Quick authors note for everyone! First off thank you to everyone who has shown an interest in my story as it is so far. Keep clicking that favorite and follow buttons. Any constructive criticism is welcome, I am new to writing so I am sure that I have some problems that I could work on. I just have a few points that I am going to touch on.
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Time line: for Back Story/ Prologue
Nuclear Apocalypse: May 10, 2052
Unity day: year 2053
Hakan Born: year 2116
Day Hakan finds Evo Formula MK,IV: year2132, 80 years from NA
Day Hakan Injects himself: year 2133 Hakan 17 years old
Execution of Hakan; Birth of the Original, Exile of the Original: year 2134 Hakan 18
First in this chapter I am going to be listing symptoms that will be affecting our main character Hack. These were just taken from a simple google search about muscular disorders, I don't know anything about them aside from a quick google search, I am just assuming that our Biochemical engineer might know of them and give himself a self-diagnosis. I don't know anything about biology and thankfully don't have any medical issues that are serious. Just don't freak out if I get information wrong or dig to deeply about why I chose those diseases, like I said I chose them due to a quick google search. I will explain more about why those are the diseases that I chose later. I have nothing but admiration for people who live with life changing diseases but for my story I want him to show a negative reaction to the serum so as to give The Ark a reason to not dissect him .
In regards to the powers that our main character is going to have, as well as when the powers activate. I have decided that while I would love the idea of having them be time activated, meaning that the character has to unlock them with age, I have decided against this. I am going to make them all unlocked automatically, however as our character is the first who has them, he isn't aware of them and will unlock them in dire need or through training them. So, it will take him a while to use them. Even when he first does use them because he will be young in his immortal life, they will not be crazy obvious or strong. it is detailed below
1-2 years after awakening:
Strength: 3x the average strength of guys using myself as a benchmark. Example I can personally squat 250lbs plus my bodyweight and I can bench 235lbs while rarely working out, he will be able to squat 750lbs and bench 705lbs. this is his average starting strength. He will only get stronger especially if he works out more which he certainly will.
Speed: to run at 60 mph after his awakening 3X the average athlete 20mph.
Hack will also have the reflexes to use said speed without getting tunnel vision. Just because he is this fast at the beginning doesn't make him invulnerable, it just means that it would take maybe 2 or 3 more people to defeat him than a normal person would need. Especially since his just a regular guy with no training or fight experience. I want Hack, to really grow into his powers and abilities. The main reason why the 100 as a show is so great is because it really forces the characters to grow and fight for survival in every episode. Hack will be no exception, by the time the 100 are on the ground he will have been fighting for 50 years. He will have earned his powers and strength. By the time he becomes king he will be far different from the mild-mannered idealistic Biochemical engineer.
He is still going to be immortal, just not invulnerable just like all vampires in TVD he will be able to be physically wounded. Because of this in the beginning serious like mortal serious injuries will leave scars until he gets old enough that he no longer gets scars. That will happen at 10 years. Cause his healing will get stronger.
I also realized that I missed a power of the vampires in TVD, namely the ability to enter the minds and dreams of others. I am going to assume that this is a shoot off branch of compulsion as it deals with the mind. He wont use this ability much and not in the next couple of chapters for sure. I just like the ability and I have some ideas for it.
Also this chapter is going to go through Hakan's First two months on the ground as well as his experiments into his abilities, and learning what he is and what he needs (blood, just a little). I want him to start interacting with the100 in chapter two. His past on the ground will be shown in flashbacks.
Sorry for the ramble of a Authors note. I just really want his powers flushed out for this next chapter because a lot is going to be happening. I will give a similar description of his strengths at chapters where I feel it is going to be clear of a strength boost occurring. It will be a little bit of a training slash survival montage taken in flashes. Without any further a due let us begin the next chapter of The Original King of SkyCrew. Hope you guys enjoy!
Chapter 1 - EXODUS
Death, I can feel it creeping towards me faster and faster the longer I stay in the SkyBox. I can feel in my gut that I am dying. I don't think the formula worked at all like I had planned, I may not have a mirror but I don't really need one anymore. From the minute that I last had my talk with Chief Sinclair I have slowly but surely been weakening. Little by little, day by day. At first it wasn't all that obvious and honestly could have been chalked up to having less food then normal and not as much chance to move around. But the changes to my body aren't a changing of muscle to fat that would be due to long periods of muscle stagnation, nor do I look starved and emaciated. My muscle is just breaking down, same with my joints; If anything, my symptoms present themselves like myotonic dystrophy and onset arthritis. Not only that but since that day I have had an over sensitivity to light, sound, and have dealt with debilitating migraines on a daily basis. If that wasn't enough to notice, as time has gone on the affects of these symptoms has only gotten more aggressive the more that I am able to hang on and will myself to stay alive.
