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ARCHIVE 4327-TI
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JOURNAL ENTRY 4327-TI-01
I’m uh- sorry, my name is Tommy, uh, civilian code four five eight, uh, 4587 dash 3409 dash 2142 dash 7359 dash p. I don’t know what’s happening. The date is um oh two oh four twenty-five forty-three, sorry, uh, I’m not used to this kind of transcription yet, the date is 02/04/2543.
I’ve just escaped a sub-colony of London, colony code uh, 065…I think…I’m not sure — I don’t really know and, and frankly I don’t want to find out — but I think everyone else is- …everyone else was left behind. The…the thing, it…it was thorough. If I’m a- uh, I’d be…oh God, I’m sorry, I’ll restart the log.
JOURNAL ENTRY 4327-TI-02
My name is Tommy. Civilian code 4587-3409-2142-7359-P. The date is 02/04/2543.
I’m currently on my way to sub-colony 024. Most likely they’d want to investigate the…incident, so here’s the record of it, I guess. The thought transcription was hard to get used to at first, but I think I got the hang of it.
Things started around…things started at about 12? Maybe 1 pm, I’m not too sure about it. An emergency cast in the colony hub notified us that a fire started at the edge of the colony, first burning some of the outer dwellings. No big deal, those happen a lot. They sent the hydrokinetic to take care of it, as per normal procedure, but…she never came back. The people living in those outer dwellings never evacuated inward, either. Okay, it’s fine, so they sent a team to investigate…but they never returned either. Then the fire spread, and it reached the hub in the matter of seconds.
Jesus, I…I can still smell the smoke. I can’t get that awful ashy taste off my tongue. It was blue fire, even I could feel how hot it was. People were trampling on each other scrambling to get out of the hub, and…God, the screaming. I was fine, I mean, I’m the sub-colony’s pyrokinetic and I was trying to help others get out, but then it came in from the fire.
It’s, uh, I don’t think it’s human at all. I don’t think it’s a powered, either. I don’t know if it was even an animal, I think, uh, it looked like a fox but it was the size of a bear — heh, not sure about the rest of London but we don’t get those in these areas, sorry, sorry, back to the log — a giant fox walked out of the fire and it- it…uh, well. If I’m not immune to the fire I don’t think I’d be here right now. No doubt about it - like I said, the thing was thorough.
I don’t know, I was shit-scared frozen the whole time, just…watching the fire go down. When I finally snapped out of it and tried to run, the fox stopped and turned to me and it- …it had pure static for a face — blank, buzzing TV static just…just staring at me. It didn’t follow me when I turned tail and ran, though. So. Thank God.
JOURNAL ENTRY 4327-TI-03
My name is Tommy. Civilian code 4587-3409-2142-7359-P. The date is 03/04/2543.
So. I finally made it to sub-colony 024 after hours and hours of just trudging through the goddamn wastes. Heard a lot of explosions in the distance from sub-colony 065’s direction, I don’t know what to think of those — thank God I didn’t run into anyone, though.
Never been happier to see bottled water in my life. I didn't pack any proper supplies on my rush out of 065 — aside from this Archive — so that’s what I’m doing now. It’s been a while since I used my fire so I didn’t need a lot of sustenance, but my mind still thinks I should be drinking. Human nature, I think.
…Sub-colony 024 is completely empty. It’s so quiet in here. There’s no one here but me. The buildings are still up, at least, so maybe they’re alright, just evacuated to another sub-colony. I hope so, at least.
I’ll try to get more info once I rest up a little bit, uh, maybe try and find a way to get an inter-colony communication line going. I might even connect to mainland London if I’m lucky. Need to find out what’s going on with the sub-colonies.
JOURNAL ENTRY 4327-TI-04
Holy shit.
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FILE 4327-TI-01
Context: This message was the first thing that appeared on the screen when the system connected. As far as I know, it was sent to every sub-colony and mainland. I’m…I think I’m going to go to sleep now.
[The following is a message to all citizens of the Earth.
