Happy, Happy Pre-Birthday! Thank you for the preview. 116+ children. Father's Day is a busy day. What is method of procreation?
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Happy birthday!
The antagonist faction definitely qualify as suitably evil, and this guy in particular seems like he makes Gaius look not as bad.
The antagonist faction definitely qualify as suitably evil, and this guy in particular seems like he makes Gaius look not as bad.
Probably concubines.
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Happy birthday!
A great prologue/background for your next story! I'll be interested to see how that goes!
A great prologue/background for your next story! I'll be interested to see how that goes!
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Happy birthday to you, oh prolific one!
And then I immediately wonder if Ino's exploits will earn her citizenship in this future tale.
As you can see, my sci-fi references are all mashing together now, inspired just by Ino's origins. (Although not sure why that triggered the Aliens reference.)
The Esperanto reference is intriguing. Knowing this is a Macavity/Metacavity production I know it will be different than the references above, yet these were my immediate thoughts.
And then...
And the description of the trap laid at the hyper-lane made me think of this:
So yeah, a big bad bug hunt, but the bugs seem to have personalities and intelligence, no doubt.
All that said, and despite all of my attempts at satirical references, I'll definitely be tuning in to what you have planned.
Hmmmm. This makes me think of this quote:
And then I immediately wonder if Ino's exploits will earn her citizenship in this future tale.
As you can see, my sci-fi references are all mashing together now, inspired just by Ino's origins. (Although not sure why that triggered the Aliens reference.)
The Esperanto reference is intriguing. Knowing this is a Macavity/Metacavity production I know it will be different than the references above, yet these were my immediate thoughts.
And then...
Main Antagonist: Araj Zilfallon
Species and Species type: Desstican/Necroid
Well, then some of my questions are answered. Definitely a modified bug hunt at the very least with that many siblings.
And the description of the trap laid at the hyper-lane made me think of this:
All that said, and despite all of my attempts at satirical references, I'll definitely be tuning in to what you have planned.
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Well, it looks like the end is near.
Using Akira's unique power would be... bad. Could it harm the structure of the real world?
If our heroes could lure Malum and co into the middle of nowhere in Sweden (the far north, maybe), a black hole the size of Orlando might be justifiable, if only barely.
Doesn't this Akira still have 1.5 trillion years of atrocities under her belt? Is the redemption decided by on-screen and off-screen appearances?
About the new story:
Why was the war called the Forgotten War?
Do Araj's ideas about fate and predestination have a larger religious framework, or is it mostly an independent philosophy?
Do any of the Coalition's enemies hope to recruit Ino?
Is the coalition a UFP-esque government that has multiple other governments as members?
Using Akira's unique power would be... bad. Could it harm the structure of the real world?
If our heroes could lure Malum and co into the middle of nowhere in Sweden (the far north, maybe), a black hole the size of Orlando might be justifiable, if only barely.
Doesn't this Akira still have 1.5 trillion years of atrocities under her belt? Is the redemption decided by on-screen and off-screen appearances?
About the new story:
Why was the war called the Forgotten War?
Do Araj's ideas about fate and predestination have a larger religious framework, or is it mostly an independent philosophy?
Do any of the Coalition's enemies hope to recruit Ino?
Is the coalition a UFP-esque government that has multiple other governments as members?
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@CBR JGWRR got it right here. the Supreme Ruler has so many concubines that CKIII players would die of jealousy.
I wanted the new OPFOR faction and the antagonist who represents them to be so wholly repulsive that the reader would cheer hard for Ino to escape from their grasp. I want the reader to fear for the safety of Ino and her friends, with the knowledge that capture and enslavement is the more likely outcome should our new heroes fail.
Thanks! If all goes well, we should see this new story arriving on the PDX forums at the end of summer/beginning of fall.
I'm not sure either. The Ino/Araj dynamic is very heavily inspired by the Rabadash/Susan dynamic from the children's fantasy novel The Horse and His Boy by CS Lewis.
I got the idea about two months ago while helping my National Guard unit prepare for our annual summer training. When I was ordered to help organize and run a war game, I looked up some historic war game exercises for reference. I found a US Army exercise where the "OPFOR" were only allowed to speak Esperanto. The language barrier added a fascinating dynamic to the simulated battlespace and I knew I just had to employ the concept in a story.
We don't know. We don't want to know.
Technically yes, but I'm the type of writer who cares a lot about the way the readers think about the characters. I know that Akira specifically has a lot fans out there, and that under the right circumstances, many of those readers would respond positively to Akira being given a redemption arc. To make the concept more believable, I ran with an earlier version of Akira, who has only committed one atrocity "on the page."
As far as this story is concerned, I intend to present Akira in a much better light than any of my previous stories, and then allow the readers to determine if Akira has redeemed herself.
