Voyagers of the Storm - An Interactive Story
Hello, I am imighthavebrokenit, I previously had a story on the forums but ever since that story, I've felt the need to write more, so here I am, deciding to do so with a futuristic fiction piece.
The synopsis is already ready and it goes a little bit like this: 'The year is 2189. Humanity has faced many disasters up to this point. Oddly enough, nobody can recall a single thing that's gone wrong since they've been alive. 3-29-2189: Word of war, plague, and disaster that once contaminated humanity's past begins to spread, striking fear in citizens. As higher ups fight the alleged rewrite of history, people begin to calm down and ignore the world of misfortune, but others begin to question the textbook history. Only few do so, even fewer start a search for the truth.'
Characters can be submitted here
Each character submitted will be put into play, so no need to worry about that.
There will also be choices for you, the readers, to vote on. The choices could be major or minor, just as the characters can be.
I do intend to ask questions and I do hope that if any questions arise that they be asked.
Introduced: Alyssa Kowalska, Luke Lowell, Anthony Richardson, Naomi Dumont, Ethan Rikard, Isaac Hampton, Bradly Richardson, Lyla Richardson, Amanda Richardson, Louis Dumont, Meredith Dumont, Sebastian Dumont, Veronica Dumont, Elias Dumont, Marie Duval, June Lee, Stella Simpson, Brent Russo, Edefelic Magabaz, Bruco Vane, Chelsea Hampton, Debbie Renolds, Riley
Awaiting Introduction: Irene Dumont, Nikolai Volkov, Hayden, Giovanni Coscarelli, Xavier Dominguez
As a chapter progresses, I'll update the respective Google Doc, which includes when a choice was made and what the result of that choice was. The parts can be found by clicking on the chapter title. Alternate choices will also be posted, by will be put in their own document and updated at the end of every chapter.
Note! I seriously recommend reading the Google Docs and not because I'm totally team Google, but because I revise the parts before they're posted and sometimes things slip by but I also revise them after they're already posted and make them as clean as I can for the Google Docs. It's the same content, just clearer.
Chapters
Act 1
Alternate Choices for Act 1
Prologue (Completed)
One: Elizabeth (Completed)
Two: Cyrus (Completed)
Three: Eris (Completed)
"Chrysanthemums" (Christmas Part)
Four: Marshal (Completed)
Five: Milo (Ongoing)
Comments
Voyagers of the Storm - Prologue 1
"Mom, what's outside that door?"
"A world that's too dangerous for you to understand. Why are you asking?"
"I've heard Mrs. Eris talking about it before. She thinks it's a good idea to move, but she's worried because nobody new has been out for so long." The young girl turned to her mother with a bright smile on her face. "But I'm not worried about it. We can do anything, can't we?"
The girl's mother simply sighed and shook her head. "It's not that easy. There are bad people out there who will stop at nothing to hurt us. I know you think we can do anything, but there's a reason that only five people are allowed outside." She watched her daughter's hopeful smile fade away and turn into a look of worry. "Until she opens the door to anyone, we can only assume it's not safe to leave."
"What can we do to make her open the door?" The girl turned her view towards the door that stood in between her and the outside world. "If the same people go out, we'll get the same answer. We should make a decision for ourselves, right?"
"No, that's not right and you need to get the idea of leaving out of your head. I don't know who brought it up to you and why you care so much about it, but we're safer here than we'll ever be out there." The young girl drew back, seeming upset with the answer her mother provided. "I may not like who's in charge of our security, but I know she's watching, listening, and working all the time to keep us safe. Do you understand the sacrifices everybody here has made to keep you safe?"
"No..." The soft voice cracked as she waited for her mother to go on.
"The five people who exit that door leave knowing that there's a fair chance that they'll die out there. The people who work in here have given up their chance of stability to provide you a secure place to stay and make sure that everybody else is happy." The girl looked up at her mother's face to see that she looked to be on the verge of tears herself. "We can't make any choices regarding our security because we weren't put in that position. Elizabeth was put in the position to check our security and that's what she does. You know how often she's gone, right?"
The young girl nodded, picking up on a slight tone of resentment in her mother's voice. "All the time."
"That's because she's always working to make sure that we're safe. She goes out and hears from the scouts, so it's her choice when to recommend leaving, not ours." She cupped her hands in front of her, reverting her vision away from her daughter. "I don't want to hear you talking about leaving again, am I understood?"
"Yes, ma'am."
As the girl walked away, her mother remained in place. She knew all too well what was coming next.
"Do you think I was too harsh on her?" She spoke to the empty room, hoping someone could hear her.
A door down the main hall slammed, catching her attention. The young woman she was expecting walked into her vision. "I think you could have been easier on her, but you did get the point across."
"Do you think she'll try to leave again?"
"No, I don't think so. If she does, I'll try to stop her." The young woman smiled, then brushed away a strand of hair that had fallen in her face. "Don't think too much about it. The door requires permission to open and in the chance that it's broken open, there's a backup measure."
"You won't try to stop her, you will stop her. I don't want you to try, Elizabeth, I want you to succeed." The comment seemed to catch her off guard. "Not only is my life in your hands, but this entire group is relying on you to succeed. Morgan is all I have left, I can't lose her to some failure on your part."
Elizabeth's smile faded as she looked to her own feet. "You've been through a lot, I know, I'm sorry. I know it's my fault, but I promise I'll do better. I'm sorry for asking, but does she know what happened?"
"As much as I could bear telling her. She thinks he's coming back, she just doesn't understand. She knows it was an accident, but she doesn't know your part in it." The mother sighed, glaring at the woman across the room from her. "Then again, nobody really does."
She responded by putting her hands behind her back, still looking at the floor. "I want to tell you. I swear I do, but I'm not allowed to. If I value my life in any way, which I do, I follow the orders I'm given immediately, even if I don't like it." She looked up, her green eyes meeting the mother's own green eyes. "You have to believe me, I want to tell you all everything while I still can, but it's not an option."
"I don't have to believe you on anything, Elizabeth, I choose to. You normally give us good news that I'd rather believe instead of the idea that our lives are constantly in danger. I don't have to agree with you, believe you, or even trust you, but I do. There's a reason you've been put in charge of security so I can only trust that you do your job and protect us." The mother paused, waiting for a response that wouldn't come. "I'll believe you when it comes to security, so now it's your turn to believe in someone else. I want you to listen to me when I say this. If anything happens to anybody in this bunker, you're going to be held responsible for it. I'll make complete sure of that."
The young woman closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "That's a lot of pressure, something I already knew, but alright. I'll give it my best." She opened her eyes once again, turning away from the mother and back towards the main hall. "I should get back to work."
Ah, this was a wonderful start to the story! I like the whole setting you build up there, this sounds like it has tons of potential. The Prologue intrigued me and though I don't know what to make of it yet, on account of everything being quite mysterious for the time being, I have the feeling this is going to be a big one. Naturally, your writing is also engaging, even more so than back in the Just Around the Corner days of old, which you know I enjoyed already. It's off to a great start and I cannot wait to see where the journey will lead to!
On other news, expect my characters to be submitted somewhere this weekend
I can say that there are going to be three prologue parts. They're going to give the backstory of the group that was featured, but there's also going to be a common theme that's really going to set the pace. While this part was uneventful, I can say that the next one (which will likely be later today) will be completely different and something to look forward to, if I say so myself (and I totally do)
As for the characters, that works perfectly fine
Prologue 2
A crowd of five gathered just on the edge of a ghost town, waiting for four more. The leader and his wife, a mother and her daughter, and the programmer were all in attendance. None of them spoke, afraid their voices wouldn't be able to beat the sickening silence that had already taken over.
The four that were gone had been scouts that had made a distress call earlier in the day. They required backup that nobody was really capable of giving, but that wasn't going to stop their attempt. "They'll be arriving in less than ten minutes, we need to-" The programmer stopped talking, a look of fear crossing her face as she looked up. "Get Morgan and Eris out of here. Go, now."
She motioned the others toward the direction they had originally come from and waited until they were a fair distance away before taking off in the direction of the scouts.
Final Product Four was easily one of her best programs yet. She had given each of their scouts a watch that was similar to her own. The watches were constantly checking the vitals of the person wearing it and with the help of Final Product Four, each person was able to see the vitals of anyone wearing a watch that had been made by the programmer.
After running in the same direction of the scouts for a few minutes, she came upon the scene, seeing the three remaining scouts leaning over the fourth scout.
