The Dreadful Future
From Soloralwiki
{Jason, Bill, and Matt were thrown out of the time gate into an extremely high-tech city of concrete and metal.}
Jason: Ooof. Time travel is rough business.
Bill: Yeah, I think I twisted my ankle.
Matt: Whoa guys... look where we are!
{panoramic view around the immediate area of the city. No inhabitants are visible yet.}
Bill: Is this Demesos City in the far future? All right Demesosians!
Matt: The future... Jason, let me see the TimeGate1000.
{he hands it over}
Matt: Odd... it’s still set to {the past in the last chapter}... in fact, this thing hasn’t even been used recently!
Bill: Uhh... so how did we get here?
Matt: No idea. We also don’t have any clue of knowing how far into the future we’ve been thrown.
Jason: Maybe we should take a look around. {he spots a girl (actually Amy) walking nearby} Oh! Hey miss! Can you help us? We’re kind of lost...
Girl: ... !!! No, I’m sorry, I can’t. Good luck. Sorry! {she runs off}
Jason: What was that all about?
Bill: She was kind of cute. I think I like this future.
{Matt bonks him}
Jason: !!! Guys! Look up there.
{screen pan to an Imperial walking along a guard path over the rooftops of the city.}
Matt: What the... ?!
Jason: Definetely not human. This doesn’t look good.
Bill: Maybe the human species mutated themselves at some point?
Jason: And grew rubbery black wings?
Matt: And fangs?
Jason: And blue skin?
Matt: And horns?
Jason: And-
Bill: ALL RIGHT, SHUT UP!
Jason: This doesn’t look good. Matt, can you get us out of here?
Matt: Jason, we can only time travel at the time/space coordinates of the TimeTravel2000 model, which is in Jasonia. I don’t know how we got here, but whatever got us here isn’t working any longer.
Jason: That’s a no, huh?
Matt: Pretty much.
Jason: Well, let's see if we can get out of here so we can go back to Jasonia. Just be careful not to be seen by those... things.
Bill: Or some sort of berserk robots!
Jason: ... you’re taking this future thing a bit far. Come on.
{The three wander the city. Detection by an Imperial leads to their capture. If they can avoid being caught for a while, however, they can buy items at a shop. Inevitably though, the Imperials catch them.}
Imperial Whoever: WHAT THE PRH?! Slaves with weapons! Halt immediately!
Bill: {drawing weapon} Slaves?!
Imperial Whoever: Insolence! {he fires a paralyzing attack at the party, immobilizing them all.} For this behavior your nightly food rations will be taken away and you’ll have duty at Mount Audentior for the next cycle!
{the party is thrown into a slave quarters. Only Bill’s sword is taken: Jason and Matt’s weapons are too exotic to be recognized as actual weapons. The slave quarters is in pretty bad shape and is filled with quite a few people, mostly adult males. There, the party is able to gather the following information:}
- The aliens are called Imperials. No one knows where they came from.
- No one knows how long things have been going on like this, but everyone there was born a slave in an Imperial-controlled world.
- There are rumors that there are free human colonies somewhere and that the Imperials are going half mad trying to destroy them.
- Mount Audentior is basically a work camp. Slaves there harvest ores for the Imperials. Any slave that’s unable to continue working gets one warning to get up, and then they’re killed on the spot. Without food the CoD team is unlikely to survive the work cycle, and this punishment is likely being used as an example to other slaves that would try to escape.
- One slave who doesn’t have duty the next day offers the team his dinner in hopes they’ll survive. He gives them a few healing items.
{Eventually the party get some sleep, and the next morning they are herded up to Mount Audentior. They pick away at some rocks high up on the mountain. An overseer paces along side of the clifs, barking random orders.}
Jason: Note to self: next time Matt gets lost in time, let him rot.
Matt: Bah to you.
Imperial Overseer: SILENCE! Unless you’d like an extra hour added on to today’s work schedule?
Slaves: No, please!
Overseer: I said quiet! Fwah ha, an extra hour it is.
Slave: Damn it, I can barely handle this as is...
Overseer: Who was that? Oh, you again Slave 01452? Hasn’t being off rations for three days taught you to keep your mouth shut?
Slave: My name is Steve Steffke! You’d do well to remember it.
Overseer: Oh ho ho! Steffke, eh? From those ridiculous flying lands? My ancestors had a lot of fun sending your people to the bottom of the ocean. A pity we seem to have missed some of your line.
Slave: Grr...
Overseer: What are you going to do, huh? Nothing. Just a slave, so pathetic. Still, you’re kind of annoying. I’m going to kill you. Let this be a lesson to the rest of – oof! Gahhh!!
