Thriller The Sins of the Sons

Andrea "Andy" Rebecca Baker
Somewhere



"If your japanese friend is with Carl she is dead or his pawn now. He has his way of winning those around him, you know? Just as the old stories said he would have." "Maybe I read too much. Carl is my problem. He will only be yours, when you make him yours."

Andy nodded. Her mind flashed back to the seconds after the crash. She had suggested going with Karl to the ?Inn? he had seen. He had refused. And she remembered that look on his face when he asked Sumiko to go with him. She was so gullible. Andy hadn?t wanted her to leave. . .had tried to plea. Now Sumiko was most likely at the bottom of a sand dune, blood oozing from a wound. Andy closed her eyes. Sumiko had a good head screwed on her shoulders. She would?ve had enough common sense to know something was up. She wouldn?t have become his pawn. Impossible, Andy knew. So, most likely, Sumiko was dead. Andy nodded again.

?Dead. Sumiko is dead.?

That was all she could manage to say. Anymore and she would?ve lost control once again. Andy caught Mr. Abec?s long stare. He seemed to be thinking about what he would say next. Very peculiar. She stared back. Finally she broke away and rested her head against the wall. She breathed in and out for a couple of seconds. The rest was much needed.

"You sky marshal isn´t dead. He is Caleb now. It is pretty much the opposite of dead." "And yes, there is one way to reverse it. But only one way. Is it what you desire? If so, I should probably explain to you who and what Caleb actually is."

Andy paused, then spoke.

?He was not, is not, just a sky marshal. Vincent Doyle will never just be a sky marshal. He is the bravest man I have ever met. He was my modern day knight in shining armor. He was everything I have ever dreamed of, anything any little Italian girl, any American girl, any little girl in the world, has ever dreamed of. He cared for me, and in the end he sacrificed himself for me. He became a part of this Caleb.?

?I would do anything, anything to save Vincent. If it meant risking my life, so be it. If the world had to Change another time over so that he would come back, so be it.?

?So to your question, yes.?

?I want Vincent returned. And I would do anything for it to happen."



TAG: Fin

 

IC: Sumiko Nakamura
Flight 2440 / Desert


Dr Casper looked at her and shook his head. He indicated the gun that Vincent once had on his person. A now weakened Vincent sagged in the arms of the two men holding him.

"Listen, he won?t be hurt. He is just too . . . anxious. I will give him something to sleep and once we have landed, you two and everybody else can sort out what happened."


The doctor said prepped an injection needle. As she watched him a heavy dizzy spell came over her all of a sudden. She grimaced and leaned heavily against the head-rest of the chair. The doctor snapped his head back up and looked at her, a concerned look on his face

?Are you okay??

She wasn?t. It all happened so fast. She started to feel sick, her body overcome by weakness. It was as if every ounce of strength she had was suddenly drained away in an instant, her limbs felt cold and heavy and strangely she felt like there was water in her mouth. She didn?t even remember collapsing, but vaguely registered being caught and carefully lowered to the floor between the rows of seats. It was the dark haired boy who had caught her. He looked down upon her as he held her and he was smiling. It was serene, a knowing smile?a smile she had seen before?

?Looks can be deceiving, do not forget that Sumiko. See ya soon."

she felt the boy gently stroke some of her hair from her face, and in her last moments of clarity she found herself thinking that the boy sounded a lot like Tony when he spoke?Could it be?? But Tony was an older man, an Asian man. It couldn?t be him?.But that smile, that presence?She tried to say his name but nothing came out. The world around her went into a downward spiral and her body went limp in his arms?


Heat

Pain

A rough coarse sensation on her skin


Sumiko?s dark eyes opened, and were immediately assaulted by bright sunlight. She weakly curled her fingers into whatever earth she was lying on. It was sand. Her clothes and skin were covered with it.

She was in the desert again.

How was she back in the desert?

She slowly became aware that Water was being held to her mouth, she coughed as some of it passed her lips. She also discovered that she was not alone. As her vision cleared a bit more, she saw a woman above her. Her blonde hair seemed to catch the sun. She was pretty. But the strangest thing was that Sumiko had seen this woman before. It was the blonde woman who had been sitting alongside her and the dark haired boy on the plane. How was she here? She tried to move but her aching body protested.

?H-how??

Was all she could say as she looked at the woman. Was she dreaming? Or had Dr Casper and the plane been the dream? Both felt so real, it was impossible to tell?


TAG: Fins, Sirak

 

IC: Sharon Cosner
Corben's Inn

"Let's go," Sharon said again, reaching out to grasp the younger woman by the elbow. Her grip was gentle, but firm. "Come on, Vashti - let's get cleaned up, and see about getting a car running."

Outside, it was incongruously bright. Sharon blinked and squinted out into the sunlight. Strange how little some things had changed, even however-many years into the future - the Nevada sun was still bright, and still made her blink and shade her eyes every time she went outside.

The truck Karl mentioned was sitting outside, looking none the worse for wear from being used for cover against a gun-toting priest. Not too far away were a couple of small cars that might suit ... but first ...

She guided Vashti around the back, towards the staff entrance. It led to a tiny locker room where the waitresses left their clothes and things during their shifts, as well as a small bathroom for freshening up. Technically, they could have gone through the inn to get there, but that would have entailed walking through the carnage in the front room. She didn't think that would be a good idea.

"Wash up and get changed into something more comfortable," Sharon said, indicating the bathroom with a wave of her hand. She suited action to words, pulling her usual clothes off the rack, and shot Vashti a faint smile. "Go on ... you'll feel better, and this might be our last chance for a while."

(And yes: she was determinedly not talking about The Change, the shooting, or everything that had transpired in the last couple of hours. Not until they had gotten cleaned up, anyway. It had been her experience that talking things over while your hands were still bloody did not make for very productive conversation.)

TAG: swbeauty

 

Sarah Brandt
Desert


How.

How?

The japanese woman woke up. She wasn´t dead, although Sarah was pretty sure someone lying in the desert for a few hours should be. Yet, it was not that much of a surprise. Whatever power was at work here, it clearly was greater than what she was able to understand. And if her mysterious sponsor told her she would be alive, she should expect him to be right about it.

