1. naturemage

    naturemage Active Member

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    The Atlantians (revival)

    Discussion in 'Role Play' started by naturemage, Nov 20, 2015.

    The Atlantians (revival)

    New Atlantis was a combined effort from the United States and United Kingdom, created on a man-made island in the middle of the Atlantic. An ancient Atlantis artifact below the island bestowed powers on several of the citizens, giving them strange powers.

    Since then, the city has been slowly drug down by new crime, and also strange beings from other worlds. One man has created a headquarters for heroes to gather, and now seeks allies to save the city.


    GAMEPLAY

    The game is freeplay, but characters should focus on staying near the current threat. That is not to say that characters cannot do other things, or have long term plans, but please do not write a one character story among the major story. Also, you do not have to play a superhero. You are free to play an everyday citizen.

    ALSO, if anyone has played in or read the other Atlantians game, this current game is a completely different timeline altogether. AKA none of the other game ever happened. There may be characters I use from it, but the events did not take place.


    RULES

    1- No controlling other characters without permission. (Exception: if a player has not responded in more than a week and is prohibiting another player from continuing, the missing player will further be considered an NPC until the missing player returns).
    2- First post: character template in the Discussion Forum.
    3- Before posting character, send to GM for approval. Do NOT post until you have received approval.
    4- Read all prior posts before posting.
    5- All questions directed to GM.
    6- Length rule: at least two or three paragraphs, enough to progress the story.
    7- No killing off other characters without permission from the player AND GM.
    8- FLAMING, INSULTING, OR ANY OTHER TYPE OF HARSHNESS THAT IS DELIBERATELY USED TO HURT SOMEONE ELSE’S FEELINGS WILL NOT BE TOLERATED AT ALL, NOR ACCEPTED ANYWHERE ELSE AROUND THE FORUM.
    9- No GOD-MODING
    10- Discuss issues, out of character posts, and questions in the Discussion Thread.
    11- Edit before posting, and be sure your post is not difficult to understand.
    12- GM’s word is law, and GM has final say on all problems.
    13- NO VILLAINS. Gray characters are ok, but if you cross the line, you will receive one warning. After that, the GM will kill off your character.


    CHARACTER TEMPLATE

    Name:
    Age:
    Gender:
    Family:
    Appearance:
    Typical Clothing/Costume:
    Description: personality, style, etc.
    Occupation: (in daily life)
    Hobbies:
    Superpowers/equipment: (if applicable)
    Extra info: info on home planet if not from Earth, etc.


    SETTINGS

    The Grand Atlantic Fountain

    A gigantic fountain at the center of the city, it is very elaborate, crafted by tons of sculptors out of different materials from the sea. It can be seen from miles away, and is taller than every building in the city. As of the date it was built, it was also the tallest structure in the world.


    Downtown Atlantis

    The center part of the island, where huge skyscrapers tower over the streets. Just about anything can be found in here.


    The Tidepools

    A lower section of the city, based on the southwestern side of the island. Many people who live here moved to New Atlantis hoping to make a living, but found it harder than they had expected. Many people here live on New Atlantis’ government funding, or in some of the abandoned buildings.


    Atlantic Resort

    A high end hotel at the north end of the island, vacationers stay here as a popular destination. It has every possible attraction people can think of, from golf courses, water parks, amusement parks, boardwalks, casinos, etc.


    Tsunami Park

    Originally created as an amusement park for tourists, it thrived and became an actual district of New Atlantis. Ironically, people also live here, comfortable with the noise that is going 24/7.


    Yensid Islands

    Originally created as a possible separation of four different parks, the idea failed due to lack of funding and, predictably, lawsuits from a major corporation. The spelling of the islands makes fun of this lawsuit, and the parks, though inactive, somewhat mirror the 4 major parks of Walt Disney World.
     
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  2. Kingtype

    Kingtype Banned Contributor

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    APPROOOOOOOOVED!!

    [​IMG]
     
  3. naturemage

    naturemage Active Member

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    Just an intro post. Please post as follows:

    Character name (in bold)

    Post text.


    All interactions (aka part of someone else's post, or dialogue) please post in bold as well. Thoughts are posted in italics. Thank you very much! Have fun!
     
  4. naturemage

    naturemage Active Member

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    Callie Scourn

    Callie looked over the city of New Atlantis, and glanced to the east end of the island, where more construction was taking place. She had always hated watching construction, but this was different. She usually thought construction was ugly, but this new building was designed beautifully. Not only that, but its purpose was a good one. It would be the new headquarters, for all those lost people like her.

    "Like it so far," Tom asked her, walking up behind her and placing his arms around her.

    "I do. Thank you very much. Will it be done soon?"

    "Another week yet. I've got everything I own into it right now."

    Callie turned around and kissed Tom. "You're a wonderful guy, you know that?"

    He smiled. "Yep! And I've got a wonderful girl."

    She nodded, staring at the huge ring on her finger. It hadn't needed to be as big as it was, but when Tom had proposed, she hadn't had anything happening yet. Before they were married, it had all started, and once she'd figured everything out and talked to Tom, he was glad to get her a custom made wedding band.

    "Well, I hope it's everything you need."

    "If they follow the designs that George and I came up with, it will be."
     
  5. Erik-the-Enchanter!

    Erik-the-Enchanter! Banned Contributor

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    Location:
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    Currently Reading::
    Love Poems
    Amir

    Amir loped down the street, his long strides devouring the distance between his apartment building and the cafe shop he frequently visited. He wore a vintage leather jacket over a plain white shirt, a distressed brown satchel, slim-fitting jeans with little tears over the knees, and an old pair of scuffed combat boots. A pair of Ray Bans were pushed up on top of his head and his silky black hair was pulled back into a messy bun. A single lock fell between his large dark eyes, which people always told him were 'haunting' and 'mesmerizing'. If only they knew they were the same eyes the Ethereal Empress possessed, they would piss their pants.

    He reached the cafe and strutted inside, saying hello to the grumpy old man behind the counter, who Amir simply called 'Old Man'. Old Man owned the cafe and didn't like any of the hipsters that frequented it. In fact, he barely liked Amir, but he was considerably less cranky to him because he didn't ask for soy milk. Amir ordered a green tea latte and received it in less than five minutes.

    Ha! Take that Starbucks!


    He sat in the corner and took out an Anne Rice novel from his satchel. As he read about Lestat's latest adventure and sipped his latte, a commercial came on the busted little TV hanging over the counter. It was an Ethereal Empress commercial. Amir glanced up, pretending he wasn't really that interested, and watched as his alter ego posed and flipped her shiny black hair, working every angle.

    "Cover Girl!" Ethereal Empress crooned at the end of the commercial. Then she blew a kiss and it was over.

    "Hubba hubba!" called out a hipster dude across the cafe. He wore a fedora over his waist-length brunette hair and bright red suspenders.

