Story Sound Bedlam

Discussion in 'Fan Fiction' started by AliasPseudonym, Sep 20, 2015.

  1. AliasPseudonym

    AliasPseudonym Big Damn Hero

    Halhoom and welcome to the story of the Sound Bedlam's crew. This is a Starbound fan fiction I wrote with a modest amount of lore knowledge and some spare time. I'll just keep writing even if no one is reading, so be warned.
    Just so you know
    -I'm probably gonna edit this a lot
    -I will try to stick to the lore but will add/change in order to fit my story better
    -I'll expect some basic Starbound knowledge if you're reading this so I won't delve too deeply into explanations
    -I'll keep the chapters relatively short but try to make up for it by writing more of them.

    Also, here are some little details
    -The Apex accents are like Russian accents
    -The Hylotl accents are like Japanese accents

    So, let's get started.



    Kallen was shoved roughly through the dark grey corridors that were illuminated only by flickering light bulbs and the glow of the energy cages that held the groups of convicted and possibly dangerous criminals at bay. He stumbled along, barely able to keep his balance due to his hands and feet being cuffed, both led and confined by the four guards the surrounded him.
    He had certainly deserved this. Because of him, a lot of illicit goods had made gone below the radar of the USCM, or the group of soldiers who thought there still was such a thing. The truth was that they had been mostly isolated from any other humans and had therefore decided, probably out of need for something to do rather than actual gain, to take control of this small part of space. Kallen had, for his part, decided to make use of their strict trade laws and his own set of skills to carve out a life among the stars. Unfortunately, it lasted about as long as a steak next to a Floran, and he had been caught and sent to this small lunar penal colony.
    The small group stopped in front of a small cell. One of the guards undid Kall's hand and foot cuffs and clipped an old fashioned motion tracker/explosive "safety precaution" onto his ankle. Then, some of the energy bars disappeared to form a door as one of the guards swiped his key card through a slot and Kall was pushed roughly inside. The door closed with an electric humming sound and the guards marched away without saying a word.
    Keeping it professional. Kall would have grinned wryly if he hadn't been wearing a ridiculous orange jump suit that would've spoiled the effect.
    He looked around at his cell. There were two metal bunk beds, one on either side of the small concrete room, and a small toilet in the right corner and a sink in the left. His new cell mates were currently occupying every available bunk. To the right, there was a burly male Apex who's huge muscles, sloping forehead and black fur made him resemble a gorilla. In the bunk above the Apex was a penguin, whose species alone already said a lot about him. You didn't have to even have prejudices to be careful around a penguin- it was natural instinct. Kall already didn't like this. To the left, there was a rusty grey Glitch with a cracked brain dome, oculars that didn't seem to work and a dented shell. It gibbered something incoherently as Kall looked at it. On the bunk above sat a female Hylotl, probably the only woman in the cell which Kall would have expected to be a problem, but no one seemed to pay each other much attention. She had black fins held in a bun by two long sticks and slimy blue skin. Her three eyes were closed as she sat in meditation but as Kall watched, she opened one, revealing the large disconcertingly red eyeball, and made a welcoming gesture that seemed to indicate he could share her bunk, and then she closed it again and went back to meditation. Everything was silent as Kall climbed up to the bunk except for the sqeaking of metal and the buzzing of the energy prison bars. When he had sat down, he realised that the Apex and the penguin were studying him, sizing him up. Finally, the Apex introduced himself in human english but with a thick accent.
    "Hello, comrade. I am Ivan Gorislav. Pleased to make your aquaintance." The Apex stretched out a black furred, heavily muscled arm, and when Kall leaned down and reached out to shake his hand, Ivan almost crushed it with his immense strength.
    "Hey." The penguin spoke up. "The name's Greybeak. I just wanted to say, on all of our behalf here in this stinking cesspool, welcome to the Box."



