Author Topic: Memoirs of a RAFian  (Read 588220 times)

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redtailedsaffa

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Re: Memoirs of a RAFian
« Reply #5010 on: November 11, 2015, 10:50:18 PM »
Of course she'd name it after herself.

Offline Cloak

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Re: Memoirs of a RAFian
« Reply #5011 on: November 12, 2015, 09:31:39 AM »
Well, she didn't exactly name it after herself.

  • Book DCCCXXVII: "The Ing Thing" -- The RAFians must deal with a horde of Ing.
  • Book DCCCXXVIII "Heinlin There" -- The RAFians discover an albino Heinlin.

Titles subject to change. Let me know what you think!

New chapter.

CHAPTER FOUR:
Assimilation Assault

But Malice had sights on more than three victims. She observed these three for the next three days, and found that she liked the results. They had no exterior dermal implants, and no subdermal implants either. Though she discovered that it made an internal implant that eliminated their need to eat and drink, only requiring momentary charging from any light source, anywhere from every three days or even six days, depending on exertion. But their will, their identity, was completely usurped and subsumed by the Malevolence.

Malice then allowed her three out in the city, to "recruit" more. By assimilation, of course. The victims were infected fast and unnoticed. An entomologist. A geologist. A streetfighter. A gardener. An electrical engineer. A debutante. A criminalologist. A psychologist. An aeronautics engineer. A cryogenics technician. A parapsycholgical. A firefighter. A toxicologist. A mythologist. A lifeguard. A seismologist.  A metal worker. A schoolteacher. All taken. All taken without their notice.

It was at this point that Malice allowed some marginal autonomy by allowing them to use air transmission or the more direct way of assimilation tubules. But she kept an iron grip over them, lest she lose control over this technological, artificially-made plague. But the degree of control she was trying to maintain . . .

Soon, a quarter of the city's populace had been assimilated into the Malevolence. This was going along at a rather brisk, rapid pace.

However, more and more were still taken. More and more had the control over their bodies usurped. Their wills undermined and stolen. Their individuality ripped from them, unless it was necessary to maintain their cover. Their memories and knowledge stolen to be used and taken by the Malevolence and Malice herself. Malice smirked at this. As she was knowing everything from a myriad of different perspectives, and she was formulating a way to use this information to her advantage.

Soon, she had half of the population of the city under her control, by way of the Malevolence. And still, none of them had subdermal or dermal implants exposed. But all of them had the internal implant that allowed them to go without food, though they could still eat if necessary, if they couldn't be recharged.

But, about this time, Malice began to wonder . . .


Book 189: "Shenecron's Pets"
Chapter 4: "First Attempt"
(January 7, 2020)

RAFians Referenced Specifically: Demos.

redtailedsaffa

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Re: Memoirs of a RAFian
« Reply #5012 on: November 12, 2015, 10:57:39 AM »
The number of books... *collapses*

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Re: Memoirs of a RAFian
« Reply #5013 on: November 12, 2015, 10:58:37 AM »
What? It's only over 800. ;)


Book 189: "Shenecron's Pets"
Chapter 4: "First Attempt"
(January 7, 2020)

RAFians Referenced Specifically: Demos.

redtailedsaffa

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Re: Memoirs of a RAFian
« Reply #5014 on: November 12, 2015, 11:01:58 AM »
Should I make the reference...? Should I not …? ;)

Offline Cloak

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Re: Memoirs of a RAFian
« Reply #5015 on: November 12, 2015, 12:25:44 PM »
Well . . . I did word it that way deliberately . . .

BTW, Saffa, I hate to ask, but I do in a hopefully respectful manner. Are you still doing PDFs? Or are you just really busy of late? I apologize if this sounds demanding.

New chapter.

CHAPTER FIVE:
Close to Conquered and Contrite

More and more were taken. With internal implants that looked vaguely like black gears, that freed them from the need of eating, unless it helped them maintain their cover. This was Malice's mandate to the Malevolence. However, she seemed unaware of how potentially dangerous it was to allow the Malevolence even this small bit of autonomy.

Soon, a little over three-quarters of the city were taken -- politicians, wage slaves, adults, children, men, women, gay, straight, there was no distinction. All were taken and sought after equally. Onky a scarce few seemed to be immune, and those were dismissed as worthless or killed. Or smart enough to pretend to be killed or already dead, as these Malevolence drines did not replace an eye with an ocular implant as the Borg would have.