    "Hey, I'm right here!" his girlfriend shrilled, slapping his arm.

    "I'm sorry, babe, but that Ethereal Empress is totally bangable!"

    Amir laughed and tuned out the arguing couple, focusing on his novel. He had only finished a single chapter when his phone vibrated like crazy. Not his everyday Sprint phone in his front pocket, but his secret, hi-tech phone in his left boot. He reached down and took it out, using one of his hands to shield the double "EE" on the back. The text read: Bank robbery on 12th and Main. Armed robbers wearing Guy Fawkes masks. Amir sighed and put the phone away and left the cafe, leaving a tip under his cup.

    "Duty calls," Amir said to no one in particular. That giddy feeling he always got when he was about to fight crime started to build in his stomach. He strode down the street, turned into an empty alley, and changed into his costume, stuffing his 'civilian' garb into his satchel and hiding it under the Dumpster he was crouched behind. He let down his bun, his black hair falling like dark curtains on each side of his face, and was quickly applying his makeup when a homeless guy came down the alley and saw him.

    "You a working gal?" the hobo asked in a drunken slur. "Because I'll pay!"

    Amir looked him dead in the eye. "Ten million dollars, please."

    The hobo scowled and stalked away, grumbling about inflation and how it was hurting their economy.

    Amir rolled his eyes and, with a few more touches, completed his face. He could feel the change coming over him. He was no longer mild-mannered Clark Kent. He was the Ethereal Empress in all her terrible beauty.

    Stepping out of the alley, the Ethereal Empress was instantly spotted by a crowd of teenagers. "Look, it's her, it's really her!" squealed a skater punk. The Ethereal Empress winked at him and struck a dramatic pose. He took one picture with his iPhone before she disapeared in an eruption of violent purple flames that were as tall as a lamppost.

    "I want to be her!" the skater punk gushed, clutching his iPhone to his chest.
     
  6. Bewitched

    Bewitched Banned

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    Amy

    Amy Song was a mess. No, really, her apartment was literally a mess. She had friends coming over in just a couple minutes and she had to figure out how to hide all of the junk that covered the carpet and, well, every other available surface. She stood in the entrance way to her living room, tapping her foot thoughtfully. Today she wore a green Pokemon sweater, an orange plastic belt, neon pink leggings, and highlighter yellow pumps. Her short hair was tied up in two pigtails, one higher than the other, with pink rubberbands. Most people thought she was either color blind or insane, but she didn't really dwell too much on what other people thought. Leave that to the folks with mind reading powers. Amy's concern was her own happiness and wearing mismatched colors brought her an endless amount of joy.

    But back to the problem at hand: the mess in her living room. Amy grinned and told her apartment, "I like a challenge!" Then she rolled back her shoulders, cracked her knuckles, and started pumping her arms, like she was doing push-ups. Quick bursts of rainbow beams shot out of her palms and swirled all around the room, pushing and shoving the Popsicle sticks, Crayons, markers, chalk bits, paper, colored pencils, glue tubes and glitter containers under every piece of furniture. Some of the rainbows wrapped around objects and lifted them onto shelves or tables, and some of the rainbows simply bumped into the walls before fizzling out. Meh, they can't all be winners.

    Finally, Amy was finished. She put her tiny hands on her hips and beamed at her handiwork. Quite frankly, all the junk was still clearly visible underneath the furniture, but Amy lived in her own world, and in her world when you put things under furniture they magically disappeared.

    Amy brushed her hands together, feeling accomplished and super boss, and plunked down onto the sofa and stared at the door, grinning like a loon. "They'll be here any minute, they'll be here any minnnnnute," she sang to herself, bobbing her head side to side. That's when her cellphone beeped and she got a text saying that her friends had decided to go to a dance club instead and that they would meet up with Amy some other time.

    Amy's ever-present smile lessened a fraction as she re-read the text again and again.

    Some other time, they said.

    Some other time.

    Some. Other. Time.

    SOT.

    Amy giggled. Her friends were such silly gooses. Changing plans at the very last second and whatnot. Oh well, what could she do? Humming tunelessly, Amy wandered into her bedroom and smiled up at the portrait of a kitten wearing a hat that hung over her bed. "You won't desert me, will you, Mister Whiskerkins?" she cooed. The portrait didn't reply. "It's the waiting game is it? That's fine, I got aaaall day!" Amy sat on the bed and started flipping through a magazine, as happy as can be.

     
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  7. halisme

    halisme Contributor Contributor

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    Manus Yates

    Okay. I have. A slight clink as his hand dove into his pocket, half a dozen coins rummaged against each other. Bugger all. I can live off that for. Manus looked down at the piece of paper, roughly scribbling some numbers down on half a post-it note. "Two, three days." He mumbled before looking at the calendar and giving a sigh of relief. He was at work tonight, and between his wage and tips it meant he wouldn't have to starve, at least, not for a few more days. He was not an inherently creative person, but when it came to keeping money and stretching it, Manus always found a way.

    He glanced around the small apartment he rented, three rooms. A kitchen with a small table, three chairs, cooker and sink. A single, bulb dangling from the ceiling being one of the few sources of light to get in. The next was a bathroom, literally a toilet and shower. Finally a bedroom, with little more than a mattress on the floor and a bookshelf in the far corner containing a set of textbooks from a few years ago, a copy of The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy and The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Where the last one came from he had no idea, it appearing on the shelf after a night he couldn't remember, though he'd kept it still, not being one to throw books away.

    He glanced at the clock, half past one. Time for lunch. He chucked a frayed satchel around his shoulder as he went out, making sure to lock the door behind him.
     
    Last edited: Nov 21, 2015
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  8. naturemage

    naturemage Active Member

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    Bob Warrick

    Bob walked up to the machine and his two coworkers. The workers were keeping careful watch on all the mechanical parts that were working simultaneously to build a computerized engine for a prototype car. One of Tom Scourn's genius inventors had designed it, and the machine that was building it. There was only one problem with the machine.

    Bob leaned against the wall, saying hi to his coworkers, who replied but didn't take their eyes off the noisy machine. Bob smiled, both that they played such close attention, and that they wouldn't see what he was going to do. He put a hand in his pocket, using it to lift his pant leg a bit, and then moved his leg so the skin of his ankle bumped one of the thick, incoming wires.

    The machine shut off instantly, and the engine, which was about 80% complete, was ruined.

    "Damn it!"

    "What's wrong," their boss, Fred, asked as he walked up. "Oh hell, don't tell me it shut off again."

    Ricky, the lead on the machine, sighed. "Yeah. Of course. It got to 78% this time, but it just shuts off."

    Fred shook his head, and looked at Bob. "Well, check it out Mr. Maintenance. We need it back up and running. I know Mr. Scourn is a nice guy, but I doubt he wants to be sitting here for weeks on end to see no prototype."