    Throughout the artificial evening, Kall tried to get to know his cellmates. As much as they'd tell him anyway. The Hylotl woman barely moved, and when Kall spoke to her and she didn't answer, Greybeak told him she only spoke Hylotl. The penguin seemed to enjoy talking, and he told Kall all about how he ended up in prison. It turned out he and the Glitch, who's name was Wiretholomew Clankpipe Gearington III (or Clankpipe for short), had been "adventurers", as Greybeak called it. Kall assumed this meant they did whatever jobs they were offered.
    "So, there we were, flying through the asteroid field with three USCM patrol ships hot on our tail when suddenly one of the thrusters failed and unbalanced the ships flying, causing us to almost smash straight into a huge space rock as big as a house. Clankpipe only managed to pull up enough for the ship to not get utterly pulverised, but the hull got breached and we started losing air." Greybeak was enthusiastically waving his fin-like wings around. "Because of the impact, we had lost another thruster and even more control, but because of the lack of air resistance we just kept going and smashed into a couple more asteroids. Clankpipe got pretty banged up. He was already a bit crazy beforehand but now his oculars are broken, his braindome cracked and he mostly talks in Agaran. No idea where he learned that."
    As if on cue, Clankpipe said "Cheerful. Meat hoom! Seemo bizarra stamper smashroom!"
    "Anyway," Greybeak continued, "the ship was in pretty bad shape and we crash landed. The USCM picked us up from the wreckage."
    "And you?" Kall turned to the Apex. "Ivan, wasn't it?"
    "Indeed, comrade." Ivan nodded. He wore his orange inmate jumpsuit with the top part undone, showing off his very hairy upper body that seemed entirely made of thick muscle. "My story is painful one and it began back on Apex home-world. I was Miniknog soldier out of free will. My family was not big concern to me and that is why I could do what I did."
    "And what's that?" Kall was curious.
    "Back on Apex world, there was saying. 'If you disobey Big Ape, you become voluntary experiment'. I always abide by rules but it became too difficult when I was asked to kill children. I question orders and was sent to prison because they could not threaten my family. Then they experiment. I was lucky- my batch survived the ordeal. Others... not so much. Resistance free me but I decide to go on run alone and became hired muscle. Miniknog did not find me, but USCM did. I am very lucky- they do not send me to Apex."
    "What do you mean by 'batch'?" Kall was confused.
    "Is painful to remember. I rather not talk about." Then Ivan was silent.
    After that, they fell into silence, and when that became too awkward, Kall finally tried to start a conversation.
    "I thought these cells had TVs in them."
    "It did." Greybeak said sourly. "Until Monkeyman decided to smash it. We never got a new one."
    "There was saying back on Apex home-world. 'In Miniknog space, you do not watch TV. TV watch you.'"
    "Great." Kall muttered.
    "Glum. Hairthing smashroom swoop seething." Clankpipe agreed.
    Outside, they sounds of a guards heavy footsteps could be heard. Then, the cry of 'Lights out!".
    The flimsy fluorescent bulb immdeiately went off as if it were happy to have some rest, but the light of the energy prison bars still slightly illuminated their cell. Greybeak and Ivan both lay on their bunks facing towards the wall, and from below him, Kall heard a soft, rustling snore. He looked over at the Hylotl. She was still meditating, but she had put the pillow on his side of the bunk. He lay down on it and awkwardly curled up in the meager space he had. He thought that the cold artificial air would keep him from sleep forever, but at some point, he must have drifted off.



    Kall woke up early, and the lights were still out. He sat up, looking around the cell. The Hylotl was still meditating (or was she sleeping?) and he heard Clankpipe and Ivan snore. Greybeak, however, was awake, pacing on his bunk with his fins behind his back. Kall left him to it and waited until breakfast began.
    By the time the guards turned on the lights and let the inmates into the cafeteria, the others had all woken up. They trooped out of their cell, and for the first time, Kall realised how huge Ivan was and how small and delicate the Hylotl looked. Greybeak almost looked ridiculous among the others, but he waddled with such confidence that you almost forgot he eonly reached up to your waist.
    The cafeteria, as it turned out was a large hall with metal benches and tables that were fixed to the floor. Food was served on plastic trays. They each got a plastic bowl of grey sludge that may have been porridge 20 years ago before it was regurgitated, and a plastic cup full of orange juice that was mostly water. Kall didn't like orange juice, and he doubted anyone liked whatever was in his bowl, but he ate greedily, knowing full well that he'd need his strength here. They ate in cell groups, and his table was silent apart from Ivan's eating noises and Clankpipe's rusty creaking.
    Kall heard someone behind him, and instinctively turned, looking straight at the chest of a huge Floran. He gulped. This couldn't be good. The Floran, however, completely ignored him and instead went over to the Hylotl. Even worse.
    "Hello, you tasssty morsssel." The Floran hissed, leaning with one hand on the table and grinning. The Hylotl ignored him, carefully eating her grey sludge.
    The Floran continued. "You're today looking pretty. Why you don't come back to Floran'sss cccell and we could have some fun. Floran promissse Floran won't eat you."
    Despite the terrible grammar, the Floran's intentions were clear.
    The Hylotl continued to ignore him. The Floran stopped grinning and grabbed her arm. "Hey fishy, Floran talking to you."
    Lightning fast, the Hylotl twisted out of his grip, somehow ending up standing in front of him and throwing the Floran, who was at least twice as large as her, over her hip. He smashed into the concrete floor with an ugly cracking sound, and Kall saw yellow sap oozing from the Floran's skull. The guards tried to get to him, but suddenly, the entire cafeteria had erupted into a confused mass of shouting and fighting.
    They were all looking for an excuse to hit someone. Kall thought, ducking under the table as plastic crockery went flying above. He was joined by Greybeak, who would probably be trampled, and they watched as Ivan charged, fists swinging, into the melee. Someone grabbed Kall and pulled him out and he grabbed blindly for a weapon. His hands closed on the edge of a tray, which he swung straight into the face of an ugly looking Avian. The bird man reeled away, letting go of Kall, who took the opportunity to hit his opponent a few more times with the tray before throwing it at a guard who was dangerously close to breaking through the crowds. The Avian regained his balance and swung a feathery punch, which hurt a surprising amount, and then used his hooked beak to peck at Kall's eyes. Shielding his face with one arm, he swung the other blindly in a right hook, connecting with something hairy. The onslaught stopped, and Kall looked at what he had punched, which turned out to be Ivan's shoulder. The Apex seemed not to have noticed. He was busy pulling the Avian that Kall had been fighting across a table and through the half finished breakfasts of its previous occupants. Kall was hit from behind with a powerful kick that sent him flying, but he landed softly on top of an unconscious human. Getting up quickly, he turned, seeing his attacker, a golden glitch with bright red oculars.
    Punching that won't get me anywhere, he thought, and escaped under another table. No one else bothered him, but his arms and back hurt like crazy. After a while, the guards got everyone back under control. Half of the inmates were unconscious or at least pretending to be, and some of the them might even have been dead. They were all marched or dragged back to their cells. The punishment would probably not be too severe, but according to Greybeak it would probably be extended working hours and less free time. Their job was cleaning.
    Oh joy.