"Okay, soviel dazu, dass du all die Antworten hast hm?" She sighed and pushed the rifle to her back. She helped the girl up and with a smile she pulled her sunglasses on her eyes. "Sumiko. you are Sumiko, right? I have no idea how anything works anymore, sorry. Can´t help you with the big HOW. But you are alive, in a desert in what I assume are the USA in a few years from where we come. And I am Sarah Brandt and Tony send me to help you and get you out of this . . . unfortunate situation and help you with your mission. I got weapons, food and drinks and I got some sort of electronic orientation device. Compass? Is it compass in english? I should warn you, I also am not that good in English."

Then she shut up and looked around. She had trained that little speech all night, while getting familiar with her gun. Her gun. She had a gun now. She preferred a netbook as a weapon of choice and a blog, maybe. But now she got a gun. Was she taken out of the picture or had she qualified through her observations to be here?

She turned back to the girl. "Drink. You must have lost a terrible lot of water."


Tag: Leigh

 

ooc: sorry. Wrong game.

 

ooc: everyone busy? How wonderful! So only one update.

Somewhere, Ruins

Liam Abec nodded thoughtfully. ?Everything. I see. I see. Maybe you can save him. Maybe I can help you. And maybe you can help me.? It felt like he was calculating an equasion as he said it like that. Then he stood up and nodded. ?I need to explain to you what Caleb is, first, do I?? He slowly walked over to the door. ?I shall. But maybe you should first see. See where you are.?

And with that he opened the door and the ruins of the world appeared outside. A world abandoned by life and man for a long time.

[image=http://www.fantasy-wallpapers.com/view-postapokalipsis_ruin_ruins_city-800x600.html]

[image=http://coolvibe.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/ruin_city-992x558.jpg]

Liam turned to her, and his hand went to his pocket. Then he took out a whistle and put it into his mouth. He turned to Andy and held out his hand. ?Come and meet Caleb.?
From everywhere, from holes, from the sewers, from buildings and streets suddenly poured bodies into the streets. Children, men and women, were all running and all sharing the same emotionless face that Liam Abec was having. In a strange way one could feel he belonged to them. They gathered right outside the little house Liam had patched Andy together in. It were thousands, probably hundreds of thousands. Many had guns, clubs, strange improvised swords and spears.

?Caleb. This is Andy. She is a friend.? Liam said, without looking at the masses.

And a thousand voices repeated in absolute synchronization. ?We are Caleb.?

?He is Caleb.? Liam seemed to confirm it with a nod to Andy.

Tag: Spy

 

Andrea ?Andy? Rebecca Baker
Somewhere, Ruins


"Everything. I see. I see. Maybe you can save him. Maybe I can help you. And maybe you can help me.? ?I need to explain to you what Caleb is, first, do I??

Once Andy nodded, she watched as Mr. Abec stood and approached the door. She immediately feared what lay on the other side. She was in the future. A future after the Change.

?I shall. But maybe you should first see. See where you are.?

The door was opened. Andy gasped in shock.

[image=http://www.fantasy-wallpapers.com/wallpapers/postapokalipsis_ruin_ruins_city-800x600.jpg]

Deteriorated buildings crumbled onto the pavement. Weeds grew between the cracks in the road. Cars covered in rust were splayed across the broken road. Trash littered the streets. Andy found herself in tears. She couldn?t find the courage to imagine San Francisco. Her father, another skeleton buried beneath the rubble of the days before. Wiping her eyes with the back of her hand, she tried to focus on Mr. Abec. But it kept coming back to her. The natural wonders. What had become of them. Had an earthquake devastated the Grand Canyon? Had a tsunami drowned Florida? Had a dormant volcano burnt Hawaii to a crisp? Was this the only place left on the world? Andy knew it didn?t matter. All that was left in the godforsaken world was a makeshift group of time travelers, an emotionless old man, and Caleb. Whatever the hell that was.

Mr. Abec turned to her and reached into his pocket. He took a small object out of his pocket. A twinkle of light struck the object. Andy realized it was whistle. And she knew what Mr. Abec was to do. He put it to his lips and blew. Then he reached a hand out to her.

?Come and meet Caleb.?

She pulled away the blankets. Lowering her snapped high heels onto the floor, she stood on wobbly legs. She collapsed back on the bed. She mustered the strength to swig some water in her mouth, then got up onto her legs. She took Mr. Abec?s hand and stumbled to the doorway. As she gazed out at the new world, she covered her eyes from the bright sun. Suddenly something caught her eye. A lone person ran from a collapsed building. Followed by more. And more. And then they were coming from everywhere. She rubbed her eyes. They came from the sewers below, from the buildings that rose above. It wasn?t just men. Women. Children. Different genders, nationalities, body types. Andy glanced at Mr. Abec, then back to the charging people. They all held the same expression. Emotionless. Andy feared for a moment that Mr. Abec had joined them. That he had become a part of them. Maybe he was, with a just a little more sense than the rest.

Andy stared out at the vast ocean of people. Could Vincent be out there? Standing amongst all the rest? Emotionless? As Andy looked closer, she realized most of them held weapons of many different shapes and kinds. Andy felt like she was a stranger in no man?s land.

?Caleb. This is Andy. She is a friend.?

Liam addressed the crowds like a king. And they answered.

In unison.

?We are Caleb.?

All of them spoke at once. Every single one of them.

?He is Caleb.?

Mr. Abec agreed, nodding at Andy. She was limp with shock.

?But. . .but. . .how??


TAG: Fin

 

Ruins of a City

Liam smiled. It was even less emotional than his usual mask of indifferent.

?Caleb is a creature living in multiple bodies, Andy. Sort of a hive intelligence, but as sophisticated as ants were. Well, he was a prototype, I believe. A first stage of something that should have been perfected, later. Obviously they failed to contain it. Caleb is a genetical engineered virus. A virus far beyond anything human genetics could have dreamt of in their wildest dreams. Do you know memory is stored in RNA? The same RNA the body uses to transfer information between cells to assign them to their genetic purpose. Caleb overwrites the memory of it´s host, replacing it with it´s own. Through that the host remembers nothing of his former life, but shares his thoughts and memories with Caleb.? Liam stepped to her. The horde of Caleb waited patiently, listening to the story of it´s origin as if it didn´t concern him . . . or it, whatever one preferred to call this new lifeform.

