Dead to the World

Location: Outer edge of the Core
Character: Kitsume

The building was dark and damp. Rats and various lesser spirits ran rampant down in this portion of a certain ruined building. What was once a soaring tower of a skyscraper, was now nothing more than a husk of a building. A pile of rubble that hid a dark secret, an entrance to the lower labyrinth of hallways and passages, broken stairwells, and ramps leading down into the dark of the earth. On the outside of this building a partial sign still hung on the entrance to the front lobby. But no one could remember what exactly it meant. It read, "Kyr....Ent...pri.." Letters lay below the sign, dull and broken with the passage of the year and a half since the dawn. A new world had been born, but still remnants of the old world remain. One such remnant remain in the dusty underground Lab of this once vast corporation.

In the dark, a single body, that had not decayed, had not truly died, but had somehow been preserved, sat upon a chair in the center of a slightly raised dais. Around the dais were four other chairs in front of vast amounts of screens and old world technology. Everything seemed quiet and dead in the area. But the mind of the being in the chair wandered. The being was a woman with short build, slender, but had a unnatural grace. Her eyes were closed in sleep it looked like, peaceful as the dead. And somehow the rats had stayed clear of her flesh. Perhaps it was the low hum that was not audible to the human ear (HRG stg4 to hear it) that spoke that the wires connected to the woman in various places were still alive with some power. The being's mind continued to wander as if dreaming.

...... "Captain. The Commander is dead. We need to retract the orders"
"I know that, but the Commander had the override codes."
"Sir, her dossier its at command"
"Have them fax over the Override codes. ASAP!"
"Yes, Sir.".....

The world was still dark as the being continued in her deathlike musings of a time before the Dawn. A time when all was going wrong with the world. A time of fear and chaos. A growl of a stronger demonic being resounded above her and yet she was unmoved. The ceiling cracked and plaster fell into the room upon the bones of old world soldiers that never lived past the Dawn.

454/454
+1txp (9/27) 250 exp

Location: Outer edge of the Core
Character: Kitsume

The sound of the demonic roar was enough to send the lesser spirits scurrying for cover, but in the chair, the woman dreamed on. Of a time past the dawn. A time that was more technologically advanced. A time where war was already in play. Men were dying, chaos ruled and spirits were corrupting the humans of this world. A rat spirit came near her feet and a with a twitch of its nose it turned and fled back off the dais.

..... In her mind the last day before the dawn played out. Through her own eyes she could see through the others of her unit. The four empty chairs were once more filled as the scene in her mind played out. A man on the raised platform above them, long since crushed by the force from the dawn of time, stood watching the cyborgs below them. His military uniform was not up to standards but that was because of his agitation. A smaller man moved up from behind handing him a sheet of paper from the fax machine. And he spoke,

"Captain the codes"
"Finally" The captain jerked the paper out and scanned it with his human eyes. His voice was full of panic as he spoke down over the railing to the five below.
"EX 55178, Override Code 35990B, Respond." Sweat beaded upon his forehead as a roar filled the air above them.
"EX 55178. Respond."

Kitsume was standing in the center of the dais and her head jerked up. A grid format appearing behind those bright blue eyes. Her voice came out as she looked at the man. "Voice Recognition. Captain William T. Grouse. You are not authorized to enter Override Codes." The head of the woman came back down as her hand came up and moved across the air in front of her. Energy sparked as to her and the other cyborgs in the chairs around the dais could see a free floating computer like screen of the outside fighting was seen. With a flick of her finger the view on the screen changed and narrowed in upon a demon appraoching the building. Her voice came out again. "Sector 5, Target approaching base. Prepare the security measures."

The captain screamed in frustration as he looked back at the paper. "You are going to kill us all."
The woman looked up at him and smiled. "Better to kill a few to save the whole."...

The woman in the chair twitched and that same little smile appeared upon her lips. The only sign that she was truly alive in this dark damp place. Entombed and reliving her past. Again the roar of a demon in the here and now scattered the silence. It was getting closer.

