KnightVanguard
12-31-08, 05:58 PM
For anyone who doesn’t know, a survival horror story is one where characters are thrown into a terrifying situation and are tasked with the single goal of making it out alive. Recently I wrote a short story that could be adapted into an RP so that the members of Althanas can play and have fun. First, here’s the short story so you have an idea of what to expect. It leaves various questions unanswered, but hey mystery is part of horror's allure.
The Herald
A dark starship clawed free of hyperspace and drifted towards the system’s single verdant world. The air was stale in the vessel’s dim hold, and it was quiet. A grim skeleton knelt at the center of the room with eyes that smoldered like coals and stared down the shadows. Th-thump. The crushing pain of Jerran’s unnatural heartbeat had dulled but still he bled, crimson rivers flowing over his bare ribs. Th-thump. A red pool reined over the floor, slowly spreading as it threatened to escape to the rest of the ship. Twice dead and twice risen. The first time he had been sure of himself and his purpose. His actions were just, his sacrifices glorious. But now…
A ghoul trudged past the open door, skin charred and black as Jerran’s bones, cracked and bleeding like his heart. Its eyes were white and it stared ahead listlessly as it passed out of view. That had been a man, before Jerran’s blood turned it to a monster. He could feel its soul writhing beneath the surface. It was trapped in an endless agony, able to see and feel everything that its body did but unable to stop it. He could vaguely feel its pain and that of the dozen others on the ship. The pain must have been maddening. With their flesh warped and split their bodies were like open wounds. From them flowed his taint, the strange power that had revived him.
The intercom crackled as someone hailed the craft, “Civilian vessel, this is Patrol Boat 1194. Our scans show that your crew is heavily injured, if you are receiving this lower your shields so that you maybe be boarded. I repeat, lower your shields so you can receive medical attention. Civilian vessel please respond, you are on route for the planet Prodigal II, you must change course to avoid a crash. Do you read me?”
The nameless officer continued to plead for an answer, but Jerran stopped listening. A red mist was rising up from his sanguine pool. Crimson tendrils reached out hungrily. Th-thump. “What have I become?” he asked, though the darkness feared to answer.
Prodigal II
The City of Acre
Dawn
Two picture frames on the night stand were the front line in an effort to turn the new house into a home. At the edge of the bed Jonathan slipped into his shoes, gray to match his suit, and grinned at the still image of his wife and new born daughter. Beside it was a snapshot of a young blonde hugging a stunning redhead. Vanessa and her last girlfriend Maladera, it was the last one he had of his little sister before she disappeared.
He took the silver necklace hanging from the side of the frame, bowing his head in a short prayer and then tucking the cross into his shirt. In another month or so he could bring Jennifer and Kaila to live with him on the blossoming colony world. His was a blessed life and it felt like another beautiful day was spread before him. Beyond his window an orange white dot streaked across the sky leaving a long trail of smoke in its wake. Distant thunder rumbled faintly as it crashed somewhere at the edge of the city and his window trembled, “My god…” The wail of alarms he’d never heard before marched across the city. I hope no one’s hurt… He grabbed his coat, heading out the door to see if he could help.
Now
Silence. Save for the panicked breaths of the man leaning back against the office door. Jonathan’s once fine gray suit was wrinkled and stained dark. Eyes closed, he tried to calm himself while his heart beat a harsh melody against his chest. The room was nothing but ghost’s and shadows and there was menace in everything he couldn’t see. A series of quiet beeps rang out, forcing a strangled gasp from his throat, wide eyed and tense. Light stabbed through the deep shadows as a monitor on the far wall sprang to life and text slowly scrolled across. The terminal’s stark blue aura shoved the murk to the far corners of the room and stole the mystery from the place.
A wooden desk stood on the plush carpet, files scattered about carelessly. A small bookshelf sat off to the side. Nothing else. No signs of flight or struggle. No blood. Sweat dripped from his brow as he crept closer to the terminal. His murky reflection was unsettling; youthful features appeared much older than they should have. Fear etched itself across his face, leaving its mark as plainly as any scar. He peered at the screen.
Tertiary generators online. Standby. . .
Security network auxiliary intelligence activating. . .
ERROR functionality at 10%
Prototype Emergency AI initializing in 300 seconds. . .
“Five minutes?” his voice was a hoarse whisper after hours of silence, “Where is the army, the Federation Fleet?” frustration and despair strangled his mind. The last few hours of his life were a nightmare. All those people, their screams… He blinked as the screen flashed again; five minutes gone already. A woman’s soothing voice accompanied the new text that appeared on screen.
