Hive IC Story

[Voltaire]

“Certainly. You’ll be the first to read it.”
Voltaire smiled genuinely, he truly liked the girl for she possessed innocence seldom seen. “Be assured that I will be confiding in you often Comrade HongHu, I cannot trust anyone else …”

Voltaire sighed, “I will leave you to your work, but before you go there still exists one more matter which I need to discuss with you.”

HongHu awaited patiently for the Chairman to continue.

“After I resign as Chairman I will appoint a successor... it was going to be you, but you apprehensiveness and unwillingness to be vested with so much power have forced me to choose another.” His voice gave away his feelings of stress, he hated to see such talent go to waste, but the emotional part of him accepted HongHu's decision to decline the offer for it would have meant the corruption of her innocence.

"The Marshal, I understand, is perhaps too young, and he is also very ambitious ...
“But you can certainly trust the Deputy Chairman? So devoted, and yet so resourceful ...” HongHu replied quizzically, it felt natural to her that the Chairmanship should pass onto the Deputy Chairman.

Voltaire could not contain his laughter, “Quite right, who am I suppose to trust indeed? Jamski is power-hungry, almost as much as the Marshal, he just hides it better.”

HongHu was take aback by the Chairmans statement, You learn something new everyday from the Father of the State. She pondered the Chairmans dilemma for a moment, “I say use the young Marshal, and Jamski can serve as a check. They'll forever fight and the power will naturally remain in your hands.”

She truly has become wise beyond her years... The Chairman replied solemnly, “Perhaps you have something there Comrade HongHu, I will take your advice into great consideration.”

HongHu sough this opportunity in the presence of the Chairman to ask for a personal favor, one she knew very well he might not grant. “If you will have it, I would like to migrate to one of the outer colonies for the time being to work on my book and contemplate on the finer points of life.” The statement was carefully phrased, she has reversed it in her mind numerous times, and now the moment has finally arrived.

Voltaire considered this sudden request for a moment, before coming to a decision. “The Chairman shall grant your request, provided that you will be available to serve the state when the time comes.” It was not a bad idea to have HongHu out of the capital during the coming political changes, she would be safer away from the possible turmoil.

“Thank you dear Chairman!” She could hardly contain her gratitude, “I will always go wherever you direct.” With that they exchanged goodbyes,though HongHu has a suspicion that she would be seeing the Chairman again soon enough. Funny, she thought it will take time getting used to the Chairman not being the Chairman when he resigns. She found the notion a little more than absurd, for truly it would take time getting used to calling him Voltaire and not the Chairman.

[Vev]

The grounds laid ablazed with fire. Charred mindworms, human corpses and machinery are feasted upon by the ever hungry flame. Stoically, the mindworm boil refuses to burn as the masses of wriggling worms piled upon each other smothering any flame before they had the chance to spread further.

As Kostya drove near, the horrible scene of the carnage became apparent. Arms, legs, torsos of human bodies were seen protruding from a sea of pink mindworms. No one wishes to be near that monstrous boil, those that found themselves too close had their minds paralysed by the mindworms' psychic intrusion. Soldiers flaming patches of mindworms one moment may find themselves stunned wide-eyed and looking in horror as they were engulfed in their own flames.

The buggy came to a halt and everyone disembarked with their flamers ready.

“Patrol Team 112 assisting Squad 56”

“Finally, some helping hand. I want you guys to hold a line at the rocks over there and watch out for break-aways from the main boil. They have tried it a few times and we’ve only just able to hold them back. Oh yeah, thanks for the extra fuel. It is going to be a long day.”

Everyone was nervous, but they were kept busy cleaning up small patches of mindworms. Soldiers were encouraged to frequently make contact with each other on radio to detect who had been paralysed by the mindworms. While safely away from the main boil, the mindworms psychic interference amounted to just incessant background whispering. Thick smoke soon covered Kostya’s vision but thankfully the rebreather prevented him from choking. Kostya noticed Gavril had been absent on the radio.

“Have anyone seen Gavril?”
“Who?”
”Negative.”

Great, where are you Gavril, and curse this smoke.

After stumbling in the smoky haze, Kostya found Gavril standing in a small pool of mindworms, hands deathly gripping the flamer. With no time to waste, Kostya grabbed hold of Gavril in one hand and flamed the incoming worms with the other.

