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]

(I'm so sorry for my lack of responses. I've had a really off week, and really just haven't been myself. I'm going to come into the chat again tomorrow, and you should all punch me then. Repeatedly. I'm such an idiot for holding this all back for all of you.

I'm also sorry that this post is a novel.)

The trip to Eutocius was quiet, boring, and uneventful, just how they liked it. With the threat of death looming over their heads for the past few days, the calm was more than invited.

As soon as they all were able to confirm that the ship was capable of running, Jun retreated to one of the cabins, and locked himself in. Seemingly unwilling to trust anyone who wasn't related to him, even when they escaped death together, and tired beyond comprehension, he was far from up to communicating with anyone that night. Any attempts at contacting him, even by his own sister, resulted in nothing but silence and the occasional object thrown at the door.

Zhi, on the other hand, was more than willing to keep the others company while they made their trip to the gate. Once they managed to leave the mysterious vessel they all woke up on, she calmed down significantly. When the ship was up and running, it was hard to tell that she had ever been panicked at all.

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Zhi showed intense interest in the closed in architecture of Eutrocius, once they arrived. The place was completely artificial in every way, and felt nothing like a city, yet there was something strangely beautiful about it. Even in a society where space travel was common, nothing had ever felt so otherworldly to her as this.

Her brother, sadly, seemed a lot less interested in their surroundings. In fact, he seemed utterly depressed and detached. After everything that had happened, it wasn't hard to imagine why he would be feeling so off, but it did disturb her a little. He was usually antisocial, but this was on a completely different level than what she was used to. Did something happen on the vessel when she wasn't looking?

Before she could concern herself any further, however, her thoughts were interrupted by the sight that met her when she exited the ship. They were being surrounded, and not just by the docking crew. Were they hostile, or were they just thrown off by their unscheduled arrival?

"Who are you and where did you acquire this vessel?" One of the officers demanded of them, pointing a weapon directly at them.

Zhi considered taking the job of speaking for the group, recognizing herself as one of the few people here capable of diplomacy, but Lars wound up beating her to the punch. Before she could even consider chipping in at least a little, Lars' quick and none too well thought out response would up earning him a gun to the head, and quite a few angry looks. She hesitated, getting worried.

"That's enough. There was one ship which was given leave. It sounds like there was an incident on the Venerate. Take them to Major Jorich."

Major Jorich? They were being taken by the military for questioning? Wasn't that a little dramatic? Of course, considering what they'd gone through, maybe it would wind up being beneficial in the end.

Seeing no reason to not comply, she followed the others when they began to be taken away. Jun was forced into acceptance with the rest of them, mostly by restraint.

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The Major, or whatever stupid title she had, rambled on for a long time about supply ships and Morgan. Jun could care less. All he wanted at this point was a nice, warm bed, and some much needed social isolation. The people he was being forced to deal with were really starting to make him uncomfortable, and this woman wasn't any better. He could care less if she killed enough people to get military status. It was no better than waving a gun at him, as far as he was concerned.

Their escort to the hotel couldn't have been more welcome, once it finally happened.

The others in the group split off into their room choices almost immediately, obviously taking their chances to not room with him. He didn't care. He was just as glad to not have to worry about them. Of course, that still left him rooming with his sister, but at least he was used to that. He'd been pretty distant toward her lately, anyways. Maybe it was the freedom? Either that, or it was just his brain being shaken up by the chaos. It was probably just the chaos.

Once they arrived in their room, Jun flopped straight onto the nearest bed, and took a long, hard look at the wall next to him. It was white, and kind of plastic-looking. Why did these places always try so hard to look shiny? It was kind of irritating. Better than metal and bloodstained, though. This place wasn't cold, and dank with that horrible stench... and he would never again have to see that one asshole who had the nerve to die to a bullet wound. The coward who just shot himself, using a gun just like the one in his pocket.

The one that crazy lady in the other room was carrying around. He just couldn't get it out of his head. If he had to keep travelling with that madwoman, there was no way he was going to let her go without answers. If he was going to wind up with a bullet through his brain, it would be by the hands of someone who hated him, not some manic nut case.

"Jun."

Before he could think any further, an all too familiar voice cut in, sounding far more concerned than he was comfortable with. With a sigh, he turned around, hoping that would be good enough to seem sociable. Like he could really tell.

"Yeah? What is it?" He mumbled in the same artificial tone he always did.

"Are you feeling okay?" Zhi sat down on the bed across from him, and looked down at him. It seemed pretty fitting. "After all that's happened, I can see why you'd be feeling like this, but... I am starting to get a little worried. You're quiet."

"I'm always quiet." He returned, sounding anything but dedicated to his excuse.

"Not this much. You'll normally at least complain to me."

"Oh, sorry, was I behind on that? Here. My home planet is on fire, the escape shuttle was a trap, I nearly died cold and alone, saw more dead people than stars, and am now being guarded by some jerkwads with guns in the company of some batshit crazy strangers. Is that recap enough?" He narrowed his eyes, and clenched a fist as he spoke, but his "voice" was as undedicated as before.

Zhi returned his answer with a deepened look of concern. It was obvious that she didn't believe him. What? Was she going to poking into the details now? Did she want to know just what he thought of those mauled corpses in the bridge? Maybe she was considering going back to their smoldering house so she could keep working on her god-damned fancy job. She was probably just upset because she wasn't above him anymore.

She wasn't above him anymore. She was just as homeless and he was, and she was just as scared on that ship as he could ever be.

Of course. Why else would he feel so willing to defy her? He didn't even realize it until now, but he had already started to do it.

Suddenly, Jun laughed. He laughed from the true, neglected depths of his own throat. It was scratchy, broken, and ever so enthusiastic.

Zhi stared back at him, her hand retreating to her chest, tense. She was scared.

"Jun?"

No reponse. She was only met with more laughter.

"Jun. I need to know what you're thinking. I don't want you to break down."

Finally, he stopped. With a quickly growing smile, he looked up into his sister's eyes. They were upset. She was genuinely worried. His smile dropped, and his gaze quickly followed. What was he thinking?

"... Sorry. I don't know what came over me. I'm probably just still shaken by everything that's been happening." He mumbled, back to his fake voice.

Zhi sighed in relief. "It's nothing to worry about. I understand. I think we all just need to get some rest. One night isn't nearly enough to clear all that's happened from our minds."

Yeah, sure. It'd take more than some extra sleep to shake this. Damn it, this was slowly making him as crazy as the cake chick, wasn't it?

This post has been edited by Ganonfrog: Apr 8 2011, 03:53 AM