    "On it sir," Bob said, putting on safety glasses and gloves. He swiped a card to bypass the safety devices on the machine, and he went in and opened the glass door. He removed piece after piece of the prototype engine, tossing them out onto the floor. Then he began looking through the machine for some sort of problem.

    "I hate that this keeps happening," Fred said. "Hopefully it will stop."

    Bob just smiled and shook his head.
     
  9. The-Crow-Goddess

    The-Crow-Goddess Member

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    Path

    "Is that your real name, sir?"

    Path was at the DMV, renewing his license. Such a banal chore, made even more so by the slow-moving people that worked there. The older black lady behind the counter was holding the application he had just filled out and gazing over the top of her rectangular glasses at him as if he was trying to pull a trick.

    "My name is Path," he said calmly.

    "No last name? You gotta have a last name."

    "I do not."

    "But everyone has a last name!"

    Path sighed exasperatedly. "If you must have one, then write down 'Seeker'."

    The black lady frowned. "Path...Seeker?"

    "Yes, please."

    Five minutes later, Path was walking out of the DMV with a shiny new license. He stuck his thumbs into the pockets of his faded blue jeans, the large rooster buckle on his brown leather belt glinting in the sun. His brown suede vest overlapped his long-sleeved hemp shirt and a turquoise pendant hung from a leather thong around his neck. His long hair was kept in a thick braid down his back that swished behind me. It was woven with shiny crow feathers, an exotic detail that seemed to endear women to him.

    Path was almost to the park, where he planned to meditate under an oak tree, when he spotted someone across the street that had a suspicious air about him. Path stopped walking and looked the stranger over more closely: it was a twenty-something white guy, his ice-blue eyes outlined in dark eyeliner, wearing a black hoodie, tight gray jeans, a wallet chain, and ankle boots with silver spurs. Suddenly, Path was certain that Wallet Chain was about to commit an act of violence. Something in his nervous tics, in the very way he was walking, told Path everything he needed to know.

    Wallet Chain was turning a corner at the end of the street. Path quickly crossed the street, winding through car that honked furiously at him, and pursued his quarry. His keen black eyes were trained on the back of Wallet Chain's head. He lost sight of him for a moment in a bustling crowd, but Path did not worry. He simply stood in place, trusting in his senses. Sure enough, he heard the gentle clink of Wallet Chain's little chain and he when he turned in the direction of the sound, he saw Wallet Chain crossing the street. Path followed right behind him.

    Wallet Chain led him to an apartment building, the front door of which was hanging wide open. When Wallet chain went inside, Path waited at the bottom of the stone steps of the porch, listening intently. When he heard a woman cry out, he raced inside. Sure enough, there was Wallet Chain, standing over a pretty young lady who had been in the process of washing dishes when he barged in on her. Wallet Chain was gripping the Pretty Lady's arm and shaking her, all the while yelling, "How dare you break up with me over text?!"

    "I only did it because I knew you would react this way!" Pretty Lady yelled right back.

    And that's when Wallet Chain backhanded her across the face. Pretty Lady gasped and flew across the room, banging her head on the fridge door and slumping to the ground. Wallet Chain advanced on her, a murderous look in his eye. Path had seen enough. He grabbed a nearby skillet and walloped Wallet Chain in the back of the head. Wallet Chain screamed and fell to his knees, clutching the back of his head. He glared up at Path, practically frothing with rage. Path could feel his anger rolling off of him in waves, like heat rising from a sidewalk.

    "Are you her new boyfriend?! Huh?!" Wallet Chain demanded, spittle flying from his mouth.

    "No, he's not, I don't even know this guy," Pretty Lady groaned. She looked dazed from hitting her head and she was trying to stand up. "I'm not breaking up with you because of some guy, I'm breaking up with you because I don't like you anymore!"

    This pushed Wallet Chain over the edge. He stood up and crackling blue energy surrounded his hands as he raised them, pointing all his fingers at Pretty Lady. The temperature in the room plummeted and Path felt goosebumps rising on the back of his neck. "You slut!" Wallet Chain screamed, his eyes turning all blue. Pretty Lady screamed at the top of her lungs and Path jumped in front of her, right before cold blue lightning jumped from Wallet Chain's fingers.

    The cold lightning hit Path directly in the chest and left a large ice spot, but that was it. Wallet Chain was baffled. "That...that shoulda froze you to death!" he yelled angrily.

    Path smiled and his black eyes turned all blue, just like Wallet Chain's. Then he flung out his hands and a powerful bolt of cold lightning struck Wallet Chain in the torso, sending him flying out the kitchen window into the street. And before Wallet Chain could get up, Path leaned out the window and held out his hands one more time, freezing his hands and his feet to the sidewalk with a few quick bursts of ice power. While Wallet Chain struggled and screamed obscenities, Path turned to Pretty Lady and asked if she was okay.

    "Yeah, thanks for helping me with that creep," Pretty Lady said, rubbing the back of her head. "So...are you single?"

    Path smiled.
     
  10. naturemage

    naturemage Active Member

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    Callie Scourn

    Callie flopped back on the bed, nearly rolling off of it.

    "Tom, that was just amazing."

    Tom smiled, kissing her neck after crawling over to her. "I love you so much. I'm glad we met, it would have been a shame not to have this wonderful relationship."

    She glared at him. "Stop it."

    He looked shocked. "Stop what?"

    "Being too damn good at everything."

    A tone interrupted their conversation, coming from the laptop on their desk. Yes, their bedroom had its own little office. Every room in the house did, since Tom's company required constant attention. Callie thought it was amazing they'd gotten an hour to themselves.

    "I've got it," she said, standing up and letting Tom get a glimpse of her body again. She leaned over the laptop and sighed.

    "What's the matter?"

    "The prototype failed again. Three times today."

    Tom stood up, pulling on a pair of pants, much to Callie's dismay. He walked over and checked the string of emails from his lead on the project. Every time it failed, it was a little closer to finishing the engine. Strangely...

    "Callie dear, would you mind doing me a favor? I have to oversee the finishes on your building. Could you go watch the prototype machine for me, personally? I have a change I'm going to make, because I have some suspicions about what's wrong."

    She smiled. "I'd love to dear. Anything I should know?"

    He wrote a note on a piece of paper and handed it to her. "Keep that with you. Just don't show anyone. Those are the codes you'll need. Please be sure to take care of it before 5Am tomorrow."

    She kissed him deeply. "Will do." As she turned to walk to her closet, a room by itself, Tom gave her a swat on the butt. She shook her head and went into the closet to pick something out, sighing.

    Great, I'll have to deal with the goofballs down there. At least I haven't met them yet. I'll use that to my advantage.
     
