> F L O O D < -- (A Mostly Text Adventure)

[kaninchen]

CONTENT WARNING: This adventure is a cyberpunk/sci-fi horror story, containing descriptions of death, violence, and various disturbing moments. The main character experiences various symptoms of mental illness and hallucination throughout the story. If any of these topics make you uncomfortable, either don't read this, or please be sure to take breaks while reading. Also, please read this story without any night-mode browser add-ons (or any add-ons that invert colors), unless absolutely necessary.
Thank you, and enjoy.

This story will be cross-posted onto Royal Road. This text is being added as required proof for Royal Road to allow such cross-posting.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Computer Console }
>You have agreed to begin! Installing preliminary patches...
>...
>...
>Installed!

>Let's begin, valued user!
==================
[C:/Users/TCI/Programs/[REDACTED]/Module_RUN.bat/]

>[Race_[REDACTED]_[REDA-A-A-A-A----
>Error. Unable to parse text.
>Checking solution...

>Resuming Module...

>Your selection is in place.
>Estimated chance of success...

>...

>98% (simulation check: 14.76 sec)
>Continue? Y/N

>this.SET_HAIR(MEDIUM, HAIR_DYED.BLUE);
>this.SET_PHYSICAL(MEDIUM, SHORT, EYES.RACE_CONEAN.DARK, VOICE.RACE_CONEAN.SMOOTH);
>this.SET_SPECIAL_SRAI(this.ARM_L);
>this.SET_SPECIAL_SRAI([this.LEG_L, this.LEG_R]);
>this.SET_SPECIAL_HUMAN(this.FACIAL_HAIR, FALSE);

>Generating full bio report:

...

==========
>RACE: CON/HUM/SRAI Mix
>GENIDEN: GenFluid
>AGE: 18
>HAIR: Medium, Blue
>EYES: Dark, Green
>VOICE: Smooth
>BODY: Short, Medium Build
>FUR COLOR: Gray
>PROSTH: Legs (B), Arm(L)
>HBEARD: Null
>HBREASTS: Yes
>GENIT: Null

>this.SET_NAME("Pat"+NAME_LIB.CON_COMMON[RAND(NAME_LIB.CON_COMMON.ARR_LENGTH())]);
>this.SET_NAME(this.GET_NAME+" v"+this.GET_SERIAL_NUM);

>RUNNING...
>Opening files...

>Found!

>Name entry:
>Pat Summers
>Serial Code v1201

==========

>Congratulations! Your subject has been created!
>We hope your testing goes well!

>END SIMULATION

...

Everything is dark.

[knightlygale]

> Turn the lights on.

[Morphimus]

Open your eyes.

[Fish]

Obtain light!

[Eversor]

>Be Scared

[kaninchen]

You jerk awake, kicking out violently as though you had just escaped from nasty night terrors. Your foot knocks something over, but you're not sure what.

Finally, you open your eyes. You sort of expect to be blinded, but you're not. The room is dim. Your senses come back to you slowly, and you become aware of everything after some time.

It's a small room, most likely an apartment. A single dusty window is the only source of light, although as it is pouring rain outside, "light" is up for debate. The occasional flash of lightning illuminates the center of the room, shafts of light penetrating the brown-stained window which is currently rattling with the wind. Opposite of the window is a door, made of wood with metal reinforcements. A couch with a partially-open hideaway bed is on one side of the room, and a kitchenette is on the other. Old clothes, empty tin cans and microwave meal containers, and dust covers the couch. A table in front of the couch (and right next to you) has a lamp on it, which has been kicked over, although there is no light bulb and the lamp is metal so nothing seems broken. The stove and fridge are rusty and covered in ... food grime? You hope it's food.

You stand weakly, barely aware of yourself. You're not even sure who you are, or what you are, let alone why you're here.

[Fish]

This room is a mess. It's time to be a good occupant and start to tidy up!

[Eversor]

Find a sink....wash your face. you need a moment.

[Morphimus]

Check the fridge.

[kaninchen]

Might as well do something. It's a real mess in here, so there must be something useful. You walk to the hideaway bed that's half-sticking out and push it up. The rusted hinges creak and snap in a few places but luckily you are able to put it away.

