diff --git a/public/content/story/chapter_01.md b/public/content/story/chapter_01.md index 211191a..1a8a7f5 100644 --- a/public/content/story/chapter_01.md +++ b/public/content/story/chapter_01.md @@ -7,15 +7,15 @@ The familiar queasy sickness took hold in Grace’s gut, but she didn’t have t Two of the Mechas - Wasp Drones - broke formation and charged the whale. -“This’ll be an easy one” Grace whispered to herself. She had feared that the six would attack together, but instead they’re going to test her capabilities. She would gladly oblige. +"This’ll be an easy one" Grace whispered to herself. She had feared that the six would attack together, but instead they’re going to test her capabilities. She would gladly oblige. -“Admiral-” a crackly voice came across the radio. One of her technicians that still used her long-discarded title. +"Admiral-" a crackly voice came across the radio. One of her technicians that still used her long-discarded title. -“One of the drones isn’t receiving a signal”. So, there was a pilot. Yes, one of the four that were hanging back. Were they commanding the rest, or being commanded themselves? +"One of the drones isn’t receiving a signal". So, there was a pilot. Yes, one of the four that were hanging back. Were they commanding the rest, or being commanded themselves? -“Roger that. Keep an eye on it. I want to know when it moves.” +"Roger that. Keep an eye on it. I want to know when it moves." -“Roger Admiral. Out.” +"Roger Admiral. Out." The first two drones approached. One. Two. Easy kills for her, despite her stolen Mecha - a Sky Whale - getting on in years. @@ -29,13 +29,13 @@ The fifth approached, dead straight. Grace was distracted by her thoughts, but e This was new for the Empire. Mecha were expensive to build, and even harder to control. What had they sought to gain from spooking her whale? A low cry of shock resounded through the cockpit, and hot pinpricks pierced the skin of her face. She willed the machine around her to calm down, mentally asserting her authority, and her confidence. -Such an act would’ve been futile when she had first “acquired” the whale. Back then, it really was just a machine. However, it’s time within proximity of the Catastrophe had caused it to gain at least some semblance of a mind. She had wondered what would happen when the Sky Whale decided not to obey, but she needed the safety of the Catastrophe's barriers. It was a risk she had to take. +Such an act would’ve been futile when she had first "acquired" the whale. Back then, it really was just a machine. However, it’s time within proximity of the Catastrophe had caused it to gain at least some semblance of a mind. She had wondered what would happen when the Sky Whale decided not to obey, but she needed the safety of the Catastrophe's barriers. It was a risk she had to take. -“Admiral-” the technician again. +"Admiral-" the technician again. -“Admiral, the last drone has a pilot.” +"Admiral, the last drone has a pilot." -“Roger that.” She was alert now. The whale was upset. She had to keep her mind focused for the commands from her hands to be obeyed. +"Roger that." She was alert now. The whale was upset. She had to keep her mind focused for the commands from her hands to be obeyed. The last Wasp Drone hadn’t moved since it arrived. Tense moments past. Then suddenly, movement. Grace watched closely, both through the cockpit window and a display screen, as the drone convulsed. Then, it started to change. @@ -45,65 +45,65 @@ Grace pondered this quirk for a moment, before the wasp attacked. It dived straight for the whale’s eyes, seemingly knowing that the whale would react. The behemoth of a machine winced in pain, swinging its head side to side. The wasp was moving too fast, Grace realized. This was more than a retrofit. -“Home base! Patch me through to the enemy pilot!” she demanded, as a desperate plan began to form. +"Home base! Patch me through to the enemy pilot!" she demanded, as a desperate plan began to form. -“Uh- yes admiral!”