It was rather shameful that the RAFians seemed unaware of this. Something that Bern Bridges was quick to point out. He was safe from assimilation because he operated his show out of his home, which was in a rather remote place. Despite all his big talk and wild accusations, he really was, in his heart of hearts, a coward.

But, finally, the RAFians discovered this outbreak. It was a rather remarkable find with how unnervingly and unerringly surreptitious the Malevolence was being about this invasion. Even the Yeerks and the Heinlins didn't work this fast or efficiently. Especially when the RAFians usually monitored such things very closely. This time they really dropped the ball.

And they didn't have Rotiart to blame for it.

"What is this?" Aquilai asked. "And why haven't we picked it up?"

"We don't regularly bioscan the citizens of the city," Yarin said, crossly. "Nor do I make a habit of scanning them telepathically. Not that I can from this distance without some augmentation."

"I wasn't suggesting or implying anything of the sort!" the Time Lord replied, heatedly.

"Well, how else could we have known?" Yarin shot back. "Regular scans rarely, if ever, go subdermally. Even then, it's not like the technology can't be fooled!"

"Guys, guys, guys!" Goom said, trying to defuse the situation. "C'mon, now. We don't need another incident like the one with GH and that bathtub of coffee.*"

It worked, but there was still tension.

"We still have people out in the field," Yarin said, voice carrying some of that tension.

"The Mark should protect them," Aquilai said, confidently.

"Actually," Goom said, not really liking the overdependence they have developed on the Marks, "I don't know about that."

Aquilai and Yarin spoke at the same time. "What?"



*And, lo, the "Memoirs" version of DBZA's "the Jockstrap Incident" joke. Although way more benign, if I'm not mistaken. Hey, who knows, might become a running gag, like Yarin's microwave. ;)
« Last Edit: November 12, 2015, 05:36:50 PM by CloakedFigure »


Book 189: "Shenecron's Pets"
Chapter 4: "First Attempt"
(January 7, 2020)

RAFians Referenced Specifically: Demos.

guitarhero01234

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Re: Memoirs of a RAFian
« Reply #5016 on: November 12, 2015, 07:16:55 PM »
:D :D :D :D

redtailedsaffa

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Re: Memoirs of a RAFian
« Reply #5017 on: November 13, 2015, 02:03:05 AM »
YES! IT HAPPENS!

About the PDFs, funny you should ask, I was actually in the middle of doing them. :P And here they are:

Offline Cloak

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Re: Memoirs of a RAFian
« Reply #5018 on: November 13, 2015, 02:07:15 AM »
It is kinda of funny that you left off at Book 100, Saffa.

. . .

I really should be getting to bed. Got an appointment with Supportive Employment at 9:30 and that's about seven and a half hours from now.


Book 189: "Shenecron's Pets"
Chapter 4: "First Attempt"
(January 7, 2020)

RAFians Referenced Specifically: Demos.

redtailedsaffa

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Re: Memoirs of a RAFian
« Reply #5019 on: November 13, 2015, 02:30:27 AM »
Yeah, I found the attached book 100 somewhere while I was scanning through chapters, so it's there.

Hope that goes well, Cloaky.

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Re: Memoirs of a RAFian
« Reply #5020 on: November 13, 2015, 01:10:28 PM »
It did, I think.

New chapter.

CHAPTER SIX:
Casualties

Still on the look out for that drakon, the most dangerous of the beasts from Rosch's menagerie, Faerie, GH, Horse, Mithril, Sakki, Guy, and Gaz were searching for it in the dingy grimy part of the city that had a distinct feeling of neglect and maintenance kept to an absolute minimum, if at all.

They did not know about the threat. The three at communications barely understood it, but it was dangerous. This also couldn't have came at a worst time with communications, as the unique dampness of this place tended to short out the signals. It was an occupational risk, but the RAFians were, despite themselves, somewhat complacent about it, depending on their Marks to protect them from anything.

But that over-reliance to the Mark was a mistake. It had proven time and time again that it didn't prevent diseases and plagues and venoms and things. The Mark was not perfect, not infallible, and could be broke. It had broken twice* before.

They didn't expect to see the lonely figure of a stooped woman in a cloak, standing as if she was in a cylindrical sandstorm, not unlike Miles Upshur in the DLC for Outlast. They knew immediately the identity of this woman, as she was not disposed to wear her ID mask.

Malice.