{Jason shoots a blast of PSI energy at the Overseer, hitting him and knocking him off the side of the cliff}
Matt: Sweet awesome. I was wondering when you were going to get around to doing something like that. A pity it wasn’t before we spent three hours of hard physical labor... {he uses his laser sword to cut the chains around his legs, and then the ones around Bill and Jason.}
Bill: They took my sword when we were captured.
Jason: Grab one of these mining picks.
Bill: ... {he looks disgusted, but does so}
Steve: I don’t get it. You saved my life? I don’t even know you.
Jason: It was personal. Don’t worry about it.
Bill: What about the rest of these people? We can’t just leave them chained here.
Jason: Matt, cut them all loose.
Matt: Right.
Steve: Thank you all so much. I heard that there is an actual free human settlement somewhere. If we stay together we might be able to find it. It’s our best chance...
Jason: Sorry, I think there are a few things we need to look into first...
Bill: Jason?
Jason: Steve, did you know where they keep information about the past around here?
Steve: Well... there’s the AI Series Factory to the west. They build thinking machines there and train them to understand humans. They also have a program for brainwashing slaves by teaching them the uselessness of their past. But that’s about the last place any free human would want to go.
Jason: {sigh} I guess that’s our road then. We’ll help you people get down the mountain but then we’ll have to depart.
{So they do. Along the way they free another group of laborers, females including Steve’s wife Sara. One of the women says that she met a blue haired girl who claimed to be from Micronia, a free human town. Everyone agrees to head that way except for the party. They reach the base of the mountain.}
Steve: You’re sure you won’t come with us and search for Micronia?
Jason: Yeah, I’m sure. But after we find what we need, we’ll come looking for you guys.
Steve: Right. I hope to see you guys in Micronia someday!
{the freed slaves depart}
Matt: Jason, you’re sure it wasn’t a good idea to go with them?
Jason: ... this world, this future. I can’t believe humanity would come so far only to fall under the iron heel of these... things. If nothing else I want to know what happened.
Matt: All right, we seem to be stuck here anyway. Let’s see what we can find out.
{They travel to the AI Series Factory. It’s a large factory dungeon. Bill gets a real sword to replace the crappy mining pick. Various metallic items are found for a synthing system, assuming we want to keep that in the game. At the end...}
Jason: Robots. I hate robots... I can’t feel their minds at all.
Matt: It looks like they’re all powered down. This must be a storage room.
{in the next room}
Bill: Whoa, that’s a big screen.
Matt: {at a computer} It looks like this is where they train the robots about humanity’s past so that they can better fight humans... hmm. One of the files is labeled “The fall of Micras.” I’m loading it up.
{the big screen comes to life. It shows a fleet of warships descending on Micras, In the middle is the SuperOmen-class Gravship, and it is surrounded by a number of smaller warships. Many battles with human forces mostly end in the humans defeat. A few of the smaller ships are taken down, but nothing can touch the SuperOmen. Warships bomb major cities worldwide, including cities in Shireroth, Tressia, Tapfer, Hyperborea, and Jasonia. Finally the battles end, with the remaining human forces surrendering.}
{a somewhat long pause}
Bill: Wow. Just, wow.
Jason: They used the Omen Gravship in their attack? That’s just tacky.
Matt: It looks like they heavily modified it though... they must have been watching us for some time. It seems the attack happened in... about year 2100.
Jason: A few hundred years... only a few hundred. We’d be long dead, but our people would be there. Hmm...
Bill: Jason, what are you thinking?
{he doesn’t get a chance to answer. Alarms sound and a few robots rush in}
Lead Robot: You are in violation of factory code. Surrender.
Bill: Not happening! It didn’t go so well last time we were caught.
Lead Karate Robot: You underestimate the Karate Robots. Very well. You will be subdued by force.
{a battle ensues, but the Karate Robots easily knock out the heroes}
Lead Karate Robot: AI5903. Activate.
{a robot that was standing with several other motionless in the room activates and comes forward}
AI5903: Your orders.
Lead Karate Robot: AI5903. We require use of your databanks of human knowledge. Should these slaves be put to death or put into reconstruction?
AI5903: Bzz brrzz. Their experiences here lead them to begin to despair. Reconstruction has 84% probability of being successful.
Lead Karate Robot: Very well. Activate two more AI robots and haul them to the construction center.
AI5903: Affirmative.
{So the three are thrown in a 'slave reconstruction center'}
COMPUTER: The pitiful humans were made slaves of the superior Imperials.
