Hdc: Wasteland

[Freak]

Sure I'll take a role.If haven't already picked somebody I'd like to be one of the main villians.

[ferretchucker]

Do not forget that this is a sequel to Corpse in Orbit. If you have yet to read it, I suggest you follow the link in my signature to at least read the last episode.

Fade to a shot of the Earth. There are large, dark clouds covering entire landmasses and the land that is shining through is a tainted yellow. A voiceover speaks. As it does so, a small montage of clips showing what is being described plays.

"It was Christmas Day 2010 when the first strike was made. A day that has affectionately been named 'Red Button Day' amongst it's survivors. It was Holland, unexpectedly who pressed it. 50% of the population was wiped out over the next week. The majority of the rest were slowly wiped out from the many complications caused by radiation, starvation, dehydration. But the human race being what it is, it refused to succumb entirely.

Preparations were made. Countries rounded up the best of the best and sent them to live on space stations, orbiting the Earth, thought to be the one way the human race would survive.

But back on our home planet...there were others. People who hid. The paranoid freaks who dug holes in the ground, only to be proved correct. Others just got lucky. For two centuries, they struggled for survival. Salvaging technology and food. Small colonies emerged of people who clung together to survive.

It was the year 2247 that things changed. The most malevolent force that could be imagined raged a silent war with folks in the space stations. Of the disaster...only three survived. Two were rescued."

A shot of Chronogrl smothering Gorephobia with a pillow is shown. She menacingly holds up the ball in which Roshiq, the robot, is held.

"Another, an ex space pirate who knew the ways of the world he was orbiting crash landed after the Secundum catastrophe. He crashed down to Winnipeg, Canada. His name was The Flayed One."

A shot of the escape pod crashing to Earth is shown. The Flayed One is shown, bloodied and bruised, walking through a dark landscape. Ruined buildings are all around him. Suddenly, there is a deep noise, and a light. He looks ahead and the ground is opening up. Two people in radioactivity suits walk out towards him. He smiles, then laughs maniacally as they lead him into the shelter.

Opening Credits roll. Fade to day time. A gun lays down on the edge of an old garden wall, steadied. A finger wraps around the trigger. In the distance, a scruffy looking cat, a descendant from the old domestic kind, cautiously approached a rotting bird. It sniffs. So does the owner of the gun. The cat looks up, it's tail suddenly puffed up. The finger squeezes the trigger and a hole explodes through the cat's head. The gun user is shown to be a teenage boy with long, dark hair. He is wearing a scruffy hoodie, the Nike tick barely visible and the colours long faded. This is Demon Seed.


Demon Seed: Gotcha!

Cut to a woman with dark hair also. She has charcoal around her eyes to simulate makeup. This is Rayne. She is sitting in the basement of an old house. A skeleton lays in the corner of a not so lucky attempted survival. In the center of the room is a dented pot with water boiling in it. She pours in a small amount of coffee from an old tin. A series of three quick knocks at the steel door at the top of the stairs alerts her. She fiddles with a rigged shotgun facing the doorway.

Rayne: Enter.

The door swings open and in walks Demon Seed holding a satchel. Blood drips from it. Rayne turns and walks back to the boiling coffee.

Rayne: Close the door. What have you got for me then.

As he lists each item he takes them out of the bag.

Demon Seed: Well, in a small set of draws about a mile away I found some pickles. Some...dihigatid-

Rayne: Dehydrated.

Demon Seed: Dehydrated milk. This weird box of stuff.

He hands her a box of Twinkies. She looks inside and grimaces.

Rayne: Whatever it is, it doesn't last.

She throws it over he shoulder.

Demon Seed: Oh, and Dinner!

He turns the bag over, letting the cat drop out at Rayne's feet with a sickening crunch. She clasps her hand to her mouth with disgust as he chuckles.

Rayne: Right. You can prepare that then we're having another lesson!

Demon Seed: What?! Why?

Rayne: Are you kidding? Dihigatid milk? You need to be able to read!

Demon Seed: Why?! Nobody writes anything! Haven't done in years.

Rayne: Right. So you'll get a head start, won't you? You need as many skills as you can get out here. That's what my mum taught me. Now...coffee?

