[Short Story] Descent

[Draken]

Date: Unknown

   A few days ago, I had it good.  Decent job, good fortune, a suit I had just finished getting out of the prototype stages...Now?  Now I seem to be in some kinda animal world...

   I was testing out my Vulgus Mark One enhancement suit, pushing its engines to the limit.  The moment I passed Mach One however...everything went wrong.
   A strange flash occurred, and I was sent careening down some sort of a tube...I don't know how else to describe it.  The things I saw...the colors...I now know how it felt to be that Captain in 2001.
I woke up in a bed, surrounded by what looked like koalas.  I jumped up with a start, panicked, until the older one, the head of the family I guess, began to explain.  Apparently, as he and his wife were taking their midday stroll, they heard a bang from above, and witnessed my crash landing.  They say I must have skidded for a good hundred yards or so.  Given that, I knew I was not longer going Mach one, or I would have been a splatter.
They continued, saying that they ran up to the crash site, and debated on whether or not they should take me to their home, help me out.  The wife won.  So they brought me back with what scraps had remained of the Vulgus.
   I was in shock.  I new world?  A new dimension?  And they just seemed to have taken it with good ability.  Perhaps this was a common occurrence for them?
   I was bedridden for a day and a half, right arm badly damaged.  Their daughter, a young lady by the name of Mathis, helped me out.  I was grateful...but wary.
   A night passed, then a few men, apparently the lawmen (lawbeings?) of the area, demanded that I be taken with them.  The family argued that I was unready to move (I agreed wholeheartedly), but the lawmen mentioned that this was not their decision.  The chief, a tall Labrador-looking fellow name O'Malley,  mentioned "The Creature-Being council demanded to see him".  I had no idea who they were, but the family quieted down almost immediately  when they heard those words, so I guessed they were important.
   I went with them, carrying my suit with me in a trunk (I was not going to leave it with the family.  I may have trusted them a little, but I did not want them to get hurt messing with things they did not understand), and was soon met with the Creature-being council.  A strange looking group.  Half seemed to have wings or halos (I guessed them to be the Creatures) and the others looked like basic (although human) animals (the Beings, I guess).  They demanded that I tell them where I come from, how I got here.  I told them, but all the while, I kept telling the that my suit was obliterated in the crash, functional nevermore.  I saw a few creatures give me an odd look; I swear it felt like they could read my mind.  After I finished my tale, they debated on whether or not I could stay.  Oddly enough, it seemed that the Beings wanted me to stay, the Creatures not so much.  In the end, they agreed to let me remain in their world, and asked the Koala family (The Winstons, I learned) to let me stay with them till I
got better acquainted with the world.  They Agreed, the father looking less than thrilled, the daughter very.  The council gave them a few  things as thanks (later I learned that it protection from all Creature attacks, a good amount of money, and amnesty from one crime in future family history.  Am I really worth all that?  Or is there something else?)


Date: June 3rd, 2001

   I found out this date after I asked the wife (Pauline, I learned) when I arrived.  I just added the day up to now.  Anyways, Progress seems to be going well on my suit, as well as with the family.  They enjoyed their new "wealth" for a few days before putting the rest into a trust fund.  The daughter did not seem to thrilled with last bit, but then again her father didn't her blowing it all on the tank tops and jeans she likes.  Seriously, does she wear anything else? 
   Speaking of which, over the last week, she has been almost sewn onto my arm, asking question after question about my world, about humans.  At first it was a little unsettling (Wasn't I supposed to be doing that with her?), but after the first couple days, I grew used to it..grew fond of it.  I told her as much as I could, and she seemed to drink it all down.  Best part was when I told her of koalas of where I come from.  She just giggled when I called them "Fuzzy cute little things that like to get into trouble without knowing."  At least she had good humor about that.  The father's (Lewis) been keeping an eye on us, but that makes sense.  New human, pops outta nowhere (literally) and his daughter seems taken?  Very bad in the mind of a dad. Heh.   And the mother?  She almost seems as though she want to adopt me.  Hehe.  Always bustling about, making sure I've eaten enough, if I had gotten enough sun, this and that and more....much Like my mom from...






   I wonder how mine is doing?  i wonder how my father is now?  I wonder......Has ANY time passed Since I disappeared in that world?  Will i see it again?


   ....Will I want to go back?


Date: June 15th, 2001

   Vulgus in now near operational, but I made some modifications, so Mark 2 is not ready for anything just yet.  I still keep it secret from the family, again for their safety.  Especially Mathis'.  She is such a sweetheart.  Everyday at 3, we go out, exploring the area.  Well, just a stroll for her, but new adventure for me.  I am getting to know the neighbors better, especially the Jones.  They seem to have a good kinship with the Winstons.  The kids there are about as fascinated with me as the daughter.  Heh. 
   The Father seems to have warmed up to me as well, letting me out of his sight more often.   The other day, I got to help him with some of his work (A carpenter still, even their day and age.  t least he enjoys it), and managed to score some points (I think) with him.  At least I got the occasional approving nod.
   I have noticed lately though that I have been getting a weird feeling when I am out and about...like someone might be watching me....i remember the looks the Creatures gave when I told them that the Vulgus was gone....and the feeling of the mind....
   No.  They would not be following me around.  if they were, I would NOT have noticed after all.          Would I?