Jason: We got caught. Again. We suck at this.
Bill: They took my sword again. How come you guys never lose your weapons?
Matt: My laser sword looks like a metal cylinder when off, and Jason’s got a stick. Your sword is the only obvious weapon.
Bill: Bah.
COMPUTER: You have no hope, so surrender your minds and become useful parts of the Imperium of Micras!
Jason: Can’t you shut this stupid computer off?! It’s giving me a headache.
Matt: No good. I can’t get the covering off. They really don’t want us messing with this thing. I think it’s got subliminal messages in it.
Jason: So we shouldn’t look at it?
Matt: Right. Or listen to it. {he puts his hands over his ears. Jason does the same.}
Jason: Uhh... gunna make it hard to talk now...
Matt: What?
Jason: I said, IT’S GOING TO BE HARD TO TALK NOW!
Matt: WHAT?!
Bill: ... idiots.
Jason: OH FOR THE LOVE OF. {he hits the computer with psychic force and it shuts off}
Matt: Wow. You’re getting better at smashing stuff with that.
Jason: Yeah. Ever since I needed to start using it for combat I’ve been figuring out ways to make it stronger. And Bill’s swordmanship has improved. As has your knowledge of electronics.
Matt: What are you getting at here?
Jason: The way I see it, we stand at a crossroads... the world will be invaded after we’re all dead. We could live out our lives in peace, or-
Matt: Oh no...
Bill: Ohh! I get it! We could-
Matt: No...
Bill: We could use our powers of-
Matt: No.
Bill: powers of time travel to save-
Matt: No!
Bill: to save the world from being destroyed!
Matt: NO!!
Bill: Oh why not?
Matt: Because there is no crossroads. We can’t go live our lives in peace. We can’t fight the Imperials when they attack Micras either.
Jason: Why?
Matt: Because we can only time travel at the space/time of the Kajar fair! And the Imperials destroyed Jasonia. It’s at the bottom of the ocean now.
Jason: ... oh. That’s sort of a problem.
Matt: We’re stuck in this time period.
Bill: Blarg. Well if we hang around here the Imperials will try to kill us again.
Matt: I can probably get us out using my laser sword... but where would we go?
Jason: The village of Micronia people talked about.
Matt: That could be just a rumor started by the Imperials to confuse people.
Jason: Maybe, but we have no choice. If we’re stuck here I’d rather be around people that in Imperial prisons.
Matt: Okay, I guess we’re making a run for it. I’ll cut open the bars.
{The three escape and travel through the reconstruction area, battling sporadic guards. They get Bill yet another new sword. Not too much time passes before...}
Robot: I am AI5903. Humans are not to be outside the reconstruction areas...
Jason: Ack, it was going so smoothly too!
AI: Databanks say you were caught armed in Demesos Dome. You fought your way off of Mount Audentior and broke into factory sector 28-LL. Now you are trying to escape the Reconstruction Facility. Is this confirmed?
Matt: Yep, that’s us.
AI: Affirmative. You suit my purposes. Please follow me.
Bill: We don’t take orders from robots!
AI: Do you wish to escape this facility and reach the village of Micronia?
Bill: ... what?
AI: My purpose was to locate humans with spirit that reconstruction would not be effective on and process them for termination. However, I have been given advanced programming and do not see the necessity in destroying humans. I believe we have much to learn from cooperation.
Matt: You want to help us escape?
AI: Affirmative.
Jason: This reeks of a trap...
AI: I did not expect you to trust me. However, without my aid you would be unable to escape this facility. You must now make a decision based on your human emotions. But I already know you would wish to survive. Follow me.
{the three look at each other and shrug}
Jason: Eh, okay.
{AI leads them to a room with crates. They are packed into a crate. AI transports the crate to the front door of the AI Series Factory and gets everyone outside.}
Bill: My back hurts...
Matt: Quiet you. We did escape. What now?
Jason: AI, do you know where Micronia is?
AI: Negative. I believed you did. This is incorrect?
Jason: I’m afraid so.
AI: ...
Jason: Well, the slaves from Mount Audentior went off to the east, so let’s start our search east of the mountain. Maybe we’ll get lucky and run across someone that knows.
Matt: The way our luck is going lately, I wouldn’t count on it.
AI: Lead on.
{the party travels east of Mount Audentior. While on walking along a road flanked by two high cliffs...
Mysterious Out-of-Sight Figure 1: Humans!
MOoSF2: They’ve got a robot with them.
MOoSF1: Who cares, they’re free humans. They don’t even look sick, and they’ve got weapons.