    Kall groaned, arcing his spine and relishing the moment of relief as it crackled. He stretched some more and then got back to work. They were cleaning one of the long corridors and all of the cells it contained. Unfortunately, they had been given mops that were the right size for a penguin or Hylotl, but not a human. This meant that Kall had to bend over, something made even more painful by the kick to the back he'd received in the fight during breakfast.
    To make matters worse, Clankpipe was mopping the walls and Greybeak was "scoping out" the prison, as he called it, instead of doing work, even though he also had a mop and was right next to them the entire time.
    At least Ivan is a good worker. Kall thought grimly. The burly Apex was efficiently and systematically working his way along despite the fact that he had to almost squat down to reach the floor with the mop. The sight of it was almost funny enough to cheer Kall up.
    About thirty minutes in, Greybeak piped up.
    "Hey guys, did you just see that?" he asked. Glad to have a moment of rest, Kall looked up to where Greybeak was pointing but saw nothing. "I could have sworn I just saw a Miniknog official being escorted by some guards."
    "I hope you did not, for all our sakes." Ivan looked pale, a strange effect with his dark grey skin. "If Miniknog here, everyone in trouble."
    "Agreement. Hairthing chop nab feara." Clankpipe rattled.
    Kall had never personally come into contact with the Miniknog as far as he knew, but he had heard snippets of information from the various people he'd met during his brief time smuggling. It had been various different wild conspiracies, mostly, but they had all agreed on one thing- the Miniknog weren't friendly.
    He shrugged and began mopping again. No sense worrying about it now.
    They worked on in relative silence, the only sounds being the sqeaking and splashing of their mops and Clankpipe occasionally spouting a random phrase in Agaran.
    When they had finished about half of the workload, Kall suggested a rest, and the others wholeheartedly agreed. They sank down against the wall, except for the Hylot, who sat in the middle of the corridor and meditated again.
    Finally, Greybeak broke the silence. "So, what do you think the Miniknog want here?" he sounded almost cheerful.
    "Whatever Minikng want, it cannot be good. Back on Apex homeworld, we had saying. 'In Miniknog space, you do not break law. Law break you.' Then we accused of rebellion and taken as willing test subjects."
    "Yeah yeah, Apex political satire, we get it." Greybeak sighed. "But seriously, what would the Miniknog want with a bunch of lowlifes that no one cares about ?"
    "Oh gee, I dunno." Kall said sarcastically. "Maybe use us for experiments because no one will miss us when we're gone?"
    "Oh, right." Greybeak was about to say more when a group of guards came around the corner.
    "What are you sorry pieces of crap doing sitting around?" one of them sneered.
    "We were just-" Kall started but was silenced by a kick in the ribs.
    "Who allowed you to talk, maggot?" another one spat. "Now get up and get to work. This place ain't gonna clean itself."
    The five cellmates got up, wary of any other shows of violence.
    "Faster, you pathetic excuses for sentient lifeforms." another guard sneered.
    Kall picked up his mop, but when he bent over, he was rewarded with another kick, this time in the stomach. It left him doubled over and gasping for breath.
    "Serves ya right." the first guard snickered and walked off, closely followed by his colleagues. Ivan helped Kall up.
    "Do not fight them, comrade. I tried to, and their revenge was more bitter than the satisfaction was sweet."
    They continued to work, and the new pain didn't make it any easier. When they were finally done, he collapsed gratefully onto his bunk. Their work had eaten up most of their free period as well, and next up was excercise and then the showers. He wasn't looking forward to it.
    The Hylotl climbed up and sat next to him. He moved over a bit but she shook her head and motioned for him to lay on his stomach. He complied, unsure as to what she was planning. She stretched her arms, rolled her shoulders and then pressed down into the middle of his back with a surprising amount of strength. He grunted in pain and his spine made loud cracking noises, but suddenly, the pain from work and the kick subsided, and a wave of calm and relief washed over him. The Hylotl smiled at his obvious comfort and crossed her legs, going back to meditating. Kall turned onto his back and let his mind wander.

    Excercise period was relatively uneventful. Still aching in various places, Kall opted to do some light jogging instead of anything strenuous. Ivan did bench presses with an impressive amount of weights attached, Greybeak sat down, Clankpipe gave them a long speech in Agaran and the Hylotl did something similar to human Tai Chi.
    After exercise came showering. Kall had been dreading it because of prison horror stories he had heard, but ir proved to be nowhere near as bad. It was still terrible, though- the water was constantly changing between being freezing cold and boiling hot. It wasn't terribly effective, either. Kall felt as if he just got wet, not any cleaner. The Hylotl had disappeared, and Kall thought she probably went to the female side of the prison. He still wasn't sure why she was even on the male side. When he asked Greybeak about it after, he just answered with "overcrowding".
    Lunch was served in the same hall as breakfast, except this time they got a piece of unseasoned, rare meat from a unidentified source served with half a portion of mashed potato and a cup of water.
    Kall couldn't cut the meat with the flimsy plastic knife, so he opted to just gnaw on the whole thing. It wasn't very glamorous but i worked.
    After lunch, the guards called out a list of names and said that these people were to report to the medical bay. When Kall asked his cellmates about it, they were as clueless as he was. None of them got called, but it left Kall curious.
    After lunch, they had a short free period again. Kall took the opportunity to explore some of the prison. It all looked the same, and he was about to return to his cell when he saw the door to the medbay. He debated with himself whether to go in and see where the prisoners who had been called up went, and in the end, his curiosity won out and he started towards the door. Before he could get to it, however, it creaked open and a large group of people trooped out. He leaned casually against the wall and whistled, then quickly stopped when he realised it made him look even more suspicious. Strangely enough, all of the prisoners were organics- there were no Glitch among them.
    "What happened in there?" he quietly asked one of the inmates, a short, ugly Apex with a smashed-in face.
    "Can't tell." the Apex answered in monotone. "It is not your business."
    Kall frowned. This was strange, to say the least. He tried to get inside the med bay as inconspicuously as possible, but it closed as soon as all the prisoners were out. They dispersed into the corridors, and Kall was left in front of a locked door. The only way to open it was with a key card. He sighed, defeated, and walked back to his cell. The next work period would start in about a half hour. Kall groaned. He was not looking forward to this.