. +"Uh- yes admiral!". A buzzing sound filled the air. The engines of the wasp were being picked up by the microphone. -“This is Grace Hopper, former admiral of the Oceania Navy.” She spoke with an authority earned through years of service. +"This is Grace Hopper, former admiral of the Oceania Navy." She spoke with an authority earned through years of service. -“Yes I know”. A child? The pilot of the wasp was a child, or someone who sounded very much like one. That threw her for a second. +"Yeah I know". A child? The pilot of the wasp was a child, or someone who sounded very much like one. That threw her for a second. The whale snapped it’s massive mouth at the wasp, trying to rid itself of this horrible affliction. -“You are in violation of the Washington treaty by attacking a civilian outpost in neutral territory.” +"You are in violation of the Washington treaty by attacking a civilian outpost in neutral territory." -“My commander said you would say that. Did you know that possessing a military grade Mecha as a civilian violated that treaty too?” +"My commander said you would say that. Did you know that possessing a military grade Mecha as a civilian violates that treaty too?" She was talking about the Sky Whale. Damn; she was fair game. -“Also,” the girl continued, “you’re a runaway. I read that you stole the Sky Whale and ran to the Catastrophe, where the navy police couldn’t follow you.” +"Also," the girl continued, "you’re a runaway. I read that you stole the Sky Whale and ran to the Catastrophe, where the navy police couldn’t follow you." Right again. The Catastrophe was technically in Central Empire territory. Oceania couldn’t do anything without aggravating tensions. -“Finally,” oh, this was gonna be good, “you’ve been hiding in the Catastrophe’s barriers, which is against the law.” +"Finally," oh, this was gonna be good, "you’ve been hiding in the Catastrophe’s barriers, which is against the law." Strike three. Entering the barriers is easy. Getting back out was deadly. Thus, illegal. -“So”, the voice concluded, “can I join?” +"So", the voice concluded, "can I join?" The whale snapped again, and again. Grace pushed her surprise to the back of her mind to focus. This whale was not happy. -“It depends.” Grace began “How did you change that Mecha’s appearance and capabilities?” +"It depends." Grace began "How did you change that Mecha’s appearance and capabilities?" -“I knew that’d get your attention. I did it so you’d try to recruit me.” +"I knew that’d get your attention. I did it so you’d try to recruit me." Ouch. The little so and so- was right. Why else did she contact her in the first place? -“You haven’t answered my question.” +"You haven’t answered my question." -“I can make Mechas transform. I don’t know how it works, only that I need to focus really hard. My commander was teaching me how before I left.” +"I can make Mechas transform. I don’t know how it works, only that I need to focus really hard. My commander was teaching me how before I left." -“So you stole a bunch of Mechas and attacked us?” +"So you stole a bunch of Mechas and attacked us?" -“Well-” the voice paused for a moment. “I figured I’d show you what I could do. I’m a good pilot. When they found what I could do, the army started training me.” +"Well-" the voice paused for a moment. "I figured I’d show you what I could do. I’m a good pilot. When they found what I could do, the army started training me." -“They” Grace emphasised the word. “who are they? What army?” +"They" Grace emphasised the word. "who are they? What army?" -“I’m from the Central Empire. I don’t know exactly where from.” +"I’m from the Central Empire. I don’t know exactly where from." This was a problem. If the Central Empire came looking for her, they’d have every right to expunge their little camp from the face of the Earth. On the other hand, that ability was… unique. It’s something she had never seen in Oceania, and it might be connected to the Catastrophe somehow. The empire would definitely want her back. There’s simply no way they’d let an asset like that slip away during the night. There was likely several large retrieval teams looking for her all over the continent. If she - or her Mechas - were tracked here, there’s no way she could fight them all off. It’s suicide. -“Welcome aboard kid. what's your name?” +"Welcome aboard kid. what's your name?" -“I’m Donna. And I’m not a kid. I’m fourteen.” +"I’m Donna. And I’m not a kid. I’m fourteen." Grace couldn’t stop a smirk from crossing her face. -“Dock with the whale. I want to show you something.” Her technicians would be having a heart attack from hearing this exchange. If she and the kid were still alive by sundown, only then would they return to base. +"Dock with the whale. I want to show you something." Her technicians would be