You feel it is your duty to warn your fellow humans out there in the galaxy to what has taken place here today, so you send out a distress signal containing everything you have uncovered so far.\n\nIt doesn’t take long until the door behind you opens and several armed corpse-draggers step inside. Their own vessel must have picked up the signal with its scanners, thus alerting your foes to your presence. The hostiles gun you down mercilessly, though as life escapes your body you feel that so has not been in vain.\n
You bark at Unit 38 to back off.\n\nThe droid, however, seems outraged by your words: Its chest panel suddenly pops open and its ravenous flamethrower burns the flesh off your bones in a matter of seconds…\n
You try to push the metal desk and have it block the gate. Unfortunately, the table appears to be nailed to the ground… With nothing delaying the droid, the powerful robot is able to bend the gate enough to aim its arm-blasters at you and unleash hell…
You won’t risk barging into the bridge, but you’re also not ready to give up so easily. You take cover in the shadows behind a nearby cool server and try to remain as motionless as possible...\n\nMinutes go by endlessly while nothing really happens. You’re just alone in some dark, forsaken corridor, hiding behind some piece of equipment, waiting for something you actually don’t know what to happen… You feel your patience slowly dwindling.\n*[[Keep waiting]]\n\n*[[Approach the door so it opens automatically]]\n\n*[[Change your mind and go towards the teleporter instead]]\n
<<set $ducttape = "false">>You think on your feet and quickly commence reinforcing the gate with the incredibly resilient Cerulium-fiber duct tape. As fast as possible, you use the tape to cover the gaps and dents, as well as fortify the hinges.\n\nIt seems to be working! The door barely moves anymore. The droid still tries to knock it down, however, but that should keep it busy for a while… You’re glad with your accomplishment, though you have no tape left.\n\nYou prepare to continue.\n*[[Take the right door]]
Breathing heavily, fearing for your life, you quickly put the severed hand on the scanner.\n\n"Access granted. Welcome to the Teleportation Bay, First Officer O'Neil."\n\nThe massive metal door then slides upwards, allowing you to step inside the bay. You can see the teleporter pad merely a few yards away, as well as several crates and barrels around the area. You run as fast as possible, but are surprised by a corpse-dragger that abruptly jumps from behind a stack of crates into your path… Just like the others, the individual is wearing some type of black full-body gear, helmet included, which is unknown to you. The humanoid seems to be unarmed, however. Instinctively, you charge your foe, pushing him to the side violently. With the corpse-dragger half-stunned, as the place is stormed by your pursuers’ gunfire, you throw yourself at the teleporter…\n*[[Beam down to the desert planet]]
<<set $path = "blocked">>You decide to place numerous blocks of compressed dirt behind you, blocking the way completely. Once so is done, you prepare to move on.\n*[[Continue down the tunnel]]
You decide to run at the guard, intent on tossing him out of your way. However, you are only greeted by a shock-baton… Stunned, you cannot do anything but watch as Unit 38 approaches and releases hell upon you.
Your curiosity speaks higher, so you decide to follow the mysterious individual who was dragging the body just now. You approach the door leading to the area where they disappeared into, and, as expected, it opens by itself… You are greeted by an immense darkness coming from within the room, though what really bothers you is the overwhelming stench of death… You are unable to see anything, and quickly realize that your position is being given away by the corridor’s lamps. Suddenly, you hear several rumbling thunders and, at the same time, feel your chest being pierced multiple times by small projectiles… As life escapes your body, you fall on your back on the floor, struggling to breathe… Death… So cold…
<<set $pod1 = "one">>You place your hand on the cold screen and allow the computer to scan it...\n\nThe device beeps a couple of times, and the following message appears, "Access denied. Please contact the nearest administrator."\n\nThere is nothing else you can do.\n<<if $pod2 eq "two">>*[[Approach the door]]\n<<else>>*[[Take a look at the other pods]]\n\n*[[Approach the door]]\n<<endif>>
You fiercely charge your opponent, knocking the weapon out of his hand. Enraged, he socks you across the face… Ouch, that hurt.\n*[[Read his next move]]\n\n*[[Quickly attack him]]\n
You turn around and make haste towards the bridge… Unfortunately, you remain in sight of the corpse-draggers. The moment they spot you, they fire their weapons at you… You are mercilessly torn apart by enemy fire…
You immediately aim the flashlight at the creature and observe a lean four-legged predator in milky-white colors, not very far from you. The being possesses no eyes, but has a sharp set of teeth, as well as deadly thick talons. The fiend snarls and cowers the moment light shines upon it… Understanding its hyper-sensitivity to brightness, you keep aiming your flashlight at the creature until it gives up and retreats deep into the cave.\n\nYou travel across the dark grotto for what it seems like an hour and understand that you’re getting both hungry and thirsty. Once in a while, a milky-white predator tries its luck, but you manage to keep the fiends at bay with your flashlight. However, you don’t think that the battery will last very long, as you can clearly tell that the light isn't as powerful as a while ago. \n\nYou could use the matter manipulator to reach the surface again, you suppose. After all, you must be pretty far away from the Apex camp by now.\n*[[Keep walking]]\n\n*[[Build a staircase to the ceiling using the matter manipulator]]
''When Death Looms''
<<set $flashlight = "false">>You toss your flashlight at the Apex and shout, “Grenade!”\n\nIt’s rather comical the way the guard hurriedly leaps out of your way back to where he came from as you run right past his position. Unit 38 is looming just behind you, however...\n*[[Continue|Continue7]]\n\n
You ask for Unit 38 to help you.\n\nThe droid, however, seems outraged by your request: Its chest panel suddenly pops open and its ravenous flamethrower burns the flesh off your bones in the blink of an eye…
You aim the matter manipulator at the ground and quickly commence stacking compressed piles of sand, dirt, and rock in front of you. It’s impressive what such tool is capable of.\n\nWith a swift motion, you manage to finish the wall before your foes are able to get a clear shot. Once you are protected, you hear numerous bullets hitting the other side of the barrier. Your adrenaline is running high…\n\nYou jump in fright when something suddenly grabs your leg. You look down to see the Apex you were previously fighting firmly holding onto your ankle, his nails sinking deep into your flesh. It seems that you failed to notice him when he crawled towards you just now.\n\n“You’re not going anywhere, degenerate!” he shouts, his face a mixture of anger and fearlessness. You hear the other armed aliens approaching...\n*[[Kick him with your other foot]]\n\n*[[Use the matter manipulator to remove the ground beneath you]]
You run down a nearby stairway to the first deck below. You just in time manage to dodge Unit 38’s hungry flamethrower, but, to your dismay, you end up running into the group of armed Apex soldiers, who are fast to pull the trigger…
The ladder seems to go on forever and ever... To make matters worse, you can barely feel your limbs anymore… You’re so exhausted… The sound of the alarm diminishes as you distance yourself from the heart of the complex, though, which is something you do appreciate. \n\nWhen you finally reach the hatch, with some difficulty, you turn the heavy wheel to the left in order to unlock it. After hearing a clunk, you push the trapdoor up.\n\nYou look around and see that you’re back in the desert, only this time there is nothing of interest around… Only sand, rocks, and an unforgiving sun up in the sky. The hatch closes shut behind you, and without a handle on this side, there is no way to get it back open from here. You are glad, however, to hear your Matter Manipulator coming back online. You grab your faithful orange tool and prepare to dig… to build… to survive…
You stick to the light coming from the opening in the ceiling and start stacking blocks of dirt on top of each other, leaving enough space for you to use them as a flight of steps.\n\nUnfortunately, as you approach the surface, you realize that the corpse-draggers are still looming above. With you not so distant anymore, they are able to aim their weapons at you and mercilessly pull the trigger… Your blood trickles down the staircase, carrying the life out of your body...\n
With the pistol gone, you try to keep some distance to study your opponent… Abruptly, you see his shoulder move, indicating that the attack will come from your right side.\n*[[Defend your right side]]\n\n*[[Defend your left side]]
You exit the bridge and, keeping up a fast pace, make your way to the teleportation bay.\n\nYou go through wrecked corridors, seeing blood and debris serving as decoration all around you. A few lights flicker occasionally overhead, bestowing upon the area a rather chilling atmosphere. Fortunately, you do not come across any hostiles… for the time being, at least. \n*[[Continue|Continue2]]\n