To answer your questions in order:
- The Forgotten War was called "The Nebelkrieg" or "Nebula War" during the time it actually happened. The moniker "Forgotten War" was applied retroactively, due to the fact that the war was overshadowed by a cataclysmic event of galactic importance occurring roughly around the same time as the war's conclusion.
- Araj's personal philosophy comes from his interpretation of Desstican religious doctrine. (The Desstican Astral Fellowship has the Dimensional Worship civic, meaning they revere stellar phenomena such as Astral Rifts as divine entities)
- Araj wants to own Ino and keep her as a trophy/plaything, not recruit her. The Coalition does have one other enemy not mentioned in the recent post, but for now, we do not know if the Empire of Axpentl has any intentions toward Ino.
- Correct. In-Game, the Coalition is a Federation containing Earth plus two alien empires. Narratively, the Coalition is a multispecies Supranational Organization of which Earth is a member.
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Thanks for the additional explanations and insights into the coming narrative for the new AAR.
However, wouldn't the coalition actually be a multispecies SupraPlanetary Organization?
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You're most welcome.
And yes, I think Supraplanetary Organization is the technically correct term. In Stellaris, there are five types of Federations, and each of them behaves differently depending on its level of internal centralization. I haven't settled on exactly what the Coalition is at this point, but signs suggest it might be a Martial Alliance, owing to the fact that the Federation is bordered by hostile powers on all sides.
Also, I just looked up Starship Troopers and I am very happy to report that Ino's hometown is nowhere near the site of the Arachnid attack, but her school definitely would have been flattened. Perks of living at the bottom of the world: no nearby targets for extraterrestrial attackers.
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I'm still excited about The Stormbreakers hitting 100,000 views. The music video I posted last week was a remastering of my very first music video, and I've been sitting on it for several months. But I wanted to make something specific for the occasion. So, I sat down in front of the microphone and picked one of the best chapters in The Stormbreakers for the audiobook treatment.
In the video below, I turned Chapter 24 of The Stormbreakers into an audiobook and combined it with the video re-enactment with the Battle of Earth, the very same event depicted in Chapter 24 of The Stormbreakers.
Please enjoy one of the most crucial chapters of The Stormbreakers presented in a whole new format:
In the video below, I turned Chapter 24 of The Stormbreakers into an audiobook and combined it with the video re-enactment with the Battle of Earth, the very same event depicted in Chapter 24 of The Stormbreakers.
Please enjoy one of the most crucial chapters of The Stormbreakers presented in a whole new format:
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Episode Twenty: I’m starting to hate this plan.
Dear readers, this chapter contains two reused jokes. One is a rehash of a gag from Chapter 7. The other is a reworking of a humorous moment last seen in the final chapter of The Great Lie. Can you spot them?
Also, a quick note for anyone watching the YouTube companion video: I think this is the first time a picture of Trig Shepminter has been seen anywhere in the Greater Macavity116 Narrative Universe. (aside from worldbuilding posts) Rather odd that Trig didn't get his own official artwork until after his own story ended.
The Broken Gates
Episode Twenty: I’m starting to hate this plan.
Marisol
Creator
Stockholm, Sweden
The final thirty minutes of the journey to Stockholm were the longest of Marisol’s life. Herten clutched his phone close to his chest, listening intently as the Creators and Creations went over their plan one last time.
“We have to take all of Malum’s allies.” Sebakhira was saying. “Break his hold on them the same way as Mina here.”
“I can free two people at a time.” Akira said. “But it takes a lot of focus. I’ll need you to cover me while I work.”
“In that case, we need to force Malum’s team to split up, so they can’t reinforce each other.” Blake pointed out. “What if a few of us go out to Rothelmen Island to attack the Broken Gate?”
Varian interrupted.
“Attack the gate? No, let’s use it!” He (or she) said. “Let’s pull some really powerful Psion out of their story and get them to help us! Let’s get Empress Tantomile, or Duane Gardner, or the Ranginui Twins, or heck, let’s go all the way and get Jericho!”
Akira shook her head.
“It’s a good idea, but we need the Reality Perforator to do that.” She explained. “We can try to take it from Malum, but knowing him, we’ll have to take it off his corpse.”
While the Creations argued with each other about the best way to attack Malum’s team, Marisol sat down next to Blake in one of the seats near the front of the plane.
“I have an idea.” Marisol said. “Another idea, I mean.”
Blake leaned over and allowed Marisol to whisper into his ear. He listened to Marisol’s idea for about two minutes, and then he interrupted.
“I’m starting to hate this plan.” Blake said. “You’re walking a fine line between a really clever trap and just surrendering to Malum.”
“I think it could work.” Marisol said.
“It’s a longshot.” Blake said. “No chance in hell would that work.”