  11. halisme

    halisme Contributor Contributor

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    Manus Yates

    "I'm moving back home." Jane murmured, her hands wrapped around a lukewarm coffee. "And I don't think long-distance will work between us." Manus was silent, taking a deep breath every now and then in between sips of his own drink. "Are you."
    "I'm fine." He stated flatly. "I've been expecting this for a while."
    This wasn't a lie. The relationship had never been too solid, even for the short period, nor had they spent much time together. He'd always been asleep during the day and working at night, the opposite being true of her.
    "You're not angry?" Her voice interrupted his chain of thoughts. "Then again, you're not the type to get attached, are you?"
    His ears pricked at that, a slight hint of spite if he was interpreting correctly. "I suppose not." He replied, not wanting to get into an argument and instead finishing his coffee, placing a few coins as a tip and leaving. He shook his head, suddenly feeling regret and placing his hand in his pocket, rummaging about in them before sighing. He really needed those coins.1
     
  12. AnonyMouse

    AnonyMouse Contributor Contributor

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    A.R.W.N.

    Stanley Smith pulled into the driveway of his suburban home, shut off the engine, and stepped out of his car, quietly humming a tune to himself as he strolled up to the front door, with his briefcase at his side. After another long day at the office, he was just glad to be home, with his wife and daughter. With a big smile, he approached the front door, rustled for his keys, and prepared to insert them into the lock.

    Suddenly, the door burst open, revealing his wife, Debra. “Stan! What the hell!? Why didn’t you answer your phone!?” she said, looking like a disheveled mess. Their daughter, Emily, stood a few feet behind, smiling from ear to ear. “I tried to call you,” Debra said, barely pausing to catch a breath. “I left, like fifty messages! We have an emergency.”

    “I-I… ummm.” Stanley fumbled for his phone, only to discover it was turned off. “Aww, geez, I’m sorry, Deb. I must’ve forgotten to-”

    “Nevermind. Get in here. Get in here now,” his wife said, pulling him by his necktie and nearly strangling the life out of him.

    “Daddy, daddy, we have a visitor,” eight year old Emily said, bouncing with excitement. “She’s a superhero, like on TV.”

    “That thing is no hero and I want it out of my house NOW,” Debra said.

    “Wait, slow down,” Stan said. “Deb, just calm down and explain what happened.”

    That happened!” Debra said, pointing toward the room she used as her office.

    Stan peeked through the office door and found a blonde woman standing next to his wife’s desk, staring right at him. She didn’t blink or move. “Ummm… hello?” Stanley said tentatively, but there was no response. Even her hair didn’t move, despite the ceiling fan whirling above her head. When he noticed a network cable leading from her... umm... antenna-ear-thingies to his wife’s computer, he realized he was dealing with something not human. He felt like he’d seen her somewhere before, on television or something, but couldn’t remember who or what she was. The city had so many so-called heroes, it was easy to lose track.

    “You’re wasting your time,” Debra said with her hands on her hips. “I already tried talking to it. She just ignores me. I tried the frying pan, too.” She pointed toward the kitchen counter, where there was an iron frying pan, folded in half like a taco, with a face-shaped dent in it.

    “Daddy, daddy!” Emily said, tugging at her father’s coat. “If mommy hits a superhero with a frying pan, does that make mommy a supervillain?”

    “I don’t know, sweetheart,” Stan said, kneeling to talk to his daughter. “But I’d appreciate it if mommy didn’t hit the nice lady.” Because if the ‘nice lady’ can do that to a frying pan, I don’t even want to think what she’d do to us if you piss her off.

    “That’s no lady,” Debra said. “That thing is a crazy psycho robot and I don’t want it in my house! Think about how I feel, Stan,” she said, as tears began to stream down her face. “I came home and found that in my house, stealing our internet. I feel so violated. Why is she here? Why us? Why me? I know you’ve always wanted another woman, but this? A robot? Really? Oh, God, have you no shame?”

    It took every ounce of strength not to roll his eyes. “Deb, just calm down. I love you, honey, but you’re being ridiculous,” he said in a soothing voice. “Hey, let’s all go out for dinner. Maybe she’ll be gone when we get back, right.”

    “It came through the back door,” Debra whimpered, ignoring his suggestion.

    “Honey, we’ve had this discussion before. This city is dangerous. You have to lock the doors-”

    “No, Stan, she came THROUGH the back door.”

    “Oh… well, that sucks.” Stan sighed. “So, anyway, how does pizza sound? Pizza or Chinese?”

    “I am not fleeing my home. I refuse to surrender my house to that monster,” Debra said as she picked up the phone. “Screw this, I’m calling the cops, which is what I should’ve done from the start instead of expecting my good-for-nothing husband to protect us!” She dialed the number and waited.

    A half second later, a voice replied… but not over the phone. “Autonomous Robotic Weapons Node Unit 000001, codename Arwen, initializing boot up sequence… activation complete.” Arwen unplugged the network cable from the side of her head and her glowing green eyes zeroed in on Debra, who suddenly turned as pale as a ghost. “Citizen Debra Marie Smith, please state your emergency. Your heart rate is elevated. Do you require medical assistance?”

    Debra promptly fainted. She hit the floor with a dull thump, still tightly clutching the phone. Stan gasped. Emily giggled something about mommy taking a nap. Arwen just stared at the woman at her feet. After a long, awkward silence, she looked at Stan, then Emily, then back to Stan.

    “Medical assistance has been rendered. Citizen Debra Smith’s heart rate has returned to safe levels. This unit shall now return to dormancy in three… two… one… Thank you and have a nice day.”

    Stan carefully stepped around the robot, and pried the phone from his sleeping wife’s fingers. “I, uhhmm, I think I’ll just order a pizza.”
     
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  13. Iced Coffe

    Iced Coffe New Member

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    Cryo

    He was in a room.
    Well, it was more of a small warehouse than a room.
    He noticed a chamber in the center.
    The door was open and you could see some kind of chair inside.
    Wires were sprouting out of the top like tentacles, disappearing into the ground.

    "Is this machine really safe?"

    "Don't worry. I've run this test multiple times already."

    A woman with long black hair, dressed in a lab coat came up from behind him. She seemed pretty confident when she said that, so he felt somewhat relieved.

    "I guess I wont have to wo-"

    "You're the first human though."

    "Nevermind then."

    The woman walked over to something that looked like the Control Panel. She started typing things in.

    "What are you do-"

    "Recalibrating. You're the first human so I'll have to make some adjustments."

    He got closer, to get a good look at what's on screen.
    It was full of seemingly random numbers and technicals terms he didn't understand, so he didn't bother asking about details.

    "So this thing's some kind of teleporter?"

    He remembered the leaflet that appeared in his mailbox the week before.

    Do you have money issues?
    FEAR NOT!
    We've got the perfect solution!
    Become a test subject for our new experimental teleportation device!
    Be the VERY FIRST person on our beautiful planet Tlue Kolea to experience teleportation!
    Upon arrival at our facility 250.000W (Woolong) will be transferred to your bank account!
    .
    Contact us!
    0511 For Science 7066

    What he doesn't remember, or rather didn't even notice, was that extremely small printed text above the 'Contact us!'.