"Failing vitals, Jonas Albero!" A small voice rang out from the watch she wore as she continued approaching the scouts.
"Couldn't tell that myself, thanks." She sighed before taking a moment to prepare herself and approaching the scouts. "What's going on?"
The youngest scout jerked his head up with a look of panic on his face before he looked back to Jonas. "It wasn't real. They ambushed us."
She took another step closer, finally seeing the cause of the alert. "There's no way. I checked everything out..."
The oldest of the scouts looked to her, his eyes filled with rage. "You didn't do a good enough job then. Let me give you a word of advice, kid, if you-"
The last scout finally spoke up. "That's enough! We have more important things to deal with right now!" He looked at his own hands and then the hands of his companions, each coated in the blood of the fallen scout. "There's a slim chance we can save him, but we can't do it here. Those freaks are still following us for all we know. Elizabeth, I hate to say it, but you're the highest level of authority here, what do we do?"
"We can stand our ground, try and better the rest of our favors..." She paused. "I can't let Jonas die, though..."
"You need to look at the situation, we don't have time to mull over the fact that somebody's going to die either way." The oldest spoke up again, his tone firm, but cold.
"Are we really capable of handling this, though? He got shot pretty close to his lungs. If I'm being honest, it probably hit a lung." The youngest spoke again. "We can't waste time when people are after us."
The middle scout almost looked offended at the suggestion of leaving Jonas. "What do you mean by that? You heard what I said, right? We can still save him, I'm sure of it."
"We'll stand our ground."
"We need to get Jonas back to the group."
[We need to get Jonas back to the group]
I'm just thinking that they should at least try to save him.
Anyways, this looks like a good interactive story. Even, if I am a little confused so far, but I'm sure it will be cleared up soon. I can't wait to come up with and submit some characters!
That confusion will definitely be cleared up after the main storyline comes into play. And feel free to submit as many characters as you'd like, they're all welcome
"We need to get Jonas back to the group."
Even though things are still mysterious about what's going on, I can safely say that I'm pretty hyped!
[We need to get Jonas back to the group]
HI there. Curious of the story so far. I will send a character soon.
Prologue 3
In today's world, you can never have too many brave souls out there protecting the value of society and the precious lives surrounding each of us. You are ranked in the highest tier for what you do and it would truly be an honor to have you join our organization to continue protecting the peace. People like you are needed everywhere around the world and by joining out organization, you'll be sent to where you're needed most, and that is the heart of our government.
The young redheaded woman reread the letter as she stood in front of the building that the same letter had told her to go to. As she began her walk to the front desk, she started reciting the rest of the letter in her head.
People fear the future, but with kindhearted people who can only do the best, such as yourself, you'll prove to everyone around you that there is nothing to fear.
She stopped at the front desk, an older woman glared up from her screen to greet her. "Can I help you?"
"Yes, my name is Alyssa Kowalska. I got a letter a few days ago asking me to come to this building." She put the piece of paper on the woman's desk, allowing her to scan it over.
The older woman put the paper back down and looked at the screen once more. "Alright, what is your profession?"
"Medical studies." Alyssa picked the paper back up and folded it, putting it back into her pocket.
She put her finger to her screen and seemed to be scrolling for something. "Yes, I've got your name here. I'm going to need you to empty your pockets and leave any personal belongings down here with me, you'll be able to get them back when you leave."
Alyssa hesitated before slipping her hand into her pocket and pulling her belongings out. "What is the point of that, if I may ask? I understand the value of privacy, but there are always forms that can be filled out."
"You'll think very differently after your meeting." Alyssa put the letter on the woman's desk once more before the woman slid it back over the top of the desk. "That's the only thing you're allowed to keep."
She took the letter back in her hands before remaining in place. "Where do I go?'
"The fourth floor, someone will be waiting for you outside the elevator." The woman pointed to the elevator before returning to her previous task.
Alyssa scanned the building as she made her way to the elevator. It was surprisingly empty for a government building. The aura that surrounded the area was a particularly dark one that made Alyssa fear the meeting coming up.
The elevator didn't make the feeling any better. Nobody was on the elevator, which would have normally been a good thing, but this only made Alyssa worry about the credibility of this place even more. She stopped at the fourth floor, a man in a suit standing right outside the door. "Alyssa Kowalska?" She nodded in response. "Follow me to your meeting."
"Do you know why I'm here?" The man led her out of the elevator and into a hallway that had a few people in it, going from room to room.
"I do not. I'm only here to get you to your destination." The man responded, sounding about as disinterested as he could be.
She had gone back to scanning her surroundings, noting the negative aura had followed her upstairs. The few people wandering the halls seemed lost, like they had no idea where they were, but they were dressed in an attire similar to the man.
They stopped in front of a door that the man opened, allowing her to enter. "Good luck." He muttered under his breath as she walked in. "Gentlemen, this is Alyssa Kowalska, the medic you called for."
A man who had sat at one end of the table stood up and greeted Alyssa with a smile. "Thank you, sir, that'll be all. Ms. Kowalska, take a seat." He motioned to the other end of the table where an empty seat remained. As Alyssa walked to the seat across the table, she exchanged many glances with the people sitting in the seats around her. "Now, I'm sure you know why you're here."
"Yes, the letter did a good enough job of explaining that." She took her seat and looked around one last time before fixing her gaze on the man across the table.
"I can only hope so. Now, I know you're confused and I want to explain some things to you, so please take note of all I'm about to say." He paused, waiting until he knew he had her full attention. "I'm sure you understand how important cyber security is to a big organization, such as our own. There have been outside sources working on breaking down our security, and we can only assume that it's for no good reason."
"What does that have to do with me?"
"As we prepare a team to track whoever's doing it and put a stop to it, we need someone like you who can care for a human life." She could tell he was making a lengthy observation on her as he spoke. "You put yourself through school for a good cause, and I would like to know one thing before either of us commits to having you work with our team."
"Sir, with all due respect, I never said I would work for your team." She froze as the companions gave her glances as if she had just messed up horribly. "But I'm keeping an open mind about it. What is the question?"
"What is your earliest memory?"
The question made Alyssa stop. She began tapping her fingers on the table as she thought back, then cleared her throat as she prepared to answer. "My mother. She was a kind woman, probably with the greatest heart anyone could have, if you ask me."
He nodded slightly, obviously taking mental note of the answer. "Alright. That's a good enough answer. I chose you to work for us because you're a very smart woman. We've had our eyes on you for some time now and you haven't let us down."
The man stood up and began walking around the table, making his way toward Alyssa. "What exactly is the lookout for this team that you're putting together?"
"It'll likely be a much stronger team than the people attacking us, even stronger than some of our allies." He stopped pacing when he ended up next to Alyssa. She felt a strong pinch on the back of her neck that made her jump. "Now, for one last question."
"Yes?"
"What is your earliest memory?" He backed away from Alyssa as she remained looking forward.
There was a slight twitch that made her shake for a moment before she rubbed her hands together, both of them freezing. "I have none, sir."
"Very good." He began walking back to his seat. "You'll remain in this building whenever you're on hours unless you're instructed to go anywhere. You will not leave alone and you will not trust anybody on the outside. When you're off the clock, you'll reside in the apartments across the street. They've heavily guarded and nobody is allowed in, so your safety should be guaranteed. You will not tell anybody of what happens in this building and if word reaches any superior that you spilled even a little detail, you'll be punished accordingly."
"I understand."
"Welcome to the Onyx Organization, Alyssa Kowalska."
Damn, you are fast! And this was pretty nicely written part. How cruel of them to take control over her this way... I guess this pinch on her neck was some controlling device attached?
That would be a pretty good (and accurate) guess. Some more details on this device and another previous mentioned one will be explained pretty soon.
Man, the hype is real! I'm getting more immersed with each new part and I'm totally looking forward to the next one
This part was amazing from the beginning to the end, that's for sure. To me the ending was the best part though, the way that guy "welcomed" Alyssa to the Onyx Organization was totally badass.
"We need to get Jonas back to the group."
Another very nice part! I really like this story and find myself quite hyped for these parts. You build an engaging world there and well, I surely wish to read more
"We need to get Jonas back to the group."
While I've yet to read the latest segment, these last two were wonderful and intriguing, and I'm looking forward to reading the next I'm planning to submit a character. I'm not sure what would work well with the setting (after reading the synopsis, I was thinking about submitting a school teacher, but reading the prologue, I don't know if that would work, though let me know if it would!).
