Avatar of SepticGentleman
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    1. SepticGentleman 11 yrs ago
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Recent Statuses

6 yrs ago
Current I like the night liiiiife, I like to ɮ օ օ ɢ ɨ ɛ
6 yrs ago
𝕊 𝕢 𝕦 𝕖 𝕖 𝕖 𝕖 𝕖 𝕫 𝕖
6 yrs ago
I feel a tremble in my temple
1 like
6 yrs ago
He’s mastered the art of Simp Mode
4 likes
6 yrs ago
Jace haunts me dreams, blesses me nightmares, ye
2 likes

Bio

Is it?

Most Recent Posts

It all began sometime in the mid-2000s.

We don’t know what the start of it was. Natural mutations in our DNA, some crazy science experiment, or straight up sorcery… doesn’t matter. We stopped asking that question a long time ago. Earth, for a while, was home to both us normal humans, and beings who were… different. More powerful. More dangerous. You’ve heard plenty enough about it already, surely. Folks with godlike powers, some who transform into beasts and the like. It’s easy to imagine, so let’s not dwell on the details.

Now what do you think happened next? In the stories you’ve read, the movies you’ve seen, things always work out, don’t they? Humans and mutants, supers, whatever you want to call them, always end up coexisting to an extent? That didn’t happen here. You give a kid pyrokinesis and he’ll always end up starting fires. As soon as it started, it became a problem. There were mass murders. There were entire cities brought to ruin. Whatever conflict there was between nations was quickly diverted towards handling “the nonhuman problem”. The most common enemy, you could say.

Now admittedly, a good number of nonhumans weren’t the all-powerful monsters so described here. A lot of them were decent people just trying to live their lives normally, or even help with the situation. But the bad outweighed the good. The animosity was too prevalent. Things just kept going further and further downhill. Camps were set up to detain any and all confirmed and even potential nonhumans, from old folks to newborn kids. There was a joint effort between several technologically-focused companies to design a state-of-the-art system to keep track of them all. And that came in the form of a certain artificial intelligence. We’ll focus on her later.

Eventually, humans reached their limit. Despite their success in protecting their people and preserving their technologies, the planet was still being constantly ravaged by rogue parties of nonhumans, and even lone individuals who were powerful enough to take on armies. Earth, as far as they were concerned, was doomed. Every day, humans were being slaughtered and driven away from their homes the world over.

And so they left.

Operation Exodus. The epitome of spaceflight technology, ships designed and produced by every major company around the globe, all launched in a single day, carrying the tools to build the future of mankind. They brought as many humans off the planet as they could with plans of colonizing Mars, Europa, and if need be, further expansion to other areas of the solar system. The remainder of Earth’s entire online connectivity and technological canon were either destroyed or shut down once they departed. Everything else was left to the nonhumans. Any normal folks who didn’t make it to the ships in time either got killed, or did themselves in. Whatever the case, before long there were no humans left on planet Earth. It was all nonhumans the world over.

They didn’t completely destroy the planet like many thought they would. But they certainly changed it. Lingering satellites showed the far-gone colonies what the nonhumans left on Earth were doing. They were still fighting amongst themselves for the worst reasons, leaving entire nations in ruin. But a lot left over ended up building their own societies, even constructing their own cities and technologies using their myriad powers. So in the end, it did work out for both sides. Humans managed to live on in the further reaches of the solar system, and nonhumans got to keep their playground.

It didn’t last.

The year is now 2104. Eighteen years after Operation Exodus was launched. The nonhuman occupants of Earth have, to an extent, settled down. Their cities are still running and their numbers are slowly increasing. There are still many who roam the globe causing problems for the rest, but they get dealt with. Eventually, it settled into a routine. Until some humans decided to come back.

World Patriots. A splinter organization that was founded on Mars, shortly after the newly formed Systems Government began colonization. They started with the goal of one day returning to and retaking Earth, eradicating all nonhuman life. Saving the cradle of mankind, as they would put it. But they knew going up against the enemy themselves would be plain suicide. Thus, against the best wishes of SysGov, the World Patriots poured countless resources harvested from the colonies into constructing leagues upon leagues of proxy forces. Automated drones, tanks, mobile platforms, any line and model they had the designs for. Everything was gathered up into one massive fleet. A single command vessel, and several dozen foundry ships.

And they set a course for Earth.





Bozak and Atlas



“Grinders?”

“Yeah!” The driver of the truck, Pete being his name (as in Butcher Pete), replied, “Don’t let the name fool ya, we ain’t bandits. We just went with it ‘cause of how we set things up. Butchery up north in Maine, we call it the Chop Shop. Manned, fortified, the good stuff! We head south all the time to gather up meat, everything else up north is dry.” He motioned his thumb towards the bundle of corpses in the back. “As you can see, my huntin’ trip’s been good, brother-man!”