?Carl Weber created it. I had many theories to the question why. Maybe he wanted to take humanity hostage or it has something to do with his own state of existence. Probably he wanted to rule the world and looked for a way to get rid of free will. I do not know, to be truthful. But he failed to control Caleb. Caleb spread. No nuclear strikes or armies could keep him from spreading. He spread and through his extreme ability to coordinate he survived humanity. Caleb replaced it. Caleb became all that is left of it, except a very few individuals who seemed to be immune to him. Like you. When people get infected, they usually turn out to be very aggressive, while they transform. A sideeffect of memory loss, I assume. That happened to you in the dunes when one of those crashed people caugh the virus.?

Liam stepped back to her. ?Caleb, get us some food. Animal food. Roast it and bring us water, too. Our friend is exhausted and we need her to be strong. She also needs clothes and a gun.? He didn´t speak loud, but Caleb seemed to understand. One of Caleb stepped forward and entered that room. It stayed at a distance, but closer to them than the rest.

[image=http://ruhrpottbilder.de/wp-content/uploads/portrait-kuvi01.jpg]

?Can I trust her?? Caleb asked.

Liam turned. ?No. But you need her. You need her, because Carl is back.?

Caleb looked at him.

?Father.? And there was a hint of emotion now. Disgust. Anger. Hatred, maybe. ?FATHER.? The rest of him joined him when he said the word a second time. Now it sounded angry.

Liam nodded. ?Yes. Father.?

Tag: Spy

 

IC: Vashti Schick

The world made absolutely no sense to Vashti anymore. True, the earlier events were strange but now this man...what was he? He was able to bring people back to life but it wasn't just bringing him back to life, he was going to miraculously change him into a better person or at least one that wouldn't harm her?

Vashti could hear Sharon talking to her and could feel the woman's touch on her elbow leading her away from the scene but it all seemed so distant. She wanted to protest but felt it was worthless. The time to fight was not now.

Sharon led her out and the sun was blinding. That was still the same. Nothing made sense but the sun was still there. In a way it seemed like a sign from God letting her know He was still there. Evil men may quote scriptures, evil men will be given a second chance at life while good people stayed dead but it was alright because the sun still shone brightly. She had never once taken such comfort in something she had experienced everyday.

They ended up in the locker room. It was untouched by the earlier happenings. So strange seeing a room without blood and bodies on the floor.

"Wash up and get changed into something more comfortable," "Go on ... you'll feel better, and this might be our last chance for a while."

Vashti grabbed her clothes off the rack and took them into the bathroom. She shut the door without turning on the light, scared of seeing her reflection. Taking a deep breath, the click of the light switch sounded and she turned around. The woman in the mirror was not the same as the girl that changed in here this morning. She wondered if her own parents would have recognized her. Her brown hair fell around her shoulders all frazzled, having fallen out of her usual ponytail. Her face was covered in dirt, blood, and mascara mixed with tears.

Leaning over the sink, she filled her grimy hands with water and splashed her face. The cool water felt like heaven. Looking up again, the woman noticed what had changed the most. It was her eyes. Those eyes were no longer innocent. They had seen death and coveted evil. No, she wasn't that sweet and naive girl any longer.

"Please God, get me through this. I can't do it alone." What number prayer was this? It didn't matter. She needed Him to be there and the idea comforted her.

Moments later, she exited the restroom wearing a pair of blue jeans and a white blouse. They had been nicer clothes since she had planned to meet up with a friend after work. If only she had known.

"Thank you Sharon. I really do feel much better." How strange that a change of clothes and some soapy water could change your mood. "What is next on the list?"

There were so many questions she had for the other woman but something stopped her from asking quite yet. The time just wasn't right.

Tag: Xany, LordT

 

Andrea "Andy" Rebecca Baker
Somewhere, Ruins


She noticed Mr. Abec?s eerie grin out of the corner of her eye. It seemed as if the old man was dead inside. Andy guessed anyone who had to suffer through the end of the world might end up dead inside. Just look at all the Caleb people.

?Caleb is a creature living in multiple bodies, Andy. Sort of a hive intelligence, but as sophisticated as ants were. Well, he was a prototype, I believe. A first stage of something that should have been perfected, later. Obviously they failed to contain it. Caleb is a genetical engineered virus. A virus far beyond anything human genetics could have dreamt of in their wildest dreams. Do you know memory is stored in RNA? The same RNA the body uses to transfer information between cells to assign them to their genetic purpose. Caleb overwrites the memory of it´s host, replacing it with it´s own. Through that the host remembers nothing of his former life, but shares his thoughts and memories with Caleb.?

Andy stared at Mr. Abec. She had done fairly well in school, but she had been too busy chasing after boys to pay much attention, especially in science class. But she strangely understood all of this. And it scared her. Scared her badly. Caleb was a virus. She had assumed as much, but she had never thought so deeply about it. Vincent had caught a bug. One of the worst bugs a person could catch. A bug that helped end our would.

?Carl Weber created it. I had many theories to the question why. Maybe he wanted to take humanity hostage or it has something to do with his own state of existence. Probably he wanted to rule the world and looked for a way to get rid of free will. I do not know, to be truthful. But he failed to control Caleb. Caleb spread. No nuclear strikes or armies could keep him from spreading. He spread and through his extreme ability to coordinate he survived humanity. Caleb replaced it. Caleb became all that is left of it, except a very few individuals who seemed to be immune to him. Like you. When people get infected, they usually turn out to be very aggressive, while they transform. A sideeffect of memory loss, I assume. That happened to you in the dunes when one of those crashed people caugh the virus.?

Andy remembered the Old Man well. He was Caleb now, but she still wanted to called him the Old Man. Who had seemed so helpful in the beginning. Who in the end took Vincent away from her. Hopefully not for long. Something that puzzled Andy was the fact that Carl turned out to be the manufacturer of Caleb. Andy had known something was up with him. Something had been odd. Turns out the man helped end the world, then got a one way ticket to the future. He didn?t get to savor watching the world end around him. Andy wanted to kill him. She wanted to watch him die. Looking out at all the silent men, women, and children, she thought of who they had once been. Who they had been before Caleb had captured them. Carl had caused most of this.

?Caleb, get us some food. Animal food. Roast it and bring us water, too. Our friend is exhausted and we need her to be strong. She also needs clothes and a gun.?