Suddenly, four armed Apex troopers, three of them helmetless, storm into the laboratory. You recognize their leader as the Apex soldier who spoke previously in the hangar. You have a better view of him now, a brown-haired creature with strong, arrogant features.\n\n“So this is where you’re hiding, rat,” he says with a grin that reveals a set of yellow crooked teeth. “Unit 38, finish the human.”\n\nThe cyborg’s chest panel pops open and the flamethrower comes into view… Unit 38, however, swiftly turns around and unleashes a sea of ravenous red upon the Apex squad. The corpse-draggers screech as fire consumes them, they panic as they burn, they fall to their knees in agony... until only charred carcasses remain.\n\nThe yellow robot exits the laboratory back to the corridor. Some other armed Apex approach, not really understanding what’s happening, and Unit 38 surprises them by mercilessly setting them ablaze…\n\nThe alarm of the complex is still ringing…\n\nInstinctively, you glance down at the weapons belonging to the fallen Apex, but they all seem to have been rendered useless by the fire. You’re starting to wonder what to do next when the droid beckons you to follow and then moves down the hallway.\n*[[Follow Unit 38]]
As you are about to go down the stairway, you are distracted by the sound of an engine growing louder and louder. You look through the glass dome and observe a silver hoverbike coming towards you at high speed, a brown cloud of dust rising to the skies behind it. Before you know it, the vehicle stops just outside. Two individuals then hop off and walk towards the building… Corpse-draggers, you recognize, Apex wearing the advanced-tech outfits. They cannot see you yet, fortunately, due to the reflective nature of the outside of the structure.\n\nYou quickly go down the spiral staircase and, after reaching the bottom, see that you are in an underground complex. The walls and ceiling are of a smooth, shiny metal, and numerous powerful tube-shaped lamps seem to banish all shadows from this place. There are no windows in the area, but a few doors may be seen.\n\nSuddenly, your matter manipulator appears to go offline... There must be some sort of advanced technology, a jammer, within this place that prevents terrain and materials to be moved via the orange tool...\n\nYou observe a bulky man-sized robot on continuous tracks patrolling the compound... Its behavior shows that you have not yet been detected.\n*[[Talk to the robot]]\n\n*[[Enter a random gate before you're spotted]]\n\n*[[Charge the droid]]\n
You decide to stay silent… Sometimes it’s the best thing one can do.\n\nUnit 38 carves yet a third message... "Earth"... "Home"... "Gone"...\n*[[Continue|Continue8]]\n
You can already see the massive metal gate leading to the teleporter ahead. Using the machine to beam yourself down to the desert planet may very well be what will save your life. You cannot stay in this vessel, after all, not with danger looming around every corner. You suspect that the corpse-draggers are unaware that someone still navigates these halls, or they would have very likely started a manhunt by now. If so were to happen, you do not think you’d last very long… What could the purpose of these mysterious attackers be? And why are they hauling off human bodies?\n\nSuddenly, you hear some form of loud distorted speech together with several rushed footsteps behind you. You immediately turn your head and spot a handful of corpse-draggers in the distance running towards you, weapons in hand. You feel your legs quivering, but swiftly get a grip of yourself and run at full speed towards the huge gate. \n\nYou hear gunfire almost-instantly followed by bullets piercing metal not too far from your position… Fortunately, it seems that your pursuers are still too far away to get a clear shot, but they’re coming closer and closer. You could swear they possess some sort of technology that allows them to dash forward much faster than a regular person could run.\n\n<<if $teleport eq "unlock">>\nGladly, you have already unlocked the gate at the bridge. The moment you approach it, the massive metal door slides upwards, allowing you to step inside the bay. You can see the teleporter pad merely a few yards away, as well as several crates and barrels around the area. You run as fast as possible, but are surprised by a corpse-dragger that abruptly jumps from behind a stack of crates into your path… Just like the others, the individual is wearing some type of black full-body gear, helmet included, which is unknown to you. The humanoid seems to be unarmed, however. Instinctively, you charge your foe, pushing him to the side violently. With the corpse-dragger half-stunned, as the place is stormed by your pursuers’ gunfire, you throw yourself at the teleporter… \n*[[Beam down to the desert planet]]\n<<else>>\nYou approach the massive metal door and realize it is locked, requiring a handprint verification in order to open. You hear the hostiles approaching…\n*[[Place your hand on the scanner]]\n\n<<if $hand eq "true">>\n*[[Place the severed hand on the scanner]]\n<<endif>><<endif>>\n
You breathe deeply and take the door on the left.\n\nThe gate leads into a corridor, but what scares the life out of you is one of the hulking droids on continuous tracks already waiting for you not very far off. You close the door extremely quickly with a loud bang, as a couple of red lasers hit it on the other side. Fortunately, the gate is powerful enough to sustain blaster damage, but you’re not sure it’ll be able to stop the robot... The ruthless machine rides against the gate a couple of times, trying to use its strength to bend it open. You can already see the dents...\n*[[Use the desk to block the passage]]\n\n*[[Run to the right door]]\n\n*[[Use the matter manipulator to build an obstacle]]\n\n<<if $ducttape eq "true">>*[[Use the Cerulium Duct Tape to fortify the gate]]<<endif>>
You’re feeling immensely tired, but you know that doing nothing will achieve exactly that. You climb down the arid hill and proceed to the mirrored dome. Perhaps there will be some water or something in there… You don’t know… But it’s worth trying…\n\nWhen you’re finally merely a few yards away from the house-sized structure, you have to go around in order to find an entrance. Eventually, you come across a narrow gate that opens automatically the moment you approach it and step inside afterwards. It is cooler in here, and you are also able to see from this side of the glass; the unforgiving desert extending as far as the eye can see. There is no one present, you are happy to see, but the advanced machinery around makes you think that this is very likely Apex built… There is a spiral metal staircase going down at the center of the dome, and you also perceive two dark green chests nearby.\n*[[Go down the spiral staircase]]\n\n*[[Inspect the left chest]]\n\n*[[Inspect the right chest]]\n
“HEY, YOU THERE!” someone right behind you suddenly shouts. You jump to your feet and turn around to see an Apex guard reaching for his pistol…\n*[[Try to reason with him]]\n\n*[[Raise your arms]]\n\n<<if $spear eq "true">>*[[Charge him with the spear]]<<else>>*[[Charge him]]<<endif>>
As you run down the metal staircase to the level below, the deafening alarm still going strong, you glance at the bottom of the hangar and see that the Apex soldiers are all riled up and coming your way up another stairway not far off. They carry rifles, you perceive, and are almost on the first level by now. What concerns you the most, though, is that the massive yellow robot, Unit 38, has been given a command to kill you, apparently, as its massive engines bring it up to the floor you now find yourself on, the second floor, in no time… The droid hovers at a safe distance, but a yellow panel on its chest pops open… \n*[[Attack Unit 38]]\n\n*[[Quickly enter a random nearby door]]\n\n*[[Run down a nearby staircase to level one below]]\n
<<set $spear = "false">>As you proceed down the corridor, you see a dead-end up ahead. Not wanting to be trapped, you barge into a nearby room, hoping to have better luck there.\n\nYou are in some sort of laboratory, as perceived by several chemistry stations, vials, and lab equipment around the area. Moreover, you see some brains submerged in a gooey green liquid within a large glass container; a troubling sight. More disturbing, though, on a nearby table is a pile of human heads. A closer inspection reveals that the scalps have been removed and the top of the skulls cracked open, revealing empty spaces where the brains used to be… You cannot control yourself and end up throwing up on the floor.\n\nUnit 38 effortlessly tears down the door and part of the wall and hovers merely a few yards away from you… You are ready to embrace your fate when you notice that the robot is actually devoting its attention to the pile of heads, rather than you.\n\nAfter a few seconds (which you spent without moving a muscle), Unit 38 seems to power down, only to power up once again. You see electrical sparks appearing and vanishing inside the thick glass container it has for a head, as the droid appears to have some sort of raging fit: Both its hands seem to act independently, and the engines that keep it airborne go in different directions as well, causing the robot to crash madly around the laboratory while all types of electronic sounds may be heard… Its flamethrower goes off at some point too, but not your way, gladly...\n\nEventually, it powers down again, only to power up once more. This time, however, Unit 38 seems to be quite calm. The robot then points at the pile of heads with one hand and uses its metal talons on the other to etch a word on the floor… You read it… “Us”\n\nThe machine shows no emotions whatsoever, but, strangely enough, you pick up a quite powerful vibe of sadness coming from it...\n*[[Tell Unit 38 to back off]]\n\n*[[Say you're sorry]]\n\n*[[Ask for help]]\n\n*[[Say that maybe the process can be reversed]]\n
You run to a nearby gate, clumsily open it, and jump inside, just in time dodging Unit 38’s hungry flamethrower. As the flames lick the air behind you, you close the door once more and sprint down the corridor.\n\nAn abrupt loud crash behind you suggests that the robot has blasted the gate and is now following you, which is confirmed by a quick glance over your shoulder. With Unit 38 hot on your tail, you feel your legs moving even faster…\n\nAn Apex guard suddenly emerges from a nearby passageway and stands in your path, shock-baton in hand.\n<<if $spear eq "true">>*[[Stab him with the spear]]<<else>>*[[Run at him]]\n\n*[[Throw your flashlight at him and shout grenade]]<<endif>>\n\n