He shrugs. Cut to The Flayed One, standing in at the base of some stairs leading underground. The sky above him is covered by cloud. The faint hum of a computer can be heard through some reflective glass in the wall in from of him. From a door in the wall a man walks out. He is very young and his clothes are a bit too big for him. This is Ferretchucker.

Ferretchucker: Well, this is remarkable. You have the lowest level of radiation I've ever seen for a man your age.

Flayed raises his eyebrows.

Ferretchucker: Not that...you're old.

Flayed shakes his head, laughing slightly. Ferretchucker suddenly stands up straight and recites.

Ferretchucker: So, representing the entire settlement of the of Highly Developed Cave-

Flayed: Yeh, yeh, HDC. I been here before kid, let me in.

Ferretchucker nods and hastily opens the small door. The Flayed one walks in casually. As he does, a huge shadow appears above them. As Ferret turns to see what it is a huge pair of talons pick him up, one on each shoulder as a large, ugly bird picks him up and carries him away. Someone rushes up and closes the door quickly. This person is a woman with ample cleavage. This woman is Chronogrl.

Chronogrl: Shit! I told that kid to keep an eye out for the Cloud Eagles. Shit...

Flayed: You don't seem too upset.

She looks at him and glares.

Chronogrl: Forgive me for not breaking down into tears at the loss of just another kid. When you've seen death as much as I have -

Flayed: You think you've seen a lot of death...you don't wanna know where I've just come from. Fuckin' Lux Lucis...

Chronogrl: What did you call me?

Flayed: What? Nothing. No...long story-

A finger taps his shoulder. He turns around to see a man with loosely brushed dark hair, wearing a rough suit patched together from bits of metal and tough leather. The man is wearing a patch over one eye and has a beard growing. This is V.

Flayed: V?

V: What the fuck you doing here?

Ending credits roll.

[_____V_____]

Tadaaaaaaaaa!

So we FINALLY meet, Flayed! :p

[Rayne]

Awesome beginning and it's sooo fitting, I love it!...I can't wait to see where it goes.

Alex read this and asked, "Hey, how does Ferret know exactly what I look like?"

LOL...I told him, "You have both been at this forum for many years...Ferret obviously pays attention to details" ;)

[ferretchucker]

Originally Posted by Rayne

Awesome beginning and it's sooo fitting, I love it!...I can't wait to see where it goes.

Alex read this and asked, "Hey, how does Ferret know exactly what I look like?"

LOL...I told him, "You have both been at this forum for many years...Ferret obviously pays attention to details" ;)

Haha, yeh, I thought that it might be a bit odd for him. I remember literally years ago after one of the first pictures I posted of myself, you posting a pic of him for comparison. :D

Glad you both liked it. Next episode will be sometime this weekend.

[ferretchucker]

Opening credits roll. Nighttime. Fade to a shot of a crumbling statue. Somebody wearing a torn black cloak is bustling around. Cut to a close up. He has short, messy dark hair and tanned skin. His face is cut slightly and very gaunt. This is Roshiq.The man is positioning a limp body against the base of the statue, making it looks as though it is sitting up. He smiles nervously, as though both horrified and pleased with his work.

Roshiq: Th-there we are. You just died from the sun light, didn't you, Geddy? Died and...

He regards the body, whose skin is dry and cracked.

Roshiq: And you've weathered a bit.

The sound of a twig breaking startles him. He spins around, and over a small ridge spots the slow moving outline of a large dog against the moonlight. The dog stops, realizing it's been spotted and growls.

Roshiq: But. I dealt with you.

His voice becomes harsher as he speaks through gritted teeth.

Roshiq: I got you.

The dog creeps slightly closer keeping low. Roshiq turns his body fully to face the dog. He sniffs the air gently and smiles.

Roshiq: I did get you. Didn't I. Well...come on little doggy.

The dog is only around 20 yards away now.

Roshiq: (Shouting) I said COME ON!

The dog sprints forward, barking loudly as it does so. It bares it's sharp teeth and Roshiq crouches low. The dog leaps into the air, springing off the ground towards him, but Roshiq acts fast. He spins, brining his foot hard into the side of the dog's face. It falls with a quick whine and before it can regain itself Roshiq leaps onto the dog's back, proceeding to hammer his fist into the back of the creature's head. The dog lets out a loud wince on the final, hardest punch, sending it's bloody head hard onto the base of concrete surrounding the statue. Roshiq looks down at the creature and quickly puts his head to it's chest.

