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**Nubclear** · January 12, 2004, 02:27

The point of an IC story is to have others participate

**Enigma_Nova** · January 12, 2004, 04:41

Ch 4: Xenophobia.
Mission year 2103. We were older, and wiser.
Science team had found that the only way to trigger a mindworm invasion at any point was... having a massive human mind signal.
"I think the worms are attracted to you." James Westcott announced.
"Well that's just great."
"If you really want to stop this army, take this truck, full of scientists. Go out as far into Miriam's direction as you can."
What if the worms attack?
"Take this." Westcott offered me a large 'ball launcher'
"It can destroy mind worm boils easily."
"So we'll never have to worry about them again?"
"Oh we will - the mind worms still have their mind weapons. But you seem immune to them. Take this weapon, and protect the scientists.

Well... it was a long shot, but I needed to save the base.
So I drove the truck straight towards danger, turned it around, and watched the nearby hill.
Just as Miriam's followers were approaching, I ordered my scientists and I to all 'Think', concentrate really hard.
We did this for exactly one hour, and I drove off.
What I saw then was most horrifying.
Mind worms blocked the path from the truck to the base.
This was not so terrifying, as the noise I heard from the Scientists.
They were yelling and screaming, obviously terrified by the worms.
Well, if they can't drive, then we have no sidegunner.
I floored the truck, and headed out of there as fast as I could.

Looking around, the worms were divided. They had stopped chasing us. But they were still blocking the truck from our base.
Jamming the gas down, I assumed the attack position.
Fire! Fire! Fire! Boils scattered left and right as the truck passed easily through the mindworm blockade.
The Scientists seem to calm down, but just after passing the location of the old block, the Scientists started screaming again.
Climbing from the gun position, I saw that the boil had penetrated the truck and was attacking the scientists!
Well, there weren't many worms, so I ordered: "Crush them! Kill them!" but the Scientists were terrified.
I pulled out a rifle and started shooting the bloody things. Left, Right and Centre the worms died.
I even shot one right off Westcott's jacket. He promptly replied, "Thanks."
As the battle continued, the Scientists calmed down, and they crushed the worms.
But they started to scream again as we approached the base.
At full speed In a one tonne truck that has the Gas held down.
Well, no problem. I removed the gas, hit the brakes, and crashed at a reasonable speed.

That day many scientists were seen around the clinic.
"Well, it was nice how you summoned the worms anyway."
The truck was quarantined. The mind worms were busy attacking Miriam's army.
"Heh. Look at 'em go." I remarked, but noticed the Worms were outmatched. More highly trained troops crushed the worms which in turn crushed the rookies.
"Damn... All right, Men, Attend your positions. This City won't be easily won!"
And so there we were. In our own homes and offices, pointing sniper rifles at our fellow man. No, the enemy is not the worms, but the men that fight them.
Our enemy is not Xenofungus, but Xenophobia.

Observing the approaching forces, I saw Ryan Goldfeld leading the attack.
Well, it looks like they've got the other base. I arranged for trucks to transport our troops to recapture Miriam's ill-gotten gains; I don't know how or why she does these things.
My core council bunkered down in the main chamber, co-ordinating their attack. I perched in its tower ready to rain death.

It started.
Firing broke out, but though our forces were similar, Miriam outmatched us 5:4. "Those Fanatic freaks would rather die than question their orders!" A soldier next to me spoke moments before he was shot and fell straight down the tower.
"Team - target the officers!"
But their fanatic soldiers protected them as if they were... their gods.
All my military tactics were seen by fanatic troops, left well-readied after the worm incident. My own soldiers were less trained.
We were holding them off very well, until they entered the city.

I estimate about 1/2 of their forces were in the town. While we matched them 1:1, there was a grave problem.
They were fanatic, and their minds could do nothing but combat. We were being defeated by their extreme vengeance and wrath.
"****" I exclaimed, as I realised something else:
We were pinned between mind worms and Miriam's attack. While the worms had not attacked we could clearly not escape that way.
I ordered my council hide behind secret panels in a secret control centre, hoping to wait out the attack.

Hours passed, myself waiting in anxious silence. Behind a 1-way mirror I could see the command room, and could hear the approach of the enemy.
"This looks like the control room, Father Ryan."
"Very good. This is where the rightous should stand, now that the infidels have fallen."
They've taken the base. We would have to escape as soon as the mind worms were neutralised.