After almost a full year I can't even sleep to escape the pain anymore. My body is just shutting down, my cardiac and respiratory muscles are so broken down that in my sleep I almost died a couple days ago. It is to the point where the council of The Ark had to make a band (a prototype of what was used to monitor the 100) that would monitor my vitals in order to make sure I don't die before my 18th birthday. I actually kind of liked it, at least it looks cool, it looked like a pair of metal bracers that went from my knuckles and covered almost my whole forearm, made from a acid brushed gray metal. A simple brush of pain that didn't even register to me at this point in my existence anymore, my constant pain made it seem like a pinch, as opposed to the 8, 3milimeter spikes on the underside of the bracers being stabbed into my arms. 4 just under my knuckles, 1 in my wrist, one in the middle of the bracer, and the last at the top of the bracer close to my elbow. This on both arms, and it seems like a nice little reprieve compared to the never-ending pain that my serum has wrought on my body. It would have been nice if they weren't keeping me alive to kill me. (link for look in AN)
The only win that I could take from this whole ordeal is that I haven't been dissected by the other scientists on The Ark. Who would study a disease that slowly kills someone? At least in a civilization like the one that lives on The Ark. It just wasn't worth the limited materials and manpower.
Not that it really matters at this point for today is my last day. I am but a few hours away from my death I am actually at this moment being wheeled to see the council, down the hallways of the ark I am being rolled in a wheelchair as I am now to weak to move, my legs to weak to hold me, my lungs so weak that even standing will leave me gasping and lightheaded. At this point I can barely lift my head from my chest. I do so anyway.
I might have not accomplished much in my short life, I might even have created that which is killing me. I might be so weak that a kitten soaking wet would be able to kill me in a fight. I do refuse however to go in front of this group and show anything but the firm resolve that has kept me alive since that fateful night…at least I think it was night what with us orbiting the planet and we almost always face the sun, whatever not important. Through the metal halls of The Ark, through the different stations, Mecha, Plant, Med, Water, I was wheeled through facing the faces of The Ark, all of whom were staring at me with varied expressions of horror and contempt. I must have looked a proper sight. Despite this I looked on, my face set in stone, no matter the thoughts of others.
'What I did, what I have endured I did for them. I would still do it' I thought savagely to myself steeling my resolve after seeing all the people I failed. I might have threatened them a bit with my mistake shutting down systems temporarily but if I had succeeded, we would all be on the ground right now. I mean sure the thought of having superpowers was a factor but still, the good that could have been done… nothing I can do now…literally.
My internal musings were cut short as the wheelchair was jerked to a stop. Taking in my surroundings I saw myself in front of the council chambers where my fate was decided by 7 people, 6 councilors and the chancellor of The Ark. With a hiss the door slid open and the guards resumed pushing me in. Where I was once again stopped before the table in front of the Council, at which point the guards were dismissed from the room after a simple head move from the Chancellor Mathew Hardcastle. A tall austere man who appears to be European or possibly Russian in descent with piercing blue eyes, who looked to finally be showing his age what with the balding that was started to appear on his temples and the wrinkles appearing on his face. He is the third Chancellor of The Ark selected when I was 13 years old. Silence dominated the room as I was examined by the council, and I examined them. The minutes stretched longer and I saw more of the councilors start to fidget both at my gaze which I kept as apathetic as possible, both to show my resolve and to hide the pain that I was constantly in, and because they were waiting for Chancellor Hardcastle still is quiet.
Finally with a cough clearing his throat Hardcastle rumbles in a deep baritone "Hakan Thorson, as of today you are 18 years of age, as such would normally be eligible for a review of your crimes to see whether you could possibly be integrated back into civilization of The Ark. However due to the seriousness of your crimes the council has decided unanimously that you are to be killed as of today." A brief pause followed this where he peered down at his hands where he was holding a data pad before peering back up at me before he continued "Now it says here that you were to be sent to the ground should you still be alive after your little procedure and without seeing positive results that could benefit the people of The Ark."