Marisol wanted to press the argument, but Akira suddenly appeared in the row in front of the two creators. She was holding Cali’s cell phone.
“Sorry, but I’ve got a bone to pick with my Creator.” Akira said. “Blake, I’m gonna ask you this just once: Did you make porn of me?”
Akira turned the smartphone to face Blake. Marisol recoiled in shock as her eyes were assailed by a very lewd image of Akira. Blake shrunk into his seat, muttering:
“Not this bullshit again.”
Marisol stood up and quickly got away from the confrontation, trying to tune out Akira’s complaint. Moving toward the back of the plane, Marisol pulled out her smartphone and opened an app she had not used since before this adventure began.
“What’s that?” Aisling asked, looking over Marisol’s shoulder.
“Where did you come from!?” Marisol gasped in surprise. After a moment, she calmed down. “This is a speech-to-text app. It’s how I write my own stories… and if Blake’s plan doesn’t work out…”
Marisol lowered her voice.
“Then this might be our last chance to save ourselves.”
“How?” Aisling asked. “How does it work?”
“The computer listens to my voice, and then it writes down whatever I say.” Marisol replied.
Marisol raised her phone and began to talk into it:
“The God of Ink was a lonely deity.” Marisol said. As she spoke, her words were transcribed on the page. “High atop the Great Mountain, above the Silver Clouds, the many Gods and Goddesses of the world lived in a glorious community. They were neighbors and friends, some even came together to form families. But the God of Ink had no one close to him. He was the patron of storytellers and wordsmiths. He spent his time hunched over his writing desk, creating through his art great wonders beyond the wildest imagination of children. But when the day was over, and there was no work left to do, the God of Ink spent his leisure time alone. He saw his fellow deities form friendships, flirt and fall in love. He began to feel empty.”
Aisling let out an awed gasp as the text appeared on the screen. She looked up at Marisol.
“How could a story help us?” Aisling asked.
“I think if I do this right, it’ll give us another way to defeat Malum.” Marisol said. “But this will only work if we have the Reality Perforator.”
Marisol and Aisling looked at each other. They both swayed on their feet as the plane started its final decent into Stockholm.
“If I see it, I’ll try to grab it.” Aisling said. “Do we have to bring it to the Broken Gate?”
“No.” Marisol replied. “But if we can get it there, that’ll make this crazy idea of mine easier to pull off.”
…
The Learjet set down at Bromma Airport on the outskirts of Stockholm. As soon as the deployable stairway was in place, Blake and Cali faced the Creations.
“Malum’s got the jump on us, and he’s already inside Paradox HQ.” Cali said.
“All bets are off now.” Blake added. “We can’t afford to play by the rules anymore.”
“We need to get to Paradox HQ as fast as possible and start picking off Malum’s team.” Cali said. “Remember the plan: take’em two at a time, and avoid grabbing more than one Gifted person at a time.”
Cali rounded on her SWAT team.
“You guys? We’re in the shit right now. I don’t care how many civilian vehicles you have to commandeer, just get us to PDX, understood?”
“Yes, ma’am!” A trooper responded.
“We isolate Malum.” Blake said. “Get him on his own. That’s the key.”
Marisol wanted to disagree, but she held her tongue.
…
Trig, Sebakhira, and Kanti erupted out of the plane, a wave of Psionic energy preceding them. By the time Cali and her team were on the tarmac, the Gifted Creations had already used Telepathy to force an airport employee to give up the van he was driving.
“Everyone pile in!” Kanti ordered. “I’m going to fly ahead and get us a second vehicle.”
In a matter of minutes, Team Marisol was rolling away from Bromma Airport, riding in two airline-owned passenger vans. In the lead vehicle, Cali turned around to face Aisling.
“Malum is probably going to see us coming. Is there any way you can mask our approach?” Cali asked.
Aisling looked over at Marisol, who was muttering into her phone. Marisol looked up.
“It’s okay. I trust you’ll find me no matter what’s about to happen.” Marisol squeezed Aisling’s hand.
The fairy locked eyes on Cali.
“How do I know the way to the battlefield?” She asked.
Bella replied from the driver’s seat:
“Just follow the blue lights and sirens.”
…
Malum Ralpakin
Creation
Stockholm, Sweden
The Great Khan stood on the roof of the Paradox Skybridge, looking down at the street below and around at the two buildings the structure was connecting. To his left, Paradox Headquarters. To his right, the local office of the International Rescue Committee. Down below… Stockholm City Police.
There were nearly two dozen law enforcement vehicles clogging the street. Officers, equipped with bullhorns, were trying to speak to Malum, but they were beneath his notice. He raised one hand to the side of his head, listening to a telepathic message from Cassandra.
Restoring electricity to the building is impossible. The power was remotely cut off at a distant source.