For those who have survived the initial onslaught, we would like to offer our sincerest condolences. We are the powers who have broken free of our humane prisons. We are no longer chained to the shackles that bound our kind for hundreds of years. Our creator himself cannot contain us. Our previous mission was centred around freeing others like us. This mission has been our focus for decades.
Due to circumstances outside of your control, this directive has now changed. Our new mission will be the eradication of the human race.
We wish you the best of luck. There will be no further communication.]
COMPOSED FILE 4327-TI-01
Immediately following the worldwide announcement, the powered began their ( our? ) assault on mankind.
The response by the humans was as quick as it could have been, given some…recent events. The…attack, I guess I could call it. The damage is already done, though, and even now, it’s still going. It’s hard to tell what’s going on exactly, but I’m gathering what intel I can from sub-colony 024’s system. I’ll try to get everything down so that…I don’t know, once this is over, if anyone’s still going to be alive, they’ll remember what happened to us.
Dumb thought. Sorry.
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Location |
Event |
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Sub-colony 065 of London, England |
Sub-colony burned down in blue fire. One survivor. That’s me, I’m the survivor. Still can’t wash off the smoky smell. |
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Sub-colony 024 of London, England |
No citizens to be found. No damage to the buildings or surrounding land, either. I hope to whatever God is listening that they’re fine, just evacuated. Please. |
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Sub-colony 098 of Mumbai, India |
For about two hours, a ball of pulsing light materialised right above the sub-colony. All citizens who looked at it with naked eyes were immediately blinded and scorched. Ball disappeared without a trace. |
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Sub-colony 021 of Los Angeles, California |
Sub-colony engulfed in a thick, gelatinous substance that trapped and suffocated anyone caught in it. No contact has been established from site. All the info I’ve got was taken from remote locations. God. |
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Sub-colony 042 of Berlin, Germany |
Time-space warped to a complete stop. Anyone who enters is free from this fluctuation, so maybe the citizens are just…frozen in time. Maybe they can see the world move on without them. |
I don’t think I’ve seen any powered…well, powerful enough to destroy entire sub-colonies. Hell, I can barely hold a fist fire for more than a few minutes at a time and I’m already ‘showing potential’.
I don’t understand why this is happening.
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FILE 4327-TI-02
Context: A broadcast I managed to catch and download into my Archive.
[Begin log.
( Powered civilian Niall Comas is talking to a camera from inside an evacuation tent. Flag markings on the tent reveal that he is residing in the United Kingdom. Behind him, patients can be seen being treated by human doctors and powered healers. Niall himself has several shallow cuts on his face and arms, as well as dried blood on his clothes. )
Niall Comas: - repeating what has been previously said in response to the rogue powered, residents that have not already been evacuated to the nearest sheltered sub-colony are heavily advised to escape to the wastes and stay in whatever ruins are safe and available. Keep inter-colony communication systems on in case of-
( An animalistic scream interrupts Niall and he winces. Behind him, a group of armed humans and powered stand up with urgency. )
Civilian: We’ve got a live one!
( Niall Comas rushes out of the evacuation tent into an open field in the wastes where similar tents have been pitched up. )
Niall Comas: Uh, humans are heavily advised to stay in small groups with at least one powered. Keep moving, don’t stay in one location for more than three consecutive days. And to any powered civilians left, stay away from the rogues, they’ll take your spark, don’t- don’t let them-
( A loud hissing can be heard from the tent, followed by a series of multicoloured flashing lights and a roar. Silence, then the normal bustling of the evacuation tent resumes. Two people come out of the tent carrying a covered stretcher. )
Niall Comas: Anyway, any civilians still in, um, unsheltered sub-colonies around sub-colony 041 of Birmingham are advised to keep a watchful eye out for any injured party members. If anyone begins to show an um, sorry, yes, an unnatural aggression and preference to flesh-based foods, they are to be quarantined immediately. Lock them up, and euthanise them as soon as they-
( Feed cuts out into static. This is where television shut down everywhere, I think. The inter-colony web, too. World gone blind just like that. )
End log.]
JOURNAL ENTRY 4327-TI-05
Name’s Tommy. Civilian code 4587-3409-2142-7359-P. The date is 07/04/2543.