Crouching down, you peer under the couch. There is a can of unopened soda, a small locked utility chest with stuff rattling inside, some balled up dirty clothes, and lots of dust. You sneeze several times.

You place everything you found on the table, neatly, next to the lamp. You place the lamp upright so as to save space.

The soda is dented, with a scratched label that seems to read "Flizzy Pop: Original Flavor". The use by date is hard to read and probably moot anyways.
The utility box is yellow with a black handle, and a metal lock keeps you from opening it. It's not super heavy but there's certainly some weight to it. Several somethings rattle within.
The clothes are... well, they're dirty, wrinkled, faded, torn, tattered, and probably only good for kindling at this point.

You walk to the kitchenette. It consists of a small counter, a fridge, a stove, and some cabinets. A microwave oven and a toaster rest on the counter. There's a sink embedded into the counter. Maybe there's water? A quick splash on your face could wake you up...

The faucet handle twists right off, unleashing a torrent of rust and dust. You lean down and open the cabinet underneath. The pipes are missing. Great.

You open the oven. Nothing but rust and caked on ... stuff.

Inside the cupboards is dust, cobwebs, and... well, there's a knife. Long blade, non-serrated, full thick tang inside the handle. Surprisingly clean and shiny, despite the rest of the room. There's also dust underneath it... as though someone had placed it there recently.

The microwave and the toaster hold little but crumbs.

The fridge... hoo boy. Still has weird stains on it. You open the fridge part first. More stains spread among the various shelves and drawers. There's a terrible smell, and its hard to see without any lighting. You tentatively stick your hand in and feel around. There's some old bottles of completely expired milk and other drinks. There's a small bottle of alcohol, the kind with a strong, biting smell and a super-high alcoholic content. There's also two bottles of water, slightly dented and room temperature but unopened. You also discover a single bag of beef jerky, still sealed and with the oxygen packet still inside. Probably doesn't taste good and is hard as a rock but you'll take anything.

You open the freezer next. It's not cold, obviously, since it's either not plugged in or there's no power. The meats in there are rotten and nasty, and there's mold everywhere. However, there is a small crank flashlight. You spin the crank a few times and the bulb lets out a small, feeble light.

Of everything you found, you place the knife, the flashlight, the water bottles, the jerky, and the alcohol on the center table. You're not feeling hungry or thirsty yet but you're glad you found something, at least.

This is all placed alongside the soda, the utility box, the clothing pile, and the lamp.

[Eversor]

>This is utterly terrifying, we need to get outside to some fresh air if possible. This clearly isn't a place you want to stay very long at.

[Morphimus]

Drink the alcohol.

[o4orty]

See if you can find a marker, anywhere. If you can, draw a little funny face on the soda and give him a name.

This place is cunked up and you need to get outta here!

[kaninchen]

This is... this is a bit too much. You need to go. You don't know who you are, or where you are, or why you're here, and you hate it.

You walk up to the door and jiggle the handle. It's locked. Wait... it's locked from the other side. Your head is full of cobwebs, but you get the feeling that most doors don't lock people into rooms. Either this isn't an apartment, or someone flipped the door around to keep you in here.

The window, maybe?

Up at the window, which is rattling and letting wind whistle through the cracks, you can see that it, too can be opened. You can barely see out of the grime, rain, and fog, but dim shapes of buildings (or something tall and rectangular) can be seen briefly with the flashes of lightning. You suppose you could jump, but you're not sure how high you are.

You take a step back. The room lights up for half a second once again, long shadows trailing across the room. Something glints far outside the window, but it's gone as quick as it was there.

Alcohol... images flash through your mind. Like a thousand stock photos, being flipped through at lightspeed. What are these memories? They're not yours. Depictions of people drinking, and various words associated with it. Alcohol. Liquor. Numbing. Nerves. Maybe the alcohol can calm you down.

You reach down to grab the bottle of alcohol with your left hand. It makes a metallic clinking noise as you grasp it. Another flash of lightning. A brief moment, and you see your left arm is... metal?

[Morphimus]

Examine arm closer.