But what was this swarm around her? It undulated in a most mesmerizing manner. It didn't matter, the Mark would protect them, they were sure of it. There were seven of them and one of her. They surely could overpower her, the Realm Walker.

Malice smiled a smile to match her chosen moniker, and simply pointed with her right hand, and the swarm converged into seven tendrils and flew towards the RAFians. They tried to fend off the swarm, but only Gaz seemed to have any success by sublimating into a gaseous state, which was sufficient enough to evade them. The others couldn't react fast enough, and the swarms forced their ways into their bodies either by their navel or abdomen. The RAFians weren't able to stop it, having allowed themselves to get complacent about their Mark protecting them. But this assimilation was different from what the Mark was developed for. It was more like a disease, a disease that could usurp control over their body and add their minds to the Malevolence.

But the Mark wasn't completely useless and out classed. It forbid their involuntary joining of the Malevolence, and would allow them to lose their identities unless they chose to let them go. Even assimilated, the Mark allowed the RAFians to keep their minds, memories, identities, and loyalties intact. However, that was the limit of what it could do. It could not stop the nanites from infect them.

They all struggled to resist the assimilation, but they could not. And if the they stressed their Marks too much they risked them breaking. . . .

"I expected as much," Malice said, as Gaz watched from the shadows. She had managed to escape this pseudo-assimilation. "But that's why this batch of nanites were specially developed for you RAFians and your infernal Marks."

Suddenly, a subdermal implant bursted into being a dermal one right in the hole in their "R"-shaped Marks in a circular starburst pattern. It actually prevented the Mark from breaking but also suppressed its usual capabilities, so it allowed Malice some rudimentary control over them.

"Ah, you still struggle? Excellent. Your struggles make it more interesting for me," she said, "more entertaining for me. I shall remember this fondly . . . and I'm glad that I prepared for it."

The six shuttered as they fought against the nanites, which still tried to take complete control and add them to the Malevolence. The Mark still pregented them from being added from the collective, but they were losing control over their own bodies. It was a terrifying experience.

"Activate the phobic implant," Malice said, clearly relishing this.

A metallic yellow dermal implant blossomed from their skin at the base of their spines. They were flooded with feelings of fear. Yet they struggled, as Gaz put her hand on her mouth.

"Ha ha ha! Yes!" Malice crowed, taking a sadistic pleasure in this. "Activate the beguiltic implant!"

Gaz couldn't see where this dermal implant came out from, but she really didn't want to know, but felt as if she was obligated to bear witness to this horror. Bear witness as these six RAFians were filled with feelings of guilt. But, still they struggled on.

"Activate the shaming implant," Malice said, almost gleefully.

From their stomachs, or navels if they had them, a metallic green implant blossomed up, almost as if it were a time-lapsed daisy. It flooded them with feelings of shame. Gaz winced, feeling some shame herself that she wasn't doing anything to help them. But she did not know what she could do. . . .

"Activate the gravic implant," Malice said, almost giddy.

Over their hearts, a metallic violet implant blossomed up like flower. It flooded them with feelings of grief. Gaz's mind whirled. Ther had to be something she could do. Just . . . something . . .

"Activate the lying implant," Malice said, restraining her excitement a tad.

From their respective throats, a metallic indigo implant blossomed up. This one filled them with lies, so many that discerning the truth was very difficult. Gaz could tell that the others' wills were beginning to weaken, allowing Malice more control over them.

"Activate the hallucinogenic implant," Malice said, really liking this turn of events.

From their foreheads sprouted a metallic orange implant that filled their heads with illusions. Gaz let out a little gasp, unheard due to Malice's cackle. This severely reduced the resistance of her RAFian victims. Though they would never join the Malevolence collective.

"Now, let's finish this," Malice said, practically shaking with excitement. She would finally win, and this time, not be bored with the aftermath. "Activate the primer implant!"

A metallic red implant blossomed from the crest of their heads. This caused Malice to have total control over them, down to being able to even speak through them like a puppet if she so chose. The RAFians could still struggle against it, but it was a Sisyphian task. They were still very much aware, but burdened with excessive fear, guilt, shame, grief, lies, and hallucinogenic illusions. It would be very difficult.

They were hers.

Gaz had to flee. She had to warn the others. She had to warn thst they were not safe. The Mark was now a liability, as the implant covering these RAFians' Mark enabled Malice to trace other Marks. The others needed to know!!



* I know what you may be thinking, but no. No, it is not a mistake.