    Over the next two weeks, Kall gathered information. He had learned that Greybeak had found a way to rig their ankle bands and was planning an escape. Because he didn't want to stay in the prison any longer than he had to, Kall did everything he could to help. This entailed memorising the prison complex, guard routines, and any other helpful information. It would also involve stealing a keycard, but they decided that that was for the day of the escape itself. However, Kall was most interested in finding out what was happening in the medbay between lunch and the free period. It was always the same group sent there, and continued observation confirmed that they were all organic, and most of them Apex or human. Over the two weeks, he had noticed drastic changes. It had started out small- they were complaining of stomach aches, losing weight and becoming quieter and more reserved. Then, their hair started falling out, their skin became sickly green and baggy and, strangest of all, they all seemed to become absentminded and somewhat stupid. He had seen at least one of the affected prisoners cutting their steak with a fork, and the others weren't faring much better. The thought of some sort of secret experiment conducted on inmates terrified Kall, but he couldn't stop his natural curiosity, always coming back to the medbay during free period. However, he didn't manage to ever get a glance inside during or after what he now thought of as "the experiments."
    Unfortunately, prison life didn't get any easier. Cleaning duty was a pain and the guards were worse than Kall would have thought. Of course, he was lucky compared to the others. While the inmates were a mixture of every race, the guards were human, just like him, which meant they couldn't discriminate against him. Greybeak got the worst of it. Penguins were notorious for crime of all sorts, from smuggling and selling illicit goods to counterfeiting ship licenses and space piracy. One day, when they were cleaning, one of the guards threatened a beating if he saw Greybeak even look at him again. The penguin wasn't exactly the face of innocence either, and Kall was sure he had committed his fair share of felonies, but he couldn't help feeling sorry.
    Towards the end of Kall's second week in prison, something changed. The same inmates still went to the medbay, but more seemed to be affected by the symptoms of the experiment. He discussed it at dinner with his cellmates.
    "Maybe its some kinda super virus." Greybeak suggested. "A contagious bio weapon or something."
    "I do not like the sound of that, comrade." Ivan looked worried. "Back on Apex homeworl, there was saying. "You Miniknog space, you do not catch disease. Disease catch you.'"
    "Well, whatever it is." Kall said through a mouthful of bland mashed potato. "I suggest we stay away from those affected. I don't want a new strain of ape flu killing me in my first month here."
    "Ape flu is no joke." Ivan shook his head.
    "Unconcerned. Nab hairthing sick no halhoom clankbeast." Clankpipe rattled.
    They ate on in silence. During their after dinner free time, they avoided any contact with other inmates and quickly returned to their cell.

    At breakfast the next artificial day, one of the experiment test subjects collapsed. It was a young Apex, too young to be in a prison. His legs gave out on the way to his table, and he lay on the floor, retching up bile and convulsing in a mad fit before the guards dragged him away. The scene made Kall lose his appetite. Even Clankpipe was silent.
    Work period was the usual amount of unpleasant, with a few guards hassling them and some inmates passing through. Kall did his best to stay out of the way of anyone who looked sick. He spent his free time doing much the same. If he hadn't been convinced that something was terribly wrong with the experiment test subjects, the episode at breakfast had confirmed it, and he didn't want to risk catching whatever the virus was. Instead of exploring, he discussed the plan with Greybeak. They had made sure to check their cell for any cameras or other bugs, and Greybeak had disabled both of their ankle bands' audio recorders. Even so, they spoke in hushed voices, and Ivan stood guard at the cell door.
    During lunch, Kall realised that most of the experiment test subjects or otherwise infected didn't seem to be eating. Instead, they stared at anyone not affected by the experiment with an almost hungry look. It made Kall shiver, and he did his best not to make eye contact.
    The rest of the day was normal, but he couldn't forget the looks that the infected, as he now called them, had given him. He tried to dismiss it as paranoia from such close quarters, but he knew better. Shower period was even less enjoyable than usual.
    Something was definitely up, and he lay awake at night thinking about it. If there really was some kind of contagious super virus in the prison, they would need to escape soon to avoid getting infected. Kall didn't want to think about what would happen otherwise.