One Caleb, a darker skinned man, stepped forward to Mr. Abec and her. He gazed at both of them. He didn?t come any closer than needed, but still Andy backed up a step. She didn?t think she could handle that thing touching her. It freaked her out.

?Can I trust her??
?No. But you need her. You need her, because Carl is back.?
?Father.?

The darker skinned man?s face changed. Only a twitch of something. A darkness resting beneath his face. It resembled that of which Mr. Abec had only moments ago when bringing up Carl, but this seemed. . .different also. Weird. Things took a turn for the frightening when they all spoke at once.

?FATHER.?

Mr. Abec nodded

?Yes. Father.?

?This is frickin? nuts. Carl did this to all of these people. . .He did this to Vincent.?

?What am I to do, Mr. Abec? What do I do to save Vincent? And I guessing you will benefit from t

 

IC: Sharon Cosner
Corben's Inn

While Vashti was in the bathroom, Sharon took the opportunity to change as well. She traded her uniform for a pair of dark jeans, an ordinary top and her favourite leather jacket. Her old pistol went into its shoulder holster as usual, concealed by the jacket. Milton's Glock - Sharon considered for a moment, then tucked it into her belt at the small of her back. It would be uncomfortable, but all the alternatives were either inconvenient or too obvious. (It was probably safe to assume that they would run into unfriendly people in this future world ... and if so, Sharon preferred not to give up the element of surprise.) A pair of boots capped off the ensemble.

She was just finishing brushing her hair when Vashti re-emerged, looking far calmer - not calm, exactly, but calmer. She had also apparently decided to keep up the charade of normalcy. Sharon nodded at the younger woman, not entirely concealing the knowing look in her eyes. "Let me wash up," she said, "and we'll go see about getting a car ready to get out of here."

It didn't take Sharon long to wash her hands and splash some water on her face, and soon she was leading the way back outside to the parking lot. "The truck's the only one with gas," Sharon said as they walked, "but it'll have lousy fuel efficiency, so we'll need to siphon it out and into one of the smaller cars. Perhaps ... mm ... that one there." She pointed at a small, fairly modern-looking vehicle at the end of the lot. Sharon was no gearhead, but a simple rule of thumb was that smaller cars sucked up less gas, and new was better than old.

"I think there's an old siphon in the garage," she continued. "Could you find it and bring it out here? I'll get some fuel cans." Those, she knew, were stacked against the far wall.

TAG: swbeauty, (LordT)

 

IC: Sumiko Nakamura
Desert


The woman muttered something in a language that wasn?t familiar to Sumiko. She saw the weapon that she pushed onto her back, feeling a nervous chill go up her spine. She couldn?t help but be nervous, the last person who she had encountered in this damned desert had tried to kill her. . But the woman smiled, reaching out to help her up. Her body trembled a little and a soft grunt left her lips as she was helped back up to her feet, her legs feeling heavy and stiff. She stumbled but willed herself to stay upright on the uneven desert floor. She was able to get a better look at her rescuer now. Another gun hung from a belt at her hip, she wore a backpack on her back. She casually slipped a pair of sunglasses over her eyes. The most startling thing however, was that the blonde woman didn?t seem at all fazed by their location or situation at all, and if she was, she hid it well.

"Sumiko. you are Sumiko, right? I have no idea how anything works anymore, sorry. Can?t help you with the big HOW. But you are alive, in a desert in what I assume are the USA in a few years from where we come. And I am Sarah Brandt and Tony send me to help you and get you out of this . . . unfortunate situation and help you with your mission. I got weapons, food and drinks and I got some sort of electronic orientation device. Compass? Is it compass in English? I should warn you, I also am not that good in English."

Sarah turned her head and glanced at the endless expanse of sand that surrounded them. Sumiko?s eyes flashed as took in all that Sarah had said.. She couldn?t believe what she was hearing. What was she saying? That they were in the future? How could that be possible? Sarah had already said she didn?t know the specifics, but it was still a lot for Sumiko to take in. How did she even get here?

It was the change. It had to be.

She mentioned Tony. Sumiko?s stomach flipped. Tony had sent her to help her? Why? The reason she was in this ?unfortunate situation? was partly his fault. Sarah turned back and looked her in the face.

"Drink. You must have lost a terrible lot of water."

Sumiko did what she was told. She may have been awake but she was far from fighting fit right now. She brought the bottle to her mouth and took a tentative gulp of the water. It went down a lot easier this time around. She looked at Sarah, decked out in weaponry and supplies. Sumiko had never seen a gun in real life prior to flight 2440, now they seemed to be everywhere. She wasn?t going to lie, it un-nerved her. Was this mission really going to be that dangerous? Her brow furrowed and she looked Sarah in the eye, a confused look on her face.

?Tony-san sent you??

She said, surprise clear in her voice. His face flashed in her mind, The Tony she had first encountered on flight 2440. The Tony she had seen in her dream. The Asian man with a liking for cigarettes and a sad smile.



"I see you already met Laura?"


How are you, girl? Good you called your parents, right?"


?But if I were you . . . ? Tony, or what appeared to be Tony looked into the desert. The mouthless girl seemed to be gone. ?I wouldn?t loose too much time and find that girl?



Find that girl?that is what Tony wanted her to do. A girl with no mouth, a girl who had only been seen in dreams.

?I saw him in a dream?Tony-san said I had to find a girl. But he told me no more than that. I don?t know what he expects of me??

She sighed heavily, and turned away from the other woman. Her fingers unconsciously pressing into the plastic bottle. Her hands trembled every so slightly. Frustration and fear were building up in her, but there was also doubt. Self doubt. Her shoulders sagged and she stared down at the sandy floor. She was so sick of sand, or deserts, of not knowing what was going on.

??or what he sees in me?


TAG: Sirak, Fins

 

Sarah Brandt
Desert

She had to laugh a little. In a dream. "You meant you met him for real, too? I actually thought I would make him up until I ended up on that flight. Had him in my dreams for over three month. Last minute change of schedule from my travel agency made me join 2440. Just as he had told me." Sarah looked at Sumiko and sighed in sympathy. Tony had not told her a word more than he had told her. No, actually he had told Sumiko less. Maybe that was necessary. It was annoying anyway. "Verdammter Mistkerl." She cursed him in German and looked around in the desert. "I guess we need to find that girl then. Because I can tell you what Tony expects from you. He was pretty clear about that point. He told me to help you and to look after you. He said I had some unique genetic ability and that was why it had to be me." Sarah sighed again and stood up, offering the Japansese girl a hand. "And he told me you would save the world, Sumiko. He said Sumiko will save the world or nobody will."