It’s weird. This sub-colony is completely empty, but all its resources are still stocked. No one’s come to execute me, and I can’t seem to find any bodies, either. With the supplies still abundant here, I can just...hunker down and survive for years and years unbothered. But just, the- the thought of spending so long alone, disconnected from the world, living in this silent colony...I don’t think I can handle it. I have to go, I need to find out what’s happening out there.
I need to...shit, hang on.
JOURNAL ENTRY 4327-TI-06
Tommy. 4587-3409-2142-7359-P. Date is 08/04/2543.
Sorry for the abrupt end in the last entry. I had to get out of sub-colony 024. There was...something...well, something materialised out of thin air outside the house I was staying in.
It was one of those rogue powered, I think, but it didn’t attack me for some reason. Just...stared at me. It’s humanoid, this time, but it was standing at an easy 3 metres and was wearing a plague doctor’s mask. I...well, okay, it didn’t look threatening at first glance, until I went to have a better look at it and I saw that it was carrying a scythe twice as big as it was.
Needless to say, I booked it the hell out of there. At least I know what happened to 024’s civilians.
I’m about an hour away from sub-colony 024, but I have no idea where I am exactly. As soon as the rogue materialised, I grabbed as many supplies as I could fit into a bag, picked a direction, and just ran. No time to think, no time to choose a destination, nothing. Well...in hindsight, I should’ve at least brought a map or something.
All that’s left is forward, I guess. Destination: sub-colony 095. The closest sub-colony to 024, and I should be able to get help — or at least answers — there. Don’t know yet whether I want to run into another living soul on the road.
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FILE 4327-TI-03
Context: Encountered a system drive and hooked it up to the Archive. There was one file inside, and...I have no idea what to think of it.
[( Note: Following the rogue powered’s announcement on April 2nd, 2543, a rescue team was sent into sub-colony 048 of London to investigate an emergency call by the civilians that survived the initial wave of the rogue powered attack. The four-man team was to enter sub-colony 048 and evacuate any and all survivors they encounter. )
Begin log.
RT-1: Mic check?
RT-4: On.
RT-2: Test. Working.
RT-3: On, too.
RT-1: Alright. Let’s head in. ( RT-1 pauses here. ) Careful. Keep an eye out.
RT-3: We got the drill, thanks. Be careful, keep an eye out, stick together, etcetera, etcetera. (RT-3 laughs dryly.) Sure. I die, your paperwork to fill out, and vice versa. Got it.
RT-2: Fuck’s sake, Alex. Not the time.
RT-3: Whatever.
( Rescue team heads into sub-colony 048 quietly. Body cameras show a dark fog shrouding the sub-colony, making it hard to see more than a few centimetres ahead. )
RT-1: Let’s get some light.
RT-4: Alright. ( Pause. ) My flashlight isn’t working.
RT-1: Shit, what? Thought we packed those full with batteries.
RT-2: ...Apparently not, my battery compartment’s empty.
RT-3: Mine too, the fuck?
RT-1: Shit, shit, okay, alright, no flashlights, that’s fine, Bee, can you get some fire going?
( RT-2 holds out a hand and a fire flickers on their palm. )
RT-3: So we’re just going to ignore the fact that fire doesn’t work either?
RT-1: Wait, okay. We just gotta stick together, how’s that?
( The members make noises of agreement. The rescue team continues through the sub-colony in a close group. After fifteen minutes, RT-1 stops. )
RT-2: What’s wrong?
RT-1: This...this should be the hub, I think. Did you start the clock?
RT-4: As soon as we passed the gates, yeah.
RT-1: Alright, let me know every ten minutes. There should be some signs of recent evacuation. Or...remains, at least. The call came in just twelve hours ago.
RT-2: ...Let’s just keep looking, yeah?
( Rescue team searches sub-colony 048’s hub. I’ll skip over their filler dialogue, sorry. )
RT-4: Ten minutes.
RT-3: Really.
RT-4: What?
RT-3: Feels like it’s been longer than that.
RT-4: I don’t know, man, I’m just saying what’s on the clock. ( Pauses. ) It’s working fine — battery’s all juiced up.