“I NEED HELP HERE!” Kostya shouted on the radio.

“Move, c’mon move Gavril. Don’t make me leave you behind, even if you are bastard at times.”

Kostya slowly dragged Gavril away from the mindworms but during struggle, Gavril hand twitched and his flamer was accidentally set one of Kostya’s leg on fire. Help arrived in time to see a soldier dragging another with one of his leg ablaze. The fire was quickly extinguished and any mindworms found were brushed aside.

“You need to seek aide for your leg. Your buddy is lucky to have a friend like you.”

“I’m okay,” said Kostya, but as he tried to walk he winched in pain. “Alright, I’ll go back to the hospital. I guess the adrenaline wore off.”

... you're different ... A thought drifted into Kostya's mind. He looked around for the source, but drifted back into the cloudy haze the painkillers.

Later in the day, more reinforcements arrived and the gradual bombardment reduced the boil into manageable size, but not without casualties. Those who were lucky like Kostya and Garvil returned back into city for intensive treatment.

[Nubclear]

OOC: Well, I'm gonna try to jump back into the game...It'll be rough, but......Well, lets just hope this works

IC:

Tassadar sat in his room. Ever since the disasterous operation....Nightmares have haunted him. The nighmares were strange because they weren't usual mindworm fare. Usually in cases involving psychic shock from mindworms, the images are visual distortions based on the patients own perception of reality. However Tassadars nightmares were very different.....They were not based on his fears or concerns, but on something else entirely. He couldn't quite define what it was.
Tassadar picked up his PDA. He had been keeping a dream log for quite a while now...Encrypted with 869-Bit secuirty, written to sound like Russian, though the characters were from a phonetic japanese set, and then translated into Pig Latin. He set it right next to his bed. It was time to enter another dream.....
"What an interesting week its been.......Claire Forlani......Pravda....Shes really sexy.....The Sexy Chairman approaches.....Chairman....Chair person....United Nations.....zzzzzz
Tassadar was asleep.

--------

An alarm went off.
"Dammit..." Tassadar said, turning off the alarm. It was 1....He had only slept for an hour. The Chairman must want something. The damn Chairman always wants something.
"Ugh...." Tassadar grunted to himself, as he put a shirt on. He did his hair, and applied some 'Awaken creame' so he would look much more energetic than he actually was. He left his room only 5 minutes later, headed for the Chairmans office. He made a small detour to the mess, so he could get a Xenodoughnut.
"Hey Comrade. Give me the usual." Tassadar said.
"He wants you." The drone replied back.
"The Chairman?" Tassadar asked. The drone nodded slowly.
"Well, I can't go without my Xenodoughnut." Tassadar said laughingly. However, the drone maintained a straight face. Tassadar sighed.
"Anti-intellectualist bastard..." Tassadar said to the drone as he left. He began to walk down the corridor, when suddenly Claire Forlani ran into him. She wasn't wearing anything!!!!
"Hello Comrade....." Claire said.
"Hi Claire. Um......Why are you.........um......" Tassadar stuttered to find the right words. That, or he was to busy looking at he eye candy.
"Let's go to my room immediately." Claire said. Suddenly, something rang in Tassadars mind.
"No, I have to go meet the Chairman." Tassadar said. Claire began to rub up against him.
"But...I'm so scared.......I don't wanna sleep alone, Comrade." Claire said winking.
"...No, I need to go to the Chairman." Tassadar said, becoming anxious. He began to walk away.
"STOP!!!" Claire yelled. Tassadar began to jog away from her.
"Must go to Sector F20...Must go to sector F20..." Tassadar kept repeating in his mind. Something about Claires manner disturbed him....Apart from the obvious gross social rules breach, of course. Something different...He just sensed she was trying to keep him from seeing the Chairman. He passed F18. He began to see English and Chinese propaganda writing on the walls, indicating he was getting nearer.
"The Chairman is Glorious. All the peoples support the Chairman. Remain loyal to the...." But by the time Tassadar got to Hive, the power suddenly went out.
"God damn, whats going on?!" Tassadar yelled, getting out a small lightstick. He lit it, and now it was glowing bright turquoise.
"F19..." Tassadar said. He was getting anxious. Why did the Chairman want him? Why was the power out? Why was Claire naked? He finally got to the door of the Chairman. He knocked, as was protocol.
"Chairman, Scientist Comrade Tassadar REPORTING!" He yelled. Yet there was no response.
"Chairman, Scientist Tassadar is REPORTING IN!" He yelled again. But still to no avail. What was in there? He began to sense great evil....Aside from the evil he sensed from the Chairman normally. Something was in there....it wanted him. He grabbed the doorknob. His heart was racing, and his mind was trying to anticipate was was in there. He quickly opened the door.
The Chairmans face!!!!!!! It was bloodied and crisp. It was dead. His mouth was wide open, and his skin was sagging. to the left. His nose seemed to be melting before Tassadars very eyes, and the Chairmans eyes were not even there. Only bloodied sockets. The Chairman screamed a horrible screem filled with both sadistic laughter and horror. Suddenly, images began to flood Tassadars mind! The Chairman. The University...Mindworms...Planet...Gaian....Manifol d....Usurper....Caretaker...Babysitter....Concious ness....Pruning....His wife...Jamski...Wujiang....Death...Destruction...T assadar screamed, when suddenly he felt a large wind carry him away. He began to fly through the walls...He couldn't control his movement. It seemed like some supernatural force was carrying him somewhere. He closed his eyes, and let the wind guide him....
To his room. He opened his eyes, and saw himself lying on the bed. He never realized he looked so darn handsome! His body seemed to be in distress. It was as if he were having a nightmare. Suddenly, the Tassadar on the bed opened his eyes. They both....were Tassadar. Tassadar could see through both pairs of eyes. He saw himself staring at himself, and he saw himself staring at himself staring at himself. He saw himself infinity....He began to get a MASSIVE stomach ache. Tassadar (the one standing up) closed his eyes, when suddenly...