Looking around again she realized how bright this had to be for the girl and offered he her sunglasses. She didn´t needed them. Another strange thing she wasn´t surprised about. "He said you would need to do it, because nobody else would be left to save the world." And he had also told her why she couldn´t do it. But that was meant for her and only for her. "I get what he meant by that, by now. Not much left anyway, is it?"

Tag: Leigh

 

Ruins

Liam looke at her and seemed to evaluate her question for a long time. The silence grew almost uncomfortable, but was borken by another two of Caleb as they approached. One brought an overall and boots. Both were Andy´s size. The second was having a glass of not too clear ater and what looked like a roasted rabbit. they sat it down on the only table in the small room.

"There is only one creature existing that can save Vincent. One creature alone hold the power to reverse such Changes to a human body." Liam turned to her and nodded to Caleb. The young man who had brought the food suddenly drew a gun from his belt and handed it to her.

[image=http://www.greendevils.pl/technika_wojskowa/bron/fn57/fn_five-seven_pistol.gif]

"But that creature is in mortal danger and you will have to save it. Caleb, why don´t you tell her how she can save him?"

The three calebs looked at Liam, then nodded. The turned to her and when they spoke the choir of all voices from the outside strengthened their simple words.

"KILL KARL."

Liam showed a smile. "Yes. You need to kill him."

"Kill KARL!" Caleb repeated. "KILL KARL!" They shouted a third time.

"Kill. Karl." Liam ended the choir with saying the words himself.


Tag: Spy

 

Andrea "Andy" Rebecca Baker
Ruins


Mr. Abec stared at her for several minutes. Long, uncomfortable minutes. The silence from either of them grew to be almost unbearable, but Andy continued to stare at him. She wasn?t going to give in. This guy had just told her she was in the future of the Change and that her lover had been taken over by a biological bug that had thousands upon thousands of people in its grasp. Andy breathed a sigh of relief when two other Calebs walked inside. One brought overalls folded up, with boots set on top. She looked at the hideous clothing. Had this not been the only other wardrobe option, Andy wouldn?t have been caught dead in it. The other Caleb carried in a glass of water and a roasted animal. It resembled a bunny rabbit, but at the moment Andy didn?t care. As she reached to take the food, Mr. Abec spoke.

"There is only one creature existing that can save Vincent. One creature alone hold the power to reverse such Changes to a human body."

Andy watched Mr. Abec nod at the Caleb with her food. He reached to his belt and pulled out a gun. Andy jerked back for a moment. Then the Caleb leaned over and handed it to her. She reached out a shaky hand and took it. She felt along the muzzle of it. A gun. Then she knew what her job would consist of it. And it scared her.

"But that creature is in mortal danger and you will have to save it. Caleb, why don´t you tell her how she can save him?"

The three Calebs glanced over at Liam together. In sync. Andy held the gun close to her chest as they nodded and turned back to her.

?KILL KARL.?

Thousands of voices echoed the men. All of Caleb spoke. Andy looked back down to her gun in shock.

?Yes. You need to kill him.?

?But-but-I can?t-? Andy stuttered over the words.

?KILL KARL! KILL KARL!?

?No! No. . .. . .there has to be another way. . .I can?t. . .?

?Kill. Karl.? Mr. Abec ended the voices as they all looked to her. She fiddled with the gun. She kept seeing Karl?s smug face in her head. He had killed Sumiko. He had stolen Vincent away from her. He had took all of them here. Andy stared down at her hands.

Finally, she looked back up to Mr. Abec. Her eyes were strong. A flicker of a flame lit in them. It was a million times stronger than the flame in her eyes on the plane. Because she had changed. The world had changed, and she had changed with it. And that was why she was going to do what she was going to do.

?I?ll do it.?

?For Vincent.?


TAG: Fin

 

Sumiko Nakamura
Desert


"You meant you met him for real, too? I actually thought I would make him up until I ended up on that flight. Had him in my dreams for over three month. Last minute change of schedule from my travel agency made me join 2440. Just as he had told me."

Sumiko nodded. Yes she had met Tony for real. But it seemed like a lifetime ago now. Who would have thought that the tipsy Asian man who had been sitting beside her on a commercial flight would be the person who would turn her world upside down. She heard Sarah mutter something else in her native tongue. She glanced around again before looking back at her

"I guess we need to find that girl then. Because I can tell you what Tony expects from you. He was pretty clear about that point. He told me to help you and to look after you. He said I had some unique genetic ability and that was why it had to be me."

Sarah sighed, offering her hand. Sumiko accepted it. A curious look crossed her face. Unique genetic ability? A nervous knot formed in her stomach as she listened to the woman?s words. She wasn?t expecting what came next.

"And he told me you would save the world, Sumiko. He said Sumiko will save the world or nobody will."

Save the world? She was still getting her mind around the fact that she had ended up in the future. This latest revelation was an even bigger bombshell. Her face was a picture. Time travel. Saving the world. Once upon a time these things were confined to the realms of fiction. Popular Cartoons and Cult TV. But this was not the case any more. The world was a dangerous, twisted confusing place now, the change had made sure of that. Sarah looked about at the sands that surrounded them for another moment, then turned back to her and removed the sunglasses that she wore. The sun didn?t seem to aggravate her eyes the way it did to hers. She handed them to the confused Japanese girl.

"He said you would need to do it, because nobody else would be left to save the world?.I get what he meant by that, by now. Not much left anyway, is it?"

Sumiko accepted the offer of the sunglasses with a silent nod of thanks, slipping them on, her stinging eyes grateful for some relief from the blinding sun and dry air that assaulted them. Even with her eyes covered however, the surprise on her face was still plain to see as she took in what Sarah had said. She didn?t detect any mocking or falseness in the woman?s words. She seemed serious. A solemn feeling washed over her. Realisation dawned. She had been charged with an overwhelming task. Literally the weight of the world on her shoulders. She let out a heavy sigh, a disbelieving tone in her voice as she spoke.