Emergency power is now being restored to the Acre market district, I am Teresa, please listen carefully as I help you to navigate through this crisis. Power is down within the business, residential, and recreational districts of the city. A level 5 Emergency is in effect in all of these areas, if you are wounded and in need of medical attention please do not attempt to move. Be patient, medical personnel will arrive shortly to tend to your needs.
An unknown gas has spread through the city. Normal containment protocols cannot be used at this time. It is important that citizens do not enter affected areas or approach the gas unnecessarily. The unidentified substance moves very slowly and has not as of yet been identified as harmful, there is no need for alarm.
Please report to the market district, as it has been unaffected by this crisis. Once you arrive you will receive evacuation instructions from emergency personnel stationed within the area. Thank you and have a pleasant evening.
Evacuation… The market district was at the center of the city, perhaps half a mile from where he hid now. If he was careful, very careful, he could make it in less than half an hour…But that meant he had to go outside. His eyes went from the screen to the door, lingering there as his heart steadily raised the tempo. It took all his willpower to cross that room and cold fingers played down his spine as he gripped the handle. There wasn’t a sound on the other side. It had been forever since he had heard anything out there. He swung the door out into the hall slowly, the light from the room leaking into the hungry abyss. Blades of glass glistened like rows of teeth on the tile.
He stepped out, wincing as the glass crunched underfoot, and closed the door behind. It was just he and the shadows standing there as the seconds ticked by. Waiting for his eyes to adjust again. It didn’t help much; everything was just another shade of grey. He would have passed on a flashlight if he’d found one though. No one wanted to see what he saw.
Creeping down the long corridor he felt his way along the wall. His hand trailed through something warm and wet that made his stomach turn. But he didn’t stop, he didn’t dare. Making it back to the stairwell was all that mattered. He bumped lightly into the big metal door, relief flowing over him like a river. So far so good. He stepped inside prepared to wade through more darkness but was greeted by a soft red glow. The color drained from his skin as he saw scarlet smoke coming down the stairs from the third floor, a thick pool of mist already drowning the landing below him. He forced himself to back away. The figure of a man rose up from the swirling clouds covering the first floor. Its coarse skin was wet and darker than night and it fixed him with a soulless white glare. Another of the creatures emerged behind the first and growled, baring yellow fangs, “No!”
Jonathan ran back through the door, surging into the black hall in a mad dash. Behind him the creature’s roared and the metal door screeched off its hinges and clanged to the floor. Not like the others, not me! He ran faster than he ever had, but he could still hear them bearing down on him as their strides cracked the tile. At the far end of the hall he could just catch glint of a window.
Pushing with everything he had he dipped his shoulder and tucked his head, leaping full speed for salvation. With a great crash he burst through, shards of glass biting into his clothes and skin. Then he was weightless, if just for a moment. Gravity ripped at him savagely. He hit the side of the building across the alley with a crack and fell the rest of the way to thud against concrete floor. Rocked by jarring pain his eyes blurred before his shadowy surroundings vaguely came back into focus.
Quiet settled in as he looked up to the broken window. Only darkness stared back at him. Steam hissed out from some severed pipe, growing louder and more insistent as the seconds passed. But still, only darkness met his gaze. Jonathan struggled to rise. His shoulder ached from the impact with the wall and his wounds burned as the breeze ran across them. His mouth tasted of copper. But he was alive. Kissing his silver cross gently he let it hang free on its chain.
As he limped down the alley the hissing grew louder, bearing a ravenous tone he hadn’t caught before. Something darted by at the edge of his vision. He peered suspiciously into the shadows all around him, the noise seemed to be coming from everywhere now… Necklace swaying, he picked up his pace but his right leg protested, sending jolts of electric pain with every step. A shard of the darkness ripped away from the shadows, a monster the size of a dog that tackled him to the ground. The thing’s six white legs clamped down hard across Jonathan’s chest as it hissed loudly, “Get off me, get off— ARGH!” jaws filled with jagged teeth bit into his arm in three places, rending flesh and spraying blood into the air.
The shadows writhed and shrieked at the scent. He reached around to pry the monster off, “Ahhhh!” knives stabbed into his hand and gripped tightly, the creature had a another starving mouth on its back. More of the monsters skittered out of the darkness and latched onto his thighs and legs, gnawing through his clothes. Eyeless and misshapen, the creatures were draped in ragged glistening flesh and covered with mouths and gnashing teeth.