Not really with high hopes, you put your hand on the screen and wait. \n\n“Access denied. Please contact the nearest administrator.”<<if $hand eq "true">>\n*[[Let the system scan the severed hand]]\n<<if $teleport eq "lock">>\n*[[Unlock the passage to the teleporter at the back of the ship]]<<endif>>\n*[[Send a distress signal with all the information you have uncovered]]\n\n*[[Leave the bridge and go to the teleporter]]\n<<else>>\n<<if $teleport eq "lock">>\n*[[Unlock the passage to the teleporter at the back of the ship]]<<endif>>\n*[[Send a distress signal with all the information you have uncovered]]\n\n*[[Leave the bridge and go to the teleporter]]<<endif>>\n
You decide to aim the matter manipulator at the ground and start retrieving the floor beneath you…\n\n“What are you doing?!” the Apex shouts in confusion, feeling the layer of sand vanishing beneath him.\n\nYou ignore his cries and keep digging, the hole getting deeper and deeper, wider and wider…\n\nIt doesn’t take long for the other aliens to appear around the makeshift wall, but just as they are about to unleash the wrath of their weapons on you, you fall down into a deep, dark cavern together with the helmetless Apex…\n\nAs you two are swallowed by the depths of this desert planet, you see the bright gap above you getting smaller and smaller…\n*[[Continue|Continue3]]\n
You hold your breath and try to meld into a nearby curtain of shadow, right below a broken lamp… You are confident no one will be able to see you. Merely a few seconds later, three individuals wearing some type of unknown gear, helmets included, come into view. To your dismay, you realize that their headgear allows them to see in the dark, as all immediately aim their weapons at you… You are mercilessly torn apart by enemy fire…
Following the hint, you block your right side… Unfortunately, that was exactly what he wanted. The Apex goes for your left and lands a well-placed punch on your ribs. With you half-stunned, he is able to bring a fast knee to your groin, followed by an elbow to the face… And then he has no problem tossing you over the railing…
For some reason, something drives you to charge the robot… The droid, however, immediately activates an energy shield, turns its upper-part at you, and fires a couple of red lasers from its arm-blasters. You fall dead on the floor…
You decide to wait silently inside the locker-room. Perhaps whoever is coming will proceed through the corridor, allowing you to continue free of trouble… Unfortunately, that does not happen. Two mysterious individuals step into the room and, before you are able to clearly identify them, fire their weapons at you… You stumble over the metal bench and fall dead on the floor…
You push the button to travel to the floor below. The door slides shut, and, with a deep buzz, the elevator travels downwards. When you reach your destination, as the gate slowly opens, you find yourself holding your breath… You are surprised, and upset, to see that the exit is blocked by part of the wall that has collapsed there. It looks like you will not be able to get through here… A glance around shows a trapdoor above you, which could potentially be used to exit the lift, should so be necessary.\n*[[Leave through the trapdoor into the elevator shaft to find a way to continue]]\n\n*[[Take the lift to the storage level above]]\n
You decide to inspect your own stasis-chamber. The beige bed you were on looks simple, yet comfortable. The large glass cover, which you observe to be quite thick as to protect the occupant, remains open. The pod’s energy generator is still running, meaning that there is a very faint, cozy light coming from within. Moreover, it also means that the chamber’s personal computer is still active. Driven by a desire to uncover the truth, you approach the small touch-screen and tap it with your finger… The machine demands an authorized handprint in order to access the data within…\n<<if $pod2 eq "two">>*[[Place your hand on the screen to allow a reading]]\n\n*[[Approach the door]]\n<<else>>*[[Place your hand on the screen to allow a reading]]\n\n*[[Take a look at the other pods]]\n\n*[[Approach the door]]\n<<endif>>
<<set $hand = "true">>You drop to one knee and, with some difficulty, manage to dislodge the severed hand. You decide to bring it with you, as perhaps it might come in //handy//…\n\nWith nothing else holding your interest here, you prepare to leave the locker-room before the corpse-draggers return.\n*[[Leave the locker-room]]
<<set $flashlight = "true">>You take hold of the flashlight. You click the “On” button and are glad to see the device still has a functioning battery. Without taking a step, you scour the cold cave with the created circle of light... No living things are in sight, only all sorts of rock formations in numerous shades of brown and grey, though you do spot a nearby tunnel leading into darkness, which seems to be the only way out of this place with the exception of the opening in the ceiling. There is a cliff not far from your position as well, which you decide to avoid altogether.\n*[[Use the matter manipulator to build a staircase of blocks to the gap above]]\n\n*[[Go to the tunnel]]\n
<<set $teleport = "unlock">>You use the terminal's touch-screen to unlock the teleporation pad's gate. \n\nSuccess! The door has been unlocked.<<if $datalog eq "heard">>\n*[[Send a distress signal with all the information you have uncovered]]\n\n*[[Leave the bridge and go to the teleporter]]<<else>>\n*[[Send a distress signal with all the information you have uncovered]]\n\n*[[Access High-Officers’ datalog]]\n\n*[[Leave the bridge and go to the teleporter]]<<endif>>\n
You stand on your toes and manage to open the trapdoor. You hop, get a good grip, and, with great effort, hoist yourself up. As soon as you exit the elevator, you see numerous red lamps throughout the shaft. With them eerily lighting your path, you jump to a nearby maintenance ladder and take it down to the bottom of the tunnel, seeing as it does not grant access upward, for some reason.\n\nWhen you reach the end, with the great lift right next to you, you take a look around, searching for a potential way to leave the shaft.\n\nIt doesn’t take you long to spot a small ventilation tube by the floor. One of the screws is loose, you understand, so you manage to pull it out without much trouble. Afterwards, the metal cover comes out fairly easy. You then lie on your stomach and crawl into the vent… It’s tight, and you can barely see anything, but at least you’re going somewhere… You end up crawling up a steep ramp in pure darkness, up to what seems to be the ceiling level. A short stretch follows…\n*[[Continue]]
You enter the area, always cautious… The first thing you notice is a corpse behind the stout sideways bench, which was undetectable from the corridor. You see it is a brown-haired woman with a single bullet hole in her head. She is in a white stasis-outfit similar to yours, though a sewn silver star on her chest indicates some sort of high rank. Her right forearm appears to be firmly stuck between the sturdy metal bench and a large piece of rubble. Perhaps she was accidently trapped and murdered afterwards…\n\nYou search a couple of lockers, but only find useless content, such as underwear, deodorants, and photographs. All of a sudden, you hear footsteps approaching from the corridor… The sounds allow you to understand that it’s definitely more than just one person.\n*[[Leave the locker-room to meet whoever is coming in the corridor]]\n\n*[[Wait silently]]\n\n*[[Hide in a locker]]\n
You’re not willing to risk it, so you decide to skip the door leading to the area where the mysterious individual and the body disappeared into and proceed down the corridor.\n\nAs you walk by further debris, bullet holes, spattered blood, and even a few locked doors, you are surprised by an unexpected memory glimpse… //A spaceship… Earth… People boarding the craft, some left behind… Earth no longer safe… Space… To the stars…// All of that is cemented inside your mind once you come face to face with a small rectangular window on the left wall. You touch the cold glass and are astounded by what your eyes witness… Numerous bright spots freckle the vast sea of darkness, like beacons of hope peering through an eternal curtain of void. It really makes you feel so insignificant looking at something so great, so beautiful, yet it somehow serves to bolster your confidence… You take a deep breath and turn your focus back into your situation: If you are in a spaceship, then answers are probably being held at the bridge. But coming across the escape-pod bay would be an excellent find as well… You are still unable to remember everything, but at least you already feel your physical condition to be much better than earlier.\n\nEventually, you walk by a locker-room. The metal gate has been blasted to smithereens, so you are able to see what’s inside… A single light is hanging from the ceiling, and several lockers and cabinets (most taller than you) are visible as well. Besides a tilted massive metal bench, some rubble, and a few bloodstains, the rest of the area looks okay. There seems to be no one inside.\n*[[Enter the locker-room]]\n\n*[[Continue down the corridor]]\n
You shout at your foe to stop, stating that you were just looking out for yourself before.\n\nYour speech only seems to infuriate him further, however, and the Apex starts slamming you with both of his closed fists. Your face is turned into a red pulp in a matter of seconds…
You decide to remain still. Perhaps whatever horror lurks in the darkness will move on…\n\nUnfortunately, the unseen creature has already picked up your presence and is not willing to let you go so easily: You are ferociously knocked back, as thick talons find their way into your chest. On the floor, you can smell some sort of fowl, warm breath right above you… You shout in pain and feel a sharp set of teeth sinking into your neck… \n