Date: July 1st, 2001

   Vulgus 3 is not up and going.  Almost ready too....
   Mathis and I have become the talk of the town.  An odd feeling.  We've barely known each other a few weeks, and already we seem to be the new town couple.  I take it in stride for now, but i seem to get the occasional "GRRR" look from the dad.  So much for the good points.
   The town has started to let me in more and more.  I got a job at the Tech center, helping those with the electronics they have developed for this dimension.  A strange batch of tech it is as well.  Most of it is basic, toasters, phones, cameras...and some seems to be magic powered?  Magic....I can't believe that ACTUALLY exists.  I haven't dealt with the idea of that stuff since I was young...   As for the rest of the tech, it seems that the firearms of my world is not even remotely developed....they still seem to rely on short range weapons, swords and the such.  Which makes me feel all the better that I kept Vulgus a secret...who knows what would happen if they found out?  If someone got their hands on it?  The WRONG hands...
   Speaking of which, my suspicions were nearly confirmed the other day.  I saw what seemed to be a zebra with wings in a dress fly off from the tree near our....the WINSTONS' house.   And that tree is situated near the window where i like to work on my....No.  They can't be suspicious.  Why would they be?  It's not like they COULD read minds?  Right?  It's not like that they're paying to keep the Winstons to keep me occupied?   Right?


Date: July 25th, 2001
   Ahhhhh....My precious Vulgus....3 is good to go, completely....
   I have been in my room for the last 3 weeks, eating what little i desire to, and finishing my work, keeping it hidden from the family....They must not know...i must not fall asleep...the dream police...they live inside of my head...they come to me in my bed...heheheheheh....
   Mathis seems to be a bit worried...why would she be?  I am just working...just alone is all...Just a little alone....I must complete it...The creatures...Soon they will come...i know IT!    I must complete this last part...Oh my Vulgus...you must be finished soon!





   This is it...DONE!  VULGUS 4!  She is a work of art...oh, I have suffered immensely to get you finished, my darling, but I needed to.    The Winstons....they were going to betray me!  I knew it all along!  They got the money as a payment to keep me here, to keep me from finishing you!  And the protection?  To keep any harm on me to be not dealt to them?  The crime?  The crime of helping me being eradicated when the Creatures wanted to!   It makes perfect sense!   They were all in on it, especially that Mathis....ooooh, she was a wily one, get into my head, be my "friend"....but she will not get me...i will not be GOTTEN!  The creatures will not get me!  The mind readers will not








POLICE REPORT: August 4th, 2001
OFFICER NAME: T. J. O'Malley

On the night of August 3rd, a young human by the name of Davis Levenson went on a rampage, destroying half the town of Machale.  13 dead, 45 wounded.
The attacks started in the Winston homestead.  According to Lewis Winston, who gave as much of his account he could before succumbing to his wounds, his daughter, Mathis, worried about the young man, went up to check on him.  Apparently he had been holed up in his room for weeks at a time.  Almost immediately after she opened his door, an explosion occurred, or something similar, and the parents started to make their way upstairs.  There They met Davis in some sort of metal suit and the...remains of their daughter.  investigation later proved that her head and upper neck was evaporated.  Using some form of arcane magic, he blasted the remaining family.  the wife went through 3 walls, the shock killing her instantly.  The father was impaled, but lived for a while longer.
Soon after, Davis started his massacre.  The Jones family was wiped out, one blast to their house.  And so his rampage went on.  According to eyewitnesses, he was rambling on about how the creatures would not get him.  What creatures?  There haven't been any around for decades.  He was halfway through town When I and my brigade went out to meet him.  The face...My god, the face.  He was wearing a smile not even a demon could possess.  The suit he wore seemed almost hobbled together, but the power radiating from it...it made the fur on my body stand straight up.  We charged at him, looking for a weakness.  Three of my men wee killed instantly.  A fourth managed to penetrate a weak point, and killed Davis. 
What could have done this?  Why?  he was starting to fit in, starting to be welcomed...  Maybe a read through his journal should tell us.....

END REPORT.









((So, any comments?  Thoughts?  Torch and Pitchforks?))

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

A few flaws, apart from the obvious typos and the like.

The whole police idea doesn't sit well with the descriptions Amber has given of the judicial system. The insistence of the police report on the lack of creatures suggests some creative limitations on who knows what.

Other than that, though, it's reasonably sane, and makes sense, in so far as a story does.

[Draken]

crud.  thought I got it ok(the system i mean)...oh well.....

As for the typos, a few were kinda on purpose, given that the story is in journal format.....