Roshiq: Still breathing.

He steps off it and stands perfectly still, then sniffs the air.

Roshiq: Come on, come on, come on...here we go!

Suddenly, the dog's skin gains an ominous white glow. The aura grows. The same thing is happening to Roshiq. He takes a deep breath as his light grows brighter and the dog's dims. At the same time, the dog's skin seems to dry and crack painfully. The light reaches a huge intensity then without warning fades. Roshiq opens his eyes and looks down at the dead dog.

Roshiq: Oh...oh no. OH GOD! What have I done?

He slumps to the ground and begins to weep. Cut to a small dark room with no windows. A desk made of both scrap metal and wood sits in the middle and some tatty office chairs are on either side. V sits on one side as Flayed steps through the crude door. The only light comes from a single bulb dangling from a wire running through the room.

Flayed: About time, too.

V: Well, we couldn't just talk in the hall.

He leans closer and laughs slightly.

V: I know the kind of things you do out there in the wastes, and the last thing I need is the people here frightened.

Flayed: Yeh, still. Did you have to leave me stranded out there for three hours? Nobody would talk to me!

V: Can you blame them?

He has a touch of anger in his voice.

V: A lot of people here still remember you. The way you left. Three years worth of scavenged goods and you ran off with it to god knows where! Who's you give it to? I bet you sold it to the rivermen, didn't you?!

Flayed: Oh...oh I did much better than that. But first...what the hell are you doing here?

V: I was here when you lef-

Flayed: No...here. In this room. How did you become Topdog?

V: Ah! Well...not long after you left a few others followed suit. Took goods and made a run for it. Most of their bodies turned up a few days later but with the goods still gone. It wasn't long before Neverending had a revolt on his hands. Rather than be forced out of his position he honorably agreed to step down. You can still find him most night in the Stalagmite bar; which Friday13thfan took over after that bitch Nella left.

Flayed: So much has changed...

V: Yes...well, it wouldn't seem so sudden if you had just stayed put. We have a nice life here.

Flayed: Whatever, I got bored of this place pretty quick.

V: Bringing me onto my next point. Where on Earth did you get to?

Flayed: Oh, oh god you don't know how good of a pun you set me up for with that last sentence, dude.

V: Just get on with it.

Flayed: Alright, alright...the crap I stole from here was worth a lot to everybody else aswell. People were dying to get their hand on it, but I never got a good enough deal. But then one of the rivermen-

V: HA! Knew it!

Flayed: One of the rivermen told me he could get me up there.

He points up to the ceiling.

V: What?

Flayed: Up there! In the sky. In space! One of those space stations.

V's mouth drops open.

Flayed: One of the rockets was all primed to launch there back one Red Button Day but never left. Radio communications were lost at the base and so nobody was sent to evacuate there. I gave him half my stuff to take me to the base, and the other half was for the keys which he'd cut to get him in.

V: But...but...what? You flew a rocket into space?!

Flayed: Everything was set. Literally, everything. The base worked off Nuclear power so it was all still running. The guy pressed a few buttons and off I went.

V: And he stayed? What was he called?

Flayed: What? Yeh. Said he didn't fancy it. Roshiq, I think he called himself. But anyway, it's true. It's all true. The people up there, the technology they have it all. I drifted in space for a few days when I was picked up by some folk with slanty eyes. Never seen anything like it before in my life! Anyway, I was eventually sent to a space station where they all spoke english. They had computers, they had proper bars with proper alcohol. Everything was clean and comfortable.

V: I...I don't believe this. They're all dead up there! We've tried to send messages.

Flayed: Ah...yes. I found some people and spoke to them in the control room. Nobody believed I was from Earth. Nobody except Captain Dante. Anyway, he told me that they get all the messages but that they never reply. If people on the station believed there was life still on Earth, they'd want to go back. It would waste resources setting up links. People from Earth would want to come to the station and contaminate it.

V is visibly angered.

V: What?!

