Dancing With Mortality - MXO Forum Archive

#11300000536 10/02/2005 16:19:43 Dancing With Mortality

((As the Espi-created RP thread this originally started in has derailled, i'm going to start a seperate thread for this particular storyline. This thread isn't completely exclusive to me and me alone, so if you feel you have something to add that fits their vein of this story, then by all means please feel free to do so - however I would ask that you respect how the story is flowing, and do not attempt to influence or control my character or anyone elses without prior OOC consent. Thank yer kindly...))

"You sure this is the place?"

"Definately Sir... he should be arriving in exactly 5 minutes..."

"Excellent"

Phonebooths. He had gone his entire bluepill existance without paying them much heed... As a child, he'd frequently call up directory services and have a giggle... he smiled faintly as he recalled his favourite joke

"Oh excuse me, operator, is there a train on the line? I'm sorry? Well then you had best get off it then!"

Ah... the lost innocence of youth...

"Daakus.. you're absolutely sure this is the right place?"

King scowled towards his young understudy with unrepentant distain - the man cowered before him, it was unsettling... and only further fuelled his frustration, his burning anger...

"Yes Sir - I am sure" came a weak response, tone laced with an uncertainty that lacked conviction.

"I hope for your sake that it is..." Daakus knew... he knew that if his information was wrong that he would be punished... King sense this in him and let a forced smile break its way onto his face as he turned to the slender woman propping herself up against his shoulder...

"Euphraxia darling... call Ethros, ensure he is prepared..."

Looking deeply into her eyes, he felt a surge of doubt enveloping his stomach, clouding his thoughts... what was he doing here?! Why was he... how could he do these things.... how could he make her....

Blinking rapidly he snapped back his consciousness, it swept over him with vigor - refocusing his stare on the idle phonebooth...

A slight crackling sound reverberated in the air...

He was coming...

Almost here...

Without breaking his poise to look directly at his friends... his... henchmen... standing at either side of him, his voice broke with a solitary word, spoken with a searing hint of menace...

"Showtime..."

As he spoke, a flurry of code shivered in front of him, a thin and fragile figure fading into view... a redpill...

King adjusted himself as he stepped forward with a wide smile on his face - the mask which he had become so fond of no longer covered his mouth, no longer hid the emotion that so often had betrayed him...

He approached the kid with warmth... a thin, pale and frightened young man... 'pod-fresh' - released into the Matrix for the very first time.

Extending a hand, King tilited his head ever so slightly, as he addressed his visitor.

"Good to see you operative... welcome to the Cause of Zion..."

Message Edited by kingcaw on 10-03-2005 01:21 AM

#11300000537 10/02/2005 17:43:46 Re: Dancing With Mortality

A deafening scream bounced off the walls of the darkened alleyway, desperately striving to make itself heard through the silence, but to no avail - nobody dared walk these streets anymore, this wasn't a safe place to be at night...

But yet, it lingered still - peircing through the still air, before finally being muffled with a single sound. A gunshot... Then silence... All but for an angered voice, barking in the darkness...

"For Gods sake Daakus... I told you to wait!"

The next sound was the thunderous slap of Kings rough hand around the shaved head of his understudy - who staggered forward at this blow... taking a second to compose himself and hold back the undoubtable anger that was boiling his blood...

"King..." spoke a soft voice; Euphraxia; tugging on Kings sleeve and motioning him towards the downed body of a recently awoken redpill "... I don't think he's dead..."

"What?!" he exclaimed, swinging his head towards the pathetic pile of flesh lying at his feet...

"Oh bloody hell..." turning to Daakus "Look what you've done boy! That's just.... ah man thats nasty... someone put this poor kid out of his misery... please!"

A second shot, delivered by a more confident hand, making no mistake about its target and the result is successfully garnered.

"Thank you Euph... now, pass me the cell-phone"

Without blinking, Euphraxia did as asked, flipping open a slender black cellphone and placing it cautiously in King hand, before kneeling over the corpse in front of her... the "innocent" pod-fresh redpill she had slain... she muttered under her breathe before turning to regain her composure.

The moment was broken as King spoke to the operator of HvCft Retribution

"Ethros, Do you have the code isolated?..... Well?...... I see..." Kings eyes widened with delight as his face broke into a genuine display of unbridalled satisfaction;

"Well i'll be d*mned... who would've guessed!.... Thank you Ethros... you've made my day..."