?I?I have to save the world? Me? How? How can I do that? I?m just one person! I?m not a fighter! I?m just a girl! And I always seem to mess things up??

She found herself thinking about Andrea and Vincent. She had let them down, left them in the desert, had been a burden during the plane crash and was naïve in trusting Karl and nearly killed as a result. Why would Tony entrust her with this? Realising she was close to freaking out, she took in a deep breath and forced herself to calm down. She balled her hands into fists

??What happens if I fail??


Tag: Sirak

 

Sarah Brandt
Desert

She looked at the girl and her brow raised in doubt as she assured her she was no fighter. "Oh dammit and here was me wanting to keep the Change at gunpoint and make it stop killing people. Right after I beat up apocalypse. What the hell would we need a fighter for? What could we possibly fight?" Sarah shook her head.


??What happens if I fail?? Sumiko asked.

Sarah looked around. How could they save this world anyway? It seemed lost to her. she hadn´t seen a lot of it. but she had dreams and the overwhelming feeling they had all been true. "This." She nodded, without looking at Sumiko. "I think if we fail this is exactly what happens." If they saved the world it was the past world for sure. the one behind them. This world was what they had to save it from. But how did someone change things already happened? Good thing, that was Sumiko´s problem.

"So any idea where to find your little girl? Otherwise I would have an idea who we could ask. I have dreamt about a man living in Vegas. And as everything else I dreamt turned out to be true . . ." Sarah laughed. "Why not him?"

Tag: Leigh

 

Karl Weber and Milton Prest
Corben´s Inn

(combined with Fin, actually wrote this together with him, which was my greatest pleasure)

Karl waited for the two women to get out of the diner, then he turned back to the body beneath him. With a sigh of regret he pushed his hands on the man?s face, covering his eyes with his thumbs. So it was true. Not that he had doubted it, not that it had escaped his attention. But the Change had made them mortal. A process he had only seen beginning in the time he had escaped. Escaped . . . he hadn´t really escaped, had he? He had bought time. A trip through it, to be more precise. But his days were counted. His purpose was to change things here. A reset.

Milton´s dead face beneath him stared into his eyes, as if he accused him of something. Karl looked deep into them. Then they vanished in a blur. Karl felt it was uneasy, less comfortable than it as used to be. It did not come natural. It was no longer his second nature, but only something he remembered. Something he had in him, like a stockpile. Eventually he would use it up. Once that had happened, he was pretty sure his death would not be far away now.
The body of Milton trembled as if there was an earth quake. The vibration took it over, completely, making it almost vanish to the eye as it became one blurry mass of movement.

Karl felt with every second more drained.

The end of existence was strange for something that was unending by definition.

Just as Milton. Dead Milton. Karl hissed out air. It hurt. It had never hurt before or had been so hard for him. The body of the dead spasmed, threw his arms left and right. Then finally Milton Prest opened his eyes and took one deep, rapsy breath into his dead lungs.

?Welcome back.? Karl smiled down to him and fell backwards, leaning against the wall and slowly sliding down to it. Milton sat up, at first with a fast move, then slower as his nerves returned and pain spread. The red hole in his forehead made him look like an Indian deity.

?Karl.? He grinned. ?Couldn´t let me go? I wasn´t sure if you could resurrect me.? He laughed out as if he had triumphed. Karl returned his celebration with a sad smile.
?I don´t have that kind of power anymore, Milton. It is only temporary.? Karl´s voice was cold. He knew what Milton had done, would do. And Milton realized in that moment Karl knew. Milton was mortal now. Forty years of change had done that to him. Karl could have brought him back. He was just holding back his power for the things to come. Milton guessed that probably. He guessed he wasn´t that important anymore.

?I see.? Milton replied coolly. And as he tried to sit up, he realized most of his body was paralyzed. He allowed himself to fall back and lay on the floor staring up to the ceiling. ?You knew it, do you? You knew what I was up to.?

Karl nodded. ?All the time. Your heart is a treacherous one, my old friend. If you could kill our father, how could I ever, ever trust you?? Milton sighed and left that unanswered. Karl smiled back and went on.
?What happened after I got here.? Karl leaned forward. ?Did I find him??
Milton laughed out. Karl´s brows rose in surprise. ?So funny??
?Funny thing is, Karl. For forty years I wished I had asked you before I killed you. Each and every last one of you.? Milton hissed the words. Karl laughed. ?Except me.? He said. ?I wondered how it happened, when I arrived here. It is strange, to feel the absence of their presences. Much more intense than feeling their actual presence, really. But you do not understand that, do you? Limited as you are.?

Both men stayed silent for a moment. Milton then turned his head still lying on his back. ?Body looses feeling again. You have not much time left, Karl. What do you wanna know? Hm? What I learned? I am not your slave anymore, Karl. Not a slave to your ideas!?
Karl stood up now and returned to his paralyzed friend. ?Really, Milton. You will tell me everything about who caused the Change. I know you were after Zinsky. And HE was too. And in Hamburg? Wha

 

Sumiko Nakamura
Desert


"Oh dammit and here was me wanting to keep the Change at gunpoint and make it stop killing people. Right after I beat up apocalypse. What the hell would we need a fighter for? What could we possibly fight?"

Sumiko flinched inwardly at Sarah?s response, fighting back an embarrassed blush. She hoped the woman would forgive her for her self defeating outburst, after all, she was not used to all this. She was not used to people relying so heavily on her, not used to people seeing things in her, putting their faith in her. Sarah glanced about the desert and it looked like she was contemplating Sumiko?s question. She spoke, but kept her eyes on the sandy plains.

"This. I think if we fail this is exactly what happens."

Sumiko listened to the woman?s words and concentrated on them deeply. Once upon a time she couldn?t even imagine a world so barren and dead, but now that she had seen it, witnessed it, experienced it, it made her heart and soul feel heavy, empty. Could she really do it? Prevent the world from becoming?like this? She may not have understood everything that was going on, but whatever force had brought here, had brought her here for a reason. And she would have to accept it. She closed her eyes behind the sunglasses for a few seconds and blew out a long breath. It was time to grow up. Time to walk the path that had been placed before her. Time to accept her fate.. Sarah?s voice cut through her silent musings and she turned her head to look at her again

"So any idea where to find your little girl? Otherwise I would have an idea who we could ask. I have dreamt about a man living in Vegas. And as everything else I dreamt turned out to be true . . .Why not him?"