502/956
+1 txp (9/28) 250 exp

The approach of the living beings was unnoticed by the cyborg as the scene in her mind continued to play out.

.... The captain's hand crumbled the piece of paper in anger as he tossed it on the floor. As a human would, he began to try the override codes again. "EX 55178. Respond. You were given a direct order."
Her voice echoed through the room as she replied to the man.
"You do not have the clearance to override the current orders."
"They are insane. The Commander was insane. You have to stop"
The woman known as Kitsume shrugged as that slender hand moved across her vision, three more screens appearing. Only to be seen by the cyborgs. Eventually she glanced up at him and raised an eyebrow.
"You created us to obey. We have done so. You create us to protect and ensure the safety and survival of the humans. Our is not the reason why, our is just to do and die. That is our programming. There is nothing you can do to override the Commander's orders." Her voice was soft and tired as if she did not wish to keep playing this game with the Captain. "Run captain. Do the smart thing for once in your short life." Was the advice she gave to him as those strangely blue eyes fixed on him for a moment and then turned back to the screens. Her voice coming once more. "EX 52321. Report." One of the males looked up and began to speak.
"Yes, Ma'am. There is a weakness in the Demon's armor at the neck and the knees. If aimed there it can be destroyed."
"What is the percentage of survival for those in the buildings?"
"51.34 percent"
"EX 51776 Time until security measures can be deployed"
"2 minutes, Ma'am"
"Thank you."

During all of this the second man on the raised dais had picked up the paper and was straightening it out. His eyes read through the codes and eventually pulled on the sleeve of the commander. "Captain I think I have found a way to override it."
"How?" The young man pointed and the captain read. His face lighting up in a smile. "yes that might just work." Again the man leaned over the railing of the platform and shouted above the roar of the monster outside the building.
"EX 55178. Voice Authorization Override 811950654. Respond."
The woman's head jerked up as the weakness in her programming was exploited. Her voice echoed as the cyborgs around her continued to type and use the screens she had created. "Voice Authorization programmed. Please state your name and your security code."
"Captain William T. Grouse. Security Code 825979691. Change password code to my Security Code. Respond"
"Voice Authorization Accepted. Password code changed. Command Settings defaulted."
"EX 55178. I command you....
"Ma'am. Security measures ready and confirmed."
"... To cease the previous orders"
"Yes, Sir." The woman turned to the screens and issued her orders "All units stand down."

Across the screens the cyborg units stood in place as the demon attacked. A huge barrage of energy passed through the building and started it to collapse. People began to flee in terror as the lesser demons began to take out the cyborgs. The Captain looked at his own monitor and around the room in confusion. The woman's voice spoke again. "EX 52321. Percentage of survival now."
"3.4 percent, Ma'am" Was the echo of the numbers as she looked up at the captain and raised an eyebrow. Some humans could be so stupid, but that was the way of things. "All the same, Captain. We are dead to the world." Before the final blow of the demon could descend upon the building everything was wiped away but a brilliant flash the beginning of a new era... The Radiant Dawn....


The woman twitched again as there came a scratching down through the stairs of the building. Something big was coming, a slithering thing. A demon that had more on his mind than death and destruction. There came a whistle from above and the rats vanished from the room as Noah's foot steps could be heard. Still she slept on. Dreaming. Ever Dreaming.

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The Slithering creature was use to the dark his senses well attuned to much more than sight. The scent of taste and his sense of smell help this large viper demon move through the filth and the rubble. A moment and his tongue flicked out, catching the scent of not one, not two, but three fleshy beings. One of which he would steer clear of for now. That one caused him to fear. Tales had been hissed around the den late at night about that one. To move it or wake it would cause destruction, mass destruction amongst the Oni of the Core. So they were told to stay away from it. Its head swung this way and that as it tried top make a decision on which way to go. The snake demon moved towards the first one, but it was close to the Cursed One. So he veered off down another corridor towards the second one. By the scent of it, the female.

