Exaltica: Eden Awakening Saga, Sin Denial Options

[Sailerius]

Exaltica: The Eden Awakening Saga
Episode 1: Sin Denial

"Emergency power conservation is in effect. All non-essential systems have been taken offline."

The recording of the woman’s voice is the first sound you’re able to make sense of. A dull ache of annoyance in the back of your head suggests that you’ve heard that recording before. You’re pretty tired, though, so your eyes flutter shut again and you drift back down into the depths of unconsciousness.

"Emergency power conservation is in effect. All non-essential systems have been taken offline."

Just as you’re about to fall asleep again, the recording plays again. It’s starting to get really annoying. You probably won’t be able to get any sleep until it stops. You suppose that means you’ll just have to get up (even if only to stop that blasted recording). It makes a pretty good alarm clock.

Your feet touch the floor uncertainly. You’re not sure if it’s because you’ve been asleep or because the artificial gravity in the ship is acting up, but you have a hard time standing up straight. Wait a minute, why are you on a ship?

As you try to gather your bearings, memories flood back to you in a disorganized heap of imagery. It takes a few minutes to sort everything out and arrange the memories chronologically. There must be something missing, though; no matter how you put together the disjointed pieces of your memory, you just can’t figure out where you are or how you got there. Maybe looking around will provide you with some clues.

The only lights on in the ship are the dim red emergency lights which illuminate only the essential areas. Inside rooms (whose heavy metal doors you must manually slide open because "Emergency power conservation is in effect. All non-essential systems have been taken offline."), it’s almost completely black.

The ship you’re on is fairly large; you’re able to gather that there are six decks and a sizable docking bay. Too big to be personal transport. A supply ship would have a larger cargo bay.

More importantly, where is the crew? And where is everyone else?

You’re all located on deck 3 and wake up in different cabins. Features on this deck: Cabins, storage, lift (deactivated), stairs.

[Ganonfrog]

"Emergency power conservation is in effect. All non-essential systems have been taken offline."

Power conservation. Saving up energy. Were those idiots from the environmental protection agency here? Like hell he was going to deal with them right now. He had enough with rest of this week's stress as it was, and it's not like he was doing anything wrong. They should just let him sleep.

"Emergency power conservation is in effect. All non-essential systems have been taken offline."

Jesus Christ, again? Could they be any more obnoxious about this? Apparently they weren't going to let him sleep even if he tried his damnedest.

Fine, if they were so desperate to get him up, he would give them what they wanted. He'd wake up, and get out of bed for them. In fact, he was such a nice guy that he'd even be willing to help them put some of those non-essential systems offline, once he did.

Jun shuffled out of the bed he was in, tossing his meager covers aside as his feet touched the ground. It took a couple moments for him to open his eyes properly; more than he was really comfortable with, now that his thoughts were returning to normal. In fact, when did he even go to bed? How could he? The shuttle he was in was so stuffed with people that he could hardly even tie his shoes.

Also, nothing about the room was familiar at all. In fact, that part was pretty important, now that he actually bothered to think about it.

"Emergency power conservation is in effect. All non-essential systems have been taken offline."

Wait, was that an emergency announcement? A real one? A real, hell of a repetitive one? Said by a computer that required power to work?

"Yeah, great. You're sure full of yourself, aren't you? Taking off every other system, and considering yourself an essential one. The toaster's more essential than you are!" He shouted up to the corner the voice seemed to be coming from, in a voice as eerily sightly inhuman as the announcer's. Of course, even with their common trait, the only answer he got was the predictable one. He tried not to listen to it.

He also tried not to think too hard about his current situation, because now that it was sinking in, it was actually creepy as all hell. There was no way he had been here before now.

Now that he was really not wanting to go any further with that train of thought, Jun decided to just make his way to the door. If anything was certain, it was that staying in here during an emergency was a terrible idea.

He exited into the empty hallway. He heard a howl of pain. His remaining sense of ease was officially gone. This sucked.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Zhi woke up to the same sort of racket from the announcement that her brother did. However, her reaction to it all settled on a much more rational route. She realized immediately that something wasn't right and that, more importantly, she needed to get out of here with all the speed she could manage.

Contrary to what her tired body wanted to allow her, she pulled herself straight out of bed, and forced herself to become aware of the things surrounding her. Much as she suspected when she woke up, she found the room to be entirely different from anything she had seen before now. Something strange had happened, and she couldn't even begin to properly piece it together.

With that in mind, she only gave the room a quick glance around before leaving, in hope that she'd find some of her belongings by the bed. She didn't. The room was as empty of luggage as it was of people. Everything but the clothes on her back were gone.

Including, as it finally hit her, her brother.

Zhi's thoughtfulness shattered, and was replaced by an unshakable panic. Jun was gone, and the entire area she was currently standing in was completely unfamiliar. Anything could have happened and, as a result, her own family member may very well be in any condition, anywhere.

She needed to figure out where she was, immediately. She needed to tear open the door, and see the rooms following this cabin.

Zhi followed that need. The door into the hallway opened with a crash, and she stepped through it, determined to find the answers.

[Ereth]

It took several more minutes for Aiko to regain some semblance of composure, but she eventually got to her feet and scrambled out of the cabin. Her dress was soaked with sweat, making the bulge of the gun in her apron pocket even more apparent. OhGodohGodohGodIhavetogetridofthegun!

No good would come of keeping it any longer . . . right? Aiko made a mad dash down the hallway, glad to have found a goal of sorts. In any other situation she would have looked comical, but not today. Anyone unfortunate enough to meet up with her now would probably be convinced that the tall, willowy figure in the peach-colored dress and stained apron was some kind of demon bent on making a horrible meat cake out of human flesh and topping it with blood-infused Chantilly cream.

"Gottagetridofitgott---aah!"

Aiko had lost her footing and pitched forward into something---or someone. Being careful while running was not a rule of which Aiko was often mindful, so she tripped and fell frequently (garnering her the nickname The Human Rolling Pin), but she still wasn't used to landing on people.

"S-s-sorry! I'm really, really, really sorry!" she yelped as she jumped off of him. She didn't know whether to be mortified at the awkward landing on yet another person or relieved that she had found someone else in this place. She was also relieved that the gun had not gone off from being jostled so much. It occurred to her then that she had disposed of the pistol's ammunition long ago, having given it---along with the other gun---to an elderly gentleman on the emergency shuttle, figuring the poor man could use something with which to defend himself. I hope he's okay, she thought. He was such a sad old man . . .

Then the latest victim of Aiko's steamrolling ways looked up at her, speaking in a voice that wasn't really his. The sound made her snap to attention.

"Sorry for interrupting your internal monologue," he asked, "but who the hell are you?"

This post has been edited by Ereth: Mar 11 2011, 07:56 AM