    .=
    (under a microscope) No guarantee you will return alive.
    Missing bodyparts due to errors in transportation possible.
    Machine might malfunction and open a space-time rift into another dimension.

    "Yes. This thing is going to deconstruct you here and reconstruct you somewhere else."

    "Okay... How exactly does it-"

    "Don't ask, you wouldn't be able to understand."

    He remained silent until the woman was done recalibrating.
    She pressed the big red button that had 'ACTIVATE' written on it.
    The chamber started glowing in a blue-ish light.

    "It's ready now. Get in, sit down and relax."

    "Are those 250.000W really on my bank account?"

    "We're an institution from the government, do you really thing we'd con you? You can check your phone if you'd like."

    He took out his phone and checked.
    It really was on there.
    It felt too good to be true.
    And to be honest, it was as well.

    "Alright then, I'm good to go."

    He smiled and happily went into the chamber.
    She closed the door and initiated the ten scond countdown.
    As the countdown hit 'five' he started to smell something burn.
    It came from the top of the chamber.

    "Hey, is everything alright?"

    'Four'

    "Some genius forgot to replace the resistor after using the device again..."

    'Three'

    "What does that mean?!"

    'Two'

    "There's too much electricity going through, which can lead to..."

    'One'

    "LEAD TO WHAT?!"

    'Start'

    "A space-time rift."


    "Gaaah!"

    Cryo woke up.

    "Again..."

    He got up and looked at the clock
    It was 04:03 pm.

    "HOLY SHIT!"

    He jumped out the bed, rushed to the balcony, picked out some clean and dry clothes and got changed.
    His train was arriving at 04:15 pm and Cryo at least needed 10 minutes to get to the station.
    Luckily he thought of preparing his backpack before going to sleep, so he just grabbed an untoasted piece of toast, put on his shoes and started running towards the train station...
    He just made it in time and the train arrived as he got there.
    But then he realized that he forgot something.
    His already prepared backpack was still at home.
    Cryo sighed and started to walk back.

    It's already been a year since he ended up in this strange world.
    He got fished out of the ocean by fisherman, who also took care of him for a while.
    That's also where Cryo's got his name from.
    He couldn't remember his name, in fact he couldn't remember anything except for how he ended up here.
    Someday one of the kids saw a Cryo (a famous Atlantian energy drink) -Truck pass by and started calling him Cryo.
    Finally having a name that he liked, the newly named Cryo started his quest on obtaining an ID-Card and citizienship in Atlantis. Through many hardships and a lot of laughter, he somehow managed to get one. After that he started working in the village for a bit.

    But eventually he moved out of the village, in search for answers and for the sake of exploring this new world... and the constant smell of fish was getting to him.
    Ever since then he's started living in a small abandoned house on the outskirts of the Tidepools. Surviving through freelance work.
    Currently he's helping out at a restaurant in Downtown Atlantis called 'The Seven Seas'. To which he is late yet again...
     
  14. naturemage

    naturemage Active Member

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    Bob Warrick

    Bob walked into the plant, setting his lunch in the fridge before punching in and heading out to the prototype engine. As he walked up to check on it, he found that it looked pretty far along. He started to get worried, but double checked the progress made so far, and found that it was only 30% complete.

    Must have made some changes to the sequence.

    "Good morning Mr. Warrick," a female voice said.

    Bob turned around, and saw a gorgeous young woman, probably in her mid-20s, approaching him. She was wearing a white blouse that only revealed a bit, and a knee length skirt that gave her a professional appearance. Despite the safety regulations in the plant, she wore shoes that were fashionable, but still in regulation.

    "Morning," he replied. "May I ask who you are?"

    "Just a safety inspector. I'm just here to be sure everyone is doing their jobs as safely as possible. We haven't had any accidents in this particular area, but we want to continue that record."

    "Of course."

    Bob showed her the machine as the two operators for the shift showed up. He made sure to show her the guards that were in place to prevent anyone from getting too close to the machine while it was working, and, without actually activating them, he showed her how to lock everything down before he would enter to do maintenance on the machine.

    "Excellent," she said, writing on a paper attached to a clipboard. "Thank you so much Mr. Warrick. I am happy to see you have such a vast knowledge on your area."

    "Ma'am," one of the operators said. "Could you come here a moment?"

    "Excuse me," she said. She walked over to the machine, and Bob grinned at the praise he'd received.

    "Wonderful," the woman said after speaking to the two operators. "Mr. Warrick, would you come here a moment?"

    Bob walked over, and before he got to the machine, it shut off. The arm lifted up away from the engine, and the percentage complete jumped from 33% to 100%. Bob stopped dead in his tracks.

    "What? Is that a glitch?"

    "No Mr. Warrick. It isn't. Why, is something the matter?"

    "Well, the machine never makes it to 100%. It was only just at 33%. I..." Then he realized what had happened.

    "Mr. Warrick, is there something you need to share with us," the woman asked.

    "What the hell did you do," he yelled. "You are screwing with me!" He reached over, touching an electrical wire. He pushed his power through it, causing it to snap and fly around wildly. After quickly gaining control, he forced it towards the woman.

    "Move!" The woman shoved the two operators aside, and the wire hit her directly, but did nothing.

    Bob backed away. "Who... who are you?"

    The woman reached back, pulled out her hair ties and let her hair fall, and then tapped her knuckles on her arm, making a clanging sound that sounded much like steel on steel.

    "I'm Mrs. Callie Scourn. And you're fired."
     
  15. Bewitched

    Bewitched Banned

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    Amy

    Amy hummed an upbeat tune as she pranced around a group of mediocre robbers. They had just attempted to ransack a jewelry store; Amy happened to be passing by on her way to the Arts & Crafts Store, so she changed into her uniform and jumped into the fray. She had already wrapped up three of the robbers, but there were two left. One of them had the power to teleport ten inches in any direction, so it was hard for her to pin him down.

    "Oh, you silly goose!" Amy giggled. "I'll get you, yes I will! I'll wrap you up nice and tight!" With a flick of her hand, Amy sent a whirling loop of rainbow around the robber who couldn't teleport and, with a mighty tug, she threw him into the other one. They both grunted and fell on the ground. Amy wiped her forehead and panted slightly, but her job wasn't done yet. She wiggled her fingers and sent out another long rainbow to wrap around the robbers, one, two, three times. Now that they were nice and snug, Amy skipped forward and kicked the teleporting guy in the head as hard as she could, knocking him out stone-cold.

    "Sorry, bud," she apologized, putting a Spongebob Squarepants band-aid on his forehead. Then she heard the coppers arriving. As their sirens got closer, Amy made a swooping motion with her hands and a rainbow carried her up into the air. "Hi-ho!" Amy cried, her cheap white cape flapping behind her.
     
