Doomsworld Fates

[Maharg67]

Post #61

 

[One][32.2]

They seemed to be running from a threat rather than being on the attack as the two men looked rather worried, almost panicky. They whirled, crouched, and began firing at a target that the Seekaquesters could not detect.

Shimmy frowned. “Those two are not fully human but are doppelforms!”

Shazzie looked puzzled. “What are they?”

Shimmy responded. “A cousin species to doppelshifters that are born as doppelformers but then are turned into a permanent shapeforms as doppelforms. Doppelformers are often put into deepsleepcapsules, or coldsleepcapsules, then changed into what ever their lords, and masters, want them to be. Do they even know what they are? Sometimes they end up placed on a host world to carry out instructions while assuming they are natives; for instance they might think they are normal humans. This is all achieved through the use of twisted science and technologies that are often banned. That way, even if they are forced to speak, of what they know, they will not admit to being doppelforms because they won't know that they are such.”

Shazzie shook her head. “That's crazy but, considering Shaztec society that I grew up in, quite believable.”

Shimmy smiled. “Then, perhaps, one day you will tell us your true history.”

Shazzie snorted. “You would not believe me if I did so.”

Sharry spoke. “Prepare tripleguns! I think that we would considering that we are truly ancient transmortals as in celestialmortals. The doppelforms are not the threat that we have been psysensing.” Psysensing was psychic sensing.

The Seekaquesters used a rampway, going down from the platform, to reach the large chamber's floor. They ended up being quite close to the two soldiers. Then they spread out and only Shazzie, and Sagesmart, did not take out guns as they had started to act as back up only or in self defence if that became necessary. That could well change in future.

The black, eight legged, monstrosity came dashing at the two soldiers with amazing speed and agility. It was big while it looked like a combination of spider, crab and scorpion. The short duration laser pulsebeams, and bursts of bullets, did not even slow it down.

Just as the two soldiers seemed doomed, the Seekaquesters unleashed heavy firepower upon the black, glistening, creature. Armour piercing, explosive, bullets and high intensity pulsebeams struck the monster along with handlong missiles plus rocketshells. The four robogolems hammered away with larger bullets, from their triplemachineguns, but also arrow missiles from above and dart missiles from below.

The creature was halted, while the two doppelform soldiers retreated to stand to one side of the taskteam. They looked tired even as the malignant monster, though getting damaged, started moving onwards again.

 

Edited September 4 by Maharg67
To show that this story has been edited from the start.

[Maharg67]

Post #62

 

[One][32.3]

The Seekachampions put away their guns, the others ceased firing that had been doing so, and the Seekachampions each produced a multimorphin handtorch. What had decided them to cease just attacking the creature was not obvious. Beams of energy struck the entity being a unique one from each of the four 'handtorches'.

The entity stopped charging, lay down, and made itself comfortable. 'Something shrieked from inside it with pain, fear and rage before doing so more keenly as it shot out of the physical entity as a spout of black energy of what was often called 'antilight'. Then, with a flash of red, yellow and white energies, it ceased to be!

They transshifted the former slave creature to Seekakeep where it could be helped in a secure, safe and even comfortable environment.

It turned out that the doppelform soldiers knew very little about themselves, were unaware of being doppelforms, but did have some information for practical purposes. They had each a short name ending in a number, a rank that could change and a basic mission to help guard the chamber from outside intruders.

The taskteam explored the great chamber, moving along a very big grid of laneways going north-south and west-east; the two soldiers went quietly with them. For over two hours they did so, recording displayed items and the information, before each, on metal plaques. If anything they became more impressed with what was clearly shown though there were the hidden devices, if they were so, that had blank plaques; that is except for numbers stating just where that display fit into the pattern of t hem.

Sharry responded. “There appears to be a formation of 100 west-east rows and, of course, there are 100 north-south ones, making up a grid of 10,000 displays. Going north-south, each odd numbered row has domed devices and each even numbered one has domed 6x6x6 metre cubecanisters. The plagues, with the cubecanisters, only state that they are filled with service support supplies and equipment, giving no real detail at all. It could all be a lie!”

Shimmy smiled. “Don't look now but we are being cleverly spied upon.”