Again, he paused, seeming to collect himself "This was before however we were made aware of you growing illness after being exposed to your supposed super serum. We are now giving you an option, cause no matter what today you are not going to be alive on the ark after this day ends. We are giving you two options, either you are going to be exiled by being sent to earth. Or I am going to authorize the use of drugs in order to offer you a one time only death by poison, with your body sent down to earth, exiled forever from The Ark, even in death. One way will be quick painless and you will get the chance to be surrounded in your final moments by anyone of your choice. The other, a slow painful death due to radiation poisoning and starvation, if you survive the reentry, which with your symptoms is unlikely. So boy which will you choose!"
The second he gave me the options I knew which I would choose "poison death pls, Chancellor Hardcastle. Please." My voice rattled out of me, weak, shallow and barely above a whisper. My choice seemed to startle or anger most of the councilors. I am assuming that most of them didn't approve giving me a easy way out given all the problems I caused and the rules I broke.
Chancellor Hardcastle stared at me for a second before nodding and sending a signal to have me carried out of the room after telling everyone that we would be taken to pod bay 13 where my execution would take place after notifying those, I wanted to have there which could be counted on my fingers.
I know what you are thinking 'what, after everything, just taking the easy way out?' but the truth is just like my body my will is broken or at least hearing the option of a quick and painless death broke the last pillar of resistance I had left. A year a straight year I have fought tooth and nail to survive. I don't regret what I have done, I just can't keep fighting when my body just can not keep up with my will. I can feel it slowly slipping further into the grave painfully inch by inch, if that wasn't enough the pain from my body is just whittling away at my will, I can not escape the pain, and…I would just like it if I could go out in my own way just like how I started this whole mess. On my terms. I had my fight and I lost badly.
My last day was spent in a haze of disbelief and hollow resignation, my will broken and body dying. I didn't feel pain at this point just a fain pulse that told me that I was alive every time my heart beat seemingly impossibly loud signaling its last beats of life. I was showered and redressed in clothes that were clean, although when the doctors went to remove the bracers I had them keep them on, what can I say I had grown attached to them. Finally dressed in a dark brown leather jacket, linen Henley shirt and black pants and military boots I was rolled into the room where I was to die. The council was present, along with Arthur Sinclair, the only man who had come from those I had invited. He seemed to be carrying a couple things with him, but I focused on Chancellor Hardcastle quickly after I arrived due to him taking command of the situation.
"We are here on the 13 of May in the year 2134, to bear witness to the death and subsequent exile for one Hakan Thorson known as Hack, The First and The Original as he is recorded in the records of The Ark. The prisoner will be executed via lethal injection where upon confirmation of time of death five minutes will be given before he is to be put in his exile pod where he will be launched to Earth, where he will rest evermore. Never to grace our halls again. That said he will have two minutes to say goodbye to those who have chosen to be here to witness this day. May the many gods of man watch over you where ever you may end up. You all know your jobs lets get this over with." The second he was done talking the room burst into a flurry of activities, engineers ran diagnostics over what would be my coffin (read space/escape pod), doctors readied a lab table along with a set of poisons, the various council members started to talk amongst themselves, finally Sinclair approached me a solemn look on his face.
"This is it huh Hack? Nothing left to fight or build, just going to escape this suffocating hell." He stated ruefully, he certainly has changed since last I saw him he just seemed tired, must be what happens when you have kids not that I would ever know.
"Yeah I suppose that is how this is going to go. I just wish it didn't have to be this way, humans aren't meant to be confined so. For what it is worth I wish it could have been different, maybe if I was more careful this wouldn't have happened just like you said a year ago." I managed to rasp out before I started to cough a little from over stressing my lungs.
After giving me a second to recover "I too wish things could be different but we all play the cards that we have dealt, some of us have cards that enable us to win the game, some of us have a shitty hand but are able to bluff well enough that we can scrape through enough to win, and some of us have a hand that is good just not good enough to beat the house, it is a shame that you had the latter." He sighed before continuing, "I was granted permission to let you take things with you as they don't want any real reminders of you on The Ark."