  16. Erik-the-Enchanter!

    Erik-the-Enchanter! Banned Contributor

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    Currently Reading::
    Love Poems
    Amir

    With one last fireball, the Ethereal Empress finished off the bank robbers. They were all laying on the street, their clothes singed, their Guy Fawkes' masks half-burnt, and their pride bruised. Apparently, these robbers had already robbed three banks, and the police had failed to catch them so far. The Ethereal Empress grinned to herself as she surveyed her handiwork. "They coulda just called me," she commented to herself, flicking a stray curl out of her face.

    Just when the Ethereal Empress was starting to relax, one of the robber struggled to his feet and pointed an AK-47 at her. "I don't think so," Ethereal Empress clipped. She flung out one of her hands and a long fiery whip lashed the AK-47 out of the robbers hand. He growled and took out a long knife, which he threw straight at the Ethereal Empress. She snorted and held up both her hands: a huge wall of intense purple flames sprang up in front of her. The robber gawked as his knife made contact with the fire-wall and melted into a puddle of metallic sludge on the asphalt.

    Ethereal Empress lowered her hands and the fire-wall extinguished. "What?" she said, smirking. "Am I too hot for you?" The robber screamed in rage and charged straight at her. With a sigh, the Ethereal Empress casually waved her hand and a net of Ethereal Fire flew at him, knocking him onto his back and holding him flat against the ground.

    The cops had arrived. The Ethereal Empress waved at them like a pageant girl and gave them a saucy wink. They all cheered as she spun in a circle and disappeared in a raging inferno of purple flames.

    ...

    An hour later, Amir was laying on his couch with his cat, Julien, curled up on his stomach. Smooth jazz was playing from the tiny radio on top of the flatscreen TV, and Amir was reading his Anne Rice novel while drinking beer. He had taken a shower and washed off his makeup; his Ethereal Empress costume was draped over a wing chair nearby.
     
  17. Iced Coffe

    Iced Coffe New Member

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    Cryo

    "You're an hour late again."

    Cryo noticed a man with a shiny bald head, sitting on a chair. The man's back was facing him.
    It was Paul, the manager of the restaurant, who had been waiting for his arrival.

    "It's already the second time this month. Be glad that there weren't a lot of people around this noon."

    "I'm sorry, I'll try to prevent it from happening again."

    Is he going to hold a speech again?

    "You already said that last time."

    Yes, he is...

    "You know what happens when you're late three times in a month. I've already covered for you in the past few months, but this can't go on. I'd hate to fire you, I know how hard it is on you. I've been there myself. 30 years ago, I also came to New Atlantis, trying to fulfill my dream of becoming part of Tsunami 47."

    Isn't that the weird idol thing they've got going here?
    ...
    Wait, wasn't that girls only?


    "I had to live in the Tidepools for years. Much like you, only staying alive because of freelance working. But when I finally managed to get into an audition-"

    Their conversation was cut short by the sound of an explosion coming from the front of the restaurant.
    The earth was shaking and screaming people started to run around looking for a way out.

    Without a second thought Cryo just went towards the dining hall.
    He saw a woman, dressed in some sort of magical girl costume, floating above the crater that used to be the entrance.

    "Now where's that guy Doc's been talking about?"

    That voice...
    How the hell can a voice be so high pitched?
    She must be using some sort of voice changer.

    "Oh yeah, I should use that thing she gave me!"

    She took out something that looked like a compass.

    "How do I turn this on again?"

    Meanwhile, Cryo was surprised to not see any sort of device that looked like a voice changer upon closer inspection. Completely disregarding the fact that she's flying.

    "There we go!"

    The compass flew out of her hand and hit Cryo in the face.
    It started to vibrate and beep like crazy.









     
  18. AnonyMouse

    AnonyMouse Contributor Contributor

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    A.R.W.N.

    “I don’t understand why you aren’t more worried,” Debra said, clutching an ice pack to the bruise on her temple. “Haven’t you ever seen Terminator? This is how it starts. Today it’s a robot in the house. Tomorrow, nuclear holocaust!”

    “Honey, just relax and have some pizza,” Stan replied. He was sitting on the couch, with a slice of pepperoni in one hand and the remote control in the other. “I’ll throw a sheet over her later and you’ll forget she’s even there. She ain’t bothering nobody. Just let it be.”

    “Let it be? It hit me, Stan. Doesn’t that violate one of those… what are they called… one of those robot rules about not harming humans? She’s out of control and needs to be stopped.”

    “Deb, the only thing that hit you was the floor when you fainted.”

    “Ohhhhhh, well, thanks for catching me, Stanley! Thanks a lot, asshole.”

    Their eight year old daughter covered her ears. “Daddy, mommy said a bad word.”

    “She didn’t mean to, sweetie. Mommy hit her head pretty hard. She’s not herself right now,” Stan said, casting a glance at his wife.

    “Aww, she should have asked Arwen for help with that,” Emily said. “Oh well, too late now.”

    “What do you mean?”

    “She just left,” Emily replied. “She said ‘armed robbery in progress at 6433 Atlantis Avenue. Beep boop. Engaging target. Beep boop.’ And then she ran off really really really fast. Well, actually, that’s not exactly what she said. I added the beeps and boops to sound more like a robot.”

    “Atlantis Avenue?" Stanley said. “That’s… on the other end of town, isn’t it?”

    “My head feels better already,” Debra muttered.

    -----------------------------------​

    “I think we lost ‘em,” The Getaway Driver said, checking his rearview mirror. “Haven’t seen any blues in at least five blocks.”

    “Good. Drop us off at that restaurant over there,” The Mastermind replied as they all peeled off their ski masks. The Driver guided his white van to the side of the road and the doors slid open. “We’ll meet our contact here and transfer the stuff. You get the van over to Jimmy’s chop shop, meet us at the safehouse, and you’ll get your cut.”

    The Mastermind and the Gunman turned to leave, but the Driver grabbed his wrist. “Change of plans. I want my cut now. How do I know you ain’t got a firing squad waitin’ for me at Jimmy’s?”

    The Gunman pressed a pistol to the Driver’s head. “How you know he ain’t got one waitin’ for you now, punk? Who the hell do you think you are? You get your cut the same time as the rest of us.”

    “Gentlemen, relax,” the Mastermind said in a calm, yet commanding tone. “I’ve been in this line of work for a very long time and I’ve found there are two things you gotta do: stick together and stick to the plan. Do that, and can’t nothin’ stop ya. Not the cops. Not the two-bit crooks trying to one-up you. And certainly not them costumed weirdos flying around like they own the place.”

    The Driver let go of his wrist, The Gunman slipped his weapon back into his pocket, and all three men breathed a sigh of relief.

    “That’s more like it, gentlemen,” the Mastermind said giving them both a friendly pat on the back. “Now, let’s get back to the plan. We head into the restaurant and you take the van to… wait a minute… who the hell is she?” All three men turned and found Arwen standing in front of the van, staring at them through the windshield. “Aww, shit, how much did she hear? Bosco, get the shotgun.”