“Looks like it.” Bozak replied, glancing at the cargo. He was seated in the passenger seat while Atlas had the tight space of the back for himself. He turned back to Pete and abruptly asked, “Any human meat going into Grinders’ Chop Shop?”

“Nah!” Pete replied, not even offended, “Everybody knows human meat gives ya them shakes somethin’ bad. Makes ya jumpy, an’ stupid. Grinders’ got the good mind not to chomp any fellas anyway.” He chuckled a bit, then turned his head towards the glove compartment in front of Bozak. “Hey, pop that open, have a snack! Always take some with me for the trips!”

Bozak turned his head towards the glove compartment and popped it open. Lo and behold, the inside was stuffed with bundles of jerkies, patties, and tenders, all either wrapped or bound or boxed up. Meat. Glorious, glorious meat. Almost brought a tear to Bozak’s eye.

“Pete okay with Bozak, eh… digging in?”

“Yeah, yeah, brother-man!” Pete replied, “Take all you want, plenty back at the Chop Shop!” Bozak was about ready to hug the man as he shoved his hand into the glove compartment, tossing bundle after bundle into his satchel. He grabbed two cooked patties and fed them to Atlas, who was equally happy about everything. This man Pete, riding through town with a truck full of gas and meat, was an emissary from the Promised Land that is the Chop Shop. And Bozak wanted to know more about the place.

“What is Chop Shop like?” Bozak asked, buttoning his satchel after taking a good bit, but not all, of the glove compartment’s contents.

“Great place!” Pete replied, “Nice and big. We moved in after we came from out west some six years ago. Boarded it up, got the power runnin’, been our own bloody little heaven ever since!”

“Any trouble with raiders?”

“Used to be that way. Mainly it was this group from Boston callin’ ‘emselves the Bloodbacks. THEY were nasty. And some Wolves came around later but, we got ‘em to fuck off too.”

“Wolves?”

“Yeah, just some cunts wearin’ stupid masks. Popular in the Big Apple, but they spread themselves out too much. They do all the usual stuff, puttin’ heads on pikes and shit. Doesn’t faze anyone’s been out west though, like we have. WAY worse stuff out there, like Firehorse, and the Holiday Man.”

“Bozak know Firehorse. They were in southeast places, burning things.”

“Really? Damn, they’re gettin’ around!”

The two continued to banter as the pickup made its way northward, shoving cars aside. Bozak was glad to have a ride and food, and Atlas was just glad for the food. Pete? Pete loved the company, and the potential for a bodyguard on the way back home. He drove slow, keeping an eye on the road ahead while Bozak maintained a vigil out the window, looking every other way for signs of danger. Fortunate as the encounter was, there was still danger amiss.
Yeah, sure. Working on a little something first though, so once my next post is out you're free to make the approach.
Bozak and Atlas



The duo had been traveling for an hour or so now. They trudged across the roadways littered with ruined vehicles, checking quite a few along the way for any useful supplies. Little turned up, but that was probably to be expected. After a time, they'd gotten around to descending into an underpass below what, back in the days of old, would have been a loud, bustling interconnection of highways.

Underneath the shade of the bridges overhead, Bozak and Atlas took a moment to rest. And, as it seemed like a good idea at the time, Bozak decided to socialize with his new buddy for a bit.

"Atlas having fun?" Bozak asked, setting himself on the roof of a car. The dog didn't issue much of a reply besides tilting his head and whining a bit, muzzle pointed at the man's pocket.

"Ehhhh, fine." Bozak replied, taking out the bundle of deer jerky and tossing a couple to Atlas, who proceeded to go at them heartily. Bozak eyed the remaining jerky and decided, while he was still in relative isolation, he might as well have the rest for himself now. He grasped his gas mask at the filter and tilted it upwards, revealing nothing but a heavily scarred jaw, and the faint ends of two tattoos running down from his cheeks. He shoved the rest of the deer jerky into his mouth and pulled the mask back down, commencing with the chewing.

All gone. Now Atlas had no reason to whine for more. But it wouldn't stop the duo from hunting for more meat. And little did they know, meat would soon come straight to them.

Atlas's ears perked up as he aimed his head around the car and issued a growl. Bozak looked at him for only a moment before hopping up and prepping his shotgun. The two watched the far end of the underpass as something sounded in the distance. Like the cars ahead were being pushed aside by some force. Turns out that force was a car itself. The duo moved out of the way as a large, heavily outfitted truck barged straight through their prior location, the ram on its front side shoving the other cars along. Bozak and Atlas both watched as the truck skidded to a halt, then noticing the cargo it was carrying. Deer carcasses, as well as those of other random fauna, all tossed into the back of the pickup.

The driver side door flew open, and a lean man wearing a gray apron and a welding mask over his face peaked outside.