He thrashed about there, alone, trying and failing to stand as the creature’s lacerated his limbs. They wouldn’t let him escape, but they refused to give up a warm meal by letting him die. Tears welled in his eyes, “Oh god, help me, somebody! Ahhhhhh!” His screams echoed through the night.
The Herald
A dark starship clawed free of hyperspace and drifted towards the system’s single verdant world. The air was stale in the vessel’s dim hold, and it was quiet. A grim skeleton knelt at the center of the room with eyes that smoldered like coals and stared down the shadows. Th-thump. The crushing pain of Jerran’s unnatural heartbeat had dulled but still he bled, crimson rivers flowing over his bare ribs. Th-thump. A red pool reined over the floor, slowly spreading as it threatened to escape to the rest of the ship. Twice dead and twice risen. The first time he had been sure of himself and his purpose. His actions were just, his sacrifices glorious. But now…
A ghoul trudged past the open door, skin charred and black as Jerran’s bones, cracked and bleeding like his heart. Its eyes were white and it stared ahead listlessly as it passed out of view. That had been a man, before Jerran’s blood turned it to a monster. He could feel its soul writhing beneath the surface. It was trapped in an endless agony, able to see and feel everything that its body did but unable to stop it. He could vaguely feel its pain and that of the dozen others on the ship. The pain must have been maddening. With their flesh warped and split their bodies were like open wounds. From them flowed his taint, the strange power that had revived him.
The intercom crackled as someone hailed the craft, “Civilian vessel, this is Patrol Boat 1194. Our scans show that your crew is heavily injured, if you are receiving this lower your shields so that you maybe be boarded. I repeat, lower your shields so you can receive medical attention. Civilian vessel please respond, you are on route for the planet Prodigal II, you must change course to avoid a crash. Do you read me?”
The nameless officer continued to plead for an answer, but Jerran stopped listening. A red mist was rising up from his sanguine pool. Crimson tendrils reached out hungrily. Th-thump. “What have I become?” he asked, though the darkness feared to answer.
Prodigal II
The City of Acre
Dawn
Two picture frames on the night stand were the front line in an effort to turn the new house into a home. At the edge of the bed Jonathan slipped into his shoes, gray to match his suit, and grinned at the still image of his wife and new born daughter. Beside it was a snapshot of a young blonde hugging a stunning redhead. Vanessa and her last girlfriend Maladera, it was the last one he had of his little sister before she disappeared.
He took the silver necklace hanging from the side of the frame, bowing his head in a short prayer and then tucking the cross into his shirt. In another month or so he could bring Jennifer and Kaila to live with him on the blossoming colony world. His was a blessed life and it felt like another beautiful day was spread before him. Beyond his window an orange white dot streaked across the sky leaving a long trail of smoke in its wake. Distant thunder rumbled faintly as it crashed somewhere at the edge of the city and his window trembled, “My god…” The wail of alarms he’d never heard before marched across the city. I hope no one’s hurt… He grabbed his coat, heading out the door to see if he could help.
Now
Silence. Save for the panicked breaths of the man leaning back against the office door. Jonathan’s once fine gray suit was wrinkled and stained dark. Eyes closed, he tried to calm himself while his heart beat a harsh melody against his chest. The room was nothing but ghost’s and shadows and there was menace in everything he couldn’t see. A series of quiet beeps rang out, forcing a strangled gasp from his throat, wide eyed and tense. Light stabbed through the deep shadows as a monitor on the far wall sprang to life and text slowly scrolled across. The terminal’s stark blue aura shoved the murk to the far corners of the room and stole the mystery from the place.
A wooden desk stood on the plush carpet, files scattered about carelessly. A small bookshelf sat off to the side. Nothing else. No signs of flight or struggle. No blood. Sweat dripped from his brow as he crept closer to the terminal. His murky reflection was unsettling; youthful features appeared much older than they should have. Fear etched itself across his face, leaving its mark as plainly as any scar. He peered at the screen.
Tertiary generators online. Standby. . .
Security network auxiliary intelligence activating. . .
ERROR functionality at 10%
Prototype Emergency AI initializing in 300 seconds. . .
“Five minutes?” his voice was a hoarse whisper after hours of silence, “Where is the army, the Federation Fleet?” frustration and despair strangled his mind. The last few hours of his life were a nightmare. All those people, their screams… He blinked as the screen flashed again; five minutes gone already. A woman’s soothing voice accompanied the new text that appeared on screen.