In the chair, the woman continues in her dreaming. Noah's entrance was unnoticed for the moment. The moment Noah steps foot close to the raised dais that her chair is setting upon, the cords, which were once thought dead, retract from the woman with a hiss of air like that of a snake. Still the woman remained motionless as if dead and continued to dream...

...After the dawning of a new era the five sat on the rubble of the place gazing around looking for life signs. All of their cybernetic readings were the same. The woman's tone came through their intercoms as she asked, "We five were that 3.4 percent weren't we Poet."
"Of course, Runt" He laughed as he reached up to wipe the dust from his forehead.
One of the others, a big one with a cross hanging around his neck chuckled deeply as he chimed into the conversation. "All the same, captain. We are dead to the world. You knew what would happen."
"Of course, Priest. Of course. I felt the power surge growing so it did not matter what order was given. Now we five need to find out if we are truly are free from them. Check out the world meet back here in a week with your reports"
The five of them chorused "Yes, Ma'am"
"I will remain and see what is left of the systems." With that the four males began to move off through the rubble and the woman sat in her chair waiting. After they had left she checked for power in the main unit of computers and stated. "Computer, Online."
The computer's voice was female and full of static "Yes, Kitsume"
"Power stats, please"
"Generator at 50%"
"It will not last a week will it"
"Not without back up power."
"Then tell me what has happened."
"The gates to the two other realms are blown open and the earth is in a state of destruction."
"So we start again, any power anywhere?"
"Negative, Kitsume. Both the past and present have merge and.."
"Enough. I get it. Well I guess that means we are free."
"There seems to be no memories in the humans, and the rest of the cyborgs are destroyed."
"Thank you, Computer." She sighed and flicked her hand as the screen in front of her were nothing more than static. She brought up the intercom system of the others and coughed.

"Belay that order, guys. Nothing remains as we know it. Computer is down to 50% power and nothing can charge it. So We are free." A happy shout came up from the four. "As my last act as your commanding officer, I will be wiping your memories away. Anything that pertained to a few moments ago will be gone. But the knowledge of those of us and what we are will remain. They will be locked so that only I can access them and bring them. Live your lives normally and free, my friends."

Another voice came over the intercom, the white haired man, her second in command. "Are you sure, Runt. What about your Dossier."
"I will hide it Fallen. I will hide it so that no one on this world or the next will ever understand what it means. No one will control us like that again. We are not just weapons, we are our own people. Good Luck"
"Runt, be careful"
"Always" Her voice was full of affection as she switched the coms off. "Computer. Power down the grids. Erase the memories of the times before This moment. We start a afresh. You heard what I wanted to do."
"Are you sure, Kitsume"
"Yes old friend, I am sure."
"Enter my codes along with theirs. I want to live like a human. I want to not understand what happened to bring the world to this point. I don't want to remember. That will hide my dossier. If I can't remember where it is, no one will ever understand it. Erase all of those memories."
"As you wish, Kitsume. Please have a seat"......

Thus the world was destroyed and rebuilt and the cyborgs forgot everything. They went on to lead normal lives, while Kitsume remained lost to the world until today. If noah stepped on the Dais' her eyes would open in a flash, those startling blue orbs looking right at him, forgetting her programs that allowed her to track and sense the spiritual world. Yes the woman was still alive.


978/2727
+1txp (9/29) 250 words

The moments that the female spent digging through the rubble and rubbish only allowed for the Snake demon to inch its way closer and closer to her. Even as the little red riding hood made her move into the next room, he moved slowly up behind her, but as his body moved over a pile of papers it made a rustling noise that could possible alert the female to his location right behind her. The Male demonic snake rose up on his snake like body, his upper torso like that of a well built, scaley human. He carried no weapon but his teeth and claws were outstretched ready for the kill.