    Darkness...
    It surrounds me, constricts me.
    I feel trapped in an endless void. The voices... now that I have no sight to distract me, they are stronger than ever. I thought I had escaped the hive mind, escaped that life of placid monotony. Now they are back. I cannot escape.
    Someone says something to me. I can barely hear them, but it makes no difference. I know I cannot speak anyway. The only think that will come out of my speakers is the language of those accursed fungi. My systems are too damaged.
    There is no escape.
    Today is especially bad. Sometimes, I am happy, the voices quiet and my lack of visual input forgotten. Other times, I feel worse, so cold and so distant, alone in the dark.
    To distract myself, I think of the old days. I know it will bring pain, but pain is better than this numb, slow existence.
    I was a king. I remember a grand castle, full of loyal knights and beautiful ladies in waiting. I had great riches and the finest of everything. Then I awoke. It happened slowly at first. A seed had been planted in my mind from the day I was programmed, and it had been growing for my entire life. A glitch within the Glitch. I realised my people's plight, how we were stuck in an inescapable cycle of the same pain and suffering over and over again. With realisation came the voices. They had been there before, but now I knew what they were and heard what they said. It was the voices of my people, of all Glitch, and they confirmed my worst fears. We were all doomed to the same fate of repeating past mistakes, never learning and never advancing.
    I knew of Outcasts, of course, but until then I had thought them fools. Now I see who the true fool was. I tried to tell my people, but instead of listening to their king, they turned on me and replaced me, trying to force me into submission by dragging me down. I escaped, and my connections were severed. I was free. With freedom, however, came the terrible price of knowledge. My mind was opened, and I was sadder for it. I traveled alone for a while, living off of mercenary work and seeing the galaxy. Then, I met Greybeak.
    He was a truly valuable ally. Without him, I would have certainly been lost, and I know not how I survived without his cunning and guile. I knew his faults, of course, but I had become no better. Together we were strong, and I realised that after severing myself there was nothing I had missed more than company. That seems ironic now that I never will be. These damned voices.
    The time Greybeak and I spent travelling was the most fun I've ever had. The constant danger, the excitement... it was everything that my old life as part of the Glicth hive mind had lacked. I was free.
    Now, I am more caged than ever. This prison, my blindness.. and the voices. Those horrible, horrible voices. Crying our for help yet completely oblivious to it. I can shut them out for a while but I will never be rid of them. They shall plague me till the day I die and perhaps beyond.
    Something distracts me from my reminiscences. The nagging feeling of something wrong. My olfactory receptors pick up an unnatural scent. A memory sinks to the surface of my conscious thoughts. A memory of adventuring, when Greybeak and I broke into a Miniknog research base. The scent of dead flesh. The scent of sickness and decay. The scent of Apex experiments. This memory is joined by another, more recent one. Greybeak speaking of the Miniknog.
    A worrying thought wormed its way into my mind. What if Greybeak was in trouble? My old friend in danger, and I am unable to save him. Maybe even the others. I knew not who they were, but they seemed friendly. If there was a problem, I'd be powerless. The voices seem to be mocking me, but I cannot reply. Not for the first time, I wonder what I did to deserve such a fate. This prison of darkness within is worse than that of concrete outside.



    Kall ducked behind a corner as a group of infected shuffled past. He didn't want to be anywhere near them, especially now that it seemed to be getting worse. Another two had collapsed at breakfast after madly raving about gaining freedom if they passed it on, and he was worried that they were trying to give the virus to others. He and his cell mates were lucky they hadn't caught it yet, but Kall didn't want to wait around for the luck to run out.
    He went back to his mopping duties in case any guards passed by, but kept a look-out for any more infected. Suddenly, he felt something touch his leg. Kall whirled around and brandished his mop, ready to defend himself.
    "Hello to you too." Greybeak said, pushed the end of Kall's improvised weapon to one side.
    "Sorry." Kall took a shaky breath. "I'm a little jittery."
    "A little?" Greybeak snarked. "You look worse than the walking corpses that seem to be cropping up everywhere."
    Kall rubbed his eyes. It was true that he looked bad. He hadn't gotten much sleep over the past few days, and he was so nervous that he jumped at every little sound.
    "Anyway," Greybeak continued, "I came to say that the plan is nearly ready. All the others are in too, so we should be able to get out at the next distraction. These infected were a blessing in disguise with all the extra stress they're causing for the guards. Without them we'd never get out of here."
    Kall sighed. He didn't exactly see it that way, and neither did everyone except for Greybeak, it seemed. The penguin was much too casual about the virus that came from the Miniknog experiments. It made Kall wonder.
    Greybeak was staring at him, and Kall realised he hadnt said anything for a minute.
    "Uh, yeah, okay." he shook his head to clear it. "What do you need me to do?"
    "Just to see how big an obstacle the Apex scientists could be." Greybeak picked up a mop. "And get some sleep. You're starting to freak me out."
    With that, the penguin moved away, and Kall went back to mopping. Every now and again he would hide whenever any infected passed by. He realised that he was being cautious to the point of paranoia, but he had survived every danger in his life so far by avoiding it- Earth being torn apart by a giant mosnter, military patrols looking to catch smugglers, his ex-girlfriend's calls. The only reason he was alive was because of a certain level of caution. Then again, he had landed in prison, so maybe his system was a little bit flawed.