having a heart attack from hearing this exchange. If she and the kid were still alive by sundown, only then would they return to base. --- @@ -115,11 +115,11 @@ They couldn’t get a clear view from the air, so they had landed their Mechas a Finally, they reached an outcrop of rock and shrubs that hid the weak point. -“Let me catch my breath.” said Grace, before downing half a bottle of water. +"Let me catch my breath." said Grace, before downing half a bottle of water. Donna was staring at the barrier; an ever shifting veil of dull light, that seemed as solid as the ground beneath their feet. Thanks to some sort of quirk in the visual distillation of whatever the technician had said, the bottom of the barrier was nearly clear. This point, in particular, was completely transparent. -“Go and have a look. But don’t cross the barbed wire.” +"Go and have a look. But don’t cross the barbed wire." Donna carefully crossed the outcropping, until she reached said wire. @@ -135,11 +135,11 @@ The Catastrophe, an alien spacecraft that caused so much pain and death, yet was This was all known to Donna, of course, but she was grateful to the admiral for bringing her here to see it in person. -“Let’s go.” Grace broke the silence after a while. “We can discuss theories later. Right now, we need food. Have you eaten?” +"Let’s go." Grace broke the silence after a while. "We can discuss theories later. Right now, we need food. Have you eaten?" She was answered with a simple shake of the head. Grace started down the path impatiently. Donna took one last long moment to drink it all in, before swearing to herself, -“I’ll solve the secrets of the Catastrophe.” +"I’ll solve the secrets of the Catastrophe." --- diff --git a/public/content/story/chapter_02.md b/public/content/story/chapter_02.md index d70fa43..a99d233 100644 --- a/public/content/story/chapter_02.md +++ b/public/content/story/chapter_02.md @@ -1,5 +1,3 @@ -# WARNING: incomplete - Chapter 2: Unexpected Idiots === @@ -23,11 +21,11 @@ He couldn’t contain a jump for joy, nor a triumphant scream. His idea had work He turned back to the Drill Mole and froze. In his excitement, he had stepped towards the Catastrophe, and seemingly through a barrier. He could see it clearly now, with the glare of the sun no longer between the barrier and himself. -He had aimed to surface well within the third barrier, but he had fallen short. Through some chance, he had surfaced just outside a barrier; probably the third. Shimmering lights showed that the mole was poking it’s caterpillar tires and it’s nose through. +He had aimed to surface well within the third barrier, but he had fallen short. Through some chance, he had surfaced just outside said barrier. Shimmering lights showed that the mole was poking it’s caterpillar tires and it’s nose through. How had he crossed? The barriers were supposed to be extremely dangerous, more dangerous than what was inside the Catastrophe. And yet, he had stepped through this one unharmed. Maybe it was broken? -Confident in his deduction, he took a large step through the third barrier. +Confident in his deduction, he took a large step out of the third barrier. --- @@ -41,61 +39,61 @@ He wiggled a hand free, and loosened the straps. Slowly, he sat up, just barely He was in a Mecha, that was for sure. Something with legs and a regular gait. At the front was a small doorway, through which he could see the back of a pilot’s chair. The back of the Mecha clearly opened up to allow entry - that would look quite silly. -“Hello?” He called. +"Hello?" He called. -“You’re awake?” A voice replied. +"You’re awake?" A voice replied. -“Who are you, and where are you taking me?” +"Who are you, and where are you taking me?" -“Straight to the point. I like that. The name’s Bear, we’re heading to a safehouse. Don’t worry, your Mecha’s following behind on a radio tether.” +"Straight to the point. I like that. The name’s Bear, we’re heading to a safehouse. Don’t worry, your Mecha’s following behind on a radio tether." Jason looked around for a fridge or something, he was parched. Finding a small box designed for food - what were they called? - he found, and then downed a bottle of water. -“Help yourself. I’m not one to be greedy when it comes to necessities. How are you holding up?” +"Help yourself. I’m not one to be greedy when it comes to necessities. How are you holding up?" -“What happened? I feel like I went on