You move some of the junk out of the way so that you may open the other door. \n\nTo your surprise, you exit on a metal platform on the top floor of what seems to be a huge hangar. You’re still below the surface, you know, but this place is at least three levels deep… Could it go further into the bowels of the planet beyond some other gate? \n\nYou are able to see the other decks from this vantage point, though what really draws your interest is what is taking place at the bottom. You crouch and sneak to the edge of the terrace, where you have a better view. From above, you observe several Apex on the lowest floor, most in the black advanced-tech outfits you’ve grown accustomed to and a few others in lab coats. \n\nYou feel your stomach turning upside down when you witness a pile of decapitated bloody corpses inside a large tank being ferried across the hangar by two robots on continuous tracks… To your dismay, most of the bodies appear to be wearing stasis outfits. This must be where the Apex have been bringing the corpses to... But why were these people beheaded? Most, if not all, had already been slain on board of the spaceship during the attack numerous hours ago…\n\nSuddenly, a massive hangar gate on the bottom level opens and the greatest robot you have ever seen comes into view. The robot is of yellow color with brown trimming, though a few gray parts may also be seen. The droid’s legs are actually a couple of engines that keep it airborne; its fingers three great claw-like appendages capable of inflicting some serious damage; its huge head a thick glass sphere with a… //monstrous brain// within. The machine calmly hovers to the Apex crowd, where it comes to a stop.\n\n“As you see, the newly-combined brain matter infused with CF23 has made it tamer,” one of the Apex scientists states. “It’ll no longer randomly seek life forms to destroy.” \n\n“Yes, yes,” a ginger weasel-like Apex in a white lab coat is quick to agree. “The new… merging process has paid off indeed. No longer will alien matter fight each other, but rather complement each other!”\n\n“Can it follow commands now?” one of the soldiers bluntly asks.\n\n“Well, the new batch of brain matter you’ve brought us was more than helpful,” the Apex scientist who spoke initially answers. “Most samples met the minimum goals when put through the trials: All we had to do after that was neutralize the incompatible bits, the parts that could put the whole thing at risk, and enhance the rest through our new method to work as one… But enough technobabble: Unit 38, offline!”\n\nFollowing that, the robot gently powers down onto the ground, as it were falling asleep. \n\n“That’s new,” the soldier speaks. “This new gizmo you’ve built isn’t bloodthirsty anymore… But is it any use?”\n\n“Unit 38, online!” the head-scientist commands, as the droid comes back to life. “Unit 38, show us your combat skills!”\n\nA panel on the robot’s chest immediately pops open, and a thick small cannon appears. A wave of hungry red flame is then unleashed upon the hangar, setting a couple of barrels and crates ablaze. Though no one is hit, most cower at the droid’s display of strength.\n\n“Unit 38, enough!”\n\nThe robot stops at once, going back to hovering peacefully.\n\n“Damn,” the Apex soldier says with a grin. “It looks like our days of hunting down Floran savages are done… We’re going into the human business!” His words cause the rest of the squad to join him in laughter.\n\n“Big Ape is proud today, yes,” the ginger one says, his voice just as sleazy as before.\n*[[Continue|Continue5]]\n
[[Inventory/Equipment]]
a { color: yellow !important }\n\n#storyAuthor { color: #B8B8B8; }\n\n#sidebar #title { color: #FF9900; }
Keeper --> [email protected]\n<<back>>
You opt to venture into the darkness. Maybe you’ll run into a tunnel that leads back to the surface, or some source of light, perhaps.\n\nHowever, the only thing you run into is a cliff… Unable to detect this danger, you fall down several feet onto a pile of sharp rocks. You scream in agony as you hear the sound of bones cracking and your legs go numb. Unable to see anything and unable to move without facing excruciating pain, all you can do is wait for death to take you…
Infused by bravery, you decide to charge your foes… You take the turn around the heap of debris and jump at the first individual you see. There are three total, you quickly realize, all wearing some type of unknown gear, helmets included, in various shades of black. You manage to surprise the corpse-draggers, even throwing your first target violently to the floor, but the other two are fast to react and fire their weapons at you… You fall on your back on the floor, as life escapes your body…
You decide to continue walking. \n\nA while later, to your dismay, your flashlight starts to fail you. You hit it with your other hand, trying to get it stable again, but everything goes black… You can hear the hungry growls of the blind predators nearby… With no light to protect you, you are quickly torn apart by sharp talons and teeth…
Without giving it any thought, you ferociously run the Apex down with your spear. While you have defeated your opponent, your weapon has gotten stuck in his ribs.\n*[[Leave the spear and keep running|Continue7]]\n\n*[[Pull the spear out]]\n
<<set $mm = "true">>Not wanting to waste any time, you take hold of the matter manipulator.\n\nSuddenly, several armed corpse-draggers appear on top of the hill you beamed down to just a few moments ago. It seems that they have teleported down from the ship as well, intent on stopping you. You’re not really surprised… The aliens aim their weapons at you and start approaching… You grasp the matter manipulator with both hands…\n*[[Dig a hole]]\n\n*[[Build a barrier between you and them]]\n\n
You decide to punch him back… However, he was prepared and manages to dodge your swings. Eventually, the Apex is able to counter and brings a fast knee to your ribs, followed by an elbow to the face. With your defenses down, he has no problem tossing you over the railing…
You take the last steps until the sensor is activated, and the gate parts in half, one going up, and one going down, revealing the ship’s command center… To your dismay, you run into four corpse-draggers, all dressed in similar advanced-tech looking gear. Two of them are sitting in front of the ship’s computers and appear to be quite focused on their duties, barely noticing you. The other two, however, immediately aim their weapons at you and mercilessly pull the trigger…
You attempt to calm down the Apex, but he does not care for your words. The guard reaches for his pistol, aims, and fires…
You put forth the question out loud... Only silence follows.\n\nSomething suddenly pounces at you, ferociously knocking you down. On the floor, you can smell some sort of fowl, warm breath right above you… Thick talons find their way into your chest as you shout in pain… Before you have time to do anything else, you feel a sharp set of teeth sinking into your neck…
You try to access the High-Officers' datalog, but the system requires a handprint verification before continuing.\n*[[Place your hand on the screen]]\n\n<<if $hand eq "true">>*[[Let the system scan the severed hand]]<<endif>>
Breathing heavily, fearing for your life, you quickly put your hand on the scanner.\n\n“Access denied. Please contact the nearest administrator.”\n\nAs hope eludes you, you curse out loud. Escape is so close, yet so far… Before you have time to do anything else, your body is ravaged by the corpse-draggers’ gunfire. You fall dead on the cold floor…\n
You decide to flee the scene. Running as fast as you can, you head to a nearby hill. However, you hear what appears to be an earthquake, and the ground in front of you suddenly starts to rise… You find yourself face to face with a wall of sand, dirt, and rocks. Unable to go forward, you turn around and see that the Apex has blocked your path using the matter manipulator.\n\nYou are distracted by several brief pillars of light and armed humanoids appearing right before your eyes. The corpse-draggers have teleported down from the ship, intent on stopping you. The moment they have been fully transported, they aim their weapons at you, and with nowhere to run, you are mercilessly gunned down…\n
Story by Keeper\[email protected]
<<set $hand = "false">>Teleportation is a funny thing.\n\nWhile merely a couple of seconds go by, time seems to be an inexistent concept to those being teleported. In fact, to the one travelling, nothing at all seems to exist but himself: What is perceived is simply the projection of one’s mind, the brain desperately trying to fill the voids that emerge during teleportation. However, strangely enough, the subject is typically fully conscious of this process, but is unable to control it.\n\nYou get a sensation of déjà vu and realize that this reminds you of being in stasis-sleep, in those brief moments of awareness that you realize you’re neither sleeping nor awake. The difference here is that in this plane you are actually awake and, usually, able to think rationally.\n\nYou find yourself slowly drifting across space. You look down at your body and realize that you are actually a thin cloud of lilac and light blue shades, calmly journeying across the sea of darkness. You feel no cold nor warmth, no happiness nor sadness… You don’t know where you’re going, but that doesn't bother you... You are able to understand that none of this is real, that it's all a result of teleportation delusion… Or is it? What if you’re actually peeking into a different reality? Another dimension? No, your brain is playing tricks on you, certainly.\n\nYou feel zapped away and understand that you are now standing on warm sand. The clear sky is of a bright blue, with the sun shining strong somewhere above. You feel the comforting heat on your skin and take a deep breath... You have successfully teleported out of the captured spacecraft. But there is no time to lose: The corpse-draggers will certainly initiate a chase.\n\nYou take a look around and realize that you are in a small camp: There are two green tents nearby, as well as some crates, barrels, and a campfire. You are surrounded by a couple of hills, you see, but are suddenly surprised by someone staring right back not far from your position. The individual is wearing one of the advanced-looking tech outfits, but he does not have a helmet, revealing an extremely brown hairy face with firm, rough features… An Apex! Your eyes immediately jump to something orange he’s holding in his right hand, which you perceive to be a matter manipulator. The Apex aims the tool at you, a determined expression in his face…\n*[[Run towards him]]\n\n*[[Run away from him]]\n