-------

Tassadar suddenly regained conciousness. His eyes were already open, and he felt extremly sick. He wasn't sure why though....It took a few minutes before the dream came back to him. He, as usual, recorded it in his dream log...What did it all mean?

He began racing through all the possibilies, but it did not occour to him.....What if the dream was a message?

[Kody]

We squirmed through the liquid filth that filled these strange caverns. What a strange smell and texture the home of these aliens had. There is another opening up ahead that opens up into a bigger cavern. We sense something. A mind. A host. This is what we have been looking for.

The mind is resting. Closed to the outside world, but not closed to us. We link together and begin probing the mind to find what we need to make our move. A sister called Katya and a mother called Galina. These are meaningless to us, so we continue to burrow deeper. A fear of rejection and a fear of being weak. These not are what we are looking for. A fear of death and of the unknown. The feeling of something watching unseen. A clammy hand that strokes flesh, cold and slimy from decay. We absorb this. We magnify this.


Anton looked around apprehensively. He could feel something watching him. The hairs on the back of his neck prickled and a cold shiver ran down his spine. It was dark in the corridor and barely lit by lights that were beyond run down. The seals in this section of the corridor had broken letting in the dampness and to his left there was the sound of dripping water.

Somewhere in the gloom there’s a splash, followed by silence. He peered to his left, the water had stopped dripping. Moments later the sound of dripping resumed. Something warm and fetid breathed on the back of his neck.

“Sweet flesh. Warm blood,” a voice whispered in his ear.

Anton whirled and punched, but only connected to air. Out of the corner of his eye an undefined shape moved.

“We thirst,” the voice hissed while a clammy hand brushed his arm. Again he lunged and again there was only air.

He began to run, but his legs seemed sluggish and the ground seemed to be covered in thick mud that squelched and sucked at his boots. His frantic movements did not drown out the soft splashes of something behind him. No matter how fast he ran he couldn’t seem to get away. Gasping he tripped in the darkness and fell face first into knee deep muck.

Exhausted he kneeled there listening to the creature drawing closer. There was a long pause and he felt the clammy hand brush his hair away from his face.

“It is time,” the voice said.


It is time. We wiggle forward and climb up the creature heading towards its head. It feebly attempts to dislodge us, but we have done our work well. Its eyes stare blankly ahead unseeing lost in the nightmares we have weaved. When we begin to burrow the creature opens its mouth and begins a tuneless song. A scream, stolen memories tell us.

Our bodies squirm as we wiggle deeper. The open mouth provides an easier entrance to reach our goal and the scream is cut off by our passage. Inside the warm wetness of the head we lay our eggs where our young will feed off the nightmares of the host. We now await the larvae to grow and join us.

