> Be careful, as that is either a (most likely) insane jasmine, or an incredby smart eldritch Ampharos. one that learned to talk apparently.
You didn't really need to be told this. Amazingly enough, you were
actually being careful when facing a potentially deadly and wholly unknown creature that lurks in darkness.
Your perspicacity never ceases to astound.
> Stay at a distance and talk to it. Also make a mental note to go back to the farm and steal some more moo moo milk.
You still have a couple of bottles of milk left – but there won't be any supplementing it now that the farm's burned down.
> Oh, someone or something is there with the ability to talk? First make sure that it's not the MooMoo Milk that is giving your ears a hearing hallucination.
If it's not the work of the milk, then go into chat mode. :3
You don't really have any means of testing whether or not you're hallucinating. To be honest, it probably doesn't matter if you are; most of the stuff that's happened over the last few days only really makes sense as a hallucination.
That said, CHAT MODE ENGAGED TARGET ACQUIRED
> Inform the Unknown Beastie that you are armed, so you are, with a Hideously Dangerous Stabby Thing and furthermore, you object to being ordered around like some sort of craven servant. One more arrogant demand and you'll wallop it with the two-hundred-kilo crab claw.
> Remember that you were physically incapable of even shifting said crab claw, let alone engaging in any walloping with it.
> Make a comical Oh Crap face and begin slowly backing away.
"I'm armed," you say. "I have a deadly poisonous needle. And a gigantic crab claw."
You sound pretty intimidating, if you do say so yourself – and that makes it all the more surprising when the unknown being laughs. It sounds like the Radio Tower collapsing.
"Y
OU'RE FUNNY," says the voice. "I
LIKE THAT."
Well,
that was unexpected.
> Don't go any closer like it said and talk to it ask who or what is is, and what happened to the town? Why is half preserved and the other dilapitated? Ask if it knows of those that dwell beneath the waves. Just be careful I don't want you to get crippled again or eletricuted by a highly intelligent Magnemite
"Uh, yeah. Yeah, that was totally meant to be a joke. Who are you?" you ask, swiftly changing the subject.
"N
OBODY," replies the voice. A note of melancholy has crept into it, half-hidden amidst the clamour of rending steel. "I
AM NOBODY."
You don't feel inclined to argue the point. Given that this creature is entirely unfazed by the idea of being stabbed with the Hideously Dangerous Stabby Thing, you're pretty sure that they and not you is in charge of the situation.
"I
SENT THE LIFT DOWN," they say. "Y
OU NEEDED IT."
"How did you know I was in trouble?"
"I
HEARD."
"You were six floors above me."
"I
HAVE VERY GOOD HEARING." The thing in the shadows shifts again; something clinks on the floor. "W
HO ARE YOU?"
You consider. There doesn't seem to be any harm in telling them your name.
"I'm Othodox," you reply. "I'm trying to save the world."
"H
OW?"
That's not a question you're expecting, but it is, when you think about it, entirely justifiable. How
are you going to save the world?
"I don't know," you admit, feeling that this conversation is rapidly getting out of hand. "That's why I came here. I was told you could help."
"I
CAN'T HELP ANYONE." More shifting noises. You get the distinct impression that the unseen being is turning their back on you. "If
YOU WANT HELP, GO AWAY."
For something with such an awe-inspiring voice, they seem rather petulant.
In the deepening silence, you cast around for something to say that won't offend them and come up with the question of the dock.
"Why is the dock so run-down?" you ask.
There's no reply.
"L
EAVE ME ALONE," says the voice. "P
LEASE. T
ELL WHOEVER SENT YOU NOT TO SEND ANYONE ELSE."
"They won't," you answer, suddenly feeling like punching some sense into this vexingly emo stranger. "There
is no one else. I've seen a grand total of two other people recently, and one of them was dead."
"L
EAVE ME ALONE," repeats the voice insistently. "I
'M NOT IN ANYONE'S WAY. P
LEASE, JUST LEAVE ME ALONE."
"What do you know about those monsters that live in the cities under the sea?" you ask savagely, deciding that the time for subtlety is past. No one ever broke through a wall of self-pity this thick without being rough.
There is a pause.
In the gloom, you see a dark shape that might be a head turning towards you.
"H
OW DID YOU KNOW ABOUT – ABOUT THE DREAMS...?"
"Everyone gets them," you reply. "Or they
did, before they all died." You take a step forwards. Something flinches away in the dark.
"D
ON'T COME ANY CLOSER!" the voice cries, flustered now. "I
''M WARNING YOU!"
You stay where you are.
"Talk to me, then," you say. "Tell me what you know. Tell me why someone would send me to you to ask for help."
"I
DON'T KNOW," replies the voice. "P
LEASE. L
EAVE ME ALONE!"
The last word is delivered with enough force to blast your hair back from your face and knock you back a step; it rides a shockwave of rust-scented breath.
Hm. This isn't going as well as you'd hoped.
[off-topic: I love this idea, but I love the execution even more. Seriously. I just hoovered up all ten pages like a sentient vacuum cleaner and I'm still not sated. SO WRITE MORE PLEASE THANK YOU :D]
I'm glad you like it. It's actually 75 pages long in terms of actual pieces of A4, so you can feel pleased about doing a serious chunk of reading. If you want more, you're in luck: this is updated pretty much every day, unless I'm too busy. And I have to be very,
very busy to be too busy.
F.A.B.