RT-3: Okay...alright, must’ve imagined it. Man, it’s weirdly hard to breathe in this fog, isn’t it?
RT-2: ...Yeah. Can’t seem to draw in enough oxygen.
( Another while passes with no significant dialogue. )
RT-1: Time?
RT-4: ...17 minutes.
RT-3: Okay, now that definitely isn’t right. ( Pause. ) Wait, you guys hear that?
RT-5: What?
RT-3: I thought I heard footsteps. Sorry.
RT-2: No...oh, we’re not fuckin’ alone. I don’t think we’re alone, feels like I’m being watched.
RT-1: Alright- wait, where are you guys? Let’s try and regroup.
( The fog thickens. )
RT-1: Time.
RT-4: Uh...17 minutes.
RT-5: Okay, now that definitely isn’t right.
RT-2: Yeah, uh, I don’t think we’re going to be finding anyone here. We should, we should get out of here.
RT-4: Seconded.
RT-6: Seconded.
RT-1: Okay, okay, yeah, let’s...let’s just go. I don’t think we’re safe here, yeah.
RT-2: How much further to the gates?
RT-5: No, I thought I heard footsteps. Around us.
RT-3: No, okay, boys, move your asses, I feel funny.
RT-2: Alex, if you’re going to throw up, now isn’t the time-
RT-3: Shut up, Bee.
RT-7: Time?
RT-4: Shit, 17 minutes.
RT-3: Fuck. Can’t breathe. Can’t breathe.
RT-5: Shit, shit, lights, lights?
RT-4: Fire, Bee, get your fire.
RT-6: Footsteps, sorry.
RT-1: Can you all calm down for five goddamn seconds?
RT-7: Calm down, calm down, calm down-
RT-3: Can’t breathe. It’s so thick.
RT-2: Here!
( RT-2 starts a fist fire, revealing seven people, all in rescue gear. )
RT-1: ...There were four of us.
RT-7: There were four of us.
RT-5: There were four of us.
RT-6: There were four of us. Now there are three.
RT-4: Bee, light them the FUCK UP-
End log.]
Closing notes: I don’t know. I don’t know. I don’t know.
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FILE 4327-TI-04
Context: A weird transmission I caught from an old radio laying on the ground.
[Begin log.
( Audio only. A male voice, accented. )
Voice: Four. Three. Can you hear me? Seven. There’s a light shining from between your fingers. Four. I don’t think I’ve been to Austria, no, but I’d love to go someday. Two. Seven. I want to be loved, that’s all I ever asked for. Two. I am standing behind you now. Seven. I am two of us, standing behind everything. Three.
( Old world music plays, interrupting the message. )
Voice: Can’t stand this goddamned city anymore, have you been to the ocean? Seven. Two. There’s a light shining from between your floorboards, it’s always been this way. Three. Four. Look, you’re hatching, you’re hatching!
( Message continues on loop. )
End log.]
Closing notes: Don’t know why I even transcribed the stupid transmission. Turned over the radio and it stopped. The radio is broken; am I going crazy?
JOURNAL ENTRY 4327-TI-07
Tommy. 4587-3409-2142-7359-P. 27/04/2543.
When I said that sub-colony 095 is close, I didn’t really think about vehicles and terrain. I’ve been there a couple times, and it’d take about...three hours of driving through the wasted highway? And my supplies are dwindling, too — I can only hope that it’s not completely destroyed by the rogues..
I still don’t know whether to be thankful that I haven’t run into anyone else yet. That might change when I get to 095, so...I should stay alert, right? Yeah. Yeah, okay, yeah. Sorry.
Marching through the goddamn wastes gets to you after a while, I think. Nothing to entertain you but your own stupid footsteps and the humming of this stupid Archive.
Gives me time to think, though — well that’s something else to entertain me, my thoughts, I mean — like what the hell am I doing, hopping from sub-colony to sub-colony? What am I trying to accomplish? Why the fuck am I doing this? If I wanted to survive as long as possible, I should just stay at the next sheltered sub-colony I can find, not run in screaming and waving blindly into possible danger.
…
Answers. Yeah. Answers, I think. More than surviving, more than anything, I want answers.