"Hey!" He called out in a fast, jovial tone, "You wanna ride, brother-man?"
Bozak and Atlas



Bozak looked straight at the canine, shotgun rested on his shoulder. Been a while since he ran into one of these. And his response to the dog's greeting?

"Dog." He said, with a slight nod, before proceeding to walk past the canine and continue on his way.

Atlas' ears folded back as he tilted his head. Confused. Not loud noise and not aggression, just a soft noise. 'Dog'. That was Atlas. His head tilted the other direction. Atlas was not sure how to respond, but this human was headed toward where the loud noises were. That was bad.

Atlas was about to give a cautionary bark, before a tantalizing smell overpowered the scent of dirt and feces in his nose. A smell of meat. The dog couldn't help but hop down from the car to investigate. He hopped close and barged at the human's leg with his wet nose, smelling the scent getting stronger.

"No, no." Bozak replied, waving Atlas away with his free hand, "Bozak no have food for dog. Go away." He kept his hand on his pocket, knowing full well that the dog was after the deer jerky he'd bought from a hunter the other day. Only meat he had on him and like FUCK if he was going to give it away to a mutt on the road.

'No'. A word that Atlas was very familiar with. Heard too many times before when he was a fighting dog. 'Food' was another he was familiar with. The combination of the two was what confused him. No food? That was just wrong. Did this human KNOW that he had meat in his pouch? How simple are the humans that they would forget something so crucial as food?

Atlas would have to show him. Otherwise he might starve and die.

"No." Bozak repeated, pushing the dog's muzzle aside. "NOT for dog."

But Atlas persisted.

"DOG." Bozak said, turning to face Atlas directly, looking down at him. He pointed his thumb over his shoulder towards the road ahead and said, "Bozak going this way." He switched his hand's direction, pointing to the road behind Atlas, and said, "Dog go that way. No food. Food not for dog."

The dog's head tilted once again, almost 90 degrees as his confusion reached a new peak. This human was using his paws so strangely. 'This way' and 'that way'. What was he trying to tell Atlas? They had met going this way and that way. No food? There was no food over there. That much Atlas had gathered.

But this human. This Bozak. He smelled of food. Atlas sneezed and shook his head, before yammering and barking at length. The odd lump in his throat throbbed at him, causing his barks to wheeze slightly. Bozak knew where food was, but it wasn't for dogs? He must be sick or confused. He would need to be cared for.

Bozak backed up a bit, keeping his vision trained on Atlas. The dog moved towards him as he paced in the opposing direction. This went on for a few moments before the big man decided that there was no simply telling this dog to get lost. He sighed and reached into his pocket, removing from it a bundle of deer jerky bound in string and wrapped in a cloth to stay... somewhat fresh. He removed a single piece of jerky from the bundle and held it outward, waving it at Atlas. The dog followed the bit of jerky for a moment before Bozak proceeded to toss the jerky a little over the distance behind him. "There. Food." Bozak said, "Go. Eat. Leave Bozak alone." The man quickly turned the other direction and continued walking, assuming his plan had worked.

Atlas bounced back and snapped up the piece of jerky happily, chewing and licking loudly. The meat was tough, and dry, but it was tasty. Tastier than most other meats he had eaten before. The taste, the smell, even the look, it was wonderful. Even after it was gone, it seemed to call to him. Atlas knew there was more in the Bozak's pouch. He could smell it.

It was only a few seconds before he had bounded back, eyeing the large human's leg with a hungry expression. He could play the begging pup when he needed to. He learned from his siblings of its efficacy on the humans. He rocked from front legs to back as he whined, almost hopping like a rabbit.

Bozak looked down at Atlas again, peering at him through his gas mask. He shook his head and, instead of continuing onward or tossing more jerky, took a knee. He looked at the dog for a moment before catching a glimpse of his collar, and the medallion hanging off it. Shape of a globe. 'Atlas' printed on it. He nodded and said, "Atlas." He raised the bundle of jerky and took two more pieces out, letting the dog have at them. "Is good name for dog."

As Atlas ate the two pieces of jerky, Bozak stood back up. To make things simple, he could just shoot the thing. But... damn it, it was always this way in books and movies. You can't just shoot a dog, there's this... cosmic law against it. And that whine. Ugh, people were one thing, but dogs... Atlas raised his head back up towards Bozak, and the big man sighed once more.

"No more jerky. Rest for Bozak." He said, "But... if Bozak and Atlas find more meat... Atlas can have some of it. Sound good to Atlas?"

Bozak had made noises at Atlas, and so he barked in reply. The words had passed over his understanding, besides 'more', 'meat', 'Bozak' and his own name. But that was enough for Atlas. He got what he was searching for and there was mention of more. The dog's tongue lolled once more as he turned to the road ahead, sparing one last look at Bozak before barking again with that same wheeze.