Snapping the cell-phone shut, King took a deep breathe, his eyes shifting rapidly, the cogs in his mind working overtime as he processed this latest news...

"Houston... we have lift-off!"

#11300000632 10/05/2005 05:04:39 Re: Dancing With Mortality

'Lo, the masquerade unfurls

Puppets dancing in the wind

Silver strings.. fragile.. frail

Lights down, the music ends...

Sever these strings I beg you not,

For the puppets will not dance alone...

Bring down the master if you shall...

And lo, the show must go on.'

King's eyes wandered carefully over the scrap of paper resting in the palm of his hands - beads of sweat rolling defiantely down his furrowed brow. Impervious to the voices raised in anger in the adjacent room, his mind in overdrive, peicing together a puzzle he was certain was beyond his reach.

He was a simple man. Nothing more, nothing less... there was no genius inside... this was verging out of his depth, but he knew...he felt obliged... to see it thrrough...

He sat slumped in the chair, exhausted with his thoughts, until this facade of mental polarity was abruptly interupted. His cohorts, Euphraxia and Daakus, had moved their arguement into the arena of Kings gaze - demanding... begging for his attention. He dutifly obliged...

"What in the hell are you two arguing about now?"

Sir... Miss Euphraxia is claiming that the failure of our last experiment was my fault Sir... you know it wasn't Sir... you know..."

King had heard enough... he had heard this argument repeat itself in an endless cycle... 5 redpills slain in the name of research... 5 failed experiments... he interjected himself, if only to save the air around him being endlessly polluted by this droning...

"Daakus... Euphraxia... this is no-one's fault... The Machines programmed this place with such a degree of intricacy that it staggers the human mind to ever attempt to peel back layers further than we have already done so in our awakening..."

Euphraxia and Daakus stood, dumbfounded... they had surely expected King to fly off the handle... he was not know for his level-headedness... for his insight... and this only went to further amplify the significance of their work...

"...We have come further than most... we have enough knowledge of what will NOT work... we now need to utlise this to determine what WILL work..."

Staring back at the scrap of paper in his hands King let out a heavy sigh... the instructions, so short and simply, yet so potentially catastrophic... even in his darkest thoughts, he prayed that the answers would be found quickly... these methods of research could not afford to be dragged out any longer than necessary.

With one final moment on contemplation, King eyes tightened... he re-aligned his posture and inhaled deeply, before turning to his crew with a confident expression, masking his inner uncertainty...

"Euphraxia... make the necessary calls... its time to take this to the next level."

#11300000666 10/06/2005 11:48:24 Re: Dancing With Mortality

####TRACE SYPHON INITIATED...

####SOCKET 831J CONNECTING.... CONNECTED...

~~~### "Are you sure you want to do this?" ###~~~

####<<IDENT1: ...Error...

~~~### "As sure as i'll ever be..." ###~~~

####<<IDENT2: ...Indent Stalled - Unclear transmission...

~~~### "This transcends anything you have done before now... this is murder... these are real people... real lives you are taking... are you ready for that?" ###~~~

####<<IDENT1: ...Fatal Error...