You approach the fallen Apex and decide to inspect his body. \n\nHis futuristic-looking armor has been rendered useless, that much is clear. You take a look at his belongings and are more than happy to find a flashlight. He holds nothing else of interest.\n*[[Take flashlight]]\n\n*[[Venture into the darkness]]\n\n*[[Use the matter manipulator to build a staircase of blocks to the gap above]]\n
<<set $pod2 = "false">><<set $pod1 = "false">><<set $stasis = "true">><<set $apexclothes = "false">>The moment your eyes flicker open, you are immediately assaulted by a merciless brightness that spreads into the depths of your mind. It is extremely unsettling and somewhat painful, even when you close your eyes again. You had found comfort in the darkness for so long, but it seems that that sanctuary means nothing now… Gladly, as you adjust to the conditions, the glare appears to diminish. Your vision eventually returns, though blurry at first, and you find yourself looking at a bright rectangular lamp on a smooth metal ceiling.\n\nThrough great effort, you try to sit up. Your arms start pounding with pain during the motion, an agony so overwhelming that you end up shouting to counter it… Not really knowing how, you manage to push through the torment and sit up. As the pain slowly dissipates, though a massive headache prevails, you take a look around and notice that you are in an open stasis-chamber wearing only a pair of white shorts and a plain white t-shirt… You quickly understand that you have just awakened from stasis-sleep: That explains your body’s current feeble abilities, though you should become your normal-self in a while.\n\nYou try to think of where you are or what you have been entrusted to do, but, unfortunately, your memory eludes you… Typically, there would be someone present to serve as a guide through the awakening process, but the only person in the room appears to be you. Something’s not right here… There are five other stasis-pods nearby, but they are all offline, you perceive. In addition, there are no windows to be seen around the place, and a closed metal door to your right leads somewhere unknown to you… Where could you be?\n\nNot wanting to waste any more time, you leave your stasis-chamber. When you stand up, your legs start shaking uncontrollably, and you feel as if someone were hammering nails right into your joints… You grind your teeth, support yourself on the pod’s generator, and wait a few seconds for the pain to diminish and your grasp over your lower limbs to return…\n\nWhen so finally happens, you take a deep breath and, feeling slightly more energized, prepare to take your next action.\n*[[Examine your stasis-pod]]\n\n*[[Take a look at the other pods]]\n\n*[[Approach the door]]
<<if $path eq "blocked">>You decide to sacrifice some of your time to discover what the mysterious find is. You approach the hole where the bright blue light is coming from and drop down to one knee… The item proves to be a pointy crystal, about the size of your forearm. You pick it up and, after studying it, realize that it’s actually not very heavy, though it feels pretty strong. It’s too unhandy to wield as a weapon, but it might be useful later on. It must be worth a good amount of pixels as well, though that’s not really what’s on your mind right now…\n*[[Take the sharp crystal]]\n\n*[[Leave it behind and continue]]\n<<else>>You decide to sacrifice some of your time to discover what the mysterious find is. You approach the hole where the bright blue light is coming from and drop down to one knee… The item proves to be a pointy crystal, about the size of your forearm. You pick it up and, after studying it, realize that it’s actually not very heavy, though it feels pretty strong. It’s too unhandy to wield as a weapon, but it might be useful later on. It must be worth a good amount of pixels as well, though that’s not really what’s on your mind right now…\n\nSuddenly, you hear some form of distorted speech coming closer and closer. After aiming your flashlight in the direction of the sound, you are troubled to see several corpse-draggers quickly headed your way… They must have descended down the hole and given chase. Your foes appear to have some type of dash-technology, as they close the distance pretty fast. Eventually, they aim their weapons at you and mercilessly pull the trigger… You fall dead on the floor.<<endif>>\n
Ready to embrace your fate, you decide to stand where you are. The elevator rolls down and stops on your floor. The metal door slowly opens, revealing two mysterious men dressed in unrecognizable dark gear… The moment you’re spotted, they aim their firearms at you and unleash hell… Unable to defend yourself, you perish within seconds…
You breathe deeply and take the gate on the right.\n\nYou’re in an even smaller room now, you note after turning on the light. The place is packed with cabinets, lockers, and all sorts of cleaning materials, such as bleach, buckets and mops. Oddly enough, there’s yet another door on the opposite wall from where you stand, though you’ll have to move some stuff out of the way to access it.\n*[[Search the place]]\n\n*[[Access the other door]]\n
You push the button to travel to the storage floor. The door slides shut, and, with a deep buzz, the elevator travels upwards. When you reach your destination, as the gate slowly opens, you find yourself holding your breath… You are surprised to see several mysterious men wearing unrecognizable dark gear waiting for you. Before you have time to do anything, they aim their firearms at you and unleash hell… Your body is violently torn apart in no more than a couple of seconds…
Intent on returning to the surface, you use your trustworthy orange device to start placing blocks of compacted dirt on top of each other, leaving enough space for you to use them as a flight of steps.\n\nDuring the motions of moving terrain around, you accidently uncover something of a bright blue color… You are curious about it, but are reluctant to waste any time as well.\n*[[Examine the mysterious bright blue thing]]\n\n*[[Ignore your find and continue building|Continue building]]\n
You dash to the corpse room, hardly believing what you’re about to do… Before the creeps come into view, you quickly step inside the most disturbing chamber you have ever set foot in. Trying your best to ignore the stench, you reluctantly lie on top of one of the several piles of bodies and, as still as a mouse, close your eyes… You hear the corpse-draggers out in the corridor saying something among themselves. They seem to ignore this room altogether and continue down the hallway in the direction of the ship’s bridge. As you hear them getting further and further away, you rise from the death pile… Sickened by what’s just happened, though glad that your plan has worked, you return the corridor and proceed towards the teleporter, holding on to your sanity.\n*[[Continue|Continue2]]
With the lit flashlight in hand, you head towards the tunnel, always careful to only step on flat rocks. You reach the passageway in no more than a minute and, after making sure no dangers lurk within, venture into its depths.\n*[[Use the matter manipulator to block the path behind you]]\n\n*[[Continue down the tunnel]]
<<set $pod2 = "two">>You decide to take a closer look at the other five stasis-pods. As previously observed, they are all offline: The glass covers are shut, no light at all is emanating from within, and the energy generators are inactive. Still, you inspect each chamber individually, looking for possible (dead?) occupants. They all prove to be empty after your search, however… Nothing else holds your interest here.\n<<if $pod1 eq "one">>*[[Approach the door]]\n<<else>>*[[Examine your stasis-pod]]\n\n*[[Approach the door]]\n<<endif>>
You stretch out your arm, trying to reach the matter manipulator...\n\nWith the Apex still on top of you, however, you are unable to do so. Your foe moves further up, puts his knee on your wrist, and shifts his weight to that leg. You grind your teeth in pain… The Apex takes advantage of the moment to smack you multiple times with his fists. Your face is turned into a red pulp in a matter of seconds…
You open a nearby locker and quickly jump inside, closing the door behind you… You have to arch your back slightly, but at least you are hidden. You hear a couple of individuals entering the locker-room and hold your breath… As a drop of sweat runs down your face, you try your best to remain still. Whoever is out there, they communicate via a distorted speech you are unable to identify. You hear the sounds of something being hacked off and then dragged on the floor for a while… Eventually, silence returns… You give it at least a minute before emerging from your hiding place. When you finally do so, you observe that the female body is no longer present. Upon closer inspection, you realize that //her right hand// has been left behind, still wedged in the wreckage… The corpse-draggers must have cut it off in order to free her, so as to be able to carry her out of this area… Apparently, they had no need for it. You feel extremely uncomfortable, but at least you are still alive.\n*[[Take the hand with you]]\n\n*[[Leave the locker-room]]