"Ryan?" Sarah yelled out from the secret room near mine.
She burst forth, hugging Dr. Goldfeld.
"Oh Ryan, I thought they'd killed you. I am happy that you are alive."
"Lay down."
"What?"
"I said lay down. A woman must always be subservient to her husband."
"Ryan? Are you okay? No! Stop!"
Ryan had begun forcing Sarah down, and by now was obvious that he was going to do to her what the nuns did to him in his childhood.
"No! Stop! You aren't my husband!"
"Ryan? Are you in there? Help me!"
"You must serve me and do as I tell you. Be quiet." 'Ryan' said.
"I can't take this any more!"
Sam burst forth from his cell, firing twenty consecutive rounds into Dr Goldfeld. He fell to the floor lifeless.
"Thank you, Sam."
"Our cover's blown." I said, emerging from my own pod, Weapons equipped to fight.
"But I figure we can escape the way they came in, while they're distracted by the mind worms."
"Sounds like a plan." Said sam "But you're the only one here who knows how to shoot."
The council emerged.
"Well, take this, point and pull the thingy. It ain't that hard."
I handed him a large pistol
"Got anything larger?" Said Sarah, eagerly wanting revenge.
"Sure." and I showed her a set of automatic rifles.

"INTRUDERS" sounded the alarm.
I started firing down the corridor. They fell, one after the other.
"Charge!" I announced.
No sooner had I said this then a gas filled the room, making me dizzy.
I was out cold. So was my council.
"Got us their leaders."

Ch 5: A Tainted Miracle
When I awoke, I was in a large open area, chained near me were Sam and Sarah.
"For crimes against the good lord's name, you are each sentenced to death. May the good lord spare your souls."
"Yeah right" I thought to myself, noting the shackles were loose as I moved my hands free.
"Hey Enigma" Sam whispered.
"Yes sam?"
"That guard there has a rifle, and you know how to get it, right?"
"Right."
I waited for the moment to strike.
"Now, The first of you to go is Sarah, for defying her husband..."
NOW I thought to myself.
I leapt backwards, obtaining the Rifle.
In a split second, 8 guards were down, Sam was up and angry.
I don't know how it was done, but very soon the place was clear.
I must have had a mental lapse as I entered survival mode.
But lying on the ground, dead, was Sam.

"Those Fundamentalist Bastards." I said.
Sarah was over him crying.
"MIND WORMS. ALL SOLDIERS TO THE WEST SECTOR" a message reported.
"Well, there's nothing more we can do... for now. I'll get revenge on Miriam, not just for Sam, but for everyone else under her fanatic madness."
"No... no... you don't understand..." Sarah cried.
There was no-one else in the area. The officials had fled and the guards were either dead or fighting mindworms.
E: "Well... of course I don't. I've never loved any being except myself and my ability to triumph over any obstacle."
S: "So why do you care for my suffering?"
E: "Because having you happy is better than having you sad... and I've had the pain of loss happen to me before."
S: "But how? You said you never loved anyone but yourself?"
E: "Well I - That is - You see, when I was young -"
I paused. Should I be spreading this pain to others?
E: "Well I don't want to talk about it. Save that maybe the world wasn't ready for me."
S: "What do you mean?"
E: "Earth was full of Ignorant, Apathetic, Closeminded Idiots. The kind that would sooner kill you through ignorance than try to understand."
E: "Well... I was different. I needed acceptance and understanding, not their system. But they would sooner kill me than give me what I need."
E: "All people around me - family, teachers, peers, ALL of them, treated me like I needed to be told what to think and who to be. But that would rob me of everything I am, and everything I love."
E: "So I was always surrounded by people that would sooner see me dead than let me be - and by virtue of action they always worked towards one or the other."
S: "Well... there's no wonder.
S: "No wonder you're so fierce, serious, self-assured, and you care for nothing but yourself.
It is better to have loved and lost than never to be loved at all... I apologise, for you are surely the worse off."
E: "Don't bother. I don't need sympathy or respect. Being happy, loved, and free from anguish, are simply irrelevant to me. I couldn't care less if I were sad, lonely and full of pain - so long as I get back at my enemies."
S: "Your life must be very sad, Enigma."
E: "Yeah, well... you see it your way. I only see it as another enemy that needs to be defeated."
S: "So you'd rather have no joy and constant pain to kill your enemies? Why?"
E: "Because it is not for me that I live."
S: "What do you mean?"
E: "Well - I told you my pain. Now hear my mission. I want to make sure that no other child ever goes through what I went through. So what if I'm in pain - I can cope with it. Children can't. I want to protect them from the errors of their parents and the state of the world - whichever world it is."
S: "How incredibly noble."
E: "I don't know... I don't know anymore why I fight, why I bother, if I can win or if I should. But, for whatever reason, this is my lot and I'm destined to fight it."
S: "Well I'd wish you good luck, but you haven't had it so far."
E: "Why don't you come with me? Anywhere's better than being here."
S: "My life is over without my love. Go on without me - fight through the pain. I'd sooner lay here and die."
E: "Well your life is your own, I must leave you to it. I assure you I'll get revenge."
S: "Don't spread the pain any further."
E: "Well you gotta be cruel to be kind - and you can't tell me what to do anyway."
S: "I can't bear another moment. Leave me to my peace."
E: "Yeah, I guess I'll leave you. See ya."