Welcome, any character submitted is totally welcomed, but as for your question, a school teacher could definitely work and it would actually help in branching the story out a little more since most of the information delivered in the prologue is a little one-sided, I think having a school teacher would be a great source of non-biased information, I could totally work with it
3-29-2189 1.1
"What can you find about the Onyx Organization?"
"The same thing I've found for the past four weeks. Nothing has changed in the company's patterns or the people working for them. It's weird, they're occasionally stopping one chip, then tuning it back in a matter of hours. You don't think that's their permanent plan, do you?"
"It can't be. The way they've upped their security tells me that they're already onto you. That being said, you're leaving too much a trace, how can you fix that?"
"I don't see why you're asking me that. If I already knew then I would have done it." The woman responded with a tone of mild annoyance. "I understand that you want to protect Eris and do good by Lecia because you think you have to fix my mistakes, but you need to understand that I'm not a child anymore. I don't need you or Eris to cover for me when I do wrong, I need to fix it myself."
There was one thing Joseph picked up on as Elizabeth spoke; she was hurt, whether it be by his words or her own thoughts, that much was unknown to him. "I get it, I just think you've been isolating yourself too much. You've become reliant on your job when you really need to become-"
She spun the chair she was in around and took to her feet. "I knew that was why you really came here today. You don't care about the Onyx Organization and you would rather me not look into it. That's not going to happen so long as they're still a threat." She stopped and took a deep breath. "I don't know if you think you're doing good by yourself, by Lecia, or even my parents, but stop it. You'll be doing better by everyone if you just leave me to do my job."
"You mentioned something about a member of the Onyx Organization at the last meeting before Lecia cut you off, what were you going to say?" The best thing Joseph could do for himself and Elizabeth was stop the conversation.
She sighed before returning to her seat and spinning back to face the monitors. "As if you care. Never mind that, there's a man who works for the Onyx Organization whose body is pretty much machine. I have reason to believe that he'll be a problem to us. He's rising through their ranks pretty quick."
"You can get into their systems, can't you do something with his body?"
"Not really. Everything has limits and he hasn't gotten in my limits to where I can do anything. Even when he does, it'll probably be too late before I can do anything." Elizabeth checked her watch and then slowly rose from her seat. "I think I need to go do something, away from here."
"You mean like a break?" Joseph watched as she started shutting down the systems, her timing causing a slight worry in him.
As she finished with the monitors she shrugged and walked past him. "I guess you can call it that."
He knew better than to try to stop her at this point so he let her leave without another word.
Joseph left the lab after Elizabeth, going to the kitchen where Eris would inevitably be.
Eris was easily the wisest of the group, having learned a lot in her few years of life that would likely be cut short anyways. She looked pale as always, her thin blonde hair put in a ponytail. She was quick to acknowledge Joseph's arrival, stopping her current task. "Any luck?"
"If you consider waking the beast from the seventh layer of Hell luck then yes, tons of it. Tons of progress made too."
She gave a soft smile, picking up on his sarcastic tone with ease. "You've been spending too much time with her, you're getting the attitude too." Eris crossed her arms, her smile returning to a neutral tone. "You're going about it the wrong way. Being direct may work for everyone else because you're the leader, but Elizabeth just doesn't care. She's been that way since we first met her, hasn't she? We let her get away with it then, there's no way she'll change now."
"I don't think that's it. I think she's been condemned for too long and she's used to people getting upset at her for things that she doesn't even do so her only response is to get upset before someone else does."
"It seems... probable, I guess. I do have a question. She seemed pretty irritable, I already know that much, but how much did she talk?"
"Plenty, why?"
Eris snickered before covering her mouth. "Lecia's gonna flip. Elizabeth told me about a little plan of hers a few months ago about the Onyx Organization and she said it should be ready around early April. I figured she was just pulling some joke since she still believes in the old holidays, but I guess she actually did it." She uncovered her mouth. "Elizabeth's plan was to spread propaganda about the Onyx Organization. She figured you were going to get mad about it so she didn't tell you."
A series of realizations hit Joseph as Eris finished talking. "She figured I was going to get mad? Of course I'm going to get mad about that, she's bringing unnecessary attention to us! Why didn't you tell me about this earlier?"
"I didn't think she would actually do it." Eris's eyes shot up, looking to the corner of the room, causing Joseph's eyes to follow.
The camera. It picked up everything from audio to visuals and part of Elizabeth's job entailed going through it all. "That doesn't matter, I'm going to mention this when she gets back and I'll be damned if I let her get away with it."
A look that consisted of a mixture of fear and surprise crossed Eris's face as she looked back to Joseph. "I don't think that's a good idea. Her heart was in the right place and she's got the right idea. If we don't talk about what we know then we won't make any progress towards our goal. To have our voices truly heard, we need more people."
"Her heart was in the right place when she decided what to do with Jonas and look where that got her. Lecia and Cyrus hate her for what happened that day. I swear, she doesn't learn."
"First, that was two years ago, you and Lecia both need to stop assuming that because she made one bad choice that she's bound to make another bad one. Second, that's not true. Cyrus hates her because she's a higher level of authority than he is, the same reason he doesn't like you. The difference is he respects you but he knows he doesn't have to respect her." Eris sighed. "I can't deny that that's why Lecia hates her, though, but at least she understands that much."
"Nice try trying to get me off topic, by the way, it's not going to work. It's about time she starts to understand that she's not going to get away with everything she does, especially since her job is to keep us out of danger when she's the one putting us in danger."
Eris didn't seem willing to give up on the conversation as quickly as Joseph had hoped for. "You don't get it, she's putting herself in the most danger here and she's doing it to protect us. She left after the message spread in the case that the Onyx Organization tracks it back. She set something up with that stupid program to where it'll trace directly to her and not to the bunker." She stopped, seeming to get a little upset. "Joseph, I can't stand what she puts herself through to make things easier for us, but it worked out plenty of times before and it's continuing to work out, so I think we should let her handle this and stay out of the way."
[Final decision: Stick to Joseph's plan of confronting Elizabeth]
[Final decision: Agree with Eris, letting it go]
[Final decision: Stick to Joseph's plan of confronting Elizabeth]
I feel like with both choices the pros and cons and evenly matched, but I think that confronting Elizabeth is probably for the best. At least with this the group will be able to discuss the plan together, besides even if the Onyx Organization tracks the signal back to Elizabeth alone I'm sure they would find ways to make her talk.
Oh, and it seems like the group is already taking notice of a certain member of the Onyx Organization, that's pretty interesting. If he becomes a part of the Onyx Organization's team to hunt down Elizabeth's group, they better be prepared
[Final decision: Stick to Joseph's plan of confronting Elizabeth]
[Final decision: Stick to Joseph's plan of confronting Elizabeth]
She is going to find out sooner or later when she reviews the tapes anyways. At least this way, she won't feel like they were talking about her behind her back. Also, this way, they can get this situation resolved now without prolonging it.
By the way, I sent you a pm.
Schedule Update
So, what I've decided that I'm going to do when it comes to writing is a new part every other day, except for when a chapter ends to which the next chapter will start within a week. Parts with choices will have at least three days for voting before I close the voting (Unlike the last vote, which I forgot to close).
Also, parts will have various numbers done in bold, that's the chapter number and whichever part it is and that's done for my benefit so I can keep a little order. There may or may not be parts that'll be titled something, like the last one was 3-29-2189, that was purely because of the date, but if there is a title, you can assume that the title plays some sort of significance to the part.
There will be a few days where I can't release a part or I have to release it early, I know for certain that the last Sunday of the month, I'll more than likely not be able to release a part and most Wednesdays I'll have to release it early. That being said, I'm going to try my best to work around those days.
That's really all I have to say for now, but if there are any questions, feel free to reach out to me and I'll be glad to answer any questions that you may have.
Hey thanks for the update. By the way, I sent you another pm.
(!) Voting is closed!
Joseph will stick to his plan of confronting Elizabeth.
A new part featuring a new POV can be expected later on today
1.2
It was a daily task for Ethan. Checking his e-mail, hoping for word on a job.
Most days there would be nothing in general, which never really upset him. It was the employers who were missing out, not him.
After Ethan had left his last job abruptly, he was given two months to find a new one or there would be serious consequences for him. His two months were over on the sixth of April.