Hearing Sarah?s laugh managed to bring the smallest of smiles to Sumiko?s lips. She was grateful for Sarah?s help, more than the other woman would ever know. It made the burden of her task a little easier to bear. She shrugged her shoulders at Sarah?s question, Tony had not been very forthcoming with the details. Aside from a name, his cryptic words and non-answers did little to help her. She was curious about how Sarah crossed paths with Tony. She would quiz her about it sometime, but right now there were more pressing issues. Sarah seemed to have a deep belief in what she saw in her dreams, the fact that she had found her in this endless desert was proof enough of that. So Sumiko would trust the woman?s instincts and advice. She nodded in agreement

?The world is a big place, we might as well start there?


TAG: Sirak (Fins?)

 

Everybody else will be updatd tomorrow.


Corben´s Inn

The girls had dressed and were ready to begin work now, when Sharon heard it. At the beginning it was a feint, it might have been tune she remembered, but more and more she realized she was actually hearing it. Music. A song, to be specific. Vashti didn´t seem to hear it.
But Vashti was probably distracted anyway, because just as they began their work on the truck she suddenly saw him. The man from the Inn. The man she had shot. The man Carl Weber had promised her would not harm her again.

?Don´t be scared and please don´t ask Sharon if she sees me too! She doesn´t!? He grinned, his hands raised to symbolize how harmless he was. In his forehead was still the tiny red hole of her shot. ?Keep on working. Keep on working, or I will need to go.? He began to walk next to her, his voice now was only a whisper. ?You realize I tried to save you, do you? Would you have killed the priest, the priest would not have killed poor country legend John Henley and all his sweet songs. I tried to help you, stupid little naïve ape.? He hissed his words now. ?But you listened to him, did you? And now I am inn there. Alone with HIM? And you work out here with this devil´s whore. And who do you think he is then, hm? Who do you think you serve right now??

Tag: swbeauty, Xany

 

IC: Vashti Schick

It wasn't hard to find the old siphon Sharon was talking about. Vashti didn't remember it being used very often but she could recall a couple times which helped in finding it. Moments later the siphon hose was connected to the tanks and the gas flowing through it. Her brown eyes had been focused on the flow through the hose until she saw her worst nightmare.

The Man was back. The other man had lied. He was going to let the Man harm her.

?Don´t be scared and please don´t ask Sharon if she sees me too! She doesn´t!?

Why didn't Sharon see him? Was he still dead? Maybe he was a hallucination. Her mind was working against her now and bringing out her nightmares to haunt her during the day.

?Keep on working. Keep on working, or I will need to go.? ?You realize I tried to save you, do you? Would you have killed the priest, the priest would not have killed poor country legend John Henley and all his sweet songs. I tried to help you, stupid little naïve ape.? ?But you listened to him, did you? And now I am in there. Alone with HIM? And you work out here with this devil´s whore. And who do you think he is then, hm? Who do you think you serve right now??

What did he want from her? He had praised her for killing him and now he says that it wasn't the plan. That had she killed Mr. Clay, she could have saved an innocent life. Did he want her to run back into the inn and stop the man from trying to resurrect him? What was the man really going to do to him? Was The Man being tortured? No, there would be screams...wouldn't there? And Sharon, the woman working next to her, working for the devil? What about herself? Who did she serve? Vashti had thought she shot the devil but that man claimed someone else was him? What did that make the Man?

"STOP! Be quiet!"

Vashti looked at Sharon who probably thought she had gone crazy.

If this was a hallucination he would be able to hear her thoughts. I do not serve the devil! I serve God. I serve the one who has protected me throughout the days events...She repeated this to herself over and over.

"God help me to serve only you." She whispered her prayer again.

Tag: Xany, Fins, Lord T

 

Corben´s Inn

Who protected you through the events of the day, hm? Who did? Henley. Sharon. The Priest. Others protected you and died for you. STOP PRAYING! Dammit, we´re running out of time here and I really need you to understand! Stop praying to a God who isn´t there. Who never was there. A lie! A big, fat lie! He is dead. God is dead. And if not what would he say, hm? You preparing a car for Carl? You pushing gas from one tank to another so Karl can travel to whatever devilish plan he has? Where do you think you are, hm? Isn´t it a bit hot for heaven? He will betray you and THEN HE WILL DESTROY EVERYTHING! You little worthless ape! Karl is the DEVIL! You serve the DEVIL! You little idiot. You Little primitive . . .!?

And he was gone. Just like that. Gone. And something about the way he vanished told her, he wouldn´t be back. He was gone forever. As if he could read her mind Karl stood in the door of Corben´s Inn and stared at her.

Sharon, whatever she had thought of Vashti´s breakdown, was probably distracted by something else. Something more wordly. A man on the dunes. Standing there and watching them for god knew how long, already. He had a weapon and looked not like he had been among people lately. But there was no indicator he planned to come down to them.

[image=http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rUIrABKTpJk/TNd41E2eoHI/AAAAAAAABBI/p6oTeGekXVk/s1600/wasteland_warrior_by_waza8i-d31pfmt.jpg]

Tag: Xany, LordT, swbeauty



City Ruins

Liam nodded. "Yes." Liam nodded and somehow the lack of enthusiasm was surreal. He nodded and Caleb turned and the corwd outside began to scatter. "But he is the most dangerous game ot hunt. You will need help. We can give you knowledge. We can tell you what he is, but that won´t help you." Liam sat down and looked at her. "The Priest." Caleb had resurfaced in the guise of a little girl.

[image=http://fc02.deviantart.net/fs5/i/2005/123/3/a/Creepy_Girl_by_HaremDancer.jpg]

Liam looked at her. "The Priest will help her." Caleb said. Liam seemed for a moment to consider it. "Too dangerous. He is . . ." Caleb cut Liam´s words short. suddenly it wasn´t the old man anymore, looking like a King. he looked like a servant to the creture he faced. "The Priest will help her." The girl insisted and turned towards another direction. He pointed his finger towards the wall. "Into that direction, about three hours from here. shall Caleb bring you to the priest, Andy? The priest will be able to help you kill Karl." The girl´s voice was so monotone, so emotionless, it was like Liam Abec, but worse.