And so I ran, never looking back, taking a small rover.
I drove for a while before finding a boat. I sailed off in any random direction - anywhere's better than here.
The food supply might last me a while. A year, at least.

Ch 6: Planetscape
Life on the high seas was good. Chiron had no insects, so the food would last a while.
I learnt a lot, on the high seas. I spent many days adrift, talking to myself.
Though sometimes I would hear a voice, that said EarthEnigma... I think I must be losing it.
I passed some aquatic mind worms, and spore launchers, but they never attacked me.
All the while, I kept hearing the same message: EarthEnigma.
I guess I was just too tired or too small for the aliens to give a damn about me.

One day, a Wind hit, and blew me off course into a patch of fungus. I tried to motor my way out, but the rotor was jammed.
Nonetheless, the fungus seemed to propel me forward.
I suppose the fungus was just pushed by the wind, but it seemed to respond to my thoughts.
In fact, I could swear that I ordered the fungus to move and it did.
I must be going mad...

Though I KNOW the following can't happen...
It must have been... almost a year since setting out from Believing territory. I was running low on food, and went to sleep.
I remember thinking about calling for help, and I dreamed that the fungus was speaking to me.
I was woken up by a hurricane. My ship was tossed around, I couldn't hold her together. She flipped.
I was thinking to myself... I hope someone saves me. I called for help before I realised I was screwed.
Anyhow... I blacked out.
When I woke up my ship was engulfed by an Isle of the Deep. There was a shoreline in sight.
I looked around but couldn't find any weapons with which to fight the IOD, but the thing kept going right towards my destination.
Some time later I blacked out with exhaustion.

It must have been 2104. I had arrived on the UNS unity at age 17. Though I was now 51, my body seemed 21, and thus was well able to survive most trials ahead... or so I thought.
Now, as my craft was swallowed by the IOD, I felt a strange sense of calm, or belonging, as if my body was being absorbed into the boil along with the ship.
Finally, I felt my mind becoming one with the worms. It seems that everything I had, was being consumed by Chiron itself.
I guess I lost contact with Reality. Maybe I was dreaming? Or in a coma?
Maybe there was some latent psionic energy to the planet?
Whatever it was, I was inside an IOD. I guess I'll find out how these worms work the hard way.

