, 1, 2…, fail; reset. Not being watched, stealth on, faster movement, 1, 2, 3… fail; reset. 1, 2, 3, 4…, *CLICK* Success! Shit, did anyone hear that? What numbers are those? 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. What? That's the stupidest combination I've ever heard in my life! That's the kind of thing an idiot would have on his luggage!
Stupidities aside; take what advantages I can get. Refocus my camera, re-observe the locks. Same make and model. Bulk purchase? Yep, the same stupid combination works on the lock at my feet. I can move even better now, muffle the click this time. Success, detach the second lock.
Now what? I have to rescue everyone else. As soon as I move to do so, it'll be obvious to those watching me. What do I do about Melinda? She is still in there. I don't want to kill an innocent person. Even if she's faking it, she is still chained up. All part of the ruse? What game are you playing at Jack? What else? Can't forget about the spiders and four other persons hiding in the house; still have to find them.
Your Drug & Poison Resistance skill has increased by 1
Oh, check my paralysis counter, moving faster again, a few minutes more. Can't be hindered when I make my move. Check the others, they have longer to go, how can I speed that up? I got a first aid kit in inventory. Damn, can't check what's inside a container in inventory. Can't do anything about it now; focus on different problems.
Free camera again, zoom through the house, double check everything. Where are those fuckers? Aha, there you are:
Christopher Wilkinson has been removed from your relationship sheet
Saved: 0, Dead: 25, Pending: 19
Well, god damn it. That answers that.
****?
The status effect 'Paralytic Poison' has been removed
Finally, I wiggle my toes just to be sure. Some lingering tingly after-effects, but that's all. Not being watched, scoot closer to the person next to me. My hands are already near their feet, so… wait, watch, move. Muffle the sound, *click*Jordan's feet are unlocked. That's it though, nothing else closer without getting up and moving, not even Jordan's hands. That very probably means detection.
How much longer can I afford to wait? Bonesaw probably knows when her stuff is due to wear off. Can't let it be that long. Get up while they're looking? Detected, Wreck the Camera? Detected. Wait some more then. There, no one is looking again; pull the first aid kit out, shield the view and light show with my body as best I can, open and re-inventory all the contents individually and the case. What do I have? Bandages, medicines, scissors, threads, ointments, smelling salts… There! Those will help me wake people up. Don't know if it will help lessen the paralytic effect. It's only one small ampule though, is that enough for everyone? How do these things work? Can I reuse it? Guess I'll find out.
Think; think; think! There's probably no avoiding eventual detection, I just need to give myself as much lead time as possible and work as quickly as I can. I'll need a distraction, to focus their attention on something else. Back to my free camera mode, another round of Observes on everyone, check their timers and wait. Longest timer is 20 minutes now; I hope waking them will somehow shorten it. I preselect my censor to sound something loud and obnoxious, and move out with my free camera to my furthest range, to the best spot to pull them away from the house and still be able to hear it. Profanity filter is on, curse like a sailor…
[CENSOR] [CENSOR] [CENSOR] [CENSOR]
First person mode, no eyes on me, one camera, stealth on, pull out my bat as I stand up, move quickly now toward the spot below the camera, jump up and swing. "Power Strike." Lucky hit, first try, camera is wrecked, zero cameras watching me, zero people.
I pull the first aid supplies and the smelling salt ampule from my inventory, break it open, and rush over to each person; I skip Melina but keep an eye on her. It's working. Everyone starts waking up, they’re still under the lingering effects of the paralytic though.
"We got captured, locked up by the Slaughterhouse Nine. They drugged us, but it's temporary, I woke up first." I whisper to each person, not entirely sure how cognizant each one is as I do so.
I start opening the locks, first Chela's, then her father's, then her mother, then Jordan's hands, then David's…
"Huurrk!"
-12 HP (6 resisted)
-0 HP (1 resisted)
Fuck.. getting strangled, David's chain… He's awake… "I'm trying to…" He squeezes tighter.