The big stripercat, small catmonkey, and wheeled robotic unit were all peeping around a device and through part of the transparent dome that covered that device.

One of the soldiers cried out, in a warm and friendly manner, in Panglish. “Striperra, Catsipaw and Babyrobotsi, its safe to come out! Its Sergeant Thomk0313 and with me is Corporal Thomk0214.”

 

Edited August 3 by Maharg67
To show that this story has been edited from the start.

[Maharg67]

Post #63

[One][32.4]

The three entities came cautiously out into the open and paced, or wheeled, over to the taskteam and the soldiers. The big stripercat went straight to Shimmy, not surprisingly, and sat on his haunches while the catmonkey clinging to his head from behind. The robotic unit had a dome top that opened up to reveal, as a transparent dome, the top part of a plumply muscular baby. Babyrobotsi faced Shanka, looking up at him while sucking his thumb.

The stripercat was canny, very fast as his kind were and also quite intelligent. The catmonkey was soon revealed as a rather cheeky female of great curiosity. The male Babyrobotsi was a most curious form of cyborg but separate from the robot that he rode in while being integrated with it. Shimmy was soon holding Babyrobotsi, doing so outside of his rather protective robotic counterpart.

Seekamind communicated mindwise with the four Seekachampions. “That compassionate gesture gained you very much but not just in Doomsworldgame terms. That entity was a shadaform clone type shadabeast known as as a shadascorp; now 'she' likes to be called 'Brucecie'. I gained some information from the Seekars' GPMBTs but it was not a great deal. The shadaform used to be a shadaformer as based on doppelformers that become doppelforms. The shadascorp was 'possessed' by a shadaspirit so it could be controlled but not by the shadaspirit directly; it was controlled, by another, through the shadaspirit. Perhaps it was the subtle, background, malignant presence that directed the shadaspirit and shadascorp both.”

How had the doppelform soldiers, and others that turned out to be there, come to be in the domechamber; who-what had sent them there and why as in beyond the basic explanation of the mission that they had been given?

The Vaultsguardfolk, as they were called, had discovered a number of creatures inside the domechamber and, since they had not been defined as 'outside intruders' had befriended them. It was one symptom of their limitations of thinking but with a positive outcome.

Shimmy found herself befriending Striperra who liked to sleep with his head in her lap but soon he was transshifted to Seekahome where he was sleeping with his head in Shimmy's lap again. Babyrobotsi, and Catsipaw, went with him and were soon very much accepted by those already there.

SeekataskteamA3A1 went to meet the more of the Vaultsguardfolk!

 

Edited August 3 by Maharg67
To show that this story has been edited from the start.

[Maharg67]

Post #64

 

[One][35.1]

Sergeant Thomk0313 saluted and spoke crisply to a fatigues wearing woman that would have been worn beneath a PAAST. “Captain Thomk012, these newcomers rescued Corporal Thomk0214, and myself, from a shadascorp using most unusual and curious means. Striperra, Babyrobotsi, and Catsipaw have been sent to a better place to live but could return to here in a special way as in projected; that is they could be in more place, than one, at the same time which is most amazing!"

The captain frowned softly being pale offwhite of skin. “Of course we want the cheekies back for they are of our people. How many died this time?”

The sergeant frowned. “Three were killed and two were wounded; the dead bodies went for to the RFDM and the others went to the healing place.” He turned his head towards the Seekachampions. “RFDM is our term and means 'Return From Death Mechanism'. Death returns can be problematic even if successful. Generally 40% return in good condition, 20% in lightly harmed condition, 20% with moderate damage, 10% with heavy damage and 10% stay dead; the last need to be replaced by the Reinforcements Resupply Delivery Mechanism, the RRDM. We have requested upgrades with our technologies, through the Report and Request Terminal, and have been promised them but nothing has come through the RRDM.”

Thomk012 stood up and put on a belt dotted with pouches and other items including a holstered semipistol, semiautomatic pistol a combat knife in a sheaf. “I was sleeping in fatigues only because of the increasingly difficult situation that we are in.”

Sharry spoke. “So we are in the level as reached from Vault Door #1 above!?”