"Hmph." Bozak replied, turning to continue his walking, with Atlas following at his side. "Atlas lucky he is dog. Bozak might have shot him if he were person. Or a mutant."
Alright. Just gonna wait and see who else pops in.
Name: Reeks

Age: 8

Gender: Male

Race: Ratfolk

Race Description: The Ratfolk, so named for their very nature and living preferences, are essentially bipedal vermin. They take the appearance of small, frail humans with exaggerated eyes and mouths, lack of ears and noses, and elongated fingers. They are born, raised, and die in places with high concentrations of filth, debris, and pollution. Decades of breeding rampantly in these areas have caused them to develop immunities to the various diseases that would normally afflict any who enter. Ratfolk are also highly agile and responsive, able to evade a wide variety of offensives with ease, and they are capable of vision even in complete darkness. Contrasting these traits are several distinct weaknesses, however. Ratfolk are incredibly sensitive to sunlight and are blinded by it easily, and they possess a natural aversion to fire. The average Ratfolk lifespan is also a meager twenty years, which is a contributing drive towards their procreation habits.

Appearance:


Notable Equipment: Reeks literally wears nothing but a loincloth, a band of string around his left arm, and an iron collar around his neck from his time as a circus sideshow. The collar is really the only noteworthy item.

Background: Reeks, who earned his nickname for his pungent odor, was a young Ratfolk living in the abandoned town of Pecherville, which has long stood as the junkyard of the region. Almost all trash ends up there somehow, and the Ratfolk revel in it. Among them, he was an ordinary individual, picking through refuse and smiling every second of his short life. One fine day, when he was seven years old, he wandered a bit too far out from the bordering sludge mounds and ended up getting captured by a band of hunters, who subsequently sold him to a traveling circus. With his addition to the roster of oddities aboard the carts, he showed the crowds what the absolute lowest form of sentient life looked like. This didn’t carry on for long, however. After some months had passed, a mass breakout was conducted by one of the circus’s caretakers, who’d grown hateful of the way the creatures had been treated. Amidst the ensuing chaos, Reeks managed to escape, and is now attempting to find his way back to Pecherville. The circus had travelled far with him in tow however, and finding his way back home will certainly prove difficult.
Eh, what the hell.


Name: Reeks

Age: 8

Gender: Male

Race: Ratfolk

Race Description: The Ratfolk, so named for their very nature and living preferences, are essentially bipedal vermin. They take the appearance of small, frail humans with exaggerated eyes and mouths, lack of ears and noses, and elongated fingers. They are born, raised, and die in places with high concentrations of filth, debris, and pollution. Decades of breeding rampantly in these areas have caused them to develop immunities to the various diseases that would normally afflict any who enter. Ratfolk are also highly agile and responsive, able to evade a wide variety of offensives with ease, and they are capable of vision even in complete darkness. Contrasting these traits are several distinct weaknesses, however. Ratfolk are incredibly sensitive to sunlight and are blinded by it easily, and they possess a natural aversion to fire. The average Ratfolk lifespan is also a meager twenty years, which is a contributing drive towards their procreation habits.

Appearance:


Notable Equipment: Reeks literally wears nothing but a loincloth, a band of string around his left arm, and an iron collar around his neck from his time as a circus sideshow. The collar is really the only noteworthy item.

Background: Reeks, who earned his nickname for his pungent odor, was a young Ratfolk living in the abandoned town of Pecherville, which has long stood as the junkyard of the region. Almost all trash ends up there somehow, and the Ratfolk revel in it. Among them, he was an ordinary individual, picking through refuse and smiling every second of his short life. One fine day, when he was seven years old, he wandered a bit too far out from the bordering sludge mounds and ended up getting captured by a band of hunters, who subsequently sold him to a traveling circus. With his addition to the roster of oddities aboard the carts, he showed the crowds what the absolute lowest form of sentient life looked like. This didn’t carry on for long, however. After some months had passed, a mass breakout was conducted by one of the circus’s caretakers, who’d grown hateful of the way the creatures had been treated. Amidst the ensuing chaos, Reeks managed to escape, and is now attempting to find his way back to Pecherville. The circus had travelled far with him in tow however, and finding his way back home will certainly prove difficult.
<Snipped quote by SepticGentleman>

He's been living in the woods for two years, only coming into town to sell and to buy ammo and gunpowder, which he keeps inside a stuffed bear with it's head barely attached. So... yeah. Thank you WW3, for ruining children everywhere.


I still cannot, in good faith, accept all that when he's only ten. Wasteland or no, there are natural implications of a child's psyche that would bar certain things from manifesting so early.

If he were in his teens, that'd be a different story.
Also, @Penguin, I'd assume I'd be at the cabin soon, maybe I'd be there at the end of your next paragraph. Now... how would Graham reacted to rubble?

"Aw... I can't have the doggy? Can I shoot it then?"


God damn. This child is unreasonably savage.
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