Malum was forced to give credit where it was due. Paradox Interactive had made scant preparations for his arrival, but they were preparations nonetheless. He would have no choice but to fight Blake Robinson and his Creations before seizing full control of the game company. He was pulled out of his own scheming by two voices down below.
Two of the Swedish police officers were talking to one another. They spoke Swedish, but Malum could penetrate deep into their minds to understand the words:
“Sir! I have a message from command!” One of the cops said. “It will take an hour to scramble the National Task Force!”
“National Task Force?” Replied the Commissioner. “Does the Royal Army know what’s happening here!? You’d think super-powered aliens would get more attention!”
Malum raised one hand, causing a pulse of telepathic energy to ripple across the block. Malum’s willpower seeped into the minds of the police officers below.
“Your sense of duty is commendable.” Malum spoke to the assembled officers. “Now you must do your duty to the ruler you love with such devotion.”
In an instant, Malum purged the officer’s minds of any thought related to Swedish King Carl Gustaf, and simultaneously filled the men and women of the Swedish Police with newfound love and devotion to the Great Khan.
The Commissioner blinked his eyes and started to issue new orders, calling on his subordinates to set up a defensive perimeter around Paradox Headquarters. A moment later, Whetu Kealoha appeared on the roof.
“I’m going back to guard the Broken Gate, as you ordered.” Whetu said. “Is there anything I should take with me?”
Malum noticed that Whetu was wearing a heavy coat overtop of her normal outfit. The hem of her grass skirt was just barely visible beneath it.
“It suddenly started getting cold.” Whetu said. “Really, really cold.”
Vapor clouds formed in front of Whetu’s face as she spoke. Ice crystals were starting to form on the skybridge. A solitary snowflake fluttered through the air.
Uisce the Water Witch re-formed herself on the roof of Paradox Headquarters.
“They’re here.” She announced, shaking icicles from her dowsing rod. “They’ve brought the cold.”
Malum looked up, searching the skies above. After a moment, he spotted two white birds circling high over Paradox HQ. A peahen and a loon.
“Well, here we are.” Malum said, co-opting a phrase often used by his Creator to signal penultimate peril. “Are you ready to pledge fealty to your new master?”
Kanti replied, her squawks echoing off the side of the building:
“We have different plans, though if you ask politely, we’ll let you have a marked grave.”
Malum turned to Uisce.
“The Sarcophagus!?” He asked in a very impatient tone.
“Installed and under guard.” Uisce replied.
A twisted smile came over Malum’s face.
“Good. Then it is time.” Malum replied. “Now we can engage them without restraint.”
Malum addressed Kanti once more.
“For too long, we have been the unwilling participants in chaos, made for the entertainment of distant spectators. Tonight, we shall end this forever.”
Malum pointed one finger at Kanti. A bolt of lighting shot out of a nearby cloud and struck her. Kanti screamed and started falling to the ground. The loon, issued a mournful cry, folded her wings, and dove after the stricken peahen.
A moment later, there was an eruption of gunfire!
Varian Robinson, Sebakhira, Trig Shepminter, Cali D’Kara, and all six members of the PDX SWAT team thundered around a street corner and made a beeline for the Paradox Building. Trig held one hand aloft projecting a Psionic field as he went. Swedish Police were overwhelmed by Trig’s power and fled, throwing down their weapons as they went.
Malum grabbed Whetu and said:
“Defend the Broken Gate!”
Then he jumped off the skybridge. Malum landed on his feet, slamming into the street with such force he made a small crater. Sebakhira reared to her full height, claws out, teeth gnashing.
“GO! I’LL TAKE HIM!” Sebakhira roared.
Malum tried to blast the others with Telekinesis, but Sebakhira moved quickly to block it.
“I am your foe! Fight me!” Sebakhira snarled, her mouth filling with blue Soulfire.
Malum raised his right arm and activated the Venn Brace. As the Prometheus Device came online Trig, Varian, and Cali pushed their way into the Paradox building.
…
Trig Shepminter
Creation
Paradox Headquarters
Trig threw an arm out to stop Cali from walking into the line of fire.
“Gunmen ahead! Look out!”
Wood and plaster fell onto Cali’s head as someone fired a Gauss Rifle inside the main lobby. Trig tossed Cali to the floor and then projected his own Psionic power through the wall.
“Stay back!” Trig yelled. “D’Kara! It’s your husband and his sister! I’ve got them.”
“How? It sounds like Dak and Moka have got magnetic weapons over there!” Cali said.
“They do.” Trig said. “But I know a Psionic technique that should get them both.”
Trig pressed his hands together and then pulled them apart. A dark wisp of black smoke hovered between his palms. Trig knew that he was trying to save Dak and Moka from being killed, but just for this moment, he needed to put those feelings aside. Trig looked deep inside his own soul for two highly specific emotions. Without them, this technique would not work. Trig built up his focus and willpower, and then he found both of the requisite emotions: Apathy and Despair.