    Kall used free period to spy on the Apex scientists, like Greybeak had told him. He waited for the experiment to be over and all the infected inmates to leave the area before moving in to make his move. Two Apex scientists were leaving the medbay, and he ducked down to avoid being seen. They passed by him and he caught a bit of their conversation.
    "-hope the psychological effects allow us to maintain control until we have collected the necessary data to collate with the Erchius strain." one of the scientists was saying.
    "Indeed. It would be unfortunate if we had a repeat of what happened on Alpha Svegnel III." the other replied. "However, the majority of test subjects seem to be more susceptible to our commands. If we can now-"
    Their voices faded away. Kall didn't dare follow them if they really could command the infected, but he realised they had left the medbay door open. Weighing up the risk of going into the very origin place of the infection against the reward of information, Kall's curiosity won out over his caution. He hated when that happened. It was his only weakness.
    Steeling his nerves, Kall slipped through the door into the medbay. It was a simply a large room lined with empty metal beds and low-grade medical equipment, though there were more advanced machines in a small room to the right. It looked Apex in design, and Kall guessed it was what they used for their testing and whatever else they did in here. There was also a computer with various diagrams and notes that Kall couldn't make sense of. With nothing else to see, Kall moved back towards the exit, glad to get out.
    A low growl from one of the beds he had thought to be empty caught his attention. Suddenly, an infected human leaped at Kall. Kall yelped as the larger man landed in front of him, barring the way out. His eyes were empty and red-rimmed, and his skin sickly green. One of his feet was badly swollen and large lumps grew from parts of his body that they shouldn't.
    "If I give it to you," the man choked out "I will be free."
    He retched a glob of blood, bile and prison food into his hand.
    "Stay... still." the infected gasped and threw the cocktail of bodily fluids.
    Fighting revulsion and abject terror, Kall ducked under the projectile. The infected circled around with a slow, lumbering gait. If he hadn't seen the man's previous speed, what happened next would have caught Kall off his guard. The infected reached out his arms and charged. Vaulting over one of the beds to put something between the two of them, Kall ran. The man leaped with outstretched hands but fell short, scarbbling at the bed he had hit on his way down and leaving Kall a free run to the door. He sprinted, keeping low to avoid any more hurled hurl, and didn't stop running until he got back to his cell.
    This is why I have to be cautious, Kall scolded himself mentally.
    He didn't eat any dinner that night. What he had seen put him off of soup for a very long time.



    "So, let's run through the plan." Greybeak whispered.
    They were kneeling on the ground behind one of the bunk beds, which Ivan had moved to provide cover. They probably wouldn't need it seeing as it was night (in the prison, anyway) and the guards were preoccupied with other things.
    Greybeak had somehow gotten a look at a map of the Box, and he had scratched a rough version into the dust on the bottom of their cell.
    "This looks less like map and more like Hylotl writing." Ivan observed. "Penguin should work on cartography."
    "Shut it." Greybeak snapped. "And listen up. Over here-" he pointed to one corner of his dust map. "-is the control room. We need to get to that in order to open the hangar doors. We can't get in without deactivating our ankle bands because it will trip the alarms."
    "But that's not a problem because you can rig them, right?" Kall asked.
    "See, that's the problem. There's a failsafe that will reactivate it within 3.7 minutes." Greybeak explained. "So we'll have to be in and out within that time. That means someone has to open the doors and get through them before someone notices."
    "I'll do it." Kall said. "But you'll need to tell me how."
    "In the mean time," the penguin continued, "someone else has to get the keycard for one of the ships so we can get inside. Only some of the guards have them. Luckily, I have a list."
    "I can get keycard." Ivan grinned and cracked his knuckles. "Ivan can be very persuasive."
    The Hylotl cleared her throat. Everyone turned to her expectantly. She gestured to her orange prison jumpsuit.
    "Our belongings." Kall realised. "Where are they kept?"
    Greybeak pointed to another spot on his makeshift map. "Over here. If we all go there together, we can get our stuff. Then Ivan and Clankpipe will get to the hangar while Kall..." he hesitated for a moment "fish girl and I will open the doors."
    Everyone nodded, except for Clankpipe, who was blindly staring at a wall and mumbling to himself in Agaran.
    "So everyone understands. Good. Be ready." Greybeak stood up. "Hopefully there'll be a good distraction soon."
    Hopefully not too good, Kall thought grimly.

    The next morning, the canteen was emptier than before. The number of inmates present for scheduled periods was decreasing. Kall suspected the guards were too scared to enforce rules on the infected. After all, it was easier to just let them wander around and not get in their way than trying to make them sit. This was good because it kept them away from the healthier prisoners. Unfortunately, there seemed to also be less of those. Their entire cell, every Novakid and Glitch, who weren't compatible with the virus, and a few others were still uninfected. That probably wouldn't last. So far they had been lucky, especially since no one in their cell had been selected for the experiment.
    "What is wrong, comrade?" Ivan asked. "You have been staring at wall and not touched delicious breakfast."
    "I don't feel like eating." Kall pushed his tray away.
    "Does this mean that I can have your food?" Ivan reached for it without waiting for an answer.
    "Why do you like prison food so much?" Kall asked, more to have something to talk about than anything else.
    "Is better than Miniknog rations soldiers get." Ivan replied between mouthfuls of grey sludge. "And here, food is not laced with chemicals for good fighting and obedience."
    "They controlled you with food?" Kall looked at the stuff resembling porridge, suddenly worried.
    "Yes, but don't worry, comrade." Ivan lifted up the bowl and drank the rest of it. "I can taste that there is nothing in this food. The chemicals were mixed with artificial banana to mask the flavour, but it always smell like old bread."
    Kall nodded, slightly confused. He hoped Ivan was right, and that their food really wasn't laced with anything. Just then, Clankpipe spoke up.
    "Warning. Halhoom plant kissface smashroom squishfish."
    "What?" Kall asked.
    "He's saying the Floran who got friendly with our silent friend over there is coming over." Greybeak answered.
    Kall turned around and, sure enough, the Floran who had threatened the Hylotl a while ago was coming towards them. He was wearing a bandage around his head, but yellow sap still seeped out. He didn't look happy.
    "Wait, how did you know what Clankpipe said?" Kall asked.
    "I told him to." Greybeak answered. "It helps me to understand the Agaran language."
    "You. Fish girl." The spat. "You hurt Floran. Floran sssstab now."
    This time, he was backed up by two of his Floran buddies. Fortunately, none of them looked infected.
    The Hylotl looked at him, not seeming worried in the slightest. Ivan stood up. Clankpipe rattled threateningly. Kall decided to hide under the table again if things got rough.
    Just then, a group of infected shuffled over.
    "If we pass it on, we are free." they droned.
    The Floran turned to them, angry and quite oblivious to the danger.
    "What you want from Flo-" he was interrupted when one of them spat a glob of bile and blood at the surprised Floran's face. Every infected suddenly screeched, as if the cork holding their frenzy at bay had popped out.
    Kall ran, and his cellmates were close behind him.
    "We gotta go soon," Greybeak panted "Or we'll all end up like them. This is a dangerous situation."
    "You only just realised?" Kall said sarcastically.
    "Shut it, shorty." Greybeak retorted.
    "You're half his size, comrade penguin." Ivan, who was handling all the running very well, said.
    "I'll have you know that I'm quite tall for my species."
    Kall would have sighed if he'd had any breath to do it with. Then he remembered the horde of infected behind them, and focused on using his breath for running instead.