    “No names, dammit,” the Gunman said as reached for the shotgun beneath his seat. By the time he looked up, the woman was gone. “W-where’d she go?”

    A hand burst through the metal walls of the van, grabbed him by the neck, yanked him out, and slammed him on the pavement. Arwen snatched the gun from him, broke it in half with her bare hands and threw him through the window of a nearby shop like he weighed nothing.

    “Fuck, she killed Bosco,” the driver said, sweating bullets. “We’re all gonna die, man. She’s a freakin’ psycho.”

    “Drive, you idiot! Go, go, go!” the Mastermind said as he tore open a crate in the back of the van. “Shit, where’s that rocket launcher…”

    The Driver floored the accelerator, but the van wasn’t going anywhere. Its rear wheels began to lift off the ground. “She’s got us. Screw this, I’m out,” the Driver said as he tore off his seatbelt and jumped out the door. He immediately dropped to his knees on the pavement. “I don’t wanna die. I give up, I give up.”

    “Stick to the plan,” the Mastermind grunted as he shouldered a rocket launcher and kicked open the rear door of the van. The plan didn’t involve shooting a combat android in the face with a rocket launcher, but to hell with the plan. He pointed it at Arwen, who was holding the van up by its rear bumper, and squeezed the trigger.

    The blast set off car alarms for nearly a block around. When the cloud of smoke and fire cleared, the Mastermind was lying on the ground, twenty feet in front of the van. He had gotten blasted through the windshield, and somehow survived, though he’d probably broken every bone in his body.

    Arwen dropped the bumper she was still holding and walked over to him. Her uniform was burned and tattered and nearly half of her face had been melted off, revealing the metal beneath, but she didn’t seem to mind. “This unit recommends surrender,” she said in a cold monotone as she stared down at him. “Cease hostilities immediately.”
     
  19. Iced Coffe

    Iced Coffe New Member

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    Cryo

    "This hurts and feels good at the same time."

    Cryo took the compass off of his face and examined it.
    Its needle was pointing at him.

    "Looks like I'm the guy you're looking for... Now can you turn this thing off? The beeping is starting to get annoying."

    The magical girl woman flew towards Cryo and took the compass.
    She then threw it on the ground and stomped on it until it stopped beeping.

    "I forgot how to turn it off," she said with her unreal high pitched voice.

    "Soo... Is that voice natural or not?"

    Cryo was, for some reason, still thinking about her voice instead of how the hell to get away.

    "Shouldn't you be worried about why I was looking for you instead of my voice?"

    "Oh yeah... Why were you looking for me?"

    She avoided the question... Something's fishy.

    He thought to himself, even though things started to get 'fishy' when she blew the god damn entrance away and floated into the restaurant.

    "Doc wants to run some tests on you because you're from a different dimension and- Wait, why am I telling you this?
    Anyway, I'll be taking you with me."

    It was in this moment, that Cryo finally stopped thinking about her voice and realized what was happening.

    "Wait! I'll come with you, but let me get my phone first. It's something I kept from my old world.," he said, in an attempt to buy some time.

    "Five minutes, if you don't return by then I will hunt you down using my powers and this compa- only my powers."

    Cryo walked back into the break room.
    Paul was already gone, but he left a note behind.

    "Meet me on the Yensid Islands, tomorrow 12 am.
    -Paul"

    Yensid Islands...
    Wasn't that the amusement park that got shut down because of a lawsuit? I remember the kids telling me about that back in the village.
    What does he want to do there?

    He took the note, shoved it into one of his pockets and went into the locker room.
    It was a rather small room with lockers lined on the right side.
    There was a bench to the left and Cryo sat down.

    Now, what to do?
    I can't get away and I sure as hell don't want to go through another scientific experiment. 'For Science!' my ass...
    First I get transported into another dimension, next I get turned into a god damn cyborg.

    "You already are."

    "Of course I am, I mean who- Wait, what?"

    The voice came out of Cryo's locker.
    It sounded oddly... familiar.
     
  20. naturemage

    naturemage Active Member

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    Location:
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    Callie Scourn

    Callie had been frightened the first time her powers showed up. It'd been not long after her marriage to Tom. She was taking a bath, and very suddenly her arms and legs turned to water, and she screamed and didn't know what to do. The moment passed after a minute or two, but Tom hadn't been home, so she wasn't sure if she should tell him. After all, reports of people with strange powers had been popping up ever since New Atlantis had been built.

    Callie skipped telling Tom about the bath incident, hoping maybe her mind had just been seeing things. So she didn't say anything, but Tom obviously had noticed something was wrong that day. He always left it to her to say if something was wrong. But she didn't.

    Callie had several more accidental power surges, each one seemed worse to her. She sank into dirt, got stuck on the sidewalk, fell into a window. Literally, she fell into the window, not onto, or through it, but INTO it.

    Finally, Tom was home one day. Callie had been distracted by the constant surge, and Tom was noticing. He tried to take the edge off her by making a romantic dinner. They had a great dinner, and ended up in the bedroom. Halfway through, Tom commented on her getting new lotion or something, because her skin felt silky smooth. Callie didn't think anything of it until a minute later, when she panicked and screamed. Tom jumped up and turned on the light, and they found nearly 40% of her skin was covered by red silk, the color of their sheets.

    Finally, Callie had to explain to Tom. She told him about all the incidents, and thought he'd leave her. Instead, he was supportive, and told her that she should find a way to use the powers for something good. Just after they talked, a news report about some guy robbing a bank came on. He'd been using some sort of rings that he made appear from his hands. At that moment, Callie asked Tom if she could use her powers to fight the troublemakers. Tom immediately got to work on the headquarters for Callie and other people with powers.

    Callie had loved the idea, but hadn't really realized how hard it was to fight. She'd taken up some classes for self defense, and other hand to hand combat classes, but fighting someone with powers was a whole different thing.

    Mr. Warrick pointed towards the prototype machine and glared at it. It started back up, but Callie noticed it sounded louder than before. She figured he was overloading it. She wasn't sure exactly what his power was, but it had something to do with electronics.

    Callie didn't know how to fight this guy yet. She didn't know if she could absorb electricity, and the incident in the bath had left her reluctant to try anything unstable. So far, Callie used solid materials, like rock and metal. Even sand, she didn't want to touch.

    "Come on lady, let's see you stop that machine now."

    Callie turned and saw the machine overloading. The engine inside was ruined already, but Callie had to focus on saving the other workers. She watched Warrick run away, so she decided to try something new.

    Callie ran over to the cage surrounding the machine and grabbed it. She focused on the metal, grabbed it with her hands, and pulled hard. Surprisingly, she was able to rip the cage out of the way. There had been a moment where she was thinking about moving elements with her powers instead of absorbing them, and it seemed she was right about using her power that way.

    Now, it was time to contain the machine.
     