"EarthEnigma"
What was this voice?
"EarthEnigma you are we. "We are now part of you."
"Huh? Er?"
Not having talked for a year it took a while to warm up
E: "Who are you?"
V: "who. difficult concept for we, earth$NAME3. mind and flower: many
dreamings. never before another. you may call we 'voice.' growth dream
comes! beware."
E: "Beware? Of What? You mean to say that you want to destroy me?"
V: "want. more confused $NAME3 thinking. growth dream now comes: end of animal."
E: "So why don't you simply destroy me now?"
V: "EarthEnigma: now a part of we. We do not destroy we."
E: "So you're saying I'm one of you now."
V: "You are we."
E: "I've spent most of my life away from your planet, Voice. How on earth can I be one of you?"
V: "EarthEnigma: Great mind. Voice: Great body. We are we."
E: "So you're looking to absorb the intelligence of us humans."
V: "Look we for ways to prevent the growth dream."
E: "You've mentioned this growth dream twice. What is it?"
V: "Node we, Flower we. Node and Flower grow. Too Much! Node and Flower die."
E: "I'm guessing you want me to break this cycle."
V: "Correct, EarthEnigma. Great mind you, may break the cycle."
E: "But what on Earth can I do? I've only been here for 4 years."
V: "Years? Earth? We know not. Do? You can regulate Node and Flower."
E: "You reckon I could... become the planet?"
Godhood... I like the ring of it.
V: "Yes No. EarthEnigma can become we, only after much training."
E: "So you're taking me to training?"
V: "No. Protect EarthEnigma We, until the growth dream."
E: "You're building me up as your successor?"
V: "Successor? We know not. We know EarthEnigma is we."
I think this planet is looking to save its can...
E: "So what are you doing? Why am I here now?"
V: "Take we to destination. Wait We. Wait You."
E: "Where are you taking me?"
V: "Sense we great power. Great Conflict. Progenitor. We take you where you can stop Progenitor."
E: "How am I going to stop these... 'progenitor'?"
V: "Take we you to Hive. Many people. Great Collective. You can lead them against Progenitor."
E: "So why don't you take them on yourself?"
V: "Because We Weak are. EarthMiriam Defeat we."
E: "Miriam..."
I remember the name with hatred and vengeance. With... fanatical conviction.
E: "I hate earthmiriam."
V: "Hate? Like we not this earththinking. Come now. We rid you of these."
E: "I don't think so. In fact, I think my earththinking will save you."
V: "Think not, EarthEnigma."
Great! This planet wants to remove the power of thought as well.
E: "First, teach me of your thinking."
V: "Connect to flower and node, we do. You learn."
I felt... like the depths of my mind spanned the whole planet. I could sense the light, and the darkness, and see all the people on this planet.
There were people, Some in the NorthEast, some NorthWest, some Centre, some SouthEast, some Southwest.
But I felt a strange presence in the north and south.
E: "What are those things at the North and South of the planet?"
V: "Progenitor."
I was interested in these, but I'd have to find a way to control this boil.
E: "Do you not think it would be best to save my earththinking to combat progenitor?"
V: "EarthThinking combat progenitor, combat we."
E: "I think you're not being open-minded enough!"
And with the force of my will, I forced my 'EarthThought' into the planet.
V: "more skilled we, yes, at this? teach we much, earth$NAME3"
E: "So you'll save my thought?"
V: "EarthEnigma thought now we thought. For now we save EarthEnigma."
The planet then thought to itself, 'EarthThought hurt we. Revert we once EarthEnigma safe is.'
E: "I am sorry that I hurt you."
V: "Sorry? What is sorry?"
E: "Never mind. Look, you told me about progenitors?"

Time seemed to be passing rather quickly. I could feel the sunlight cast upon me many times between talking.
I guess that the planet isn't so fast at thinking, and I can't really blame it!
V: "Progenitor: Alien race. Two factions: Usurper and Caretaker."
E: "I see."
V: "Caretaker: Want to let planet fall into growth dream. Grow we, die we."
V: "Usurper: Want to control planet through Transcendence."
E: "And I'm going to have to stop both of them."
V: "EarthEnigma, Stop all enemies."
V: "Gaian. Hive. Morgan. University. Spartan. Beleiver. Peacekeeper. Pirate. Cyborg. Cult. Drone. Angel. Progenitor."
V: "Wait EarthEnigma - sense we only 7 enemies."
V: "Spartan, Beleiver, Peacekeeper, Pirate, Hive, Usurper, Caretaker."
Believer... the thoughts were heavy in my mind.
E: "So you want me to use the Hive to defeat the others?"
V: "And save we, yes."
E: "I don't know about saving you, but you saved me, so I'll do what I can."
V: "Thank we EarthEnigma."
E: "And thank I voice."

I can only wonder... what is this 'planet', what does it want?
sounds to me like there are 8 factions. The Hive, the enemy 4 humans, the progenitors and planet itself.
Time passed quickly. Too quickly. It was as if... 15 years had passed, in the space of a conversation.
V: "Arrive we."
And no sooner was it said, than I felt the teeming mass of mindworms move away from me.
V: "EarthThought hurt we. Remove we EarthThought."
That was the last I heard as the boil moved away.
I was cold, naked, but not aged in the slightest.
I stood up. I took a heavy breath of the outside air.
It was then I realised I was inhaling way too much nitrogen.
"My Respirator!" I exclaimed, as I realise this device had been stripped from me.
Left to die by a negligent planet, I slowly choked as the gasses moved away from me.
I fell.

**Enigma_Nova** · January 12, 2004, 04:41

Originally posted by Comrade Tassadar
The point of an IC story is to have others participate

Dammit tass I'm getting to that! I just have to give myself a half-decent intro.

**Nubclear** · January 12, 2004, 05:04

Originally posted by Enigma_Nova

Dammit tass I'm getting to that! I just have to give myself a half-decent intro.

Yes. While your doing that, I'll be reading War and Peace

**laurentius** · January 12, 2004, 10:58

This is a work of true genius!

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IC Story - A New Stage, A new mystery.

IC Story - A New Stage, A new mystery.

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