Book 189: "Shenecron's Pets"
Chapter 4: "First Attempt"
(January 7, 2020)

RAFians Referenced Specifically: Demos.

redtailedsaffa

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Re: Memoirs of a RAFian
« Reply #5021 on: November 13, 2015, 11:49:44 PM »
No, I remember that book. And oh god, this chapter.

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Re: Memoirs of a RAFian
« Reply #5022 on: November 14, 2015, 06:57:10 PM »
I was actually referring to that time and one you -- well, never mind. Sorry for not posting the new chapter yet, time got away from me today. I'm still working on it. Writing it, I mean.

Expect a long chapter.

:edit: New chapter.

CHAPTER SEVEN:
Fear and Fire

"You're not listening to me!" Gaz was saying. She was somewhat hysterical. "GH. Horse. Faerie. Sakki. Mithril. And G-Guy. Malice has control over all of them!"

"Impossible," Demos said, dismissively. "Our Marks, remember?"

"You're still not listening to me!" Gaz roared in frustration. How could she make them understand? How could she make them see the very real danger that this presented them? "I'm serious about what I saw!!"

"Gaz," Richard said, calmly and diplomatically. They were still out in the field, and Gaz felt completely unsafe here, and not because the sun was rising. She wasn't that kind of vampire, anyway. "Gaz, calm down and see reason."

"I am seeing reason!" Gaz protested insistently. "I'm trying to warn you of --"

"Gaz! Gaz, what you describe is impossible," Hunter said. "Nothing can bypass the Mark, you must hav just not seen --"

"I know what I saw Hunter," Gaz said, her frustration begining to transmute into anger. "Malice has assimilated them into some sort of -- of collective!"

It wasn't exactly true. Malice had control over their bodies, it's true. Malice had access to their thoughts and memories, it's true. But they weren't, however, part of the Malevolence collective. Their minds remained separate and their individuality retained, but bogged down with fear. With guilt. With shame. With lies. With hallucinations. It would be difficult to fight through all those layers to resurface and take back control.

"Gaz, you're being ridiculous," Demos said, with his arms folded, "the Mark is nigh on impregnable."

"No, it's not!" she countered. "They broke once before! During that whole Techarchy-Phalanx thing!"

It was then Gaz truly realized just how complacent and dependant on the Mark they were.  That they all were. And they hadn't even had it for a year yet!

SNAP!

A twig snapped. They were here! Faerie. GH. Horse. Mithril. Guy! They were all here!

"What's wrong with them? What are those metal flower things on them?" Hunter asked.

"Seriously?!" Gaz roared angrily. "I quite literally just got done telling you!"

They approached closer, speaking in a strangled, gluttral sort of voice, "We are the Malevolence. Your biological and technological distinctiveness will be added to our own. Your culture will adapt to service us. Resistance is futile."

Gaz hoped she had imagined that. It was very freaky and creepy, especially from the mouths of her friends. Especially, though she was unaware of the fact, the RAFians were not part of the Malevolence. She knew that she alone could not resist them offensively, but could defensively. She noticed, however, the assimilation tubules that sprouted from the implant that blocked their Marks. They would have a grip that bit. Literally bit!

"We have to run," Gaz said, trying and failing to force her fear down. She was creeped out that much. "We have to get out of here! Hurry!"

"Don't be so hasty --" Phoenix said, fairly, before Gaz interrupted him.

"Didn't you hear me before?!" she said somewhat hysterically. "The Mark won't protect us! Think 'Walking Dead', Phoenix!"

"We don't -- ah! Faerie!" Hunter was about to protest, before Faerie seized his upper arm. With her Marked hand. Gaz was horrified, and hating herself for writing hik off as lost.

"Guys! Hunter's been assimilated!" Faerie said, as the dermal chakra implants began to appear on Hunter's body, poking through his fur. "We gotta . . . gotta . . . gotta . . ."

But GH had seized Phoenix with his Mark hand, Sakki had seized Demos with her Mark hand, and Mithril had seized Richard with his Mark hand. All of them. They were all infected with nanites. She teared up as she went to bat mode, and began to fly off, hating herself for it, and narrowly have missed being assimilated by Horse.