Checking his e-mail today was no different, no news of a job, only some scattered e-mails over different things. He started deleting the useless letters in his inbox, but one struck his eye as he went to delete it: 'The Onyx Organization. What's the truth?'
No matter what day it was, he never received an e-mail from the Onyx Organization themselves, they would normally send a representative. Ethan figured it was important if it had something to do with the Onyx Organization, perhaps they were giving him more time to find a job. He opened the e-mail to find that the sender was an unknown person, not somebody from the Onyx Organization.
The Onyx Organization has been handling our nation for 103 years this coming August, so what better way can I help celebrate their anniversary than by helping them get the truth to the people they're 'protecting'.
102 years, 7 months, and 7 days ago the Onyx Organization was founded. They made promises of how they would handle not only their lives but the lives of citizens as well. These promises included a more vicious judicial system, prohibition, and a rule with an iron fist.
Don't get me wrong, other nations have other organizations, they're not free either. Long before the Onyx Organization had taken over, there was the common belief in something called freedom, which the Onyx Organization doesn't offer. I'm sure almost everyone remembers some person in a suit with empty eyes coming to their home when they were of age and telling them they had six months to get a job or they'd be punished.
The Onyx Organization has had an unbelievably tight grip on the mind of citizens everywhere, even going to the point of monitoring who sends what e-mail. It better be important or it's not getting through their servers and they don't think e-vites are important, so don't blame your buddies, blame the monitors.
You're probably wondering, how did this message get through the servers? It didn't.
Many members of the Onyx Organization have been privileged since birth, they have no idea what troubles they're forcing onto citizens. Note: Yes, many members, not all.
That's not to mention the kicker, though. Has a family member of yours disappeared recently? Perhaps a grandparent, a sibling, or even a friend? Well, don't count on them coming back. The Onyx Organization has doctors who handle sickness, but they don't treat it, not at all. They quarantine the sick, the elderly, anyone who disagrees with their way of life.
How do they do it? Nobody stops them. On the 65th birthday of anybody, they get visited by a member of the Onyx Organization who claims that they'll be taking them out to celebrate their birthday, right? They never come back and families don't think to question it because of how much they believe in the Onyx Organization.
Anybody with a sickness who has made their sickness known is taken off as well. Again, nobody questions it. Oh, and you would think that confiding in the boss of your work that you're a tad bit ill and need some time off would slip by the Onyx Organization, right? No, that's not right.
Every single person in charge of any business is a member of the Onyx Organization and is required to report any 'bad behavior' or sickness to higher-ups. They're also required to keep a detailed file on all of their employees in the Onyx Organization's database. And no, nepotism can't save you from the law, sorry.
People who work for the Onyx Organization always seem like they're missing something, right? You've seen them. Suits, empty eyes, clammy skin, an overall cold aura. They're not really people. They're under the control of the Onyx Organization, but not the same way you guys are. They're under microchip control, given an exact order through a microchip, constantly being tracked and monitored. They don't have a mind of their own.
And finally, I would like to finish off by saying what I've been hinting at this whole time, the Onyx Organization is not to be trusted. They're watching your every move and they are likely going to react sometime soon.
By reading this, you're in danger, but I'm not sorry to put you through this. The Onyx Organization is watching your history, but so am I. If you look up certain phrases, a scout team will be sent to your location. With luck, they'll reach you before the Onyx Organization.
The phrases can be found very early in this e-mail and are actually your only chances at freedom right now. I urge you to do what's best. -VE
Ethan froze, a chill causing him to shake for a moment. "It's not real, this is fake..." He spoke to himself. "I shouldn't do it. I don't even know who sent this, it's not real and the phrases are just going to get me in trouble."
He pulled up a search engine in another tab and stopped his hands before his fingers hit the keys. "There's no way they would get through the servers. It's some sort of awful joke."
Returning his hand to the mouse, he went back to the tab his e-mail had stayed in, only to be greeted by an error screen. Sorry! This e-mail doesn't exist!
With no other choice, he closed the tab and went back to the search engine, the phrases repeating in his mind. "Onyx Organization vicious not free" He said it out loud and then snickered. "Well that's choppy, and probably fake."
Ethan found his hands still hovering over the keys, ready to type. "No, I need to look for a job, I've only got a week left."
He stared at the empty search engine.
[Continue the search for work.]
'Onyx Organization vicious not free'
[Continue the search for work.] This definitely won't win, but man I'm really loving the Onyx Organization so far and can't wait to see more of them.
['Onyx Organization vicious not free']
I'm guessing the others are unaware of and haven't seen the part yet.
It's a possibility and I'm not sure if I want to do my usual with this tie, since it's actually a really important one. My usual includes going to a site that makes the choice for you and my reasons for not wanting to do that is simply because it's a game changer of the choice and I don't want a website to be the deciding factor.
That being said, I'm going to leave the voting open for a little bit longer and work on a different POV to continue with the main plot while keeping up with character introductions. The new part can be expected either late tonight or tomorrow afternoon
Crowd Control 1.3
"Mr. Richardson! What can you tell us about the recent hack?"
"Mr. Richardson! What is the plan for the Onyx Organization now?"
"Is what was said in the e-mails true?"
A man stood in front of the Onyx Organization headquarters with his eyes closed as he took in the questions. He opened his eyes and sighed, a shorter woman with brunette hair to his left and a guard to his right. "I'll only take one question at a time after I tell what I already know. Settle down and I'll begin." The crowd went quiet and Anthony cleared his throat, getting ready to address the people. "I'm sure you all know Naomi and I, so I'll be skipping introductions. You're all here because of the alleged breech that happened yesterday. There was no breech, it was a sabotage used by the resistance group known as the Voyagers. It was tagged by one of their members and we already have people tracking where the e-mail was sent from."
Anthony motioned for a man to step forward. A man much shorter than Anthony replaced the guard to his right. Anthony stepped back and the man stepped forward once more with a demeanor more serious than anyone standing before the building. "My name is Luke Lowell, I'm in charge of the ongoing investigation relating to the Voyagers. I can't give you all the details, but I can say that these people cannot be trusted. They're spreading lies in an attempt to gain control for reasons unknown. They're more active now than they've been in the past which makes me believe that they're facing some sort of danger of their own. Believe me when I say that we're going to exploit that danger and make sure that they understand that they're not to be so disruptive."
"How many of them are there?" Someone spoke from the crowd, Luke quickly scanning the people to see who spoke.
"Ma'am, I can't offer you a certain answer, but so far we've made note of at least four members, including the sender of the e-mail. It would make sense for them to be in a panic with only four members. Their goal is to have bigger numbers, which doesn't include four." Luke continued looking over the crowd, watching for any suspicious person.
"What do you know about the members?" The same woman spoke up, a seemingly unsure tone in her voice.
Luke narrowed his eyes to the woman who spoke, toning out the rest of the crowd. "That there are four of them, what else do you want me to say?"
Anthony whispered something to the woman next to him before leaning closer to Luke, his voice retaining the whisper. "Is something wrong?"
Both the men turned away from the crowd and huddled close. "She's pretty nosy for a recent event. I couldn't get a reading on her, so it's likely that she's somehow involved."
Anthony shook his head. "I disagree. She doesn't seem to share any resemblance to the members we've interrogated before. She seems bolder than they ever were by drawing attention to herself, it's unlike those cowards."
Luke nodded, dismissing himself from his talk with Anthony and returning to his position in front of the crowd. "Of the four, there's only one that makes a constant reoccurrence, that would be the VE who sent the e-mail. The other three have rarely been reported, but they're known to be seen in person rather than using the other's form of communication."
"How have they not been caught yet if they're out and about?" A man spoke up from the crowd, seeming upset with the answers he had gotten. "That seems a little dangerous and irresponsible of the Onyx Organization."
"They haven't been caught because we're told about it long after they leave the area. We can't catch what we haven't seen, but that's going to change once we catch VE. When the first one goes down, the rest will just surrender. It'll be a domino effect and nothing will be able to stop it. I won't be answering any more questions."
Luke stepped back, allowing Anthony to resume his spot. "Thank you, Mr. Lowell. For anyone who had received the e-mail, I urge you to report it immediately. If any of you hold knowledge of the Voyagers and aren't reporting it, you'll be held for treason." The woman next to him took a step closer to him, both of them waiting for the crowd to ease again. "Before we dismiss this conference, Naomi and I would like to announce our engagement. The wedding will be set in the near future and our families are overjoyed at our decision for the future. Right now we request the privacy for ourselves and our families, but we couldn't just withhold exciting news like that."