The captain frowned softly. “So, at last, somebody came to us in an understandable fashion. Yes, this is Sacred Vault #1 but is only one chamber of nine that, for some reason unknown to us, is known as Sublevel #1.1 even though all the sublevels are on the same 'level'. Not that all are full up as this one is and three are packed with service support network systems. Only our Shazworkers go in there along with Shazguards to protect them from possible infiltrators small enough to move around in any of those levels. From here, to the east, are Sublevels #1.2 and #1.3. Directly south from Sublevel #1.3 is Sublevel #1.4. Travelling west, from #1.4, you get to #1.5 and then #1.6. Directly south, from #1.6 is #1.7 is #1.8 and then #1.9. Above, and below, us are areas of service support network systems. It is easier to follow the flow of the numbers because of how security network-systems operate here."

Sharry responded. “We can provide you with augments for you tech and not just weapons. We can also supply you with some remoterobots and remoteturrets. Do you have a supercomputer network working with you or for you?”

The doppelform captain sighed. “Vaultsservomind communicates with us through the Vaultsservonet and the nine plus Vaultsservovants; problem is that Shazservomind appears to have gone a 'little crazy' as expressed through the multiple personalities of the Shazservovants.”

Sharry smiled reassuringly. "Vaultsservonet has been not only fixed up but improved beyond its old self even at its best; how this will effect this 'Vaultsservomind', and 'Vaultsservovants', I do not know but I hope that they are bettered by the activation of a Minor Wishling that was undertaken."

Thomk0313 arched her eyebrow. "By the sounds of it you have much that you can teach us."

Sharry nodded. "Perhaps you can provide us with much information."

The captain shook her head. "No, not much at all, I am afraid."

 

Edited August 5 by Maharg67
To show that this story has been edited from the start.

[Maharg67]

Post #65

 

[One][35.2]

The effeminate male sounding Shazservovant that had spoken, previously, to STTA3A1 was Shazservovant #5 who also had the name of Queenie05 being based on a male homosexual queen type character though of course the entity was of no sexual nature at all; it had taken the idea from a number of 3Dmovies and 3DTV shows that it  had viewed.

The captain led them through the big chamber where there were Vaultsguards, Vaultsworkers (blue collar workers), Vaultsservers, Vaultsspeccers of specialists and Vaultsgenners of generalists assisting all others or doing carrying out basic tasks. The last were all moderately sophisticated androids that were above the level of remotedroids.

With them were Vaultscompanions of varied types being animals, cyborgs and a small number of 'odd ones out'. Two, of the last, were the Rattantwins of Rattanboy and Rattangirl; with them, as honorary Rattantwins, were Rattancat the housecat, Rattanrat as a big water-rat. Rattanbot as a ram shamble robot built from any come to hand parts.

Shazzie frowned at them, in the Rattennest of their own sideroom. “As usual this place would look like a rat's nest.”

The big water-rat made an odd humphing noise before speaking. “Now, now, rats' nests are always kept neat and tidy when it is possible to do so.”

Shazzie bent over. “Well, you have made your point, you cute adorable ratty you!”

The water-rat leapt into her arms to be hugged and kissed for it seemed some kind of greeting ritual had been fulfilled.

A mildly rat like, young, man spoke as Rattanboy. “Interesting new friends you've made; perhaps we could do some kind of mutually profitable deal with them?”

Shazzie shook her head. “You be care with these people because they will not be conned by your slum tricks. Tell them about your ventures down below here.”

Rattanboy grinned. “Maybe yes, maybe no, depending what we will get out of doing so.”

Rattangirl sighed. “Sweet brother, please shut up! We will tell you all that we will know. Officially there are no ways directly between Sacred Vaults except for a few, heavily secured, ones; one has to go up to the domechamber and down again from each gate that is up there. We found a secret network of tunnels, chambers and other features that can take one between those locations but also to hidden ones; trouble was its own security, some deathtraps and a few more active threats. Its also a maze that change as in shifting tunnels or that is what appears to happen.”

She went on speaking. “We grew up daring to infiltrate the Shazzantaccan Deep Sewer Network of ancient tunnels, secret outcast priestly temples, long abandoned not so ruinous ruins, monster nests and lots more of that kind of interesting encounter. Some areas are friendlier than others but the unfriendlier ones have more good loot to gain. Yet it was not as dangerous as Vaultsmaze turned out to be.”