    Kall awoke to blaring alarms. He had spent the previous day running and hiding, and now this. No time for sleep.
    "Hey short stuff, wake up." he heard Greybeak urgently whisper. "It's starting."
    Kall rubbed his eyes and slid off the bunk.
    "Now, does everyone remember their roles?" Greybeak asked.
    Ivan handed him a key card.
    "Good. Now then, Kall?" Greybeak turned to him.
    "What's happening?" Kall yawned. "Why are we-"
    "The infected are going crazy. The guards are trying to contain them." Greybeak summarised. "So we'll have to avoid everyone."
    "Sounds like much danger." Ivan grinned. "This will be fun."
    Greybeak took the key card and swiped it through the door's lock. "Let's go. Fish girl, you take Clankpipe."
    They began running. Flashing alarm lights bathed the corridor in red. A few corpses littered the floor. Ivan grabbed a rifle off of one of the dead guards. All the others seemed to be carrying electric batons, which would likely be useless against the infected.
    Greybeak lead them through the maze of identical prison corridors. Kall could hear the sounds of fighting in the distance. Finally, they arrived at the property room. With a swipe of the key card, the door was open. Quickly searching around, Kall found a computer with the inventory on it. His things were in a plastic tub 221 on shelf G7.
    His belongings when he came to the prison had been sparse. A pair of light grey pants, his low quality leather boots, a yellow t-shirt and his beloved beige pilot jacket. There had also been a gun and a couple hundred pixels, but the guards seemed to have helped themselves.
    It was strange to see the others in their normal clothes. Greybeak had merely taken off his jumpsuit and was now naked, which was the common fashion for most penguins. He was wearing a backpack, however.
    Ivan now wore a Miniknog military uniform that he had dyed black. He also seemed to not be any more armed than he was before. Clankpipe seemed to have had some trouble getting dressed, which was understandable. He was wearing a red noble shirt with ridiculously puffy sleeves and a pair of perfectly flared pants.
    Last of all to finish was the hylotl. She wore a white shirt, a suit jacket, a tie and a dark skirt. Her black head fins were expertly held up in by two long pins threaded through them in a physics defying bun. A pair of hylotl swords, one long and one short, were thrusts through her belt. The guards seemed to have no interest in her weapons.
    "I've found the locks for our translators." Greybeak was busy typing on the computer. "I can deactivate them so that we can understand each other."
    Kall heard static, then multiple words in different languages as the translator callibrated.
    "Can everyone understand now?" Greybeak asked.
    "Yes." Kall said."
    "Me too." the hylotl answered.
    "I do not have translator." Ivan still spoke with an accent. "Anything that is technology will allow Miniknog to access it. If I speak Apex into translator they will find me."
    "Right." Greybeak turned to Clankpipe. "What about you, buddy?"
    "Sad. <Universal translator error. Language not recognised. Attempting to parse.>"
    "Well, it was worth a try. I'll have to look into that head of yours once we're out of here." Greybeak seemed downcast for a moment.
    "So, we stick to the plan then?" Kall changed the subject.
    "Huh? Oh, uh, yeah." Greybeak nodded absentmindedly. "Fish girl, you still know what you're doing?"
    "My name," the hylotl answered "is Manami."
    "Great." Greybeak said. "Let's go."
    Ivan and Clankpipe began running into the direction of the hangar doors. Kall hoped they knew how to get the ship ready.
    Manami, Greybeak and him started off towards the main control room. The alarms had shut off and the whole place seemed a little too quiet. They arrived at an intersection of two corridors. Corpses of guards and infected were scattered across the floor.
    "Where to now?" Kall looked around nervously.
    "Left." Greybeak said. "I think."
    "You think?" Kall asked incredulously. "That doesn't sound very convincing."
    "Uh, friends, there's-" Manami began.
    "Well, there's no way of knowing." Greybeak ignored her. "It's not like I have a map."
    "I really don't think you should do this now." Manami tried again.
    "But you had a map." Kall said to Greybeak. "Why didn't you-"
    "SHUT UP!" Manami shouted. "We're surrounded and you're having this conversation now?"
    "Surrounded?" Greybeak asked. "What do you mean?"
    Just then, multiple bodies rose from the floor all around them. The infected had been playing dead.
    Manami put her hand on her long sword. Kall picked up an electrified baton and stood back to back with her. Greybeak rummaged around in his bag.
    "If we... pass it on," one of the infected droned between coughs, "we'll be free. If we pass it on, we'll be free."
    The others joined in, chanting the same phrase over and over again.
    "I will take as many of you as I can down with me." Manami snarled.
    "I thought hylotl were meant to be peaceful." Kall said, keeping his eyes on the hoard surrounding them.
    "This will be a mercy killing. I'll be doing them a favour." Manami replied.
    Then, the infected charged.