-0 HP (2 resisted)
-0 HP (2 resisted)
-0 HP (2 resisted)
You are suffering from the status effect 'Asphyxiation'
There are people screaming now, saying they can't move. Clearly some can as I hear the chains rattling. "Stop..." I mutter out, David is ignoring me though, and squeezes tighter
-0 HP (3 resisted)
-0 HP (3 resisted)
"HEY!" Jordan yells. "I think he was trying to help you. I saw him undo the lock on your feet!"
"What the fuck is going on?" David asks as he loosens his grip.
The status effect 'Asphyxiation' has been removed
No point in whispering anymore. "Was on the bus with you, we got captured by the Nine, they drugged us, locked us up. I woke up first, and got free."
"Sorry" David managed to say, before a cacophony of screams and cries followed.
<"SIMON!" What is happening?" I can't stand up"> I hear Reuben shout in Spanish at me.
<"The Nine, they captured and drugged us, locked us up in here, I woke up first and got free, was trying to free everyone else,"> I respond. <"We have to hurry get up as best you can, paralysis is temporary">
"Why can't we move?" one of the women yells.
"Some kind of paralysis drug it will wear off" I answer, as I get David's lock off his hands.
"Carefully try to stand, you want to get blood flowing to all your limbs, massage them to help speed it along." Jordan shouts. "They can't speak English?" she asks, gesturing to the Sanchez family.
"No, but I can translate", then I did so.
"You're wearing scrubs." David says to Jordan, "that means you're a nurse?"
"Yes."
"Use those bandages to help whoever is still injured." He says in a commanding tone.
"How the hell do we get out of here?" Jeremy asks while vigorously rubbing his limp legs.
"Well, now!" A loud masculine voice cracks over the intercom. "Allow me to answer that. Seems like someone decided to start the game early." The voice matches the one I heard on the bus before I blacked out. It was Jack. "No matter, the rules are simple. One of you just needs to kill one of the others in the room, and then I'll tell you the combination. After that—"
"Power Strike" I smashed my bat into the intercom, destroying it. Fuck, one camera on me, and more eyes on me than the number of people in this room. I look at Melinda, she is sitting upright and staring at me.
"How come some of you are unlocked and I ain't?" Michael yells.
"That was Jack Slash wasn't it?" David asks.
"Yeah, everything he says is a lie."
"We have to kill someone to get out of here?" Michael asks again.
"No way, fuck that..." someone says.
<"Simon we don't understand, what is everyone saying?"> Chela asked me.
Angry voices threaten to drown out everyone, so I yell. "The Combination is 1, 2, 3, 4 5! I had to lockpick mine to find out." Everyone actually quiets down. "Yeah it was that stupid, probably meant to make us feel guilty someone killed someone to learn something so ridiculously idiotic."
Everyone starts unlocking their chains, and I start translating for the Sanchez's. I look up as I hear someone run up the stairs.
"NO WAIT!!!" I yell. It's too late, Jeremy opens the door. As soon as he does, a trip wire goes off and several kitchen knives affixed to some wood swing down from the ceiling, and stab him in the throat. He falls over backwards, tumbles down the stairs, and bleeds out in seconds.
Jeremy Ford has been removed from your relationship sheet
Saved: 0, Dead: 26, Pending: 18
The screaming resumes at full volume.