This brought my attention down to his hands so I could now see what he was holding. In his right hand was the datapad that I used to record all my work along with its various other apps to help with anything someone of The Ark could ever need. In his right was a long case. I knew what was contained inside however. My family back in the day were great hunters and warriors before they turned to science and before Nuclear War. However it was still expected of my family to learn how to shoot a bow and arrow and fight with some for of weapons due to the fact that I my family on both sides were descended from great warrior races, Native Americans and Viking warriors. When my family made its way onto The Ark they managed to keep a bow as well as a seax knife sword, that they passed down to me now although I haven't ever used it or even possessed it for a portion of my life as I was supposed to get it on my 17th birthday. I guess that I will finally be getting them, taking them with me back to the earth where they should have been used.
"Sinclair…thank you. I just wish that I was strong enough to hold them myself…you don't know how much this means to me." It went without saying that I was talking about more than just for what he was giving me. He looked like he was about to respond when he was interrupted.
"Everyone, the time has come." Hardcastle stated in a hard voice. With a sigh Sinclair nodded to me before taking my gifts and placing them in the dropship. While this was happening my two guards unstrapped me from my wheelchair and carried me to the lab table where is was strapped in again.
"Hakan Thorson, you are permitted to say your last words. Make them count."
I paused gathered myself before in as strong a voice as I could manage stated " First off Hardcastle, Sinclair, thank you first for letting it happen this way and for being here, you know which is for whom. Second I just want to say that no matter what anyone says about me or my actions, I would do it again, without a doubt in my head because I know one thing. It might not be tomorrow, a year from now or even a decade from now but you mark my words, one day The Ark will fall, and humanity will fall with it if things don't change, just you all watch. I will know that I did what I could to save the future can you all say the same. When you look your grandkids in the eye on your deathbed you will all know that you failed…how's that for some ominous last words! Think they were good enough, huh, Hardcastle? I find it ironic, how this all began is how it ends. With an Injection, so lets get this over with, I have fought my battle and I lost, but so did all of you"
Silence greeted the end of my speech. At some signal unseen by me the doctor brought forward the needle that would kill me and with but a pinch I felt something cold flow through me again, this time however there was no fire, no burn just a cold that robbed me of feelings. I could feel it spreading through my body when it reached my heart I knew immediately as with each pulse of my heart the icy feeling spread faster dulling my senses, as it reached my head everything started to fade. I had but one thought with someone slipped out of my lips.
"Ha, I was so close…" with a stuttered laugh I closed my eyes and passed away the heavy blanket of death wrapped around me and I passed.
The Original - NO Ones POV
Silence permeated the ship bay as everyone held their breath waiting for the beeping that was being shown on the datapad that was placed into the dropship to stop. Hakan's datapad was the one that Sinclair used to connect to the vital bracers. Slowly second by second the heart rate monitor showed that Hacks heat was slowing down giving up the fight with the new poison in his system. Until 2 minutes later silence greeted everyone in the room.
"Call TOD, wait five minutes to make sure it takes, then prepare his body for exile. I expect this to be finished in 10 minutes." Chancellor Hardcastle sighed out with a tired expression on his face. For how he wished that he didn't have to be the one execute children just so others could live. He turned away and proceeded to wait. Seemingly unaware of what his words wrought.
Like the stirring of an anthill the room burst into activity doctors running about, guards lifting Hakan's Body off the table and strapping it into the dropship, councilors grinning smugly and walking away chatting to themselves, in the center of this chaos stood Sinclair silent and vigilant, determined to watch this to its conclusion. For he felt that it was the least that he owed one his engineers and someone that he had set on this path years ago. A young man who he couldn't help but feel had seen truth in the situation humanity was facing as daunting and haunting a thought as it was. After this however he planned to go back to his room and hug his mother and still young son. Who he hoped had a better life.
Ten minutes came and with it came the order from Hardcastle to run final checks before everyone stepped out of the room looking through the blast door. At a nod from Hardcastle one of the mechanics here for the day hit a button of the side of the door where a 10 second countdown counter flickered to life. At 5 seconds many of the mechanics and doctors had left leaving just the Councilors, Chancellor, Sinclair, and two guards.
A loud groan followed by a loud whooshing sound ripped through the quiet before with a bang the doors to the exterior of The Ark snapped shut again. Again more people left leaving just the Chancellor and Sinclair.
"For what it is worth, I wish this wasn't necessary." Hardcastle whispered to Sinclair.