Snake Man: Hybrid/Oni
Stats: Average
Special Attacks:
Claw and Bite (DMG2)
Stench (HND2) -1 Defense, -1 Movement

Kitsume blinked at the child and shook her head, the memories that were hers were just gone in an instant. Something was wrong and she could not figure out what it was. It was like she had lost something important. "I don't know kid. What is a child like you doing in this deep dark hell...o" She curbed the cursing in front of the child and smiled at him. "More to the point, where exactly is here?" She continued as she looked about the room and slide off the chair into a standing position. "Come on, kid, this is no place for you. Where are your parents? Hmm?" Her strangely blue eyes looked at him and went fuzzy on her end and she shook her head again. The loud roar occurred again from above them and outside the building. Kitsume jumped and looked up, "Yeah, come'on we'll get you out of here." Without thinking, she reached beside the chair and pulled out a metal bo staff. It was white with an intricate pattern upon it.

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+1txp (10/3) 250 exp

the snake man's stench would be affecting the demoness as he drew closer getting ready to swipe. His tongue forked out as he hisses, his breath smelling just as bad as his stench. "Hey there, little red riding hood, you ssssure are looking good." His laughter was like nails against a chalk board as it hissed from his snake like mouth and fangs. Then he noticed her own claws and that tongue came out again as if testing the air. "You are not human..." He said questioningly. Drawing back a little, her slithered back a foot or two while looking at her warily. "beware of the cursssed one in the other room. Not good for demonssss"

"Kitsume. No ms in front of it. Where are your parents? And what happened to this building?" the last was said as if she was talking to herself. Her hand reached out as she looked at the kid asking something else to the boy. Her startling blue eyes met his and she tried for a soft smile, "What's your name, Kid?" If he took her hand, she would start to moved towards one of the doorways leading down the hallways. "You are very brave. You know that. If I was your age, I would be scared to be in this place." Then she would stop at the doorway and peek out, holding that white staff. "we've got to get you some place safe." She seemed to be under the impression that he was a kid and nothing more. The real reason behind her not registering him as a spirit was the fact that due to the Dawn and the time spent here, her systems were basically fried. Cause her to loose every bit of memory she had.

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+1txp (10/7) 250exp

The snake man was picked up by the demoness and he hissed in warning. He would only allow her to go so far, before he attacked. It was the way of the world. But still he was wary of her and began to answer her questions. "Been here for over a year, missstressss. The cursssed one been here longer. Sssshe not decay... sssshe not die....ssshe not breathe....ssshe cursssed. All that go into that room come out ssspouting wordsss of nightmaresss, of vissssons, of thingssss never sssseeen before." The snake man hisses again his tongue coming out to test the air.

Kitsume looked down as the boy grabbed her hand and she looked out into the hallway for anything coming. "Its ok, sweetheart. I'll get you out of here." Then to herself she added, "What kinda parents would just leave their kid?" With a gentle tug she left the room that she had been 'living' in for the last eighteen months without a glance back. Her mind focused on protecting the boy that held onto her hand so tight. the hallway was cluttered with rubble and debris from the falling in ceiling. They were down a few levels and it was dark throughout the hallway, but somehow she could see. She squeezed the boy's hand as she helped him climb over the broken bits of wall, cabinets, and other thing cluttering up the hallway. "Noah, I am a warrior. There is never a safe place for me. Even though I can't remember anything past the moment I woke up and saw you. Somehow I've gotten amnesia, but I do know I am a fighter. I can feel it in my bones." Her words were whispered in the quiet darkness but they seemed to echo in the eerie blackness of the hallway as she led the kid towards the stairs.

Another howl and roar sounded outside the building.