"And if you kill Karl, you save the power that can save vincent for you." Liam added, as if he had to remind her of it.

The girl looked at him, then back to Andy. "The Priest can help." She repeated.

Tag: Spy



Somewhere else . . .

As he woke up he only heard this song, sung by a raspy old voice. A guitar was playing and it was cold. His arms were restrained. So were his feed. his clothes, his gun, his bible was all taken from him and as his eyes got used to the light burning his sight out of his sneses from above he saw a man in a blue shirt sitting next to a bed of a woman. He held his guitar and played his song.

The man turned to him and gave him a sad and somber smile. "Looks like things are a little more complicated than we thought, hm?"

And it smelled of burned flesh and without looking he knew it was his and he was back. He would always be back, just as his Padre had told him.

Tag: TSG

 

Andrea "Andy" Rebecca Baker
City Ruins


?Yes.?

Mr. Abec nodded. Andy found herself disturbed by the starkness of his words. Stripped of any emotional attachment, the word meant nothing at all. Andy lowered the gun to her side and listened to him.

"But he is the most dangerous game ot hunt. You will need help. We can give you knowledge. We can tell you what he is, but that won´t help you."

Andy agreed. Karl Weber would not be an easy man to murder. He was smart. Calculating. He had separated the group by getting the most emotionally and physically stable person and leaving the others to wander to their demise. And he would be exceptionally strong. The inhuman side of him shining bright. Andy knew Karl was inhuman. Only an inhuman being could fashion something like Caleb. A hive.

?The Priest.?

Another figure used by Caleb appeared. A little girl. Andy staggered back for a moment. The girl vaguely reminded her of herself as a child. The tired look in her eyes. Andy had held that look.

?The Priest will help her.? ?Too dangerous. He is . . .?

Andy watched as her view of Mr. Abec shifted. He was no longer the leader of these creatures as it had before seen. He now seemed like the broken slave.

?The Priest will help her.?

The girl whirled around and pointed at one of the walls. She knew exactly in which direction this Priest lay. Andy was sort of scared of a man named the Priest. Especially after knowing about the current ensemble of people who she had come into contact over the past few hours. A hive mind. A slave of an old man. A brilliant mastermind. An unsure Japanese girl. A brave sky marshal. Another flash of Vincent strengthened her love and appreciation.

?Into that direction, about three hours from here. shall Caleb bring you to the Priest, Andy? The priest will be able to help you kill Karl.?

The girl gazed at her. Andy squirmed uncomfortably. Her voice was so unlike a little girl?s.

"And if you kill Karl, you save the power that can save vincent for you."

The little girl?s flickered from Mr. Abec to Andy.

?The Priest can help.?

A jumble of words came from nowhere. "You know what, if we get outo f this alive, we´re gonna date. I tell ya. No chance I do safe a woman like you and not get a coffee for it." Andy could feel the shuttering plane. Impending doom. Both of them secretly harboring the knowledge that this might be the last time they would ever see each other.

?Yes. Yes. Yes, I want to find this. . .this Priest. If he can help me, then yes. And you will take me?? Andy asked Caleb. ?I don?t like it. I don?t like having to do this. Murder a man. Deal with any of you. Please don?t take that the wrong way. But I want to be with Vincent more than I don?t want to do this. So I will do anything either of you suggest.?

?So. . .when do we leave??

And surprisingly, Andy found she was smiling. Always as impatient as ever.


TAG: Fin

 

Sarah Brandt
The Desert

She went to her knees and began typing into her computer. then she stopped and stood up. "Sorry. Sorry I was so aggressive. All of this is not exactly, what I expected. You know? I didn´t believe any of this for month. You know I fell like I am enjoying Lord of the Rings and suddenly Ian McKellen gives me the ring and say run and I realize I watched a documentary." She shook her head. "Surreal doesn´t even begin to explain it." And her eyes stared at the palm of Sumikos head. Sweat. Sumiko was sweating. Sarah gave her the water bottle. "Ration it, we only got three of them. For each of us." Sarah said and it was a lie. Obviously they had three of them and she had now been on food without food or water for how long, exactly? 24 hours? More like 30 perhaps. What have you done to me, Tony?

She continued to type data into her navigation system, searching for Las Vegas. While typing she asked Sumiko the question, the question of all questions. "Do you actually know . . . who, I mean . . . what Tony is?" She looked up. "I mean he can enter dreams and travel time and all that. Is he some kind of religious entity?" Sarah had cursed herself for month for being an ignorant atheist. When the Change hit god was suddenly a possibility. When Tony arrived in her mind, he looked like a plausible explanation. Like the only one that did the trick of making sense in a world no longer making sense. She looked up again from her navigation and then towards the east, where Las Vegas was meant ot be. About three hours by foot away. It was surprisingly nearby.

Tag: Leigh

 

ooc: As Xany has declared she is absent for a while over in DRL I gently push her to the sideline and if she returns earlier than expected, she can ignore it and just go ahead.

Karl Weber
Corben´s Inn

The girl clearly had been attacked. That was what his word was worth in these times, hm? He had underestimated Milton. The old fellow had indeed learned a new trick or two after Karl had left. Or God knew when he had probably learned it. Probably it was the right time to admit, that he was for the first time in his eternal existence desperatly clueless. he had one exclusive piece of information and otherwise he was just as lost as everybody. No ressources, no minds to read, except those he had brought here.

"I am sorry." It was all he could say to Vashti. "I am truly sorry. I didn´t know he would be bale to get to you. But he won´t. Not anymore. He is dead. And this time he will stay dead." Karl nodded and looked to Vashti. "Prepare the car, that man up there watched us since our arrival, but we don´t need to take chances he decides to attack after all." Then he turned back to Vashti.

"Vashti, you serve God. Every human does in every action he takes. Good and evil, right and wrong, it all serves a greater plan. Don´t let ideas of a devil cloud your judgment. There is no devil. But I am not only here to serve God, Vashti. I am here because he is in need of help. And I want to help him. and for that, I need you. So will you help me? Will you help God? Think about it and don´t let faith make the decision for you. Tell me if you want to repair this world. And if you truly want, forget all he said to you."

Karl gave her a reassuring smile.

Tag: swbeauty, Xany