Simon's Character Sheet:
Name: Simon Clarence Anderson
Gender: Male
Age: 15
Race: Human (Parahuman)
Class: Teenage Runaway / Rogue
Faction: None
Money: $5.16
Title: Gentleman Thief
Level: 17 (67.33%)
XP: 27800
Primary Attributes
STR: 11 (+0.00) 11.00 (58.30%)
AGI: 9 (+0.00) 9.00 (12.40%)
CON: 21 (+0.00) 21.00 (77.63%)
INT: 25 (+0.00) 25.00 (3.12%)
PER: 12 (+0.00) 12.00 (28.05%)
WIS: 22 (+0.00) 22.00 (29.55%)
CHA: 13 (+0.00) 13.00 (58.97%)
LUC: 15 (+0.00) 15.00 (48.74%)
Unspent Points: 49
Secondary Attributes
Health Pool: 665/677
Stamina Pool: 555/555
Mana Pool: 5113/5312
Stress Pool: 470/470
Attack: 12.50
Speed: 2.80
Dodge: 14.44
Armor: 0.40
Carry: 110.00
Allure: 3 (+0.50) 3.5
Status Effects
Teenage Acne: ALU -0.50
Alluring Charm*: ALU +1.00
Skills
Max Slots: 52
Free Skill Slots: 12
Artistry: 10 (85.89%)
Athletics: 12 (36.88%)
Basic Academics: 9 (0.00%)
Computers: 10 (11.23%)
Crafting (Stone & Pottery): 10 (5.67%)
Create Mana Golem: 12 (18.03%)
Damage Resistance (Electrical): 1 (0.00%)
Damage Resistance (Fire & Heat): 2 (0.00%)
Damage Resistance (Physical): 3 (14.96%)
Disable Device: 11 (16.43%)
Disease Resistance: 6 (60.13%)
Disguise: 4 (25.98%)
Drug & Poison Resistance: 17 (12.34%)
Empathy: 11 (3.56%)
Firearms: 1 (0.00%)
Gamer's Body: MAX (0.00%)
Gamer's Interface: MAX (0.00%)
Gamer's Mind: MAX (0.00%)
Language-English: MAX (0.00%)
Language-Spanish: MAX (0.00%)
Mathematics: 4 (0.00%)
Medicine: 2 (80.86%)
Meditation: 12 (48.91%)
Melee Weapons: 4 (0.00%)
Null Resistance: 3 (13.69%)
Observe: 23 (9.39%)
Parahuman Lore: 7 (92.56%)
Power Strike: 10 (0.22%)
Programming: 10 (0.54%)
Psychology: 5 (0.00%)
Science (Biology): 1 (53.22%)
Science (Chemistry): 1 (0.00%)
Science (Earth): 1 (0.00%)
Speech: 10 (34.52%)
Stealth: 12 (20.45%)
Strategy: 5 (0.00%)
Thievery: 11 (0.00%)
Unarmed Combat: 5 (0.00%)
Vehicle Operations: 3 (0.00%)
Video Games: 26 (16.74%)
Unspent Skill Points: 6
Perks
Free Perk Slots: 1
Gaia's Blessing: Mana Pool and Mana Skill access
Gaia's Attunement: Elemental Affinity access
Light Sleeper: Need only 5 hours to get fully rested
Mana Reserve: Bonus MP per level increased by 25%
XP Whore: +10% Level XP
Flaws
Selective Amnesia: We had to make room for stuff in your head
A Bit of a Troll: Sometimes you just can't help yourself
Unnatural Curiosity: Can't always resist the urge to find stuff out
Cheaty Powers
Invisible Light Source: White on White Interface Theme
Language Comprehension: Multilingual subtitles
Limited Remote Viewing: Free & Third Person Camera Modes
Limited Microscopic View: Free Camera Zoom In
Distracting Sound: Profanity filter
See in Darkness: Contrast, Brightness & Gamma Correction
Super Hearing: Selective volume controls
Audio Filtering: Selective channel muting
Sound Protection: Built in decibel control
Personal Jukebox: Broadcast Music library
FRAPS: Record and playback from Camera POV
Cape Detection: From Observe & Overhead Tags
Media Access: From inventory w/ Data-interface & Wi-fi signal
Temporal Stasis Effect: From inventory
Quick Change/Equip: From inventory-avatar drag-drop
Observation Detection: From stealth - detecting & electronic eye interface
Vague Pre-Cog/Peri-Cog: From Quests & Quest notifications
Polyphasic Sleep: Fatigue point pool abuse & Light Sleeper
Affinities
Earth: 6
Water: 1
Plant: 1
Lightning: 3