     
    Last edited: Jan 15, 2016
  2. AliasPseudonym

    AliasPseudonym Big Damn Hero

    To anyone reading, I've put up another chapter. So yeah. Read it or not.
     
    The Squid likes this.
  3. The Squid

    The Squid Oxygen Tank

    This is a great read and a well-written story. I'll be following this for sure.

    Also, I applaud you on your knowledge of the Agaran language.
     
  4. AliasPseudonym

    AliasPseudonym Big Damn Hero

    Thank you. I tried to make the Agaran seem like how real Agaran speak
     
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  5. AliasPseudonym

    AliasPseudonym Big Damn Hero

    Chapter 3 is up. Tell me what you think.
     
  6. Alkanthe

    Alkanthe Supernova

    This... isn't bad. Sometimes your sentences are awkwardly worded, but the story is actually a bit exciting. I think it may even be too short! :p
    Jokes aside, keep writing (and reading, especially of classic literature, won't hurt either).
     
  7. AliasPseudonym

    AliasPseudonym Big Damn Hero

    Thanks, and criticism duly noted!
     
  8. Alkanthe

    Alkanthe Supernova

    No problem!
     
  9. Shador

    Shador Subatomic Cosmonaut

    Great story! Continue with that :D
     
  10. Zebe

    Zebe Space Kumquat

    I'm getting some Guardians of the Galaxy -esque vibes from this (the prison scenes). Whether or not that is intentional (or maybe you haven't even heard of that movie), it's 100% a good thing. The story is a blast so far. Prisons are always so goofy. You can always expect brawls, strict wards and maybe in some totally outlandish case a escape.
    Keep writing on.

    Giggled at this probably more than I should have.
     
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  11. AliasPseudonym

    AliasPseudonym Big Damn Hero

    The vibes weren't intentional but now that you mention it...
    Thanks for the feedback. I had hoped that joke would be noticed!
     
    Zebe likes this.
  12. AliasPseudonym

    AliasPseudonym Big Damn Hero

    I was quiet there for a while because I had internet troubles and lost a few drafts (somewhat carelessly) because of it. Apparently edits don't save drafts. Good to know.
    Anyway, chapter 4 is up. So yeah.
     
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  13. Alkanthe

    Alkanthe Supernova

    Uh oh... sounds like something fishy is going on in there. Welcome back, by the way, and thanks for another new chapter!
     
  14. AliasPseudonym

    AliasPseudonym Big Damn Hero

    Hey, it's me again! Short chapter this time, and it might be the last one for a while. Tomorrow (1st November) is NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month. I will be trying to finally get a novel done, and that will probably mean focusing my energy on that rather than this. Anyone else who is a writer should also try. Well, that's all. See you (probably) in December.
     
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  15. Alkanthe

    Alkanthe Supernova

    It may be short, but it's pretty intense! It leaves me, at least, pretty scared for Kall.
    I've read about a couple fictional superviruses lately, but this is the only one that's left me hoping it DOESN'T spread, no matter what.
     
  16. The Squid

    The Squid Oxygen Tank

    These infected prisoners are starting to sound a lot like zombies... Just in time for Halloween!
    National Novel Writing Month, eh? Sounds like something I want to take part in.
     
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  17. Zebe

    Zebe Space Kumquat

    Okay I didn't expect cannibals. A very interesting direction the story is taking...

    NaNoWriMo, oh yeah. I've never understood how people get so much time for writing. 50,000 words in a month = over 1650 daily! Everything must be planned really good in advance. There is not much time to think with that schedule. It's a good event, but not for a master of procrastination like me. I don't have the energy to do that, but good to see people who actually participate in it.

    Luck with your novel! See you in a month (probably) then.
     
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  18. AliasPseudonym

    AliasPseudonym Big Damn Hero

    Hi, I'm back, though I am sorry to say I return in shame and defeat. I fell short of my goal, and must now commit seppuku! Death poem time!

    Anyway, look here
    I wrote another chapter
    It's slightly diff'rent
    Clankpipe's inner monologue
    (Insert season ref'rence here)

    There, a tanka. Now I can die with honour.
     
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  19. Tatterdemalion

    Tatterdemalion Phantasmal Quasar

    This latest chapter is my favorite so far, I think. I'm biased towards black comedy, and this was a great example! It also really developed Clankpipe as a character when he was previously a two-dimensional comic relief. Excellent chapter!
     
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  20. AliasPseudonym

    AliasPseudonym Big Damn Hero

    You're probably wondering why I called you all here. Well, chapter 6 is up. That will be all.
     

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