Somebody bursts into the room. A young man, with worry on his face. The distant sounds of screams echo through the underground halls.

Man: They're attacking sir!

Ending credits roll.

[Doc Faustus]

Nice job. Do you need someone to be leader of a band of technology hating mutants a la Anthony Zerbe in the Omega Man?

[ferretchucker]

Originally Posted by Doc Faustus

Nice job. Do you need someone to be leader of a band of technology hating mutants a la Anthony Zerbe in the Omega Man?

You, sir, are far too good at predicting where the story is going. And yes, I think I might just need such a person.

[Doc Faustus]

Excellent. I'll be a blind former psychiatrist whose enhanced senses and knowledge of human behavior make him seem precognitive, which allows him to control people with superstition.

[ferretchucker]

Sorry for the delay. :o

Opening credits roll. Fade to a shot of a forest of sorts at night. The trees are without leaves and a sick yellow color and the soil is eerily dry. The camera focuses on a small ridge. The distant sound of an engine slowly approaches. Two engines. The calm atmosphere of the dead forest is suddenly broken as a motorbike leaps over the ridge, catching air. The rider, wearing only tattered shorts and a vest formed out of other pieces of clothes sewn together, shouts with joy and excitement as he crashes back to the ground. He is followed by another biker. This one has long, dark hair, and is wearing black jeans. They both carry on driving. The first one shouts.

Biker #1: Yo, Ang! Up ahead, 10 o'clock!

Angra: Go for it Newb!

They speed on, going over the ridges. In the distance one of the large birds that carried Ferretchucker off sets down at the top of a steep rock face. Newb holds his hands up and both bikes skid to a halt around 300 yards from the face.

Angra: This is your call.

Newb: Torches, definetely.

The men step off their bikes and reach in to the back storage compartments. Newb gets out two large torches whilst Angra assembles a sniper rifle of sorts. As Angra positions the gun, Newb glares at him.

Newb: Whoa, whoa. This is my call, so it's my kill.

Angra: Bitch...

He hands over the gun and Newb gives him the torches. Angra turns them on and the bright beams reach the bird who is illuminated by the moonlight. It spins it's head and lets out a piercing "caw". It flaps it's wings menacingly. Angra persists with the torches. The bird jumps off the ledge and begins gliding towards them.

Angra: Looks like we got a twenty footer...you sure you got this?

Newb: Oh yeh...it's mine.

The bird gets closer and closer.

Angra: Now?

Newb: No...not yet...not yet...

The bird opens it's gaping beak to show serrated rows of jagged teeth. It's long tongue is partially forked.

Newb: NOW!

He pulls the trigger but at that moment the bird swoops around, baring down on Angra who jumps back. The bird's talons don't catch him, but instead knock in to his face, cracking his nose.

Angra: FUCK!

Newb spins and fires the gun again. This time it makes contact. The bird's left wing explodes in blood and feathers. It's bright green eyes widen as it shrieks with pain.

Newb: This is ridiculous!

Angra: Just kill it, you douche!

Newb fires again at the bird as it struggles to get back off the floor. This time he hits it's right foot just as it takes off. It falls to the floor again, but is still very much alive. Newb tries to shoot again.

Newb: Out of ammo!

Angra: Do something!

Newb grabs on of the torches runs up to the bird. He smashes it into the creature's neck. It yells, and he hits it again. On the third time he cracks the skull. It squeals a bit, then goes limp. Angra picks himself up off the floor and limps over to the bird, giving Newb a scornful look. He puts on a mocking voice.

Angra: "I got this" "Not yet...not yet" WHAM! All our ammo...one of the wings is unsellable, that's our money halved...

He looks at the smashed torch.

Angra: One of our torches gone...and I need medical help.

He wipes blood from his nose and winces. It's clearly broken.

Newb: Sorry?

Angra erupts and kicks Newb's bike over.

Angra: SORRY!? You're fucking sorry?! Jesus, Newb, how hard is it?One swift shot to the back.

He signals to the bird's large protruding spine.

Angra: How do you miss that?!

Newb hangs his head.

Angra: Well, that's a trip to The Cave tonight, then.

Newb: HDC? Nah, wouldn't go there tonight. One of my riverman mates had a tip off. There's a branch of Tekkies planning a storm on it. Been in the works for months.