 

Edited August 3 by Maharg67
To show that this story has been edited from the start.

[Maharg67]

Post #66

 

[One][35.3]

Rattanboy spoke out. “Beloved sister, you kindly shut up! Vaultsmaze is what we call it for pretty obvious reasons. We had two other honorary Rattantwins with us being Rattantooni and Rattansnake; they were both killed! We did find just a small number of interesting items; I suppose my sweet sister wants us to hand them over for free.”

Sharry smiled, very sweetly, but her eyes were lukewarm. “You will be generously rewarded just as we do for all who assist us. There are always other ways to get the items from you.”

Rattangirl shook her head at her brother. “Will you ever learn, sweet idiot?” She turned to look back at Sharry. “I put them somewhere safely away from my brother to stop him from trying to sell them.”

Rattanboy snorted. “You needn't have bothered! None here want to buy them or have anything worth buying them with and we are too far from anybody who would want to have them. Anyway, woke up after last sleeping with a headache after having a strange, disturbing, dream. Until you showed up I just dismissed it as a product of my warped subconscious. You, newcomers, were in it and so was a horribly scary figure in a blackest of hoodrobes like it was sucking in light and reflecting none. He had his hood pulled over his hood and his face seemed to be obscured by a layer of black smoke. He spoke to me in a way hard to describe, to explain.”

Sharry looked into Rattanboy's eyes and he froze.

Seconds later he seemed to shake himself awake. “What did you do to me? I was too strong for him and didn't tell him anything.”

Sharry shook her head. “Firstly 'he was a she' and you told her everything that you could when she threatened to expose your 'dirty little secrets' to others but also offered you some 'interesting' rewards. So where are the other items that you collected and did not give to your supposed twin sister?”

Rattanboy went to speak and then he tried to sound tough while failing to do so. “What are you talking about? You are speaking rubbish.”

Rattangirl shrugged. “My real twin brother vanished in the Vaultsmaze. This 'thing' came back in his place and reported that Rattansnake, and Rattantoon, were dead. As if I would mistake you for my twin brother. I said nothing to you because I can deepsense that he is alive somewhere out there, perhaps in the Vaultsmaze. He is a fool, in some ways, but not of darkside nature as you are.”

'Rattanboy' shimmered and there stood a shadowmimic that was somewhat like a shadowshifter in nature. The black, smooth skinned, hairless figure was wearing Rattanboy's clothing, still, that now hung too loosely on it. “Okay but there is a Shadalord out there with lots of nasties serving her. She is not of the shadowkind as linked with Shadowadis but of the shadakind as linked with an entity she called Shadamaligna. I will give you the items.”

 

Edited August 3 by Maharg67
To show that this story has been edited from the start.

[Maharg67]

Post #67

[One][35.4]

The shadowmimic frowned even as it handed over a bioplastic bag of items. “Some of us Shadowfolk don't fit into the Shadowdomini or the Shadowdom of the so called Shadow Civilisation. Like so many else who have social misfits, so do we, and I am one of them. The Shadowdomini puts up with us, dwelling on its outskirts, as long as we are useful to it and so a few of us have ended up being here inside Doomsworld. Its not because Shadowadis wants anything to do with Doomsworld and the same goes for the Shadowdom that serves that one, its aspects and most powerful avatars.”

The bioplastic bag, of items was spread out over a tabletop.

There were 13 spikekeys to the 13 Sacred Vault Doors.

There was a booklet with some stable maps of the Vaultsmaze plus clues to the ways that a few tunnels seemed to shift, clues to getting past other illusions, to detect deathtraps and even the nature of some active threats. It neither had all necessary information or pretended to.

Then there was a sheet of pale parchment made of albino white human skin upon which was printed, in blood red, the following words:

To the Seekars, as concerning the situation at hand, upon the brow of Shadowadis' Conscious, if there be one even if so very alien to even we the Shadowalords, you are in a trap of devious long term planning and development but also of chaotic madness. You are not the only ones for Shadowadis, Burninadis, Malignadis and others of the Disadiskind are also bound through their extended aspects along who-what else? There appear to be many from high to low, powerful to weak, so forth. It is necessary that you more than survive, that you thrive and that you find success in just the way that you most need to do so.”