Joseph Duke
Six members sat around the dinner table, each awaiting something new. The scouts were told to remain in the bunker until Elizabeth had returned, which didn't seem to be happening since she left two days before.
Joseph looked over the members of the group, each having their own stories and their own personalities. Eris sat in the middle of the left side of the table, his wife, she believed in him but she also believed in Elizabeth, which seemed to be a contradiction in itself. Lecia Albero sat to her right. Lecia had no faith in Elizabeth, but had a good bit of respect for Joseph.
On the other side of the table were the scouts. Cyrus was the oldest of them, but had a huge lack of respect for Elizabeth despite working for her. The two remaining scouts seemed to be close friends of Elizabeth and would likely be the only two to cause a problem if Joseph ended up sending Elizabeth off. Marshal seemed to be the closest friend Elizabeth had in the bunker, but was also loyal to the cause of the Voyagers. Filip was the youngest of the Voyagers in general, he managed to get on everyone's nerves from time to time, but he meant well.
"She should be arriving sometime soon." Cyrus had been providing updates from the watch the was programmed to give away the locations of anyone who left the bunker, Filip and Marshal had been reluctant to do so.
Eris wouldn't even look at Joseph, but she had a guilty look fixed on her face. "It's not too late to back out on this. She's coming back, so that means we're in no significant danger."
"It is too late. From what we've been told, you said it yourself that she had something set up to where it would trace back to her. For all we know she's working for the Onyx Organization. That wouldn't be a shock either." Lecia spoke up, disagreeing with Eris just to spite Elizabeth.
Marshal had looked nervous, but overall disappointed the entire time Joseph had filled the group in on the details. He never normally spoke up, but he had seemed more outspoken as Joseph's opinion had shifted on Elizabeth in the past two days. "Yeah, she's definitely using us as an immunity from the Onyx Organization. Lecia, that's stupid. They want her more than they want any of us."
Cyrus snickered, turning his attention away from the watch. "Now that you mention it, that does seem possible. She's a liar and she wasn't to be trusted from the start."
Eris looked to Joseph with prodding eyes as the conversation continued on. "Aren't you going to say anything?" He shook his head, reluctant to get involved.
"That's funny considering you were the one who had this entire idea. You're the one who had it out for her since she left." Marshal seemed bitter in the tone of his voice, his posture confirming it.
"Think about it, Marshal, she never leaves becuase she's in trouble with the Onyx Organization but she can finally sell us out because she finally figured a way to get us in the same place. She's going to sell us out, every one of us." Lecia put her arms on the table and leaned forward, lowering her voice. "Just like her parents tried to do."
Filip seemed to be more offended by the comment than Marshal was, surprising the rest of the members by jumping in. "I'm ashamed that you, of all people, a mother would say that. You should know better than any of us that a parent's actions don't predict a child's actions. You have no right to speak on this considering you only want to hurt her, you don't know her nearly as well as any of the rest of us."
"He's right.. That's like saying that you're going to outright disappear one day because Morgan did." Marshal added on, knowing that the statement would strike Lecia and get her to stop.
Eris looked to be growing more tired as the argument commenced. She eventually got up from her seat, refusing to acknowledge Joseph's attempts at talking her into staying. "I've never seen any of you so spiteful. It's absolutely disgusting to me and I'm not going to remain here and watch this. Joseph, if you're really going to put it to a vote, of all things, you're going to reach a stand still, but I want her to stay. You've got my vote and I'm making no contribution to this hateful talk, so I'm going to bed."
After Eris left, the room had gone silent until a voice spoke up from the front. "Jeez, a vote? Huh... I didn't really see myself as a problem, I'm sorry."
Elizabeth walked past Joseph and took a seat at the end of the table in between Filip and Lecia, barely acknowledging anyone near her. "Elizabeth, I'm giving you one chance to explain yourself, that's all you have and you've got a limited amount of time to do it."
She didn't look at anyone around her, simply shrugging in response. "I don't know what you want me to say. Everyone here has biased opinions already and I can't change that." She paused. "Oh, you guys aren't in any danger, don't worry about that. I made sure of it."
Lecia seemed to be staring daggers at Elizabeth, expecting something more of an answer. "How did you do that if you weren't at the computer?"
"It's too complicated to explain right now." She seemed to shrink into her chair. "I don't like what any of you had to say, whether it was in my defense or not. Eris was right, it was too hateful. Marshal, it was disrespectful for you to bring up stuff that you know is going to hurt her, so I expect to hear some sort of apology. Filip, you too, the way you called her out was just as disrespectful as what she said about me."
The two men exchanged a glance, both consisting more of worry than anything else before nodding and each apologizing to Lecia.
"Lecia, I don't care about what you said about me, mainly because most of it is true. I'm a failure, just like my parents, but I would never sell you guys out." She turned her attention to Cyrus, looking up for the first time since she'd gotten there. "Cyrus, the same goes for you. I understand why you guys are upset with me and I'm sorry there's nothing I can do to change it."
Joseph's pacing lead him to the opposite end of the table where he caught a glimpse of Elizabeth's face. She seemed tired, she was dirty, but overall she seemed damaged. "Elizabeth, stop."
"Please." Marshal chimed in, his own tone seeming smaller than before.
Elizabeth shook her head. "Well, your vote, let's get on with it."
"No, this doesn't have to happen right now, you need to get rest." Joseph noticed that Cyrus looked to be examining Elizabeth through her words and her expressions.
"He's right, it doesn't." Cyrus finally spoke up from his end of the table. "I've been watching you since you came in, but I have a question." He waited until she looked back to him before he continued. "You're not planning to do something stupid, are you?"
She feigned a chuckle. "Depends what you consider stupid."
"You know what I consider stupid. Just know that your entire purpose here is to protect the bunker and the people inside it and if you end up dying for some stupid reason caused by yourself, you'll be at fault for whatever happens."
"That's not necessarily true. Final Product Four is programmed to take over in case something happens to me and it's also programmed to do the work just like I do, so nothing will really change." She sighed. "In fact, while I was gone it was Final Product Four that was watching over you guys, obviously not me."
The only person in the room who didn't seem to be even the lightest bit concerned was Lecia. In fact, she still seemed upset. "The vote. Let's do it since she's willing. I think we'd be safer without her."
"We don't have to go through this. By listening to how you've all spoken about me tonight, it's a three to three vote, Joseph remains undecided." Elizabeth looked back down to the table. "In all honesty, it doesn't really matter. I planned to isolate myself after I came back to keep you guys from getting involved. I can continue on with that plan or I can leave, it's up to Joseph."
"How is it three to three if Joseph is undecided?" Filip spoke up, his eyes telling a whole story of fear and sadness.
"You, Eris, and Marshal want me to stay. Lecia, Cyrus, and myself want me to leave. That's three to three." Elizabeth paused. "I complicated things, I'm sorry."
"Why do you want to leave? You've said it yourself, it's safer here than anywhere else." Filip didn't seem willing to let Elizabeth go easily.
"Because if I hadn't complicated things, there would be no vote about this."
Joseph froze, looking over his companions. Elizabeth was punishing herself, she didn't need Joseph to do it for her. Cyrus was right, there seemed to be a fair chance of Elizabeth doing something to further harm herself and the group. Lecia wouldn't care if she did, but the same couldn't be said for Filip, Marshal, or Eris. It would tear them apart.
If Elizabeth were to stay, she would need someone to stay by her side. Someone who was by her side anyways. Joseph could easily make Marshal do it, but that wouldn't mean she would be completely safe from herself.
If she were to leave then she would be free to do whatever she wants, but she would be taking whatever knowledge she has of the Voyagers with her into an open world where they want Voyagers dead more than anything.
[Order Elizabeth to Stay]
[Order Elizabeth to Leave]
[Order Elizabeth to Stay]
I guess this choice need to be chosen, especially since they are hunting Voyagers down.
[Order Elizabeth to Stay]
It would be too dangerous for her to leave.