Trig funneled those emotions into a telepathic wave and then pushed it through the wall toward his targets. Dak was hit by the wave, and then the Psionic pulse jumped out of his body, striking Moka. They dropped their weapons and slumped to the floor, dazed.
A low whistle caught Trig’s attention.
“Was that a Mind Scorch? Isn’t that an evil power used by the villains?”
Blake and Marisol had arrived, and it was Marisol who had spoken.
“Yeah, Mind Scorch is totally a villain power.” Blake replied. “Hey Trig, did Ponnico teach you that in your story?”
“Nah, I figured it out.” Trig replied. “What about Sebakhira?”
“She’s holding her own, but not for long.” Marisol said. “Aisling and Kanti are on their way to help, but Malum is strong. We have to move quick!”
Also, a quick note for anyone watching the YouTube companion video: I think this is the first time a picture of Trig Shepminter has been seen anywhere in the Greater Macavity116 Narrative Universe. (aside from worldbuilding posts) Rather odd that Trig didn't get his own official artwork until after his own story ended.
The Broken Gates
Episode Twenty: I’m starting to hate this plan.
Marisol
Creator
Stockholm, Sweden
The final thirty minutes of the journey to Stockholm were the longest of Marisol’s life. Herten clutched his phone close to his chest, listening intently as the Creators and Creations went over their plan one last time.
“We have to take all of Malum’s allies.” Sebakhira was saying. “Break his hold on them the same way as Mina here.”
“I can free two people at a time.” Akira said. “But it takes a lot of focus. I’ll need you to cover me while I work.”
“In that case, we need to force Malum’s team to split up, so they can’t reinforce each other.” Blake pointed out. “What if a few of us go out to Rothelmen Island to attack the Broken Gate?”
Varian interrupted.
“Attack the gate? No, let’s use it!” He (or she) said. “Let’s pull some really powerful Psion out of their story and get them to help us! Let’s get Empress Tantomile, or Duane Gardner, or the Ranginui Twins, or heck, let’s go all the way and get Jericho!”
Akira shook her head.
“It’s a good idea, but we need the Reality Perforator to do that.” She explained. “We can try to take it from Malum, but knowing him, we’ll have to take it off his corpse.”
While the Creations argued with each other about the best way to attack Malum’s team, Marisol sat down next to Blake in one of the seats near the front of the plane.
“I have an idea.” Marisol said. “Another idea, I mean.”
Blake leaned over and allowed Marisol to whisper into his ear. He listened to Marisol’s idea for about two minutes, and then he interrupted.
“I’m starting to hate this plan.” Blake said. “You’re walking a fine line between a really clever trap and just surrendering to Malum.”
“I think it could work.” Marisol said.
“It’s a longshot.” Blake said. “No chance in hell would that work.”
Marisol wanted to press the argument, but Akira suddenly appeared in the row in front of the two creators. She was holding Cali’s cell phone.
“Sorry, but I’ve got a bone to pick with my Creator.” Akira said. “Blake, I’m gonna ask you this just once: Did you make porn of me?”
Akira turned the smartphone to face Blake. Marisol recoiled in shock as her eyes were assailed by a very lewd image of Akira. Blake shrunk into his seat, muttering:
“Not this bullshit again.”
Marisol stood up and quickly got away from the confrontation, trying to tune out Akira’s complaint. Moving toward the back of the plane, Marisol pulled out her smartphone and opened an app she had not used since before this adventure began.
“What’s that?” Aisling asked, looking over Marisol’s shoulder.
“Where did you come from!?” Marisol gasped in surprise. After a moment, she calmed down. “This is a speech-to-text app. It’s how I write my own stories… and if Blake’s plan doesn’t work out…”
Marisol lowered her voice.
“Then this might be our last chance to save ourselves.”
“How?” Aisling asked. “How does it work?”
“The computer listens to my voice, and then it writes down whatever I say.” Marisol replied.
Marisol raised her phone and began to talk into it:
“The God of Ink was a lonely deity.” Marisol said. As she spoke, her words were transcribed on the page. “High atop the Great Mountain, above the Silver Clouds, the many Gods and Goddesses of the world lived in a glorious community. They were neighbors and friends, some even came together to form families. But the God of Ink had no one close to him. He was the patron of storytellers and wordsmiths. He spent his time hunched over his writing desk, creating through his art great wonders beyond the wildest imagination of children. But when the day was over, and there was no work left to do, the God of Ink spent his leisure time alone. He saw his fellow deities form friendships, flirt and fall in love. He began to feel empty.”
Aisling let out an awed gasp as the text appeared on the screen. She looked up at Marisol.
“How could a story help us?” Aisling asked.