Emergency power is now being restored to the Acre market district, I am Teresa, please listen carefully as I help you to navigate through this crisis. Power is down within the business, residential, and recreational districts of the city. A level 5 Emergency is in effect in all of these areas, if you are wounded and in need of medical attention please do not attempt to move. Be patient, medical personnel will arrive shortly to tend to your needs.
An unknown gas has spread through the city. Normal containment protocols cannot be used at this time. It is important that citizens do not enter affected areas or approach the gas unnecessarily. The unidentified substance moves very slowly and has not as of yet been identified as harmful, there is no need for alarm.
Please report to the market district, as it has been unaffected by this crisis. Once you arrive you will receive evacuation instructions from emergency personnel stationed within the area. Thank you and have a pleasant evening.
Evacuation… The market district was at the center of the city, perhaps half a mile from where he hid now. If he was careful, very careful, he could make it in less than half an hour…But that meant he had to go outside. His eyes went from the screen to the door, lingering there as his heart steadily raised the tempo. It took all his willpower to cross that room and cold fingers played down his spine as he gripped the handle. There wasn’t a sound on the other side. It had been forever since he had heard anything out there. He swung the door out into the hall slowly, the light from the room leaking into the hungry abyss. Blades of glass glistened like rows of teeth on the tile.
He stepped out, wincing as the glass crunched underfoot, and closed the door behind. It was just he and the shadows standing there as the seconds ticked by. Waiting for his eyes to adjust again. It didn’t help much; everything was just another shade of grey. He would have passed on a flashlight if he’d found one though. No one wanted to see what he saw.
Creeping down the long corridor he felt his way along the wall. His hand trailed through something warm and wet that made his stomach turn. But he didn’t stop, he didn’t dare. Making it back to the stairwell was all that mattered. He bumped lightly into the big metal door, relief flowing over him like a river. So far so good. He stepped inside prepared to wade through more darkness but was greeted by a soft red glow. The color drained from his skin as he saw scarlet smoke coming down the stairs from the third floor, a thick pool of mist already drowning the landing below him. He forced himself to back away. The figure of a man rose up from the swirling clouds covering the first floor. Its coarse skin was wet and darker than night and it fixed him with a soulless white glare. Another of the creatures emerged behind the first and growled, baring yellow fangs, “No!”
Jonathan ran back through the door, surging into the black hall in a mad dash. Behind him the creature’s roared and the metal door screeched off its hinges and clanged to the floor. Not like the others, not me! He ran faster than he ever had, but he could still hear them bearing down on him as their strides cracked the tile. At the far end of the hall he could just catch glint of a window.
Pushing with everything he had he dipped his shoulder and tucked his head, leaping full speed for salvation. With a great crash he burst through, shards of glass biting into his clothes and skin. Then he was weightless, if just for a moment. Gravity ripped at him savagely. He hit the side of the building across the alley with a crack and fell the rest of the way to thud against concrete floor. Rocked by jarring pain his eyes blurred before his shadowy surroundings vaguely came back into focus.
Quiet settled in as he looked up to the broken window. Only darkness stared back at him. Steam hissed out from some severed pipe, growing louder and more insistent as the seconds passed. But still, only darkness met his gaze. Jonathan struggled to rise. His shoulder ached from the impact with the wall and his wounds burned as the breeze ran across them. His mouth tasted of copper. But he was alive. Kissing his silver cross gently he let it hang free on its chain.
As he limped down the alley the hissing grew louder, bearing a ravenous tone he hadn’t caught before. Something darted by at the edge of his vision. He peered suspiciously into the shadows all around him, the noise seemed to be coming from everywhere now… Necklace swaying, he picked up his pace but his right leg protested, sending jolts of electric pain with every step. A shard of the darkness ripped away from the shadows, a monster the size of a dog that tackled him to the ground. The thing’s six white legs clamped down hard across Jonathan’s chest as it hissed loudly, “Get off me, get off— ARGH!” jaws filled with jagged teeth bit into his arm in three places, rending flesh and spraying blood into the air.
The shadows writhed and shrieked at the scent. He reached around to pry the monster off, “Ahhhh!” knives stabbed into his hand and gripped tightly, the creature had a another starving mouth on its back. More of the monsters skittered out of the darkness and latched onto his thighs and legs, gnawing through his clothes. Eyeless and misshapen, the creatures were draped in ragged glistening flesh and covered with mouths and gnashing teeth.
He thrashed about there, alone, trying and failing to stand as the creature’s lacerated his limbs. They wouldn’t let him escape, but they refused to give up a warm meal by letting him die. Tears welled in his eyes, “Oh god, help me, somebody! Ahhhhhh!” His screams echoed through the night.