You walk up to the metal door. The gate is connected to a motion-sensor, you note, since it opens automatically as soon as you approach it.\n<<if $pod1 eq "one" & $pod2 eq "two">>*[[Exit into the corridor]]<<endif>><<if $pod1 eq "one" & $pod2 eq "false">>*[[Take a look at the other pods]]\n\n*[[Exit into the corridor]]<<endif>><<if $pod2 eq "two" & $pod1 eq "false">>*[[Examine your stasis-pod]]\n\n*[[Exit into the corridor]]<<endif>><<if $pod1 eq "false" & $pod2 eq "false">>*[[Examine your stasis-pod]]\n\n*[[Take a look at the other pods]]\n\n*[[Exit into the corridor]]<<endif>>\n\n\n
<<set $rightchest = "true">>You approach the right container and prepare to open it.\n\n<<set $stasis = "false">><<set $apexclothes = "true">>There are six parts surrounding the top you have to unlock manually, but when you finally do so, the chest smoothly pops open… You cannot help but grin... Clean clothes! Not wanting to waste any time, you quickly get rid of your dirty and torn stasis uniform and dress up in some of the Apex clothes, namely a red t-shirt, a pair of grey pants with metal kneepads, and black boots. Strangely enough, you feel a whole lot better just by jumping into a fresh outfit. You throw your old clothes into the green chest and close it once again.\n<<if $leftchest eq "true">>*[[Go down the spiral staircase]]<<else>>\n*[[Go down the spiral staircase]]\n\n*[[Inspect the left chest]]<<endif>>
Instinctively, you kick his face repeatedly, trying to get him to let you go. However, the Apex is strong of will, and even though his face is turned into a red mess, he’s still latched tight onto your ankle…\n\nIt doesn’t take long for the other aliens to appear around the makeshift wall and unleash the wrath of their weapons on you… \n
You attempt to calm down the Apex, but he does not care for your words. The guard reaches for his pistol, aims, and fires…
You exit the dark, quiet tunnel and find yourself in yet another cave. If the first one was huge, this one seems endless… The monstrous jagged halls extend into nothingness, walls so colossal you cannot even use your flashlight to light them in their entirety. It’s rather cold here too (you’re still shaking), more so taking in consideration the fact that you’re still wet from the dive. You suspect that you must be under one of the hills previously seen on the surface.\n\nA sudden growl startles you… Instinctively, you turn your head in the direction of the sound.\n*[[Aim your flashlight at whatever hides in the shadows]]\n\n*[[Do not take any actions]]\n\n*[[Ask who goes there]]
You tell Unit 38 that maybe the process can be reversed, with the right team and the right method.\n\nThe droid, however, seems outraged by your words: Its chest panel suddenly pops open and its ravenous flamethrower burns the flesh off your bones in a matter of seconds…\n
Steadily holding your new weapon, you charge your opponent… You fiercely impale the Apex through the stomach, causing him to screech in pain… But a second well-placed jab brings an end to his wretched life. As his corpse falls on the ground, the compound’s alarm goes off… If that weren’t enough, one of the bulky androids on continuous tracks emerges from a door on your level, its arm-blasters aimed at you, forcing you down a nearby metal staircase to the second deck…\n*[[Continue|Continue6]]\n\n
You inspect the papers lying on the desk. They all have a symbol of an atom on the top right, though instead of the nucleus there is a large gray brain in its place. Underneath the figure you are able to read in bold red letters: “Ministry of Scientific Progression”, which sends a chill up your spine.\n\nMost information you uncover are graphs and statistics regarding some specific research you cannot really identify, seeing as there are a lot of code words and acronyms you fail to decipher. What you do understand, though, is that the Apex have been studying brain matter in this facility, as well as cybernetics and its related branches. Interesting… and scary.\n*[[Take the right door]]\n\n*[[Take the left door]]\n\n*[[Inspect the folder cupboards]]\n\n*[[Sit on the chair]]
You decide to rummage around the area. Maybe you’ll find something worth your time… After some busy minutes, all you’ve found are plastic dustpans, buckets, cleaning cloths, rolls of toilet paper, among other things you don’t really believe will be of use. You also spot a metal plumbing pipe behind one of the cabinets in a corner, coming out of the wall by the ceiling and delving into the floor. It seems to be leaking… There’s nothing else of interest here.\n*[[Access the other door]]\n\n<<if $crystal eq "true" & $ducttape eq "true">>*[[Think...]]<<endif>>
You decide to charge your foe. You can tell by the Apex's face that he was not expecting that move. Clumsily, he uses the matter manipulator to place an obstacle of sand, dirt, and rocks right before you, but you swiftly leap onto that and, from this vantage point, jump at your foe.\n\nYou collide with the Apex fiercely, causing you both to fall on the ground with a powerful impact. Locked in aggression in a combination of grunts and gasps, you two roll down a nearby hill onto a small clearing. \n\nOnce there, the alien proves to be faster. You’re still lying on your back when he jumps to the top of you and punches your face a couple of times before you have any time to react. His reinforced gloves are no joke… With the taste of blood in your mouth, you eventually manage to raise your arms to shield yourself and realize that he’s no longer holding the matter manipulator… Not one second has passed when you spot the orange tool out of the corner of your eye on the ground to your left...\n*[[Grab the matter manipulator]]\n\n*[[Kick the Apex off of you]]\n\n*[[Reason with him]]\n
You exit the area, completely focused as not to be surprised by anyone, and continue down the hallway…\n\nYou realize that the corridor ends in a single elevator. There is really nowhere else to go, you perceive, so you are forced to click the button… The lift’s already on this floor, it seems, as the door slowly opens as soon as your finger touches the switch… You breathe in relief when you do not see anyone inside. You then gather your strengths and enter the cabin. There is some information on the wall about the different floors, gladly. The level you are currently on holds several stasis-pod chambers, sleeping quarters, changing rooms, and WCs. The one above is a storage area containing mostly ship parts, according to the data, while the floor below grants access to the bridge and, you are happy to see, a teleporter.\n*[[Take the lift to the storage level above]]\n\n*[[Take the lift to the bridge and teleporter area below]]
You decide to leave the crystal where it is and continue building.\n*[[Continue|Continue building]]\n
''__Inventory/Equipment__''\n\n<<if $hand eq "true">>Severed Hand;<<endif>> <<if $mm eq "true">>Matter Manipulator;<<endif>> <<if $flashlight eq "true">>Flashlight;<<endif>> <<if $crystal eq "true">>Sharp Blue Crystal;<<endif>> <<if $ducttape eq "true">> Cerulium Duct Tape<<endif>><<if $spear eq "true">> Crystal-Tip Spear<<endif>>\n\n''__Outfit__''\n\n<<if $stasis eq "true">>Stasis Clothes (White T-shirt; White Shorts)<<endif>><<if $apexclothes eq "true">> Regular Apex Clothes (Red T-shirt; Grey Pants with Metal Kneepads; Black Boots)<<endif>>\n\n<<back>>
The cyborg escorts you to a small area, not too distant from the lab, where you see a rusty metal ladder leading up through a narrow tunnel to a circular hatch far above. Access back to the surface, perhaps?\n \nYou are interrupted by two droids on continuous tracks who emerge from a section of the wall nearby that suddenly slides open… Unit 38, however, immediately throws itself at the two robots, crushing the head of one of them with its vicious metal claws while roasting the circuitry of the second with its flamethrower… It is a deadly machine, that you cannot deny.\n\nWith the area clear of hostiles, Unit 38 etches a new message on the floor. “Go”, you are able to read. You look up at the hatch... There is no way the yellow cyborg can fit through there.\n*[[Thank Unit 38 for its aid and climb up]]\n\n*[[Refuse to abandon Unit 38]]\n
You decide to sit on the chair. It's good to relax a bit, but you have things to do!\n*[[Take the right door]]\n\n*[[Take the left door]]\n\n*[[Examine the desk]]\n\n*[[Inspect the folder cupboards]]
You push through and wait a while longer… Just as you’re about to give up, the door suddenly parts in half, one going up, the other going down… A chill runs up your spine as four corpse-draggers emerge from the bridge, all wearing similar advanced-tech looking gear, helmets included, and pass right by your position in a rush, clueless to your presence. Only two of them appear to be wielding weapons, you spot, some sort of rifle model. A quick glance into the flight deck shows that there is no one else inside, so you decide to sneak in while the gate is still open and the four hostiles are walking away…\n\nInside the bridge, you breathe in relief as the metal gate automatically closes shut behind you. A look around the room reveals some computer terminals and all sorts of aviation instruments, as well as several large windows leading into deep space.\n\nInstinctively, you decide to see if it’s possible to pilot the craft, but a piece of information already on one of the screens shows that the ship is currently in lockdown, firmly secured in place by an unidentified alien vessel. As a result, all navigation options are disabled… According to further data you uncover, the corpse-draggers attacked in two separate ships soon after you arrived in this system several hours ago. They used some sort of EMP attack, disabling your vessel momentarily. With your forces unable to launch a proper counter-offensive, the aliens came within teleporting distance and swarmed the craft, butchering anyone they came across… Facing a technologically superior enemy and with most still suffering from post-stasis disorientation, the humans quickly perished, not even having been able to send a distress signal. \n\nYou cannot find anything else of interest with public access recorded into the computer. You can do the following, however…\n*[[Unlock the passage to the teleporter at the back of the ship]]\n\n*[[Send a distress signal with all the information you have uncovered]]\n\n*[[Access High-Officers’ datalog]]\n\n*[[Leave the bridge and go to the teleporter]]