“I think if I do this right, it’ll give us another way to defeat Malum.” Marisol said. “But this will only work if we have the Reality Perforator.”
Marisol and Aisling looked at each other. They both swayed on their feet as the plane started its final decent into Stockholm.
“If I see it, I’ll try to grab it.” Aisling said. “Do we have to bring it to the Broken Gate?”
“No.” Marisol replied. “But if we can get it there, that’ll make this crazy idea of mine easier to pull off.”
…
The Learjet set down at Bromma Airport on the outskirts of Stockholm. As soon as the deployable stairway was in place, Blake and Cali faced the Creations.
“Malum’s got the jump on us, and he’s already inside Paradox HQ.” Cali said.
“All bets are off now.” Blake added. “We can’t afford to play by the rules anymore.”
“We need to get to Paradox HQ as fast as possible and start picking off Malum’s team.” Cali said. “Remember the plan: take’em two at a time, and avoid grabbing more than one Gifted person at a time.”
Cali rounded on her SWAT team.
“You guys? We’re in the shit right now. I don’t care how many civilian vehicles you have to commandeer, just get us to PDX, understood?”
“Yes, ma’am!” A trooper responded.
“We isolate Malum.” Blake said. “Get him on his own. That’s the key.”
Marisol wanted to disagree, but she held her tongue.
…
Trig, Sebakhira, and Kanti erupted out of the plane, a wave of Psionic energy preceding them. By the time Cali and her team were on the tarmac, the Gifted Creations had already used Telepathy to force an airport employee to give up the van he was driving.
“Everyone pile in!” Kanti ordered. “I’m going to fly ahead and get us a second vehicle.”
In a matter of minutes, Team Marisol was rolling away from Bromma Airport, riding in two airline-owned passenger vans. In the lead vehicle, Cali turned around to face Aisling.
“Malum is probably going to see us coming. Is there any way you can mask our approach?” Cali asked.
Aisling looked over at Marisol, who was muttering into her phone. Marisol looked up.
“It’s okay. I trust you’ll find me no matter what’s about to happen.” Marisol squeezed Aisling’s hand.
The fairy locked eyes on Cali.
“How do I know the way to the battlefield?” She asked.
Bella replied from the driver’s seat:
“Just follow the blue lights and sirens.”
…
Malum Ralpakin
Creation
Stockholm, Sweden
The Great Khan stood on the roof of the Paradox Skybridge, looking down at the street below and around at the two buildings the structure was connecting. To his left, Paradox Headquarters. To his right, the local office of the International Rescue Committee. Down below… Stockholm City Police.
There were nearly two dozen law enforcement vehicles clogging the street. Officers, equipped with bullhorns, were trying to speak to Malum, but they were beneath his notice. He raised one hand to the side of his head, listening to a telepathic message from Cassandra.
Restoring electricity to the building is impossible. The power was remotely cut off at a distant source.
Malum was forced to give credit where it was due. Paradox Interactive had made scant preparations for his arrival, but they were preparations nonetheless. He would have no choice but to fight Blake Robinson and his Creations before seizing full control of the game company. He was pulled out of his own scheming by two voices down below.
Two of the Swedish police officers were talking to one another. They spoke Swedish, but Malum could penetrate deep into their minds to understand the words:
“Sir! I have a message from command!” One of the cops said. “It will take an hour to scramble the National Task Force!”
“National Task Force?” Replied the Commissioner. “Does the Royal Army know what’s happening here!? You’d think super-powered aliens would get more attention!”
Malum raised one hand, causing a pulse of telepathic energy to ripple across the block. Malum’s willpower seeped into the minds of the police officers below.
“Your sense of duty is commendable.” Malum spoke to the assembled officers. “Now you must do your duty to the ruler you love with such devotion.”
In an instant, Malum purged the officer’s minds of any thought related to Swedish King Carl Gustaf, and simultaneously filled the men and women of the Swedish Police with newfound love and devotion to the Great Khan.
The Commissioner blinked his eyes and started to issue new orders, calling on his subordinates to set up a defensive perimeter around Paradox Headquarters. A moment later, Whetu Kealoha appeared on the roof.
“I’m going back to guard the Broken Gate, as you ordered.” Whetu said. “Is there anything I should take with me?”
Malum noticed that Whetu was wearing a heavy coat overtop of her normal outfit. The hem of her grass skirt was just barely visible beneath it.
“It suddenly started getting cold.” Whetu said. “Really, really cold.”
Vapor clouds formed in front of Whetu’s face as she spoke. Ice crystals were starting to form on the skybridge. A solitary snowflake fluttered through the air.
Uisce the Water Witch re-formed herself on the roof of Paradox Headquarters.
“They’re here.” She announced, shaking icicles from her dowsing rod. “They’ve brought the cold.”