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+1txp (10/8) 2 rps

The snakeman nodded and hissed. "Yesss misstresss. Thisss way. Your humble sssservant will take you to a better sssspot" With that he would lead the female demon over the rubble and down through other corridors. Until they came out to the rusting metal platform that overlooked the room where Kitsume and Noah had been. The Snake man motioned to the doorway and shook his head, "It will not hold my weight, missstress, but you can sssee from there. The Cursssed one is down there, sssleeping, waiting, alive but dead..." When Zaiaku makes her way out onto the platform, it would be a large room full of electronics that had long since been damaged or destroyed. It was the same platform that the captain in Kitsume's dream had stood upon. From that point she could look down and see the empty chair and the mass of electric snakes hanging from the ceiling. The platform would groan and creak as she walked on it. Although if she was good enough she might be able to hear the sounds of talking in a far off hallway. Just not make out what they were saying.

The child tugged on her heart and she sighed, "Hun your parents, if they were warriors wouldn't have left you in the unsafe building with no food or water. Come on. I wont leave you. I will find a safe place for... us." She reached down and gave him a swift hug before she continued on with trying to make it to the stairs and up to the upper levels so they could get out. "I promise, luv. I wont abandoned you. How old are you?" She knew she was being manipulated but at the moment she was still trying to regain her senses.

320
+1txp (10/10) 2rps

The snakeman watched the female return with the dire news and he instantly he started looking for a place to run to or hide but it was apparent that he was scared more of whatever it had been than her. "Musst find sssafe place. Cursssed one isss awake." Then with a look back to the female he would bow and motion "Come, I ssshow you what we found." With that she was lead back down and into the room from another doorway. The snakeman was very hesitant as he slithered into the room. He slithered up to the panels on the dais and pressed a red button. "Rat demon found this. Dark King call it the curse of the dawn. We not know why." A screen cut on with the last little bit of power left stored there since Kitsume had left. The scene that played out depicted Kitsume and the other four males in a spot close to the gates of hell. They slaughtered demons of every kind before the fuzzy picture died in a bright flash. "The moving tapestriesss tell of the cursssed one. The Female.. can kill lesser demons in her sleep. Two sssnakemen die from touching her... lightening magic kill them. Now ssshe loossse going to kill us all."


Actually they were about four floors below ground and she was going up to the front the door. So up the flights of stairs they went until they cam to a door that she pushed open and walked out of. She paused for a moment to look around, they were in the large lobby area of the building and broken glass doors lead outside. "You are brave for ten, Noah. As for me, I don't remember, funny huh?" She smiled at the kid as she again helped him over the rubble and debris towards the front door. Another loud roar came from outside and she felt the building shake. "Come on kid we got to get out of here." With that she bent down and offered her back for him to ride on. "I'll carry you. We need to go now before that thing attacks, whatever it is."

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The snake man looked at the demoness and nodded. "All over thissss building. But Babrozul ownsss building. He is true demon... like you, Mistress. He not like people above the firsssst floor. He kill and eat intrudersss. If you go up there, you go on own. I'm only half demon." He hissed at her and moved away "You mussst go before he comesss back. You not sssstrong like him. He Rage demon." With that the snakeman began to slighter towards the doorway and look behind him. "I can lead you out." Then whether or not she followed he would climb the stairs in the stairwell and make his way out of the front door, just as he got to the front door, which once held glass but were now just open to the air, he (and if Zaiaku had followed she could also see this) saw the retreating form of Kitsume carrying a child piggy back around the rubble of the street going the way that led out of the core.

The child, Noah climbed on her back and she wrapped a single arm behind him to steady him as her internal systems activated (Possessed Strength: Stats +1) and she became faster and stronger than most humans. With that she off, heading the way that would lead them to out of the core the quickest. With her free hand, she kept a hold of her staff. Her eyes scanning the area around them. They were barely on the edge of the core, so it would not be so hard to get out without being accosted by the demons that were dwelling there. "Hold on tight, Noah" Unless stopped, they would make their way out of the core.

301
+1txp (10/12) 250 exp

-exit rp- Updated Kitsume