Shazzie gave a start for the shadowmimic was gone almost as it had never been there. There had been no shimmering or other dimensional side effects. Once moment it was there and the next moment it wasn't with truly amazing subtlety.

The Seekachampions showed no surprise just as the androids and robots did not. Sagesmart had the expression of one who had deepsensed something odd but could not quite work it out what he was 'sensing' while still being puzzled.

Shazzie spoke. “Where did it go, the shadowmimic?”

Sharry frowned softly. “It was never here for it never truly existed but some incredibly sublime force was here!.”

At that moment all of the other 'Rattantwins' arrived being Rattanboy, Rattantooni and Rattansnake.

 

Edited August 3 by Maharg67
To show that this story has been edited from the start.

[Maharg67]

Post #68

 

[One][36.1]

The Rattanfolk, as they had started to call themselves, had not entered 'Shazmaze'. No, they had all fallen asleep in a curious, well hidden, alcove offside of a larger alcove at the edge of Sublevel #1.2 being the one that was to the east of the sublevel that they were in at that moment. That is except for the robot that had become semiactive. When they awoke it was only to find that with them were 10 small robocarts, remoterobotic carts that could also be used as basic vehicles, with enclosed storage backs full of useful resources. They were the sort of stuff that the Vaultsguardfolk were using already, needed and could use at once. Each robocart also had an unusual, multiple lensbarrelled, weapon on it of odd design that had with it related items. Were there other non standard items in the robocarts?

The four Seekachampions all checked over the booklet, the message, and the 13 spikekeys. When it came to the items, that Rattangirl had offered having taken them from the non existing version of Rattanboy, they were three identical copies of the same. Somehow it was no surprise, to them, that there were three more sets, of copies, now in Seekainventory.

There came, to the Vaultsguardfolk Multichamber, more of the doppelform humans who had disturbing news from the Vaultsguardfolk Mainpost; it was a sidesublevel being #1.2.1 out from Sublevel #1.2.

The captain spoke to the four Seekachampions. “Major Thomk0001 has decided that we need to spread out our command and resources mainly to the two sides. Mainpost will continue to have most but here, now called Outpost #1, will build up its resources. Mainpost has the amazing Shazmechanisms of the RFDM as the Return From Death Mechanism, the RRDM as the Reinforcements Resupply Delivery Mechanism, the MHRM as the Medical Healing Recovery Mechanism and the TEEM as the Training Exercise Entertainment Mechanism. Vaultsservovant #2, Majormanly, has been trying to help get some more resources through the Vaultsservonet but Vaultsservomind is proving, once more, to be rather obstinate.”

Sharry responded. “In light, of recent events, SeekataskteamA3A1 will remain here for some time while we try to work out just what is truly taking place here. We will try to make contact with Vaultsservomind but more directly so and not through any of the Vaultsservovants.”

She paused, noticeably, before going on. “We Seekachampions were Shazgods but we have changed greatly.”

Captain Thomk012 bowed briefly. “We will serve you with all our being for you seemed 'familiar' to us, somehow, from the first that you appeared to us. Perhaps you can assist us to know why the RRDM has been sending us fewer reinforcements and resupplies.”

Sharry nodded. “Yes, of course we will, but there will be more puzzles than that to solve and the answers might easily connect to one another.”

 

Edited August 3 by Maharg67
To show that this story has been edited from the start.

[Maharg67]

Post #69

[One][36.2]

It soon became evident that only the Seekachampions, in Sacred Vault #1, could continue to remember the incident of the false apparition appearing and than vanishing with such amazing smoothness. The others acted as if it had never happened including Shazzie and Sagesmart.

Striperra, Catsipaw and Babyrobotsi returned as solid projections.

The activated Minor Wishling had caused the emergence of Cabled Teleportation Booths, or CdTBs, the CD standing for cabled as there were also CsTBs as Cableless Teleportation Booths. Shazoutpost became the temporary name for the Treasury Vaults Network and also for Sacred Vault #1 with all of its sublevels and sidesublevels.

So it was that an outer aspect of Seekatranspost materialised in the Shazoutpost Multichamber as a marble cube in appearance with a double slidedoor in each side with a cupboard slidehatch either side of that. Except, that on top, and below, were the same arrangements, the reason for this being only revealed in future.