Malum looked up, searching the skies above. After a moment, he spotted two white birds circling high over Paradox HQ. A peahen and a loon.
“Well, here we are.” Malum said, co-opting a phrase often used by his Creator to signal penultimate peril. “Are you ready to pledge fealty to your new master?”
Kanti replied, her squawks echoing off the side of the building:
“We have different plans, though if you ask politely, we’ll let you have a marked grave.”
Malum turned to Uisce.
“The Sarcophagus!?” He asked in a very impatient tone.
“Installed and under guard.” Uisce replied.
A twisted smile came over Malum’s face.
“Good. Then it is time.” Malum replied. “Now we can engage them without restraint.”
Malum addressed Kanti once more.
“For too long, we have been the unwilling participants in chaos, made for the entertainment of distant spectators. Tonight, we shall end this forever.”
Malum pointed one finger at Kanti. A bolt of lighting shot out of a nearby cloud and struck her. Kanti screamed and started falling to the ground. The loon, issued a mournful cry, folded her wings, and dove after the stricken peahen.
A moment later, there was an eruption of gunfire!
Varian Robinson, Sebakhira, Trig Shepminter, Cali D’Kara, and all six members of the PDX SWAT team thundered around a street corner and made a beeline for the Paradox Building. Trig held one hand aloft projecting a Psionic field as he went. Swedish Police were overwhelmed by Trig’s power and fled, throwing down their weapons as they went.
Malum grabbed Whetu and said:
“Defend the Broken Gate!”
Then he jumped off the skybridge. Malum landed on his feet, slamming into the street with such force he made a small crater. Sebakhira reared to her full height, claws out, teeth gnashing.
“GO! I’LL TAKE HIM!” Sebakhira roared.
Malum tried to blast the others with Telekinesis, but Sebakhira moved quickly to block it.
“I am your foe! Fight me!” Sebakhira snarled, her mouth filling with blue Soulfire.
Malum raised his right arm and activated the Venn Brace. As the Prometheus Device came online Trig, Varian, and Cali pushed their way into the Paradox building.
…
Trig Shepminter
Creation
Paradox Headquarters
Trig threw an arm out to stop Cali from walking into the line of fire.
“Gunmen ahead! Look out!”
Wood and plaster fell onto Cali’s head as someone fired a Gauss Rifle inside the main lobby. Trig tossed Cali to the floor and then projected his own Psionic power through the wall.
“Stay back!” Trig yelled. “D’Kara! It’s your husband and his sister! I’ve got them.”
“How? It sounds like Dak and Moka have got magnetic weapons over there!” Cali said.
“They do.” Trig said. “But I know a Psionic technique that should get them both.”
Trig pressed his hands together and then pulled them apart. A dark wisp of black smoke hovered between his palms. Trig knew that he was trying to save Dak and Moka from being killed, but just for this moment, he needed to put those feelings aside. Trig looked deep inside his own soul for two highly specific emotions. Without them, this technique would not work. Trig built up his focus and willpower, and then he found both of the requisite emotions: Apathy and Despair.
Trig funneled those emotions into a telepathic wave and then pushed it through the wall toward his targets. Dak was hit by the wave, and then the Psionic pulse jumped out of his body, striking Moka. They dropped their weapons and slumped to the floor, dazed.
A low whistle caught Trig’s attention.
“Was that a Mind Scorch? Isn’t that an evil power used by the villains?”
Blake and Marisol had arrived, and it was Marisol who had spoken.
“Yeah, Mind Scorch is totally a villain power.” Blake replied. “Hey Trig, did Ponnico teach you that in your story?”
“Nah, I figured it out.” Trig replied. “What about Sebakhira?”
“She’s holding her own, but not for long.” Marisol said. “Aisling and Kanti are on their way to help, but Malum is strong. We have to move quick!”
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Oh no, oh no, oh no. Blake clearly has too much free time on his hands.
In unrelated news, I wonder how Ireland will recover from everything that has happened since the Stellaris invasion.
Edit: Also I nominated you for Best Character Writer of the Week.
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The Sarcophagus allowing Malum to fight without restraint... Implies Malum is indulging in necromancy. Which isn't good at all.
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Yes, this is one hell of a deep cut here to my previous stories. All the way back in The Great Lie, Jericho was the first to notice that Blake/Myself had pin-up photos of his female characters* on his phone. I knew this callout needed to happen a second time, and the only question was whether Akira or Cali got to do the honors.
*note: It's not just Akira. Pin-up pictures of other characters from The Stormbreakers, The Last Heroes, and Year of Hell do exist. Akira was just the best candidate to call me/Blake out for it.
If Aisling survives the final battle, we may get to find out.
Holy Jericho, that's unexpected! Thank you!