"For what it is worth, I wish that Hack wasn't right, but he was, and it happened, The First and Original, a good name for the first man who could have saved The Ark. To bad he is gone and his work with him." Sinclair stated before storming away leaving Chancellor Hardcastle to his thoughts.
Sadly, for them all of them they were 2 minutes to efficient for their own good, for if they had waited, they would have heard the beep from a data pad that would have signified a certain way to save themselves before it was to late. As it stands the name Hakan Thorson, The First, The Original would fade into naught but a name and statistic on the system of the Council until 48 years until one Abagail Griffin found it while looking through council records for a way to save her daughter and everyone of The Ark. It would be 50 years from his execution before anyone on The Ark saw anything remaining of The Original. Shame cause his return would shake up everything they thought they knew.
The Original - POV Hakan
Warmth, it encircled my whole being, my whole floating being. I was weightless just floating as I slowly went from ice cold to warmth. It stayed warm not getting hot just a pleasant warm that filled me with a happiness I hadn't felt in a year. This must be what heaven feels like, nothing else can feel this good. I chose to keep my eyes closed just to let this feeling continue to caress my body. And it did for about 30 seconds.
BANG! I was startled out of my blissful feelings as I was slammed down and thrown out before I jerked to a stop. I snapped my eyes open as I heard a ever increasing roar fill my ears and everything around me begin to vibrate faster in perfect cadence with the roar. My head snapped about trying to understand what in 7 hells was going on a this second. In front of me all I could see was a clear window surrounded by metal, or at least the window used to be clear right now it was filled with a wall of fire that was getting brighter and brighter. It all clicked in my mind real quick, somehow someone must have fucked me right over with that injection because I am now hurtling my way down towards the earth at speeds that would turn me into a pretty little watercolor on the ground. I frantically look around the dropship hoping to see something to help me out of this situation.
Nothing, nothing and more nothing. Just wires, my case and datapad. And there in the corner just a lever with a picture of a parachute above a dropship with flames coming out the bottom of the dropship. Wait… I snapped my gaze back around so fast I almost snapped my neck, parachute… I can survive. I can pull that and hope to god that this ship was designed well enough that 82 years after its construction the parachute will be able to take reentry to earth. I also hope to gods that the thrusters fire properly and don't explode. If I time this right that is. I peered out of the window port as hard as I could hoping to see something that would let me know when I should pull the switch.
Fire flashed as the roar built to a crescendo around me, I hurtled down faster. I could feel it the heat from reentry was getting uncomfortable. Still I could see nothing outside of the ship my view blocked, no matter how desperate I was getting I saw nothing. I was just giving up home when I saw a flash of green appear for a split second before flames covered the window again. I took that as a sign from above. Praying to any god that was out there I turned as fast as I could and ripped down on the landing gear and waited with my eyes closed…and I am not afraid to admit it screaming my head off.
5 seconds, 10 seconds, 15 seconds, nothing. My screams got louder if anything along with a stream of curses that started to pour out of my mouth. With a final shout of anger, I slammed my hand against the lever that I just pulled and like clockwork it A) ripped off the lever somehow, and B) with a loud bang I felt things slow significantly along with a different roar coming alive underneath of me. I didn't celebrate just yet that was just the thrusters activating and if the parachute didn't activate and hold, I was still going to go splat the second the thrusters ran out of juice.
This time however after 8 seconds where I could feel myself slowing there with a bigger pull and the parachute shot out and held. Slowing me down so much that I could see outside of the window. The view took my breath away for two reasons, first everything was so damn green, from my current height I could see a stream in between two mountains what looked to be remains of a city miles away from the mountains, and what looked like a clearing coming up the bottom of the glass. Second was the thought that if I was even a second or two later there would be no way that I would have survived this reentry.
I took the time to just stare at what would probably be my death once I landed. Land, even if I die I cannot wait to see it. This was my dream for so long shame it isn't going to be for long. Radiation will kill me so fast. Still I was enjoying myself now that I am not really in immediate life-threatening situations. Probably also the endorphin high. Thirty seconds, that's how long it took before with a bone jarring crash, I, Hakan Thorson was the first person to touch down on the Earth in 82 years. I took a minute to just sit in utter disbelief of my situation.
Slowly my logical mind caught up with everything that happened and noticed something. My body it didn't hurt. No muscle ache, no painful breaths, no mind splitting headache, no sharp ache in my joints, no flares of pain along each joint of my spine as I moved.