The Seekachampions organised a meeting in Seekatranspost and discussed the amazing appearance of the false, but incredibly effective, apparitions in Shazoutpost. They did not get very far for there were no real clues to what 'Higher Celestial Faction' was behind what had happened. Not that it would have been direct, an influence, for those factions were just too powerful for them to directly effect any mortal realm without causing great harm. Still, they simply could not do so anyway for very practical, fundamental, reasons.

So they discussed other matters! They focused on the way that the Seekaquesters had gone so far and how the quests had changed. In the end it was decided that they needed to focus on what was happening there in Shazoutpost.

They created a 3Dmap of Sacred Vault #1 as built by the Shazgodfolk and also filled by them as they had filled up the Treasury Vaults. They listed the sublevels with their features. The information, to form the 3Dmap, came from the Vaultsguardfolk and some basic documentation that they held about Sacred Vault #1.

#1.1 with its odd displays, some likely being fake.

#1.2 with its blacked out displays.

#1.3 with a collection of very large Shazgodly statues.

#1.4 that was very much like #1.1 in the way that the display domes were filled.

#1.5 where it seemed about half the domes were empty.

#1.6 with a grid of 100 great containers full of a variety of useful, basic, resources.

#1.7 with grid domes filled with intricate metallic figures.

#1.8 like #1.2 but with only some domes being blacked out.

#1.9 being the lowest, last, sublevel and filled with an odd array of what appeared to be Predoomsdays machines of the UCC.

The whole, of STA3, would be involved in investigating Sacred Vault #1 as with both its obvious, and not so obvious, features. This included Vaultsmaze, sidesublevels and even sidesubvaults.

 

Edited August 3 by Maharg67
To show that this story has been edited from the start.

[Maharg67]

Post #70

 

[One][37.1]

The EverWanderer made his way through some of the poorer streets, of Shazzantacca, of which there were quite a few. Centuries ago only the slum quarter could be given such a description but now at least half of the templecity could be described with such terms.

He passed a long closed down, looted, shop that had once sold electric light-bulbs, batteries, clocks and myriad other such devices. They were still made, and bought, but only in the single, elite, corner of Shazzantacca known as the Golden Quarter.

A trio of Street Gangers, young male toughs, started to size him up but then withdrew back into shadow as if sensing that he was out of their league when it came to being a threat.

He turned and made his way along a dingy laneway. There were shops selling semilegal goods of pornography, mildly blasphemous writings, edge cult magic, drugs, socially challenging tattoos and much else. Religious brothels, of the Nuns of Relief and more like them, sat next to secular ones. Danceclubs, stripclubs, chanceclubs, healers, clerical legal, and other semilegal services were also there in that lane but not just there.

The EverWanderer quietly entered an adult only danceclub, the ticket-buyer barely acknowledging him despite the generous payment he gained and the bouncer not heeding the newcomer at all.

With dancers, in different states of undress, on small stages in the background, he sat at a small table in an isolated corner. The dancers, and waiters, were female, male and even neuter in some cases except that the last were modestly dressed while the others were skimpily so.

The hoodrobed other, an agent of the Royal Family's Secret Order, spoke. “The gronk is not bad here though expensive because of the moderate popularity of this place. Don't bother with the beer because sewer water tastes better. Meatworm stew, with veggies, is quite good. We still have no idea how Princess Shazzantie, who is often called Shazzie, managed to escape from Shazzantacca. At least that is the official line.”

The EverWanderer did not sound impressed. “Given how badly the Royal Family treated her, before King Khazashazza III was dethroned and beheaded, and how this led her to spending much time with people who enter-leave the templecity constantly, most would question such official statements, would they not?”

Harrista, not his real name, frowned. “Unlike her father, Shazzie has become popular with the general population. Now her brother, who would be Khazashazza IV, is seeking to marry Shazzie and to impregnate her with his royal seed. His mother, Queen Yhashella III, is against the idea for normally those type marriages are carried out only when very necessary to keep the dynasty going; there is no such need now. She has even sown doubt that he is the real prince because he vanished before he supposedly returned out of nowhere.”

 

Edited August 3 by Maharg67
To show that this story has been edited from the start.