MOoSF2: Hmm, okay. I’ll take care of the robot.
Jason: Do you guys hear anything?
Bill: Not really.
AI: Audio detectors unable to locate anything out of the ordinary.
Jason: You know, if we’re going to travel together, we might need to teach you how to say a simple “no”.
Mysterious Figure 1: Aha! {jumps down in front of the party}
Heroes: ?!
Mysterious Figure 2: {jumps down behind AI and hits him with an electric blast, knocking him down}
Matt: The HECK is your problem?! What did you do to our robot?
MF1: Your robot?
MF2: Hey Chief! This thing’s an AI-series robot!
MF1: An AI-series robot? Well that explains why it was traveling with you.
Bill: I’m lost. Huh?
MF1: Sorry about the introduction. We thought you were being held captive by that robot. I’m Chief Dugard, a sentinel of Micronia.
Jason: Micronia! It does exist.
Chief Dugard: Haha, yes, of course! Come, the town is not far from here. I’ll get some people to haul in the robot too. Let’s go.
{In Micronia}
Chief: This is it, Micronia. Last human refuge in the northern world.
Jason: There’s another?
Chief: Tapfer Dome, to the south. But we haven’t heard from them in over two decades so it’s possible they’ve been destroyed... though we pray that they are alive and well.
Matt: How are you able to remain self-sufficient and not be detected?
Chief: A lot of the mountains in this region have some ore in them that mucks up radar. Only strong signals can get through. As for food, this is basically the only land we’ve found that hasn’t been scorched by the Imperial’s Death Touch so we can grow crops here.
Jason: Death Touch?
Chief: That purple stuff you see all over the ground in the rest of the world. It’s some sort of grass or moss or something. It’s totally incompatible with normal Micras plants and chokes them out of existence.
Matt: Must have an amazing biological structure...
Chief: In any event, I’m going to tell the leaders about you. You can wander the town and talk to people. Hopefully we can brighten your spirits. After you’re done come see us. We have some things to talk about.
{general town wandering and synthing of new items. Most of the freed slaves were lead here by a woman with blue hair. Eventually the team goes to see the leadership.}
Chief: Ah, here they are. These are the ones that we found on the trails.
Elder Rob Dusch: Greetings and welcome to Mircronae, a refuge for all humans. I am Elder Rob Dusch, decendant of Matt Dusch, the great inventor. I’ve heard that you were traveling with an AI-series robot.
Jason: Yes, he helped us escape from the Imperial reconstruction facility.
Rob: Curious behavior for a robot. We fear a trap and will leave him deactivated until we can be sure he is not a threat to us. In the meantime we have someone here that would like to talk to you.
Bill: Who?
Amy Leaonarkos: {enters from a door in the back} Me. My name is Amy Leonarkos. We need to talk.
Jason: I saw you in Demesos Dome!
Matt: A woman with blue hair... you’re the one who lead all the freed slaves here, huh?
Chief: Yes, Amy is one of our best resistance operatives. She’s freed a good number of humans and always manages to get out safely. It’s as if the stars themselves are watching over her.
Amy: You flatter me. I’m just doing what I must. But please, travelers, come with me into this room. There are things we must discuss.
{they do}
Amy: So. You have seen the state of the world?
Jason: We have.
Amy: And you know about how it happened?
Matt: Yes.
Amy: {sigh} It’s been about a hundred years since humanity surrendered to the Imperials. There were many strongholds at the beginning, dozens, but now we’re down to just two. This is a losing war, and everyone knows it. The war cannot be won at this place, or rather, at this time.
Matt: Time travel...
Amy: Yes. I know you are from the far past, far before this tragedy occurred. And you may not think this affects you, but it does. This future affects us all.
Bill: How do you know so much about us?
Amy: Because I’m the one who brought you here. I snuck into Demesos Dome and used my powers to pull you through time to this era, to save you from the guards of Demesos City and to show you your world’s future.
{a silence}
Jason: Your... powers?
Amy: Magic is real, Jason. The power to command fire, stones, lightning, water... it exists in this world. Ages ago many people know this power, but it lead to their destruction. The knowledge was sealed away and forgotten.
Bill: You... know magic?
Amy: I do. I know time magic. Among other abilities, I can energize unstable rifts in space/time and turn them into portals we can travel through.
Matt: Then what are you still doing here?!
Amy: I’m still here because I needed to meet you. I intend to alter the past to prevent this entire dreadful future, but I cannot do it alone. You have had similar thoughts. We should join forces.
Matt: Well...