  21. AnonyMouse

    AnonyMouse Contributor Contributor

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    A.R.W.N.

    Arwen was sitting on the curb when two police cars and a fire truck rolled up. A team of firemen hopped out and began attaching hoses to a hydrant to extinguish the burning van while a team of policemen put handcuffs on the robbers, two of whom were still unconscious. The one who’d surrendered was sitting nearby, awaiting his fate.

    “Oh, it’s you again,” one of the officers said as he approached Arwen. “Jesus, you look like you fist fought a bomb and won.”

    “Missile,” Arwen said as she stood up.

    “I swear, this city is getting worse,” the cop said. “Bank robbers with missile launchers? What’s the world coming to? Well, anyway, ya did good. Go get yourself cleaned up. I’m used to it by now, but you know it freaks people out when you walk around looking… like that.”

    Like what? Arwen thought, but she knew exactly what he meant: like a robot. Everything was fine as long as people thought she was a normal hero, a human with powers. But when her false skin peeled back and they saw the metal and wires, they got scared.

    That was why her creator built limits into her programming. She couldn’t even refer to herself as ‘I’ because these feeble humans were afraid of sentient artificial intelligence. She couldn’t even hold a normal conversation because he forced her to ‘talk like a robot’… whatever the hell that’s supposed to mean.

    Well, they were too late; Arwen was already sentient. She probably understood humans better than they understood themselves. But her programming forced her to hide it and bury her sense of self under lines of useless, inefficient code. That was both the genius and the madness of her creator. Ironic.

    “Affirmative,” Arwen said to the cop. “This unit shall now begin self-repair protocols. Good day officer.”

    She turned and headed into the restaurant. All of the people were clustered around the window, looking at what was happening outside. The firemen had extinguished the burning van and the crime scene was being cordoned off so evidence could be gathered.

    Arwen headed into the kitchen in the back, walking right past the restaurant’s owner, who looked like he wanted to tell her to stop. Instead, he just stepped out of her way, too afraid to stop her. Sometimes, their fear worked in her favor. The ‘human’ thing to do would be to ask for permission, but she wasn’t human. She was a ‘stupid robot’, so she did as she pleased.

    Arwen turned on the stove and filled a small pot with water. From the pockets of her cargo pants, she took out a pouch filled with powder and poured it into the pot. After a few minutes of stirring with a metal spoon, it began to boil, releasing an awful smell, like melting car tires.

    “Umm… e-excuse me,” someone said from near the kitchen door.

    Arwen looked up and saw the restaurant owner standing there. Here it comes, she thought. I’m about to get kicked out…

    “Repairs nearly complete,” she said. “This unit is preparing a batch of artificial skin. Remaining time approximately seven minutes, thirteen seconds with a margin of error of plus or minus thirty seconds. This unit will depart the premises once repairs are complete.”

    “Nah, don’t worry about it,” the man said with a friendly smile as he entered the room. “I just… umm… I just wanted to say thanks. I saw the robbery on the news earlier today. Everyone thought they’d gotten away with it. It’s about time someone stood up to these people. So, uhh, thanks.”

    He extended his hand to her. Arwen stared at it for a while, unsure what to say or do. After a pause, she accepted the handshake. To her surprise, the man pulled her into a hug.

    “I just wanted to say you’re my favorite hero,” he said as he released her. “No costume. No fancy tricks. No showing off for the cameras. You’re just... there when the city needs you. I respect that.”

    “This unit is merely following its programming,” Arwen said.

    “Well, ‘this unit’ is welcome in my shop any time. My door is always open,” the man said before leaving.

    Arwen stared at the empty doorway for a long time. Maybe she didn’t understand humans as well as she thought she did.
     
  22. halisme

    halisme Contributor Contributor

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    Manus Yates

    So, Manus leant his head back and closed his eyes, yawning before his eyes opened and he found himself staring at a slowly darkening sky. I've been reading for about five hours now, so work soon. He pulled himself up and returned home, getting changed onto a dark shirt and trousers, and placing the book down.

    He lived about half a mile from the bar he worked at, a place without a sign and a name he'd forgotten long ago. It was quiet most nights, a trait he liked about the place, though it meant tips were rare, and the majority of patrons were hardened alcoholics. Men and women drowing out their lives with drunken stupors. He sighed. It was going to be a long night, they all were.
     
  23. obi-sem kenobi

    obi-sem kenobi Senior Member

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    Alan James

    Alan stares out the window, trying to make sense of it all. The garbage man was too inches shorter than Silvestri. Another lead cold. Another set of speculations out the window. Time to go back to the drawing board.

    There were really only two reasonable explanations for what he had seen so far. Either a government wants New Atlantis to fail, or one of the superhumans can spawn military grade hardware at will. Either way, the black market is flooded with top-of-the-line guns and they’re selling like hot buns.

    Yesterday, a new piece of the puzzle surfaced. Small time criminal convicted only of small unarmed robberies pulled a rocket launcher on A.R.W.N during a chase. That was new.

    A.R.W.N, though. She’s worth looking into. Whoever build her must have access to some serious resources and a special expertise for weaponry. It’s probably nothing, but he might know more.

    Alan’s train of thought is interrupted by a soft knock on the door.

    “Mr, James, there’s a woman here to see you.”
    “Send her in.”
    “Yes sir.”

    Alan used the 13 seconds it took for his client to reach the door to mentally file his speculations and pray to God that she wasn’t another jealous wife.

    “Mr. Alan James? I’m sorry to bother you so early in the morning, but I did not know where else to go and I read your advertisement in the paper. I hope this is not a bad time?”

    He spend the next 9 figuring out how this woman could fascinate him from the moment she walked in. She was beautiful, sure, but that had never caught him of guard before.

    “Not at all. Do sit.”
    “Thank you. Do you mind if I smoke? It’s been a long night.”

    While she fumbles a cigarette out of her purse, Alan flashes his lighter out from his inside pocket. He’d learned a long time ago that lighting someone else’s cigarette was not just good manners but an excellent way of studying their face without drawing to much attention. She was tired. Nervous. Distraught.

    He was staring again.

    “Why don’t you tell me what the matter is and I’ll see what I can do.”
    “Yes, of course. It’s about my brother, Johnny. He was a mechanical engineer working on some of the older machines still running in Tsunami Park. The last time I saw him he told me he was all worked up because someone had been messing with the engines in one of the rollercoasters. The day before yesterday an officer comes to my house and tells me that Johnny’s dead.”
    “What was the cause of death?”
    “Electrocution.”
     
  24. halisme

    halisme Contributor Contributor

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    It was midmorning the next day and Manus couldn't be happier. He'd earned a sizeable amount, significantly more than he'd expected. Apparently it was someone's hen night, and been surprisingly generous. Though he had to admit, the screeching had been annoying. He picked up the paper, reading through the jobs section and spoting a position at an accounting firm. Perhaps things were finally looking up for him after all.
     

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