~~~### ".... I... I do what must be done..." ###~~~

####<<IDENT2: ...Indent Stalled - Unclear transmission...

~~~### "Very well, take this... take them all... and may God have mercy on your soul..." ###~~~

####<<IDENT1: ...Fatal Error - Aborting Ident1...

####<<IDENT2: ...Sample Received...

####<<IDENT2: ...Processing...

####<<IDENT2: ...Indent Successful...

####<<IDENT2: ...Ident Handle: kingCAW...

####CONNECTION CLOSED####

#11300000693 10/08/2005 10:47:11 Re: Dancing With Mortality

Never Thought (Reprisal)

I never thought id love like this

Desperately anticipating your kiss

My heart skips a beat

Swept off my feet

So caring, so understanding, so sweet

I never thought Id fall for you

Knowing it never could come true

Plaguing my mind, all night, all day

But yet, I don’t want this to go away

I’ve found a love so strong and need it to stay

I never thought id feel the way i do

My heart warms when i think of you

You’re truly the only one for me

I feel so open, feel so...........free

And now I’m lying here, i take a look

At the feelings I’m pouring out into a book

My world, my life, my heart you have took.

So many more things I want to say

And I’ll get to let them loose, someday

You must understand that you are my world

And soon our secret will start to unfurl

Who knows how, who knows when, who knows where

And to be quite frank, i don’t really care

Nothing else matters as long as your there.

(Anon)

Message Edited by kingcaw on 10-08-2005 07:51 PM

#11300000699 10/08/2005 20:14:28 Re: Dancing With Mortality

"The kill-code's are set Sir"

"Excellent... inform Espi I will be busy this evening... this is a project he is most intruiged with... we cannot fail"

"Okay.... Can I ask something Sir?"

"Sure..."

"How many die tonight?"

"Six bullets, six targets.... is the trace locked?"

"Yes sir, I have checked it myself..."

"Good.... the window of opportunity is small.... we have no way of knowing what will become of them should we miss it..."

"I understand.... have fun Sir..."

"Fun?... I wouldn't dream of it."

#11300000714 10/09/2005 12:46:07 Re: Dancing With Mortality

*bang*

The bullet cut through the cold sharp air with fluid ease, spraying life onto the boot of his shoe, desperation...despair....

*bang*

Devastation fills his every senses, the morbid fascination intoxicating him, drowning his conscience, releasing it from its struggle...

*bang*

Getting easier now.... methodical, he assured himself, not maniacal...

*bang*

The fine hairs gracing the nape of his neck silently standing on edge like paraded militia performing for their leader, in glorius attention... proud....

*bang*

His grip tightened confidently on the base of his weapon... he brandished death with no remorse... he was the bringer of redemption....

*bang*

All work is done.... another day at the office... he salivated at the taste of success, and his triumphant defiance of unbearable defeat...

Father, please forgive me, for I know not what I do.

Message Edited by kingcaw on 10-09-2005 09:51 PM

#11300000720 10/09/2005 17:14:28 Re: Dancing With Mortality

'Lo, the masquerade unfurls

Puppets dancing in the wind

Silver strings.. fragile.. frail

Lights down, the music ends...

Sever these strings I beg you not,

For the puppets will not dance alone...

Bring down the master if you shall...

And lo, the show must go on.'

#11300000734 10/11/2005 07:25:24 Re: Dancing With Mortality

In her eyes danced a flame of burning passion, flickering delicately, radiating pure emotion... was it hatred... or love.... he couldn't tell, yet he allowed himself to fall into it further...

The pain he has caused her... the humiliation... the heartbreak... the righteous pangs of guilt tearing through him, punishing him for his lapse of judgement... his loss of control...

Taking a firm, reassuring grip of her fragile hand, feeling the soft subtle skin trembling as he gently massaged the base of her thumb with his own... lightly.... barely making contact... the very tip of his flesh skirting over hers.... swimming ever deeper in her eyes...

He ached to tell her... to explain... his heart sank at the prospect... she would never forgive him... could never forgive him.... if he could not even begin to forgive himself....

Love is an ungodly powerful weapon to weild... enriching some lives while destroying others... it was too much for him to bear.... yet he let his doubts subside.... she had to feel his heart calling to her..... she had to beleive in his love....

They had come so far, and very soon, their efforts would reap their rewards.... his humanity torn to shreds by the days gone by, yet he restored his soul with her presence.... he would always love her for that...

The ultimate weakness... "Love".... the strongest catalyst.....

Was there any strength to be sought in this? Perhaps.... although he felt the path it guided him on... blindly...

His head and his heart embroiled in a furious war.... he couldn't hold back.... but would take his last breath trying to do so...

A phone rings.... the scene fades to normalcy as his composure regains itself...

"Speak to me Ethros..."

"Sir...... it worked......" the voice of his ships operator spoke, with a childlike excitement....