"Hahahaha" I threw my head back and laughed not able to control myself at all. I felt just crazy good, euphoric even. Nothing but absolute bliss and a new strength that I didn't know I had. That I didn't have before I landed on the ground.
"The hell" I growled as a beeping broke through my euphoria, looking around my dropship I found the source of the incessant beeping. My data pad, an app was open on it, it seemed to be a log of my health judging by the name at the top of the vitals chart. After taking a minute to see if I could figure out how to work the app I was able to pull up the history.
I promptly blanked at what I found. I had died. It wasn't a fluke, there was a 12 minute window in which I had no pulse, no heartbeat, and it was exactly 5 minutes ago about the time it took for reentry after I woke up to feel the warmth. I had died and come back, after 12 minutes. That shouldn't be medically possible. Especially with no one working on my body. I should not be alive yet feel as good as I do, I feel better, stronger than I did before I injected myself with the Evolution booster…The evolution booster. It clicked in my mind harder than a punch from that old boxer Mike Tyson. My Evolution Booster. IT WORKED!
"YAAAASSSS! Fuck you all, I was right. I was right! It worked, it worked." I was manic for a couple of seconds, when I had a thought "But why was I dying until now, why only after my death did it work. Was it the addition of the chemical compound that killed me? No, that wouldn't make sense, it certainly wouldn't help bring me back if anything would have interfered with the booster. Wait that is it, it worked like a booster, putting a virus into me, breaking down my body to a disease and then after it is done fighting allowing the system to come back stronger then ever and immune." (guys just go with it, I didn't have a way to explain him needing to die like the vampires in TVD, cause no magic)
A little bit of a morbid way to evolve, die so it can help you come back…better. I have no better way to put it, I am the first evolved. I don't know how this is supposed to affect me. At least I know that I am stronger at least. I stopped, I wanted to go outside. This was all designed to make my dream a reality. With a breath I found a bottom on the long side of the door of the hexagonal dropship at chest height. I pushed it and with a woosh of released air the door collapsed down and I was embraced by a cool breeze and a blinding light which I stepped into. Into a new world.
The Original - Timeskip Two weeks Base camp
"hey is this recording…Ahh I see it is. Well it has been two weeks since I have landed on the ground. What a two weeks it has been." Hack looks at the camera of his datapad thankful once again that the thing is solar powered or else this would not be possible. "Since I landed on the ground, I have managed to establish a basecamp where my dropship landed, as well as scout the ground near me at least in a 30-minute walk period around my location. I have been scoring the trees with a rock that I found near where I landed so I don't lose my way."
Taking a breath Hack paused "Since I landed, I have noticed things that are clear evidence that I am enhanced in some way, the extent of which is unknown. I have noticed that I don't struggle as much with tasks that would leave me more exhausted when you consider the fact that I never put my body through an intense workout ever. I also have noticed an increase in height only two inches probably bringing me to a nice 6'4…oh and did I mention I have abs, shame there is no women who could enjoy them." That last part was said with a small pout.
"I have also noted a increase in stamina compared to the baseline that the ark game me, I am able to walk 30minutes in intense terrain away from basecamp without any trouble at all. But I have also noticed a level of hunger that I can seem to quench. I have managed to pick different berrys that keep me full enough I suppose its just a feeling of hunger in the back of my mind that wont go away." I furrowed my brows at the camera, this hunger wasn't natural and I didn't really know why I was so hungry. "My current theory is that as an enhanced I need more nutrients and calories than are naturally found in fruit. Will check back after a while on that front."
I turned off the camera and looked around my clearing. For a single man to come this far in two weeks is pretty impressive. When I landed the dropship managed to burn and crush a wide bit of ground around it. A ring 30 yards in diameter was burned or overturned when I stepped out. I was in two weeks able to clear all the dead and broken trees and set up a perimeter fence all along that burned out circle. I was also able to create a nice fire pit which I keep lit at all times, I don't know how to make fire so I don't feel like having to spend hours making one. I was only just able to keep this one going by using one of the burning sticks from entry. I am still proud of what I have accomplish by myself. Maybe I should work on a more comfortable shelter than the inside of the dropship. Or maybe tear it apart and make the inside more comfortable since it can hold 4 people comfortably maybe it will make a good home. With some work. Well back to it.