a bender.” Jason rubbed his head. The throbbing wasn't going away. +"What happened? I feel like I went on a bender." Jason rubbed his head. The throbbing wasn't going away. -“You crossed the third barrier, by the looks of it. You see the bottle of bourbon there?” Bear was talking about a sealed bottle of- how old was this? +"You crossed the fourth barrier, by the looks of it. You see the bottle of bourbon there?" Bear was talking about a sealed bottle of- how old was this? -“Drink it. You’ll need it for the second barrier.” +"Drink it. You’ll need it for the second barrier." -“Wait!” Jason exclaimed, as he stood too fast. “I’m trying to get to the Catastrophe.” +"Wait!" Jason exclaimed, as he stood too fast. "I’m trying to get to the Catastrophe." -“Oh? There’s nothing there for you, trust me.” +"Oh? There’s nothing there for you, trust me." -“Stop and turn around! I can get through the barriers!” +"Stop and turn around! I can get through the barriers!" -Suddenly, the Mecha stopped. The pilot’s chair swiveled around and lowered to floor level, revealing an fat, gruff looking man sporting a beard. A smile crossed his face; a strange look look of genuine kindness. +Suddenly, the Mecha stopped. The pilot’s chair swiveled around and lowered to floor level, revealing a fat, gruff looking man sporting a beard. A smile crossed his face; a strange look of genuine kindness. -“Now then.” Bear began, “How? How do you expect to get back out?” +"Now then." Bear began, "How? How do you expect to get back out?" -“Underground!” the word made Bear drop his facade. +"Underground!" the word made Bear drop his facade. -“Listen.” Jason continued. “If you’re deep enough, the barriers won’t affect you. I reached outside the third barrier without a single thing going wrong.” +"Listen." Jason continued. "If you’re deep enough, the barriers won’t affect you. I reached outside the third - fourth? - barrier without a single thing going wrong." Bear leaned back in his chair, his face a look of cynicism, but his eyes betraying understanding. -“You know the barriers only affect you when you try to leave, right mate? You can get as close as you like and you’ll be fine. But if you try to get back out, that venus fly trap will kill you. And before you try, you’re not the first one to try digging under the barriers. That doesn’t work either.” +"You know the barriers only affect you when you try to leave, right mate? You can get as close as you like and you’ll be fine. But if you try to get back out, that venus fly trap will kill you. And before you try, you’re not the first one to try digging under the barriers. That doesn’t work either." -Jason just stared with his mouth slightly agape. How stupid he must look, not knowing something like that. It only kills you on the way out. Suddenly, the encounter with the third barrier made sense. +Jason just stared with his mouth slightly agape. How stupid he must look, not knowing something like that. It only kills you on the way out. Suddenly, the encounter with the fourth barrier made sense. -“Listen.” Bear continued “These are dangerous areas. You’re lucky I found you when I did. You’re welcome to stay at my safehouse, but you’ll need to pull your weight.” +"Listen." Bear continued "These are dangerous areas. You’re lucky I found you when I did. You’re welcome to stay at my safehouse, but you’ll need to pull your weight." Jason thought for a moment. -“How do I get to the Catastrophe, and get back out again?” +"How do I get to the Catastrophe, and get back out again?" -“I’ve been trying to figure that out for ten years. If you do, let me know.” +"I’ve been trying to figure that out for ten years. If you do, let me know." With that, Bear turned around, raised his chair, and began the Mecha’s incessant march forward. -“What’s the second barrier like?” Asked Jason, as he made himself comfortable in the back. +"What’s the second barrier like?" Asked Jason, as he made himself comfortable in the back. -“Horrible. It’s like being drunk.” +"Horrible. It’s like being drunk." -“What’s horrible about being drunk?” +"What’s horrible about being drunk?" -“Ask a glass of water.” With that, Bear let out a thunderous belly laugh at his own joke, while his - captive - audience mentally rolled his eyes. +"Ask a glass of water." With that, Bear let out a thunderous belly laugh at his own joke, while his - captive - audience mentally rolled his eyes. ---