Ah, I am so sorry it took me so long to vote and I still have not submitted my characters, but I hope to get that latter one done very soon
'Onyx Organization vicious not free'
We all know how this ends, right? Five hours later, he'll have no work done, two dozen tabs open at once and he'll try to simultaneously read a wikipedia article about the reproductional habits of the cactus and the political history of Papua New Guinea. But at the same time, we all do it, so I can relate to this. Let's do this
Yes, I understand the exact thing you're talking about, all too well
[Order Elizabeth to Stay]
So, sending her out while Voyagers are wanted dead outside? I really cannot think of any situation in which this can end well. I like Elizabeth actually, so I really don't want to put her into such a risk. Staying might not be ideal either, but it certainly sounds so much better than sending her away.
(!) Voting is closed! Ethan will look up the keywords from the e-mail.
I can't say for certain when the continuation of Ethan's POV will be posted or when I'll close the voting for Joseph's decision, but I can say that Ethan's choice, believe it or not, is actually a pretty important one to his character and the Voyagers.
My schedule is honestly looking really insane these next two days, I've got limited free time tomorrow and then no free time at all on Thursday. Depending on how my schedule folds out tomorrow, there might or might not be a continuation to Ethan's part, but I can't promise anything on that. Friday, however, is a more likely date for a part to be released.
I also wanted to give a small piece of information regarding how the chapters play out. I remember drawing attention to the 1.n, that is because there's going to be around 10 parts in a chapter, each chapter having a character in the Voyagers who's more prominent than the others, and there's a reason for that. I intend to build on these characters and their roles over the chapter, but their choices are also the most consequential. The first chapter's Voyager is Elizabeth, you guys have already seen the basics of her character, but I plan to build onto that well before the chapter's conclusion. I actually have no set chapter character planned, so I'm totally open for suggestions on the next chapter and it really isn't limited, in all honesty.
Anyways, I will also be posting alternate choices at the end of each chapter, should it not give away anything, which is really unlikely.
(!) Voting is closed... again! Joseph will order Elizabeth to stay.
This choice is pretty important to how the rest of the chapter will play out, and I'm happy to announce that a part can be expected later today.
1.4
After the unsettling news about the Onyx Organization, Ethan left the computer for the day, keeping his head low in the case that the Onyx Organization already knew about the e-mail.
Word didn't reach Ethan about any other e-mail or any news reports about it, so he went back to the computer the next day. The keywords rang in his mind, over and over again.
He took a deep breath, keeping his hands over the keyboard. "It's been a full day, what are the chances that they're still watching?" What convinced Ethan fully watching the feeling that he was already being watched. By who or what, he didn't know. "Only one way to find out."
Ethan quickly typed in the keywords and hit enter, the results flashing up on his screen.
How corrupt is our system really? A news article. Published by a freelance journalist by the name of Leah Neil. My husband has been a very active donator to the Onyx Organization (even though I doubt they need donations to keep themselves going.) and he tells me often of the things he sees when he goes down to their headquarters.
Ethan turned away from the computer, grabbing a notepad on the other side of his desk and a pen that sat next to it. He drew quick circles on the paper until he saw the ink had reached the paper. He took note of Leah Neil and the donations before returning his vision to the computer.
It's sad, really, it is. He once told me of a girl who didn't seem much older than either of our children. He mentioned how she looked to be paper thin, almost as if she was a cardboard cutout. He said she was dirty and she sat in the lobby, crying for help. He approached her and she told him about what happened to her parents and how they just vanished one day. After that he said a man in a suit jerked the girl away and she only continued sobbing as she was taken to the elevator.
After some time, my husband became friends with a higher-up in the organization and he asked about the little girl in the lobby only for the man to tell him that it had nothing to do with my husband. He confessed that the girl's parents were resistance members who had been caught and were being dealt with properly and he left it at that.
The entire week after that, our children came home from school saying how they had felt like they were being watched, and I must say, I felt the same feeling every once in a while, but we never really acknowledged the danger that my husband had put us in by trying to find out about the girl. On the last night of the week, my husband's friend had come to our home and told us that he needed to speak with us. We trusted him and left the kids at home to go with him, thinking it would only be twenty minutes at most.
It was three days. Three brutal days that I would never wish on anybody else.
We were taken to the fourth floor where my husband saw the young girl again, pointing her out to me. She was surrounded by other people who looked to be in bad condition as well. My husband's friend said he was going to get us some drinks and he would be back. That was before he locked us in the room until the next morning.
He asked so many questions about people we had no relation to, mainly the young girl. He asked about and organization called the Voyagers, which we had no idea about at the time.
On the third day our children had gotten in trouble with the school and I was allowed to go back home, but my husband wasn't. I came home to find the house completely torn up, my son trying to work with the washing machine and my daughter trying to figure out how the stove turned on. They asked me questions about where I had been and where their father was, but I didn't offer much of an answer. I could tell it upset them, but what was I supposed to say?
In the middle of the night there was this knock at the door. A man who stood about as tall as myself greeted me. He said his name was Cyrus and that he was there for a good cause. He informed me about the Voyagers and told me some secrets of the Onyx Organization that made me lose hope faster than anything had ever done before. He invited me to join the Voyagers, saying the kids would be allowed as well. I asked what could be done about my husband and told him the situation and he went quiet for a few minutes before telling me that nothing could be done and that it would be safer for the kids and I to leave.
So we did. I packed three bags and we took off. We've been among the Voyagers for two years now, each of us earning our own place in the group. I've learned so many things about the Onyx Organization that it's truly sickening that nobody has taken a stand against them.
The next paragraph was separated by an edit note. 6/16/2170: Today I told the kids my plan of going back to the headquarters to get their dad. I figured they would think it was a good idea but they seemed concerned. They're so different from each other. She has tried to talk me out of it time after time but he understands that no matter what he says that I'm going to do it anyways so he gave up. He does care, though. I've put this off for too long, it's time.
Joseph Duke
"Elizabeth, you're staying." Cyrus seemed to shrug off the order as he dismissed himself from the room, but Lecia left the room in a hurry.
Filip looked ready to leave long before the meeting concluded. "As unneccessary as that was, we should look on the bright side. We won't be losing any information if she stays around and we'll probably get new members."
"Not anytime soon." Joseph's cold tone caused Filip to look to his hands. "I didn't say she was completely off the hook." He directed his vision to Elizabeth, who still wouldn't meet his eyes. "You're in terrible condition. I want you to go get cleaned up, get some food, and go to bed. In fact, I don't want you to, I'm ordering you to. Stay away from the lab for a few days."
"How am I supposed to sleep and stay away frm the lab?" She didn't sound upset by the verdict, just tired.
"Marshal, you're going to go into the lab and get her what she needs from there. I'm trusting you to take care of her for a while."
Elizabeth and Marshal shared a glance before redirecting their vision back to Joseph. "She's an adult, she can take care of herself."
Joseph looked to Filip, expecting him to chime in. "I agree with Marshal, she's an adult, but you're basically grounding her as if she's a child and encouraing Marshal to be some sort of babysitter."
"Okay, I'll stay and I'll stick around Marshal if you give me one request." She didn't wait for a response, making the request seem quite important. "The keywords were used and it's critical that the scouts go get this guy. I know it doesn't sound important, but I'm the one who put his life in danger and if I can't go help him myself then the scouts need to go."
"No, that's not going to happen. Nobody is leaving tonight."
Filip seemed shocked with Joseph's response. "Joseph, somebody could be put in grave danger because of us, we need to handle this.."
"Filip, it wasn't us, it was Elizabeth. We had nothing to do with her choices."
"You might not have anything to do with it, but we did." Marshal quickly took to Filip's aid, knowing that he would back out the second Joseph told him no. "She kept us scouts updated on the status of her plan so we knew when to act."
"Besides, Elizabeth is one of us, so if you want to be technical, it is on all of us." Filip excused himself from the table before Joseph could respond, heading to find Cyrus.
Joseph sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Marshal, you're not doing this. I gave you a job and you have no choice in the matter because I am in charge. I will not stand here and listen to anymore of this." He turned towards Elizabeth, recieving a cold glare the second their eyes met. "You're lucky I let you stay. One more chance is all you're getting, am I clear?"
"That's what you said last time." She responded with an ounce of spite in her tone as Joseph left the room. She immediately scurried from her chair and to Marshal's side. "You guys need to go, right now."
Ethan Rikard
After looking up various pages on the Onyx Organization and the Voyagers, Ethan had ended up staying up late into the night. The last glimpse of the clock he had gotten said it was around ten in the night, now it said it was three in the morning.