The Original - TimeSkip 1 month after landing
"God this damn thing better be on cause god I need to vent. Or is it a vent that is needed?" The camera panned back to Hack and he isn't looking so good, inside the dropship which has been stripped of anything, leaving a hexagonal room the floor of which is covered with some layers of canvas that came from the parachute. Hack has undergone a new transformation and not for the better, his eyes are sunken and crazed, hair is stringy, and he is manic constantly twitching. "So-something is wrong with me. Yes wrong, with me. I am super sensitive to light again, and my head hurts…it hurts so much, yes it does." Hack starts to run his hand through his hair before pulling on it.
"The Hunger its so strong. Im so hungry. Berrys are trash. Don't make one full. But there isn't much…much else near me. I am going to have to leave base to find food. It is the only way to survive. Yes, survive." He started to shake a bit before continuing again "I need something but I don't know what but I am sure I will find it. I am going to follow the river. Follow the river, find good food." The video cuts short showing hack a reflection of himself in the screen. He growls at it before he tosses the datapad onto the cushions that he made. He tears out of camp, not focused at all his rational mind long gone driven by his instincts. His hunt has begun.
Pain, it over rode everything and brought him back to focus, jarring him awake from the haze that he has been in for a day or two. Taking stock of his situation at a speed that stunned him slightly, he froze in fear. In front of him blood still on its claws from where Hack could see from his position on his back was a bear. At least before the Nuclear Apolocypse it would have been a bear. This things was massive at least 10 feet tall and black as the night sky. With claws that were 2 inches long. Claws that were dripping in his blood, from where he was slashed from clavicle to just above his belly button. Thankfully it wasn't to deep just enough to snap him out of his bloodlust.
"Jesus above…okay think"
I had to options either fight or run.
"Raaaaaawwr" Make that one choice as the bear charged at me from where it had been circling me. It charged in so fast that it was on me before I had time to think, its bloody paw raised ready to crush my head into dust. I moved backwards out of reflex and felt his claws scrape the corner of my face, a flash of heat the only indication that it even happened that seemed to pulse with each beat of my racing heart, before I spun away from the bear to its side falling to my hands and knees to scramble away.
"Come on, come on!" I snarled to myself as I looked wildly around for anything I could use to my advantage while another part of my mind noted the movement of the bear, as well as a weird pulse I could hear from the bear. I spotted something on the ground 40 yards in front of me blending into the ground. Metal for sure, rusted beyond anything I had seen. Jumping on instinct I managed to clear the spot I was in just as the enraged bear ran right through it. My senses have never been as high as they are right now. I make a mad dash for the metal I saw on the ground. I don't know how I cleared the distance so fast everything seemed to slow a bit as if I was still walking but I felt my muscles working like mad. I cleared the distance of 40 yards in under a second and pulled hard at the metal. It ripped from the ground covered in leaves and dirt. I seemed to be on of those signs that humans used to use on their roads with a long pole that had little holes going down its length.
"okay okay, better I got this" turning my focus back to the bear, it must have been confused as it was shaking its head back and forth before locking eyes at me. With a shouted war cry, that was copied by the bear thing rising on its hind legs I charged and fast as I could I would only have one chance.
The world slowed and I ran, feet pounding the ground such strength that I left imprints where my feet gained traction. I ran so fast the bear didn't really have time to more before I was before it. Holding the sign from the top I slammed the entire length of it into and through the ribcage of the bear. All I felt was something wet and warm fall on my lip as I looked back up to where the bear had been above me, as the energy of the stab plus my speed had knocked the bear over. My tongue flicked over my lip and the world exploded. My senses expanded my muscles expanded and rippled. I looked down at the dying bear and felt my face change, the skin under my eyes seemed to ripple and I felt my teeth change in my mouth before I dove towards the bear with a loud roar.
The Original - TimeSkip 1 month and 5 days since landing
I walked slowly into my dropship and searched for my datapad turning on the video function without a word I started to speak in a slow monotone voice "I don't know how else to say it. I have found a way to quiet the hunger in my mind. Blood it seems that in order to not be driven crazy by hunger I need to have a diet filled at least partially with blood. I guess I am like the old legends and stories from the ark. I am a vampire, or at least a variant on the idea, I think that is a good name for my kind, Vampire Variants. Variants for short, of which I am subject 0, I am The First, The Original Vampire. Looks like my formula truly did force me to evolve. The question is how much is me and how much is now a monster."