Amy: We don’t have time for you to make up your minds. Don’t tell the others, but in a few days, this town will be destroyed. I don’t know how or why, but unless I can figure it out, it will happen. Before the attack you people need to learn magic so that we can defend this location. We need to take a trip to the sealed Apollo Cavern, where knowledge of magic was placed. I can open the way for you.
Jason: This is getting crazy...
Amy: The alternative is for you to wait here until the attack. Without my help you have no way of getting out of this time period. You’ll be killed. Even if you survive the battle humans with spirit don’t last long in the Imperial realms.
Matt: How far away is the Apollo Cavern?
Amy: Not far.
Matt: Is I dangerous?
Amy: No more than anything else in this world.
Matt: Let’s do it Jason.
Jason: Okay, but tomorrow. This has been a very long day.
Amy: I understand. You can spend the night here in the town. Tomorrow we’ll stock up on supplies and head for the Apollo Cavern.
{they do so. I don’t really have idea what the dialogue for this part would be like, but it should be kept relatively simple. Returning to Micronia...}
AI: Greetings. All systems online.
Chief: We got this guy working again. No traps were found. We’ve already learned tons of things from him about the Imperials.
Amy: {looks all shifty} Something isn’t right...
Chief: Hmm?
Jason: I feel it too.
Micronia Sentinel: Chief Dugard! There’s a massive force of Destroyer-class Robots heading down the trench path!
Chief: WHAT?! Imperials don’t come this far east unless... oh God.. I’m going to rally the defense. Set up our outer perimeters.
Sentinel: Sir! {he leaves}
Amy: How did they find us?
Chief: I think I know... he turns to AI.
AI: Running system scan... danger! I am transmitting a location beacon to an unknown destination!
Chief: A strong enough signal to get through the ores in the mountains. So this WAS an Imperial trap...
AI: This system was unknown to me! My intentions were not to betray this village.
Chief: Regardless, you’ve likely doomed us all. I need to get the civilians into shelter... you can take care of this robot yourselves. {he leaves{
AI: You must believe me.
Jason: Mmm...
Matt: {fiddling with AI} Well, it’s a bit late now, but I disabled the transmitter. So what are we going to?
Bill: Join in the defense?
Amy: No. I hate to say it, but this entire town doesn’t stand a chance against a force of destroyers. Their tactics will buy us time, nothing more. But time is all we need. Come.
{Amy leaves party and AI joins. Amy leads to the group into a far room in the main building of Micronia where the civilians are cowering. There is a pillar in this room}
Amy: This was a safe house for an ancient magical kingdom. This pillar is magically enchanted. There are runes on it that say ‘In order to open the hidden path, let loose the power of fire, the ground, the angry sky, and fire once more.’ Jason, you know fire. Matt knows earth magic. AI should be able to fake lightning enough for it work.
{the party casts their spells in the correct order}
Jason: So this is why we needed to learn magic...
Amy: One of the reasons, yes.
Chief: Will we be able to move this again?
Amy: By doing the spells in the same order it will return to its original position.
Chief: Okay. You guys get below. I’m going to signal our retreat and get all the survivors in here. Be ready to close it when we get back!
{inside the Micronia Safehold. It’s a place cut of crude caves, but is vast. The small population of the town has more than enough room to live down here.}
Bill: Everything feels... tingly.
Amy: It’s magic in the air. This is a long-term bunker. Magic recycles the air, creates food, transforms waste into useful products. The people of Micronia will be safe here.
{Chief and his soldiers come down. The party seals the pillar over the hole. It is very quiet.}
Rob: So... what now?
Amy: You will be safe here for as long as you need.
Chief: Safe in underground caves, unable to see the sky or even go for a walk...
Amy: It is all we have...
Rob: It will be fine. You’re leaving, aren’t you, Amy?
Amy: I am.
Rob: {to the party} We’ve long been taught that three spirited young men would come to this city and free us from the Imperial curse. It’s clear that this refered to you people.
Jason: I don’t know what to say... we’re way over our heads.
Rob: We have faith in you. You can rest here the night.
{the party is able to wander the Safehold except for one room in the back. They get some sleep. The next morning.}
Amy: There is an unstable rift here in the far back. I will stabilize it so we can return to your present time.
Jason: And then I guess we’ll need to start searching for a way to beat the Imperials.
Amy: Yes.
Jason: All right... I don’t really know how I got involved in all this, but I guess I’m in it until the end. Let’s do it.
{Jason, Bill, Matt, AI, and Amy enter the back room which contains the unstable rift. Amy uses her magic to stabilize it, and the party enters the time portal.}