Nobody had come to his home at this point, which made him believe his earlier thoughts of this all being a prank that he unfortunately became the victim of, wasting another day of his job search.
Ethan shut down the computer and left his room, going to the kitchen. As he left the hallway, going towards the kitchen doorway, he was grabbed from behind and jerked to the ground. He barely had time to react before shoving an elbow at his attacker, causing them to let go and stumble back a few steps.
He got off the ground in a hurry, turning to face the attacker while moving towards the kitchen. The attacker was a man who stood a few inches shorter than Ethan with brown hair. He was holding his arm over his chest, letting Ethan knew that he didn't miss a mark.
As Ethan was studiyng the attacker and continuing towards the kitchen slowly, the attacker looked up and around Ethan, forcing his posture back up. "Wait, stop!"
Ethan spun around and stopped in his tracks, seeing another man with black hair cautiously approaching him. "Alright, you know we're here now, let's talk, okay?"
The first man stumbled down the hall, leaning on the wall as he reached the end. "You've got your strength going for you, that's for sure." He sounded to be in pain by the tone of his voice.
"Ethan Rikard, that's you, right?" The man with black hair stood a few feet away from Ethan, waiting until he got a nod in response until he continued. "My name is Marshal Kennedy, the man you somehow debilitated is named Filip Cloet." Ethan looked to Filip, getting a small wave, before looking back to Marshal. "We're with the Voyagers. I know that was a pretty bad first meeting, but I think we have just enough time to explain it."
"Please do." Ethan tried forcing his nerves to settle in hopes of not showing any fear to the men.
"VE sent us, but we were told that the possibility that the Onyx Organization had already gotten into your place was pretty strong since we were leaving late. We were told to stay on guard until we knew it was you and I mean no offense when I say this, but Filip is as blind as a bat and he was going off of sound."
Ethan looked to Filip who scoffed at the comment, not offering any words. "You were going to attack me as well, weren't you?"
"Only because he did it first."
"And what are you guys here for?"
Filip finally moved his arm from his chest, putting it to his side. "We're here for you. By now you've made your choice and you're extremely lucky the Onyx Organization hasn't come before us. That's not to say that they won't come, because they will and the fury of Hell itself will come down on you, so I'd suggest you come with us."
Like the e-mail had said, a scout team. "Alright, let me go grab a bag."
Really interesting, looking forward what will happen next.
Oh man, Ethan's first part has been intense as hell, the best part so far! It seems he managed something I never do, he actually got a focussed search and results without getting distracted. But that report he found has been really intense, I loved it. The ending as well, things seem to shape up greatly. Ah, I am excited to see what's going to come out of this for Ethan. Definitely my favourite character so far
1.5
After Ethan hastily threw some outfits into a dufflebag that his closet had hidden for what was likely ages, he returned to Filip and Marshal. The two remained in the same place Ethan had left them, not moving an inch. "I'm ready when you guys are."
"Funny, we were about to say the same thing." Filip turned around and started towards the door, Ethan following close behind him while keeping an eye on Marshal, who was a few steps behind him. "If you don't want to hold your things then Marshal can take them. we've got a small walk to make, then there's a truck. The truck will take us the rest of the way."
The three men walked out the door, Marshal closing it behind him. Ethan noted the two seemed to be in a formation which encouraged him to slip in between the two. "How certain are you guys that the truck won't be tracked?"
"Pretty certain. The location and the transportation are out of the way of just about everything and the things it's in the way of aren't typically active at three or four in the morning." Filip seemed to have taken over the talking as he caught his breath again. "Are you okay with running with your bag?"
"I wasn't counting on it, why?" Ethan looked around, seeing nothing but darkness and ooccassionally a porch light on.
"You should probably give Marshal your stuff then. We're about to have to run and if there's any chance that it'll slow you down then there'll be trouble for all of us."
"What if it slows him down? He's smaller than me."
Ethan heard Marshal chuckle from behind before Filip continued talking. "You don't have to worry about him. He'll somehow end up at the truck before us in the case that we get separated, he'll offer no explanation, and then we'll go back to the plan. Marshal's obsessed with fitness and between you and me, I'm not entirely convinced he wasn't a bank robber in a past life."
"I'm not obsessed, Filip, I'm just motivated."
"Yeah, motivated every waking moment of your life, Ethan and I can totally relate to that." Ethan could tell that these two were pretty close friends by the way they talked. Marshal didn't seem offended by what Filip said and Filip didn't seem offended earlier by what Marshal said.
"I don't know who can't relate to that, I mean it's definitely normal."
Filip snickered as he stopped walking. "I want to know your definition of normal when we get to the truck." Filip turned to Ethan, his face taking a darker, more serious turn. "This is your last chance to hand your stuff over to Marshal. After we start running, whatever happens to you in between here and the truck is not our fault."
"To clarify, it is our fault, but we're required to at least warn you ahead of time." Marshal chimed in, seeming to become a little nervous. "You don't have to worry about your things because I'll stay with you guys, but on the off chance that we get separated, Filip's first order is to find you again, mine is to get to the truck and update the driver and VE, then I get orders from there."
"Don't worry about getting separated, though, it hasn't happened in a long time."
Ethan took the strap of his dufflebag off his shoulder, then passed the bag off to Marshal. "I take it one of you is going to lead the way?"
Marshal pointed to Filip while adjusting the dufflebag. "He will. The formation we took while walking is the same one we'll take while running."
Filip looked over Ethan and Marshal, waiting until they both seemed ready. "Alright, let's go."
The three began running, Filip eventually leading the other two off the street they were previously on, over a fence, and into a construction site that was hardly lit. The change in scenery made Ethan slow down to check his surroundings until he realized he had put a distance between Filip and him and Marshal. The realization made Ethan look back to confirm that Marshal was still behind him but that he was the only one behind him.
Filip glanced back noticing the distance between him and the other two but that didn't slow him down. "Come one! We're almost there, I swear!"
Ethan and Marshal were only able to catch back up when Filip abruptly stopped a few minutes later. Ethan didn't notice the truck beforehand, mainly because it blended in with the darkness.
Marshal handed the dufflebag to Filip then got in the passenger's seat. Filip opened the backdoor and climbed in, scooting to the other side to allow Ethan to get in as well. Ethan shut the door behind him and looked around. The driver was an older man who didn't seem too pleased to be here. "Welcome." His voice lacked any enthusiasm, leading Ethan to the confirmation that he didn't want to be here. "The name's Cyrus."
"Ethan Rikard. I assume you're with these two." Ethan duly noted how Filip had quieted down after reaching the truck, but he assumed it was the running that likely tired him out. Cyrus started driving after introductions were finished.
"No, I'm not with any of you, I'm actually an undercover government agent and I've been trying to capture the Voyagers for years."
The problem with the way Cyrus spoke was that Ethan actually couldn't tell if he was joking or not. "You're not serious, are you?"
"He's not. Cyrus has been with the Voyagers longer than any current member has. He was also the first person born into the group, little tidbit of information." Filip finally spoke again, his voice seeming much more drained than before.
"Filip likes to guilt trip Cyrus whenever he can. I'd recommend ignoring it because it's only going to set you up for a bad impression." Marshal commented from the seat in front of Ethan.
Neither Filip or Cyrus responded, the silence telling Ethan that it was a topic he shouldn't touch. "So, Marshal, your version of normal was mentioned. What is normal to you?"
Cyrus snickered. "Yes, please let Ethan know what normal is to you."
"Normal is average." Marshal seemed to get nervous once again. "That's my definition of normal."
"Filip did only ask for the definition, so i can't argue with that." Cyrus continued on.
There was one thing that bit at Ethan, despite the whole situation itself. "Marshal mentioned that he would update Cyrus and VE if he got separated. He obviously didn't, but where exactly is VE? How can he update them if they're not here?"
"Back at the base. You'll meet her when we get there, but to answer your question, she knows our location through a GPS on our watches, but Cyrus is directly connected with her through the truck. Marshal would have had to come to the truck and she would give him details about my location." Filip sounded unsure of his own explanation. "That's how things would go with us. I don't really know how Cyrus has been instructed to do things, mainly because it hasn't happened since we changed our procedure."
Cyrus cleared his throat. "In a normal situation, that would happen and I would take the truck to the nearest location while staying away from residential areas. If it had happened tonight, that would have changed everything. The lady we normally have watching the monitors isn't int he lab for the night, so Marshal would have to get the location on his own."