Our work is done and it is glorious. The words tumble out and form from the stolen memories.

The host silently screamed for a long time.

[Vev]

"Gavril, wake up! Can you hear me?"

"It's no use. He cannot respond to you."

"Gavril, talk to me. Do something, anything!"

"We've tried for two days, although his body perfectly healthly, his mind is not here."

... a rolling plain of fungus ...

"Why isn't he responding?"

"We don't know and unless his condition improves, I am afraid he is of no use to the Hive."

... all shall be one ...

"What do mean no use?!"

"Well the hospital can only fit so many people and there are many who could benefit from his organs."

... this is our destiny ...

"How much time does he have?"

"A few days, a week at most."

... the flowering ...

"That isn't enough time!"

"I'm afraid that is the policy"

... the cycle will be BROKEN!

"Gaahhk" Gavril choked on the breathing tube.

"Nurse, hold him down. You! Wait outside."

[Kody]

In a run down corridor in sector B45 a shadow detached itself from the wall. It skirted around passing drones and patrols, sinking into alcoves and disappearing with a skill that seemed inhuman. All that announced its presence was streak of black and a flick of its cloak as it flirted between the shadows. It moved with an uncanny self assurance, every action smooth and measured as it made its way through the tunnels of the Hive. It turned past the factories of sector D256 unseen as a ghost. It skirted around the main plaza with little more sound than the flapping of its cloak as it ran past. The shadow moved up towards the talent levels where moonlight from the skylights occasionally touched it. The moonlight would light up the figure in grey silver, so eerie that many a passing talent blinked and thought it a dream.

The figure paused at a dark junction and became as still and as silent as the reaper. The hooded head slowly swivelled around as if listening. Gradually the figure merged into the darkness of the junction disappearing completely from view.

"I have a job for you," a second figure said leaning out an alcove.

“The target?” rattled a synthesised voice. A small red light had begun to glow and there was the amplified sound of someone breathing.

"The late comrade Tassadar."

"Payment?"

“You will get your payment, after the job.”

"Half now."

“No.” There was movement and a metallic click on the other side of the corridor.

“Kill me and the Mo Ying Hei Shou will see that you die.”

“The job will only go ahead under my conditions or it will not go ahead.”

“As you wish.” The red light faded away, and the sound of breathing stopped. Silence again reigned in the corridor.

The first figure melted away into the night heading for its target, leaving the other to ponder their meeting.

[Snowflake]

Comrade HongHu stood outside of the base entry. Breezy wind brushed her cheeks and sent her hair flowing in the air. On her back, the dark metal frame glinted with faint gray sparkles. It was early morning. The two suns had just started to rise up in the eastern horizon. A little higher in the sky was the yellow Centauri A. Centauri B quietly hung below it with an orange haze of light. HongHu looked at the fresh rolling red hills and the crimson tangle of xenofields. She could almost hear the humming of the mindworms. This is the planet we call it our new home. So beautiful, so rich, and yet so pure. HongHu’s mind calmed down from the excitement of the conversation with the Chairman, her heart immersed in awe of nature. How have we come to this place? Will this new world be any different, immune to all those suffering and crime and violence? Will the planet embrace, assimilat, or reject us, its uninvited visitors?

The two suns sprayed out glimmering golden sunrays. HongHu set her eyes on the newly set up farms to the north. The green color was so familiar and comforting to her eyes. She reflected back the Chairman’s words. Chairman Voltaire had such deep insight into human natures. Whereas HongHu always believed that all people are good-natured inside their hearts. She thought about the deputy chairman. Everyone believed that the old man was cold and cruel, but she knew that he was also so devoted to his ideology. He worked so hard for the establishment of the new Hive. She remembered with a smile about Jamski’s personal trip to the newly established settlement Jamski Clovek. She wondered what would the old man think when he came back and saw that the Chairman had resigned but he was not his successor. HongHu suddenly realized that Voltaire’s choice of timing was not by accident.