But Phoenix, Demos, and Richard were not assimilated at all. Richard was forced into a comatose state, while Phoenix and Demos's natural physiologies rejected the nanites, and destroyed them with fire. They escaped into the forest, but just barely, leaving the rejected slag that once were nanites behind.
« Last Edit: November 14, 2015, 07:36:00 PM by CloakedFigure »


Book 189: "Shenecron's Pets"
Chapter 4: "First Attempt"
(January 7, 2020)

RAFians Referenced Specifically: Demos.

guitarhero01234

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Re: Memoirs of a RAFian
« Reply #5023 on: November 14, 2015, 08:29:06 PM »
Ok, I am so going to use that "we are the malevolence" monologue in a song.

Offline Cloak

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Re: Memoirs of a RAFian
« Reply #5024 on: November 14, 2015, 09:17:22 PM »
And, so, the Cycle of Creativity continues. . . . ;)

:edit: New chapter.

CHAPTER EIGHT:
Shapes and Shifting

Gaz flew.

And she flew, flew, flew. But the memories would not be left behind in the dust. She wanted to forget. Oh, how she would like to forget. Where was a Mnemoraptor when she needed one?

Eventually, she had to land, and return to her humanoid form, tears reforming in her eyes. She happened to land in afield in which Noelle was grazing. Saffa, Abby, Underseen, Ash, Cerulean and Parker were there as well. Gaz couldn't help but wonder about this grouping as it seemed somewhat mismatched.

<Parker, don't you have enough armaments on your armor? Why do you want another weapon?> Noelle was saying conversatiinally placid. <It strikes me as a bit of overkill.>

"It's just a Shredder," Parker said, with a shrug of his shoulder. "And the more versatile a person can be in battle, the more opinions he has to victory."

<You're not really here for a Shredder, are you?> Noelle said, perceptively.

"Ooh, busted." Saffa said, with a smirk.

"Does this have something to do with Helen?" Underseen asked.

"No." This answer was quick. Too quick.

"Trouble in paradise?" Abby teased.

Parker was glad that he was wearing his helmet.

"Ooh, you're blushing!" Saffa teased.

"How d'you know that? He's wearing a helmet." Cerulean asked.

"Woman's intuition," Ash said, as Parker gave an exasperated sigh. But he was afforded a distraction in Gaz, which they all noticed. And it was clear that she was distraught. The six dashed and hurried to her side.

"Get away," she said, voice sounding hoarse, "we need to get away. Need to g-get away . . . g-get away . . ."

"Gaz, you're not making sense," Cerulean said.

"They will come," she said. It seemed like she was speaking to herself more than anyone else. She was also clearly exhausted and weakened. "They will come."

"Who?" Abby demanded gently. "Who will come?"

"They," Gaz said, rather nonsensically.

"Well, that clears it up," Saffa said, dryly droll.

Gaz was super tired, so much so, that she could barely lift her head. She had poured all her energy in getting away. She was glad Laserbeak wasn't here. Not because of his rash overprotectiveness, but because she knew that not even he would be safe from Malice's Malevolence.

"They . . . they turned," Gaz said. "Dangerous. Marks . . . useless."

"<Gaz, slow down,> Noelle conjoled. <Who are 'they'?"

"Others."

"I think we're missing something translation," Ash said

"Others. Turned." Gaz said. It was becoming a trial to just keep her eyes open. "Assimilated."

"Assimilated? Underseen said at once. "What do mean by 'assimilated'?"

"Gone. All gone." she muttered. She was babbling, really. "Puppets. Empty."

"I think thst we're having two different conversations right now," Ash observed.

"Dangerous. Coming. Soon," she said as she began to babble her way into an exhaustion-induced unconsciousness.

"Any idea what that was about?" Parker asked.

"No idea." Cerulean said.

"Prob'bly that," Saffa said, seeing the assimilated RAFians walking towards them. She was reflectively morphing to Psycholeopterran morph. If her Tyrannopede morph is her go-to morph for battle, her Psycholeopterran morph was her go-to morph for defense and evasion, mostly because of its hypnotic capabilities and intangibility capability.

Abby and Noelle saw this, and decided to join her in their own respective Psycholeopterran morphs. Parker was perplexed. All he detected was the signatures of the RAFians. But wait. He noticed a slight discrepancy . . .

"Oh, sh-- Cerulean. Underseen. Ash." Parker said. "Take Gaz and run."

"But why?" Ash asked. "What's going on?"

<Nothing good.> Saffa said, her solemnity masking her fear.
« Last Edit: November 15, 2015, 10:55:51 AM by CloakedFigure »


Book 189: "Shenecron's Pets"
Chapter 4: "First Attempt"
(January 7, 2020)

RAFians Referenced Specifically: Demos.