You decide to go right and head to the ship’s bridge, where answers await… You walk by several small rectangular windows, as well as a few closed doors, and, in no more than a minute, are standing face to face with the automated motion-based gate that grants access to your destination. But what, or who, could be waiting the other side? You take a deep breath and prepare to make a decision.\n*[[Approach the door so it opens automatically]]\n\n*[[Change your mind and go towards the teleporter instead]]\n\n*[[Hide behind a nearby cool server to see if someone leaves]]\n
You tell Unit 38 that you’re sorry about what happened to it.\n\nThe droid sullenly lowers both of its arms. After a few moments, it etches a second message, this time on the wall… “We”… “Remember”… “You”…\n*[[Say that you remember them too]]\n\n*[[Say that you do not remember them]]\n\n*[[Remain silent]]\n\n\n\n\n
You exit the locker-room aiming to unveil the origin of the footsteps. As soon as you emerge from the chamber, however, you are merciless torn apart by enemy fire, unable to identify your assailants… You die before hitting the floor…
You keep building the makeshift staircase, climbing up as you go, and find yourself right by the ceiling in no time. \n\nCarefully, you start removing the terrain above… You are greeted by warm rays of sunlight, gladly. You make a hole wide enough to fit through and ascend to the surface of the small desert planet. After closing the gap as a precaution, you lie on your back for a while to catch your breath… You are covered in dirt, blood, and sweat, but at least you are no longer shaking. Still on the ground, you look around the area and realize that you are on top of a barren hill. No trees or animals are in sight…\n\nWhen something in the distance catches your eye, you roll to your stomach and squint: You are able to see a glass dome somewhere on a large even area, several minutes away. The building is quite big and recent too, by the looks of it. The glass covering the entire structure is mirrored, though, so you are unable to see what’s inside. You really have nowhere else to go, so you rise to your feet and decide to go towards the dome…\n*[[Continue|Continue4]]\n
You carefully step into the corridor and immediately see a huge pile of debris blocking the path to your right, a monstrous mountain of all shapes and sizes of scrap metal. Fortunately, your left is free, though numerous bullet holes and blood stains are visible throughout the walls and floor… Several of the ceiling lamps are inactive, and you are also able to hear what seems to be intermittent electrical sparks, indicating some sort of malfunction somewhere. Something serious has definitely happened here, and you intend on finding out what… Suddenly, the door behind you closes shut. Approaching it seems to have no effect, as perhaps the motion-sensor is not working on this side. The wall panel is irresponsive as well, leaving you with no choice but to continue down the corridor.\n\nYou take a turn down the hallway, and freeze where you stand… A humanoid-silhouette is seen dragging a bloody human corpse into a dark room, as a gory trail of red marks the ground behind them… The moment they leave your sight, the metal door automatically slides shut. You don’t think whoever, or //whatever//, that was had a chance to spot you, but your adrenaline and fear levels are still running high… But what will you do?\n*[[Quickly continue down the hallway]]\n\n*[[Follow the humanoid-silhouette]]
You thank Unit 38 for its help.\n\nThe robot carves another message in reply, “Remember”. You then go up the metal ladder as it disappears down the corridor…\n*[[Continue|Continue9]]\n
<<set $crystal = "true">>You grab the crystal and decide to place it by your right hip, firmly held in place by your shorts’ tight elastic band. With nothing else taking place, you continue building.\n*[[Continue|Continue building]]\n
You state that you are not willing to abandon Unit 38.\n\nThe robot carves another message in reply, “We go a place you cannot go”. The cyborg then sets the floor ablaze between the two of you, forcing you up the metal ladder as it disappears down the corridor…\n*[[Continue|Continue9]]\n
SPLASH!\n\nYou fall right into a subterranean lake, fortunately. When your feet touch the cold muddy floor, you immediately boost yourself up to the surface. As a fresh batch of oxygen reaches your lungs, paddling not to sink to the bottom, you take a look around the cave… The place is quite dark, however; the only source of light is coming from the gap in the ceiling you’ve fallen through. Nonetheless, you are able to perceive that it is a rather huge cavern you find yourself in. You cannot really tell how deep you are, only that the hole above is so distant that you are able to cover it with your hand…\n\nThe Apex was not as lucky as you, you also notice: He has been impaled on two nearby stalagmites, one going through his chest, the other through his left hip.\n\nYou swim to the nearby shore and leave the cold waters. You're all wet, and it doesn't take long until you start shaking... You have to leave this place, but you don’t really know how. Gladly, you still have the matter manipulator...\n*[[Examine the corpse of the Apex]]\n\n*[[Venture into the darkness]]\n\n*[[Use the matter manipulator to build a staircase of blocks to the gap above]]\n
You decide to take a closer look at the metal desk. It's nailed to the ground, is the first thing you observe. You then open all drawers, but there’s nothing you can really use inside; only office junk. \n*[[Take the right door]]\n\n*[[Take the left door]]\n\n*[[Examine the papers on the desk]]\n\n*[[Inspect the folder cupboards]]\n\n*[[Sit on the chair]]
You try to pull the spear out of the still-twisting guard, but it’s firmly stuck… Thanks to your stop, however, Unit 38 quickly catches up and releases hell upon you both…
You run to the right door on the opposite side… You manage to open it and enter the following chamber, but just as you are about to close the door once again, you feel your torso being pierced by several red lasers… With nothing delaying the powerful droid, it seems that the robot was able to bend the previous gate enough to aim its arm-blasters at you and unleash hell…
You make your way to the teleportation pad. This hallway is just as wrecked as the ones on the previous level, with blood and debris serving as decoration. A few lights flicker occasionally overhead, bestowing upon the corridor a rather chilling atmosphere.\n\nEventually, you walk right past a room with a dented metal gate. The door cannot close properly, allowing you to look inside and even enter, should you wish to do so... But the moment you look into the room, you feel your stomach turning upside down… As your nose is ravaged by a thick reek of decay, you observe numerous corpses stacked on top of corpses, a disturbing orgy of gore and death where both come together as one… You turn away in horror, and realize you will very likely never forget the unsettling sight… So this is where the body-draggers are bringing the fallen crew, or at least one of the sections they have chosen to do so…\n\nYou take a deep breath and, still taken aback, proceed down the hallway.\n\nSuddenly, you hear some sort of distorted speech ahead, though you are unable to see anyone. At least two corpse-draggers appear to be engaged in conversation just on the other side of a mountain of scrap. Unfortunately, they seem to notice something is amiss, as their talk comes to an abrupt end, and you hear their footsteps approaching… \n*[[Charge them to take them by surprise]]\n\n*[[Take cover in the shadows]]\n\n*[[Turn back and hide in the room full of corpses]]\n\n*[[Turn back and go towards the bridge]]\n
You decide to block your left side… Fortunately, you were able to see through his bluff: You deflect the guard’s punch and quickly counter him by bringing a closed fist to his unsuspecting face. With your foe half-stunned, you land a second punch, followed by a third… and a fourth… and a fifth… You then kick the Apex violently on one of his knees, causing him to fall on the floor. Suddenly, the compound’s alarm goes off… If that weren’t enough, one of the bulky androids on continuous tracks emerges from a door on your level, its arm-blasters aimed at you, forcing you down a nearby metal staircase to the second deck…\n*[[Continue|Continue6]]\n\n
Still with your arms in front of your face, you are able to put your right foot on the Apex’s stomach… You then redirect all of your strength to that leg, and, shouting, push your foe from the top of you. The alien shrieks and, unable to keep balance, falls on his back.\n*[[Grab the matter manipulator|Grab the matter manipulator2]]\n\n*[[Jump to the top of the Apex to finish him]]\n
You decide to try and communicate with the droid... The robot, however, immediately activates an energy shield, turns its upper-part at you, and fires a couple of red lasers from its arm-blasters. You fall dead on the floor…
You proceed down the hallway and realize it ends in an open elevator shaft. You peek inside and, thanks to several red lights, notice that the elevator is stationed on the floor above yours. There is only one more floor below your level, which you see could be accessed by a maintenance ladder within the shaft. Unfortunately, the ladder does not grant access upward, for some reason. But the issue is, you don’t really know where is what… Suddenly, you hear a deep buzzing sound, and the elevator starts coming down… There is nowhere to hide.\n*[[Stand your ground]]\n\n*[[Jump to the maintenance ladder to access the level below]]\n