The love.... the bliss..... the emotion..... draining themselves from every inch of his body... expelled to allow the darkness room... inflicting a murderous smile of sheer ecstacy across his weary face as he flipped his cell phone shut and stared once more into those eyes... her eyes....

"Darling.... they are ready.... our time is here.... and now.... we wait to strike....."

#11300000804 10/13/2005 11:07:16 Re: Dancing With Mortality

"I knew you'd find me here.... after all.... only you could possibly understand....."

Staring upwards, Kings heart filled with satisfaction and hope for the first time in days... driven by the madness which plagued his mind into solitary, in this man he saw his future... he saw it in them all....

"Tell me.... are you ready?"

The silent figure nodded slowly... familiar

Every inch of Kings being convulsed.... fighting back the darkness inside... fighting for the control which had been slipping daily from his grasp... begging it to desist.... begging it to free him from its endless torture.... he forced a smile upon his face as he address his visitor.... the first he had allowed within his presence since wandering from his flock... his brethren....

Struggling for breath, his broken voice croaked... ashen... rasped... "The time is almost here... you will know when to strike...."

"Sir..." the visitor spoke... his voice untarnished.... the similarity indistinguishable.... remarkable.... the wonders of modern science.... "We will not disappoint you...."

As soon as those words rolled off the tongue of this man shrouded in shadows, five more slowly breezed in... all identical in every way.... their hair.... their code.... their dress..... they were.... part of him....

King stared up confidently, albeit slightly disorientated.... was his mind playing tricks once more? He focused back over his labour of love.... his experiments with life... and death..... and this, his army before him.... with ease, he spoke once more...

"I know you will make me proud.... make us all proud.... King."

#11300000805 10/13/2005 11:49:06 Re: Dancing With Mortality

Her mind wondering…her thoughts deep…she met him…she told him.

She wanted to tell him for so long, but could not.She was afraid of the consequences…the repercussion…she was afraid of King…

A chill runs down her back at the sound of his name seeping from her lips…she shakes her head in disgust.

He has no power over me any more…his strings from me have been cut…I am no longer afraid of him…he will never hurt me again.

A slight chuckle slips from her mouth…He has seen it this night…I stood up to him…disobeyed him…and it felt “GOOD”…his power over me diminished.

Now the rest of them can see his cruelty…his insanity…he is falling apart.

I know…

He thinks I have no clue what I am talking about, but he is sorely mistaking.

His heart…his mind…has not been with me for some time.I know it lies with someone else…but who…I have my notions…if it is so…then…then…

Her mind clears…her thoughts focus on…him…

A soft warm smile sweeps across her lips…her heart beats rapidly…she is happy…

She whispers to an empty room, “Amor de dos”

She closes her eyes and dreams…

Message Edited by Euphraxia69 on 10-13-2005 03:49 PM

#11300000808 10/13/2005 17:24:53 Re: Dancing With Mortality

Hes as mad as a Hatter.....

Daakus walked carefully into Club Sphinx, eyes
betraying much on his mind. Ahead of him he could see KingCAW
sitting at the bar, a glass in his hand, usual of late. It was
not time for cowardice.

"Sir..... I need to talk to you."

KingCAW didn't look round. "Go away, Daakus. I don't have time for this foolishness"

"Sir, I," Daakus closed his eyes, "I
can't do this anymore. I don't believe in it anymore. It's
going against our Path."

KingCAW snapped his head round, "You DARE
to speak to me this way?!?" Spittle could be seen at the edges of
KingCAWs mouth.

"I have to. You know why I joined in the beginning. I can't follow this path.....it's wrong."

KingCAW grasped the collar of Daakus's coat, "You will do it! You will do it because I tell you you must!"

Daakus's eyes darted from side to side,
fear beginning to rise, but his conviction was set. He couldn't
follow KingCAW down this road. It was just, well, wrong.
The Agenda was the right path, it was the only way to go, not this new
foolishness.

KingCAWs grasp loosened on Daakus, his
hand smoothing down the creases he had made, a wicked smile creaped
over KingCAWs face, "As you wish, Daakus, as you wish. This is
not for all of us. Perhaps it's not for you. Now, on your
way.....we will talk more on the 'Craft." KingCAW turned back to
his drink.

Daakus wasn't sure.... fear still in his mind, he walked towards the exit.

KingCAW reached into his coat, a phone in
his hand. He punched in a ferw numbers, putting the receiver to
his ear, "You're ready, old friend? He will leave momentarily,"
pause, "Yes, this will call it quits....you will owe me nothiong after
this. Oh, and make sure there are no traces. We don't want
him found and this comming back to me, or you," another pause, "Oh and
make sure theres no evidence on him either, just in case he is