"It's possible, but difficult on the watch.. Yeah, it would have been a disaster and extremely dangerous if we got separated tonight, so I'm really thankful that it didn't happen." Marshal took a quick glance at his watch as he spoke, citing the time as 4:18 in the morning.
Ethan didn't remember falling asleep in the truck, but he was shaken awake by Filip. "We're here."
"What time is it?" Ethan knew his movement was slow as he got out of the truck and looked around.
Filip checked his watch, then returned his arm to his side. "7:52. Now, I want to quickly explain to you that things might become heated or they might seem completely average when we go in, I don't know how anybody in there is right now."
Marshal and Cyrus walked around the truck, meeting up with Ethan and Filip. "When you go inside, you follow Marshal and he'll take you to the person you want to meet up with first. She'll handle you from there, okay?"
Ethan nodded, Filip and Cyrus dismissing themselves from the conversation. "I'll let you prepare youreslf." Marshal turned his attention to Ethan, noting his overall sleepy aura.
"I'm as ready as I'll ever be." Ethan grabbed his dufflebag from the truck before shutting the door and following Marshal around for a few moments. Marshal stopped a few times, looking around each time. "You know where we're going, right?"
Marshal started moving again, Ethan following. "Yeah, I just forget where the door is sometimes." After digging around for a minute, Marshal started pulling at what looked to be a vault door in the ground.
Ethan quickly went to helping pull it open. The door opened after some forceful tugs by the two men, exposing a ladder down. "You should probably go first."
"I agree, you can drop the dufflebag down before I go." Ethan tossed the bag down and Marshal started the descent, Ethan following him. "Do me a favor and shut the door. You're going to have to slam it shut."
Ethan did so, the two reaching the ground before Marshal could speak again. "An underground bunker. Smart."
The room they entered was a pretty dusty one, doubtful to be the main entrance. "Stick close, okay?"
Marshal waited until Ethan grabbed his bag before he started to walk away.
Ethan observed the rooms he passed through, noticing a lack of people around. Filip and Cyrus had disappeared, more than likely while Marshal and Ethan were looking for the door. After passing through three rooms, Ethan pieced together that the room they had arrived from was some sort of secret storage area. They left the room and went through a pantry that didn't look like it harbored any secret room and then they went through a kitchen.
They walked through the bunker, Marshal remaining radio silent until they reached a hallway of doors, Ethan quickly recognizing the layout similar to a dormitory. When Marshal did speak, his voice was in a whisper. "I know for certain that she's not a morning person and she's going to be absolutely livid that I woke her up, so I'd recommend you stay here for a moment."
Ethan nodded and stopped walking when Marshal did, the two parting ways as Marshal went into a nearby room.
He couldn't help but keep a watchful eye on the other doors as he waited for Marshal to return. Marshal eventually left the room again, telling Ethan to go in. Nothing happened while Marshal was gone, which Ethan was thankful for.
"You're not coming with me?" Ethan stopped before he went into the room. "At least tell me who's in here."
Marshal grinned, stopped his walk away. "VE's in there, but if you can't handle separating from me then I guess I'll go."
"Don't let your ego get in the way, I can handle introductions on my own."
Marshal continued on his way, Ethan prepared himself before stepping into the room. "You should probably shut the door behind you or else we're both in trouble." A woman stood in front of the doorway, a smile fixed on her face. She stepped back to let Ethan in and allow him to shut the door. "Pardon the mess, it's not my room."
Ethan looked over the room, noting that it was actually fairly clean. "That's quite alright. I've been told that you're VE, is that true?"
"Oh, where are my manners? I'm sorry, yes, I'm VE." She held out her hand. "My name is Elizabeth Neil."
'Neil? No, the writer's name was Leah Neil, there's no way they're the same person.' Ethan thought to himself, trying to ease his nerves.
He shook her hand, then the two put their hands back to their sides. "Ethan Rikard, but I'm sure you already knew that."
"That I did." The woman's smile didn't seem to fade, despite the awkward situation that they had both just been put in. "I wanted to apologize for risking your safety like that. You made a pretty smart choice by waiting it out, though. You also made a smart choice by joining us. I'm happy to help you get situated to life in the bunker and you don't have to worry too much about finding a job anymore."
"Why is that?"
"Because we prefer things to happen naturally here. We don't want to force you into work, we want you to go at your own pace and do what you like, even if you're not good at it. You'll eventually learn and we'll all pitch in to help you out when you need it."
"When will I be able to meet other members?"
"Whenever we finish. I'll take you to the common area, but then I'll have to handle something."
Ethan stopped, debating if he should bring up his last question or not. "Your last name is Neil, do you perhaps have any relation to a journalist by the name of Leah Neil?"
Elizabeth's smile faded, telling Ethan the answer before she did herself. "Yes, I suppose you read the article... She's my mother." After a quick sigh, Elizabeth's smile returned to her face, her eyes still retaining the sad look they gained the moment before. "Right, so if you don't have any questions, I can take you to the common area."
He could tell that she was just trying to get out of the conversation before it delved farther into her personal life. "I don't have anymore questions."
She nodded and walked around Ethan to the door. They left the room and started down the hallway. Marshal and Ethan had come from the left, but Elizabeth took Ethan to the right. 'That's why I didn't see anybody. The common area is farther than where we were going.'
Elizabeth stopped a few feet past the doorway, waiting for Ethan to enter the room as well. "This is Ethan Rikard, he's our latest member." Ethan looked over, seeing Marshal, Filip, and Cyrus, but another man and two women. "Lecia, before you snap on me, understand that I already know everything about him and it's all documented. Joseph, before you snap on me, I was going to talk about it with you."
The one man Ethan didn't know, presumably the Joseph that Elizabeth mentioned, seemed upset. Ethan looked over to Filip, noticing that he looked a little fearful. "When were you going to talk about this with me? You had all night to mention something, but you decided not to? Elizabeth, this is important and you need to include me in plans like this."
"But I did, you just didn't listen. I think it's best we talk about this alone instead of starting another scene and trying to kick me out again."
"Your own vote was for you to leave, why would a similar situation even bother you?" One of the other women spoke up. She had black hair and just looked angry.
Elizabeth chuckled. "That's a good one, Lecia, but please hold off on absolutely destroying me today, I don't think I can handle it."
Joseph rose from his seat with a sigh, pointing to the doorway. "Elizabeth, go, I'll be around in a minute."
Elizabeth turned and left the room, leaving Ethan standing next to the doorway. Joseph followed her out and the room went silent before the final woman spoke up. "Welcome, Ethan. I'm sorry you had to see that, but please don't get used to it, it's not normal around here. My name is Eris Duke, the man who just left in such a huff over nothing is my husband, Joseph."
Cyrus chuckled from across the room. "I hope you're not using Marshal's definition of normal."
Filip and Eris laughed, Marshal simply rolled his eyes and seemed to sink into his seat. The other woman didn't seem to find anything humorous. She got up and forced a smile onto her face. "Welcome again, Ethan. I'm Lecia Albero and I am also excusing myself from this conversation, I'll see you in a bit, Eris."
Lecia promptly left the room, leaving Eris looking confused. "That's not usual, but I guess someone has to start breakfast." Eris looked to Ethan. "Looks like both of our groupies left us, would you like to take a seat?" Ethan approached the seat next to her, only noticing her pale skin as he got closer. She held out her hand as he took a seat. "Pleasure to meet you."
He shook her hand and looked around the area. "It's nice here, how long have you guys been around?"
Eris gasped then covered her mouth. "You have questions that Elizabeth didn't answer? That's going to look bad on her performance review." Ethan could tell she was joking by the tone of her voice. She moved her hand away from her mouth and smiled. "We've been here for, oh, I wanna say around seven years. Things have changed since then, but we're actually pretty well off."
"There's a lot less people than I expected." Ethan commented, still looking around the room.
"Well, we aren't exactly popular people outside this bunker, some of us are even less popular inside the bunker." Eris seemed to chuckle at herself. "If you've got any questions about the people in the bunker then you can ask me. Elizabeth won't tell you because it's her job to protect what little privacy we have and some others don't really know each other well, but I know everyone here personally and fairly well."
"Is that so? What can you tell me about-
Joseph
Lecia
Cyrus
Elizabeth
Filip
Marshal
Yourself (Eris)
Yourself (Eris)
I think this might be the most natural thing to say, at this point. However, I'm considering changing my vote to Elizabeth.