You prepare yourself to attack Unit 38. Perhaps you can find a way to bring it down. To your dismay, however, a small cannon emerges from the robot’s chest opening and a wild sea of fire is released upon you, burning the flesh off your bones before you have time to do anything…
You inform the droid that you do not remember //them//.\n\nThe robot, however, seems outraged by your words: Its chest panel suddenly pops open and its ravenous flamethrower burns the flesh off your bones in a matter of seconds…
You inform the droid that you remember //them// as well.\n\nThe robot, however, seems outraged by your words: Its chest panel suddenly pops open and its ravenous flamethrower burns the flesh off your bones in a matter of seconds…
Driven by anger, you leap at the Apex and mercilessly give him a taste of your fists, over and over again... \n\nYour feeling of victory comes to an abrupt end when you feel your body being pierced multiple times by gunfire… As life escapes your body, you turn around to see that the other corpse-draggers have teleported down from the ship, intent on stopping you…\n
<<set $teleport = "lock">>Ventilation shafts are not really prepared to sustain the weight of a fully grown person, regrettably, more so taking into consideration the poor condition the ship is in. The vent abruptly gives in beneath you, and you fall on the floor below, right on top of a glass table, with a loud crash… You grind your teeth in a combination of pain and shock, but quickly spring to your feet in case any corpse-draggers are about… But only silence follows… You can hardly believe your luck. You spot the pile of rubble blocking the elevator entrance not far from your position. Perhaps due to the fact that access through this area is impossible (besides your ventilation shaft stunt), the hostiles have no need to be around. You pull a few glass shards from your legs, as blood trickles down, and examine the surrounding area to find out where to go next. A nearby window allows you to peer into deep space, a vision you do not believe you will ever get tired of… And then you realize you are actually orbiting a small desert planet…\n\nSuddenly, you are interrupted by another memory glimpse… It’s like the one before, only more detailed… Some sort of //indescribable horror// has attacked Earth, unleashing chaos throughout the globe, leaving people no option but to flee to the stars… //to far away systems… to colonize… to expand… to survive…// Ferries were prepared, with most passengers being put into stasis-sleep for the ride… You were one of them… But something has happened here, in his particular vessel… You feel the clouds in your memory finally starting to vanish, but whatever took place here has been while you were unconscious. The bridge must hold answers, though danger is imminent.\n\nWhen you gather your focus once again, you understand that a nearby passageway splits into two paths, the one left leading to the teleporter and the one right to the ship’s bridge, according to the signs on the wall.\n*[[Turn left towards the teleporter]]\n\n*[[Turn right towards the bridge]]
You scurry to a nearby door, turn the handle, and hurriedly step inside. \n\nYou look around and understand that you are in a small office with a single ceiling lamp. You see a couple of paper stacks on a metal desk, a simple chair, and two cabinets filled with all types of folders. Even though there’s barely any space to move around, two identical doors are also present (besides the one you’ve come from), one to your right, the other one to your left.\n*[[Take the right door]]\n\n*[[Take the left door]]\n\n*[[Examine the desk]]\n\n*[[Inspect the folder cupboards]]\n\n*[[Sit on the chair]]\n\n\n
<<set $leftchest = "true">>You approach the left container and prepare to open it.\n\n<<set $ducttape = "true">>There are six parts surrounding the top you have to unlock manually, but when you finally do so, the chest smoothly pops open… You are upset to only find junk inside, stuff such as rusty screws, scrap metal, some old machine parts, among other things… You do find a roll of Cerulium-fiber duct tape, however, a material extremely resistant. You decide to bring it with you, though you really don’t know what use you could have for it. You close the green chest once again.\n<<if $rightchest eq "true">>*[[Go down the spiral staircase]]<<else>>\n*[[Go down the spiral staircase]]\n\n*[[Inspect the right chest]]<<endif>>
<<set $crystal = "false">><<set $ducttape = "false">><<set $spear = "true">>You think of the resources available and then get an idea... Nice, you can already see it…\n\nYou use both hands to rip the plumbing pipe from the wall. The tube is slightly taller than you, you note. It takes you a while to break it off at the top by the ceiling, but the bottom part comes off fairly easy after that. Some dirty water drips about, but you’re way too focused to care. You drop to one knee, take hold of the sharp blue crystal you’d been carrying since underground, and tie it around the top of the pipe using the Cerulium duct tape… While you’re at it, you use the rest of the tape to cover the whole pipe entirely, significantly reinforcing it that way. \n\nYou cannot help but smile with your new makeshift weapon; a Crystal Tip Spear. It has a good reach, and the unforgiving crystal at the top should be able to pierce a whole lot of things with the right jab. \n\nIt is time to continue now.\n*[[Access the other door]]
You decide to use the matter manipulator to create an obstacle in front of your foe. Unfortunately, you have forgotten that the tool is still offline… There must be some sort of jammer inside the facility. With nothing delaying the droid, the powerful robot is able to bend the gate enough to aim its arm-blasters at you and unleash hell…
You search both folder cabinets, but they do not seem to hold anything of interest. Damn...\n*[[Take the right door]]\n\n*[[Take the left door]]\n\n*[[Examine the desk]]\n\n*[[Sit on the chair]]
You aim the matter manipulator at the ground and commence retrieving piles of sand, dirt, and rock. It’s impressive what such tool is capable of.\n\nUnfortunately, the corpse-draggers have a clear shot and mercilessly gun you down in a matter of seconds.\n
You muster your courage and leap to the metal ladder… On your way climbing down, you observe that the elevator has stopped on the level you were previously on. You hear rushed footsteps of at least two people exiting the lift and venturing into the corridor above you, oblivious to your presence...\n\nWith your path unshrouded by the present red lamps, you reach the bottom rather quickly, but are upset to see that the exit is blocked by part of the wall that has collapsed there. Without much of a choice, you take a look around, searching for a potential way to leave the shaft…\n\nIt doesn’t take you long to spot a small ventilation tube by the floor. One of the screws is loose, you understand, so you manage to pull it out without much trouble. Afterwards, the metal cover comes out fairly easy. You then lie on your stomach and crawl into the vent… It’s tight, and you can barely see anything, but at least you’re going somewhere… You end up crawling up a steep ramp in pure darkness, up to what seems to be the ceiling level. A short stretch follows…\n*[[Continue]]
<<set $datalog = "heard">>You take a deep breath, place the severed hand on the screen, and wait…\n\n“Access granted. Greetings, First Officer O’Neil.”\n\nYou feel a chill of accomplishment running through your body. Not wanting to waste any time, you search the confidential datalog… The majority of data you observe is either uninteresting or useless to you, concerning mostly flight reports and the occasional minor malfunction. \n\nThe most recent audio-log, however… It seems that this recording happened accidently, and no one had the time to delete it due to the impending alien attack. You can hardly believe what you witness here. You take a moment to refocus and, afterwards, play the most disconcerting part once more:\n\n “//Where are they?//” a deep male voice asks , more upset than curious.\n\n“//Our scanner isn’t picking up anything, captain,//” a second male voice replies. “//We’re… all alone in this system.//” After a small pause, he puts forth a question. “//Should we wake O’Neil and Rodriguez?//”\n\n“//Do it,//” the captain gives answer. “//Something’s not right here… Still nothing out there?//”\n\n“//There’s nothing, sir…//”\n\n“//What do those damn’ apes think to accomplish with this?//” the captain is infuriated. “//We had a deal… Where are they!?//”\n\nA sudden rumbling sound is heard, followed by an alarm.\n\n“//What the… We’ve been hit, captain!//” the second man announces. “//We’ve got two fighters on our tail! I think it's... Sir, it’s them!//”\n\n"//Can you make contact?//"\n\n"//Negative! They've closed all communication channels!//"\n\n“//They betray us then,//” the captain laments. Oddly, it seems that all anger is gone from his voice, as if he knew this would come. “//Just like we betray our own… The passengers for our safety… But the trap springs around us all… Pffft, stupid...//” A deep chuckle follows.\n\n“//Captain! They’ve launched an EMP-torpe-//”\n\nThe recording ends here. \n\nFeeling a combination of anger and confusion, you slam your fist on the table. It would appear that the crew was planning to surrender the passengers (who were in stasis-sleep) to the aliens in return for their safety. With Earth’s government gone, it was every ship for itself… But the plan backfired, and the aliens attacked everyone instead. Moreover, the choice of the word “ape” by the captain lingers in your mind… Could Apex be behind this?\n\nIt is time to continue.<<if $teleport eq "lock">>\n*[[Unlock the passage to the teleporter at the back of the ship]]<<endif>>\n*[[Send a distress signal with all the information you have uncovered]]\n\n*[[Leave the bridge and go to the teleporter]]\n
You change your mind, believing the risk to be greater than the reward, and return to the junction. Once there, you continue towards the teleporter. \n*[[Continue|Turn left towards the teleporter]]\n