found." KingCAW smiled and replaced the phone in his pocket.

Outside Daakus looked to the sky, the
clouds clearing as he headed toward the Hardline. A glint from a
nearby rooftop caught his attention. He turned to see it, to
catch the bullet in his eye. He fell back, like a sack of
potatoes.

-------------

The figure strolled confidently toward the bar of
Club Sphinx and took a seat next to KingCAW. The figure ordered a
mineral water while a smile.

"King, my friend, it is done. He won't talk now, unless it's to his God." The figure smiled.

KingCAW shot a glance toward the figure,
"Thanks Jamicus..... A job well done." He allowed himself a
chuckle as Jamicus stood up and left.

Mad as a Hatter.....

Message Edited by RealJamicus on 10-14-2005 02:26 AM

#11300000811 10/14/2005 01:58:47 Re: Dancing With Mortality

=====BROADCAST RELAY INTERCEPTED=====

..""..###.".test has been unsuccessful my..""-####"... failed.."..########.""..code fluctuations...-"####".####. beyond my control..**..#####.

.."".####..".##...#####...""-"... insist on trying to stop me....####...###.."".##."..destroy me....""..""."....

"......""::I..####..".##.requiring kill-codes """"..####.##.." several....""..###."

##...""..testing continues.....

==============SIGNAL LOST=============

#11300000850 10/16/2005 12:29:17 Re: Dancing With Mortality

"Look at what I have created!Look at what I have acheived!!!"

The maniacal voice peirced through the could of fear that had engulfed the room. Dozens of frightened bluepills lay face down on the cold marble floor, their half-eaten meals left cold on the scattered tables. Hushed prayers and muffled cries were drowned out by the rantings of one man and his... army... his followers....

"I have acheived greatness! Look how you all cower before me!"

A flurry of machine-gun rounds burst into the far wall, shattering the glass casings of the cheap paintings used for casual decoration, peppering the ground with empty shells.

The man behind the voice stepped forward into the light, his body pale and covered in sweat, his bruised torso stripped bare and exposed, nothing but a pair of shabby black trousers, fastened loosely around his waste and tailing to an inch above his bare feet, which themselves were bloodied and worn. His silk bandana masking his madness, hiding his eerie smile...

"...Now, my 'puppets'.... its time to play..." he barked, towards the crowd of figures stood motionless behind him. One by one they stepped forward, each dressed in black, each adorning a mask.... each man identical to the next.... identical to King...

With a snap of his fingers, King's ensemble began tearing the restaurant apart, sacrificing each and every bluepill within view without hesitation or remorse...

Crimson death smeared itself throughout the room in motion with the ensemble's advancement, cries and pleas for help fell on the deaf ears of King, who was seemingly mesmerised by the events unfolding before him, paying meticulous attention to his "army" with a proud grin...

This pride, however, soon wained...

His army... was stalling....

Staring intently into the eyes of his closest protege, his closest puppet... he saw the shimmer of code... the sparks of dissaperation.... as it had happened before...

Tossing aside his semi-automatic, King bellowed with a flurry of obsenities, his every word laced with pure rage and frustration, as he fled from the scene, leaving his ensemble a mass of fading code streams.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

####DISTRESS SIGNAL RECEIVED

####IDENT: UNKNOWN

####CARRIER SIGNAL: UNKNOWN

####TRANSMISSION INITIATED

>To all who this message reaches,

>

>The estranged operative known as KingCAW, a known associate of the "Masked", is currently

>treading a line which may prove dangerous to us all.

>

>I am not proud to have assisted in his scheme, however the continuing destablisation of his

>mental state has led me to raising the alarm on his activities.

>

>King's experimentation with RSI code-strings has led him towards the ability to replicate his own

>RSI at will.

>

>Fortunately, his experiments have proven unsuccessful as of late.

>

>However the greater threat remains with the dangerous code he currently has in his possession.

>King has acquired what are widely known as 'Kill-Codes' - Six in total.

>

>These codes enable the operator to disable the Emergency Jackout Protocol's of any Redpill they

>are executed on.

>

>I have know way of telling what King plans to do with these codes, however in his current state, this

>represents a threat to us all.

>

>King must be stopped and I urge you all to capture on sight and destroy the kill-codes.

>

>For all of our sakes.

####TRANSMISSION ENDED

####ATTEMPTING TRACE....

####TRACE FAILED.

#11300000851 10/16/2005 12:31:42 Re: Dancing With Mortality

((For all intents and purposes, the story depicted in this thread is finished. Its purpose was to not only build up towards Kings activities and experiments with RSI coding, but also to show the fragile state of his mind. Hopefully this ties in to the ongoing 'Chronicles', and will serve as a basis for what happens next.

Thanks for reading, and I hope at least some of you enjoyed it somewhat!))