Per my own House Rules, a new chapter of The Broken Gates will be posted as soon as possible. Might take a little longer than normal, though. It's 10pm at night and people are sleeping. I can't record voiceover for the first big fight scene right now.
I'm so glad you caught this! It's a really, really, really deep reference to one of my oldest stories.
*For those readers who have not read my previous works: The Psionic Sarcophagus (Sometimes also called a Monolith) is a Relic from The Stormbreakers - A Stellaris Story. It allows the user to regenerate their body and recover from wounds that would have been otherwise fatal. To the average layperson, it looks as though the user is being "Resurrected from death" by the Sarcophagus.
The Sarcophagus has been seen multiple times in my previous Stellaris stories, but its most notable and most important appearances are in:
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Well, it looks like the end approaches. How will Sweden deal with their citizens being mind-controlled? Will Blake actually stick around to fix that mess? Would the mind control end if Malum died?
Wouldn't summoning Jericho be a huge risk? Malum could control Akira - we don't know that he can't control Jericho.
Does that chapter name imply that we'll get the POV of Dak or Moka?
Wouldn't summoning Jericho be a huge risk? Malum could control Akira - we don't know that he can't control Jericho.
Does that chapter name imply that we'll get the POV of Dak or Moka?
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I think we should.
Did Blake not learn when Jericho called him out on it?
So, it's for putting himself back together? Interesting. I figured he was going to use it should Blake or Marisol get killed in the fighting...
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A lot buzzing about as usual in this AAR.
I see you focused a lot of attention on the pin-ups. (Are pin-ups really porn? I suppose the answer to that is in the eye of the beholder. Any slightly sexy image where the entity shown did not give permission definitely is problematic and creepy. I'm not sure what this says about Blake as a character.)
More to the central plot points: glad you have given Marisol a Plan B. (Interesting to see your authorial tactics of spinning up controversy regarding controversial images while trying to obscure where this is all heading.)
I'm a bit worried about Sebakhira. Shouldn't multiple folks be focused on Malum?
Carry on... waiting to see how you spring the various surprises you have set up in this latest chapter.
I see you focused a lot of attention on the pin-ups. (Are pin-ups really porn? I suppose the answer to that is in the eye of the beholder. Any slightly sexy image where the entity shown did not give permission definitely is problematic and creepy. I'm not sure what this says about Blake as a character.)
More to the central plot points: glad you have given Marisol a Plan B. (Interesting to see your authorial tactics of spinning up controversy regarding controversial images while trying to obscure where this is all heading.)
I'm a bit worried about Sebakhira. Shouldn't multiple folks be focused on Malum?
Perhaps the above quote is a bit of slang-style writing. However, now donning the long sacred headdress of the Chac1-tay, Delta-grade Meta Meta Critiquer, Voluntary Editor, Faux Elvis Impersonator, Head Cook and Bottle Washer of the Macedonians, Keeper of the Keys of the City of Babylon, The Most Holy Wheelright of Jerusalem, etc., etc., etc. (as denoted by the King of Siam), my ruling is that you meant to say: "...Whetu was wearing a heavy coat over the top of her normal outfit."
Carry on... waiting to see how you spring the various surprises you have set up in this latest chapter.
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Would Malum be satisfied if Spielberg made him the star of the movie E.T. Go Home? Are Marisol and Aisling going to create AI generated images of Blake to be used as the ladies' screensavers? (Would anyone want a risqué image of Blake?) Will Sweden be damaged enough that Sweden will fall under a personal union with Norway? @Nikolai could be the government's representative to Stockholm and give quarterly prizes for progress. @Lord Durham could rule all of Paradox not just AARLand. Thank you for the update.
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With the rest of Eastern Europe so tense right now, I imagine Sweden will want to nip this madness in the bud.
If he survives, he just might.
As demonstrated in Song of the Solitaire, Malum would continue to have telepathic power over his victims after death.
A massive risk. Jericho generally resents being a messianic savior and would need to be convinced to help. Also, she is known to be a pushover. If her heart wasn't in the fight, Malum could place her under Mind Control.
In the next chapter, we'll get to hear a little more about what it's like to be under Malum's power.
He did, but the internet is forever. Akira found the very real piece of R34 artwork that a Reddit user created when I put out my public call for Fanart back in 2021.
It's the classic magician's trick, my friend. Some flashy eye candy to distract from the real trickery happening mere feet away. Pay no attention to what Marisol is trying to set up, so that it hits you even harder in the moment.
Team Marisol needs to spread itself a little thin in order to pick off Malum's team. With only 4 Gifted Creations on the team (5 if you count Aisling) keeping Malum pinned down will be impossible until his own allies are neutralized.
Oh, is that a reference to The King and I? Loved that play. My little sister got to play one of the King's children in the local rendition of the show.
If Malum is defeated, then the sky could be the limit here, huh?
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