Angra: Great! We'll just have to go back to the shed. You get to carry this thing.

Cut to a brief shot of Angra speeding ahead of Newb who is looking rather disgruntled. Behind him, tied to the back of the bike by a thick rope, is a large bundle wrapped up in a thick tarp. Cut back to HDC. Flayed and V run out of the small office. They're at the top of some scaffolding with stairs leading to the rest of the cave. People are screaming and running around. Groups of men and women in pseudo futuristic suits are setting things on fire and beating people senseless. They wield long metal spears and a few have guns. One of them shoots at V before an unseen protector takes him out with a throwing knife. The man who warned them of the attack jumps down from the scaffold.

Flayed: Who are these?!

V: Tekkies...I'll explain later- FRIDAY!

The man who warned them of the attack looks up at them.

V: Is everyone soundchecked?

Friday13thFan: I believe so, sir!

Into the cave a group of men wearing metal suits rush. Chronogrl throws open a hatch at the floor just in front of them and shoots at their legs. Some of them fall down and another quickly jumps. He lands on top of the hatch and drives a spear down in to it. Another group of tekkies run out into the room carrying various computers, walkie talkies and one even has a microwave. The man who jumped on the hatch looks up at V. This man has a long black thick coat on over a bullet proof vest. He also has a black, tattered hat and round glasses. This man is Doc Faustus.

Doc Faustus: Tell your people to surrender! We just want what is rightfully ours!

V: Give over! You really think that's gonna work.

Doc Faustus: It is owed to us! His divine light came to me, he showed me the way!

V: I strongly urge you to leave.

Doc Faustus: So you will not come quietly? So be it...

He takes an object around the size of a felt tip marker from his pocket. It's solid chrome in appearance.

Doc Faustus: Three years ago, one of the heavenly stations blew up. The explosion could be seen quite clearly.

Flayed speaks up.

Flayed: China 4, a weapon developing ship. A malfunction with the black fusion room.

Doc Faustus: Ah, so you have an intelligent one here now, V? You would make an excellent Tekkie, my friend. Now, after the explosion there was some debris. A gift to us...a solid crate of these babies were found in Mexico, I payed a great deal for them. They have these strange marking along the side, but I just call them metal molotovs.

He smiles slightly as he twists the top off the device revealing a red button. From the other side, a bright flame ignites. The chrome suddenly falls off revealing transparent glass. Inside, the device is filled with fuel. Doc throws it at the base of the scaffolding and instantly it lights up. Flayed and V rush back into V's office and close the door.

V: Bastard Tekkies...

Flayed: What the hell are Tekkies?!

V: Religious fanatics for technology, now put these on!

He thrusts some large ear defenders in to Flayed's hands. There are small flashing lights and wires attached. It has clearly been meddled with.

V: Now! You'll need them.

Flayed puts them on and turns back to V who has opened a draw at one of the filing cabinets. The room is beginning to heat up. V tears something that looks like a broken remote control from the cabinet. He rushes to the side of the wall which is covered in a sheet of wood with plenty of loose wires. He pulls one of them and attaches it to a metal prong on the device he's holding, then does the same with another wire. He them presses three of the buttons of it. Cut to outside the room where the tekkies and residents of HDC are fighting brutally. Not many dead, but plenty injured. Chronogrl has emerged from the hole in the ground, he shoulder bleeding somewhat.

Doc Faustus: Yes! Yes, get everyth-AHHHHH!

He clasps his hands to his ears, as do all the other tekkies. They fall to the floor in anguish. Doc looks up at V's office and his face contorts with rage.

Doc Faustus: This isn't over!

He waves his hand to signal everybody to leave. All the tekkies drop what they're holding and run out as fast as they can, still squealing in pain. V's voice sounds over the intercom.

V: Please allow our esteemed guests to leave their nearest exit. They couldn't be trusted if we kept them hostage. But feel free to rough them up a bit on the way.

Cut to a shot of all the tekkies fleeing into the wastes. Cut back to V's office. Outside, the fire is clearly being extinguished from the sounds. Flayed is taking off his ear protectors as V puts back the device which set the sound. He looks at Flayed.

V: Now, where were we?

Ending credits roll.