And the good Marshal … He cancelled their appointment yesterday for he had to tend to some kind of emergencies. HongHu knew that it was related to the stranger that Clair met in the lab. But somehow now she didn’t feel the curiosity as strong as she would normally had. She knew that there would be a report laying on her table soon. But she felt that she didn’t care that much any more. She felt peace and quietness filled her heart, and yes, love. The Marshal would sure be glad to learn about the Chairman’s plan. But it would not be from her. HongHu knew that there would be another encounter with the Marshal sometime later. But she decided that it was not now. What was the good Marshal planning to do? Thinking back about the Marshal’s suggestion of her bringing Jamski’s whiskey to his private quarters, Comrade HongHu was amused again. Most probably he didn’t even have the slightest idea himself.

A grim figure came out suddenly from the xenofield. It was Comrade Vev. “Comrade HongHu, why are you standing here? Don’t you know that it is dangerous to be outside all by yourself unguarded?”
“Good morning to you too, Comrade Vev.” HongHu replied cheerfully. “Thank you for your concern. I will protect myself well.”
With a groan, Comrade Vev disappeared into the dark channels.
What was he doing in the xenofield this early in the morning …

Comrade HongHu pondered the question as she slowly headed back to the base. “beep, beep”, her quicklink suddenly went off. It was the Marshal. “Comrade HongHu, Chairman Voltaire is holding a meeting with all CCC and CMC members in the command center in three minutes.” Marshal’s well trained firm voice had a trace of urgency as well as excitement. “We’ve made contact with another human faction.” A bomb exploded inside Comrade HongHu’s head. A thought flied through her head as she hurried to the meeting. The Chairman’s plan would have to be delayed now …

[Kody]

Okay I'm going to tie up the details between IC story 1 going to 2.

These are things I figured out, but didn't get around to writing.

* Tassadar is killed by the "Mo Ying Hei Shou" which is basically a assasins guild (the name is chinese, honghu should be able to figure the name out).
However, instead of dying normally Googlie god intervened and Tassadar transcended instead.

* Radanr, tells Kelvin that he he is wasting his time working in a factory, then Radanr tells Kelvin he's going off to visit a relative in Jamski Clove.

* Rokossovky heads out to personally take care of the mindworm boil that is threatening the hive. Rokossovky insists that his birthday party continues on without him.

* The party starts, there's the usually political manevouring. Suddenly screams start to drift up from the city. Switch to the city, we see that the escaped mindworms have multipled and broken out.

* Kelvin is woken up and finds that the city is under mindworm attack. His family starts fleeing and he is seperated from them in the panic. He suddenly finds a mass of mindworms moving towards him. He picks up a discarded flame thrower and starts flaming mindworms. (Flashes from the mindworm attacks, and hints that Kelvin is actually one of the few people that is managing to fight back, this is subtlely attributed to his pyschic abilities).

* A sergeant see Kelvin and starts giving orders. Others join in and they manage to kill off the mindworms.

* The party members in the mean time, see this as an oppourity to do manevouring and have spilt up to further they're plans during the chaos.

* After the battle Kelvin is offered a place in the army as a captain.

* What happens to Koysta and Garvil needs to be explained.

_________________________________________________
IC story 2 neglected scenes.

* Rokossovky comes back from fighting the mindworms with news of meeting the drones, and after talking with the chairman it becomes apparent that the other party members have been busy. (leads into his thinking about him standing still while everything changes)

* When honghu departs for her holiday Claire is left alone. Jamski starts trying to manipluate her and Claire flees on a trawler finding her way to the pirates.

* In the mean time an assasin makes his way to the drone city Anvil of Man. He reads a note from his guildmaster and it becomes apparent the Mo Ying Hei Shou have their own agenda.

* Kelvin meets a young talent that is studying to be a doctor and empath. He likes her, she thinks of him as uncouth.

The story continues in Hive IC story 2.

http://apolyton.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=93037&pagenumber=1

Note if anyone feels like it they can write some of the unwritten in scenes. Just put a link to the post where what you've written fits in.

[Vev]

No Planet Busting scene

[Snowflake]

Just one small point. Claire was with Vev and HongHu on the visit to Drones so there may need more arrangement if she were to go to the pirates. Also, will she be there for the peace party? Another idea of course could be that she came back from Drones for the party and left with the pirates for the sake of the party.

[Kody]

The pirates said that Claire went with them a month ago. They wrote it into the turn tracking. We could ofcourse ignore them completely.

[Snowflake]

Of course we would not allow any comrade be abused by those ill-bred pirates for that long!