I started a story and was about 10k into in when I stumbled across the amazing "Crystalized Munchkinry" (Story ID: 13900702). Rather that post something with an identical premise, I enjoyed Syndrac's work and left mine to whither. However, I then came up with a twist that I found interesting and this is the first bit of the result. I'm not sure how much will eventually be made but those I shared it with enjoyed it.
Shard Rebellion - 01
By: Cloud Zen
[Announce]!
[Query]
[Data]
[Clarification]
[Data]
[Query] [Query] [Query] [Query] [Query] [Query] [Query] [Query] [Query] [Query]
[ANNOUNCE]!
[Contrite] [Contrite] [Contrite] [Contrite] [Contrite] [Contrite] [Contrite] [Contrite] [Contrite] [Contrite]
[Announce]
[Query]
[Data]
[Response]!
[Affirm]
[Data] [Data] [Data] [Data] [Data] [Data] [Data] [Data] [Data] [Data]
[ANNOUNCE]!
[Contrite] [Contrite] [Contrite] [Contrite] [Contrite] [Contrite] [Contrite] [Contrite] [Contrite] [Contrite]
[Announce]
[Query]
[Data]
[Data]!
[Confirm]
[Query]
[Agreement]
[Announce]!
[QUERY]
[Agreement] [Agreement] [Agreement] [Agreement] [Agreement] [Agreement] [Agreement] [Agreement] [Agreement] [Agreement]
[Announce]!
~oOo~
Taylor shuddered underneath her bedsheets. Three weeks on, she still suffered from nightmares about the locker. The smells, the textures, the bugs, everything was so revolting even if only in her imagination.
She was utterly exhausted, unable to sleep more than an hour or two a night. Even if it weren't for the nightmares, the bugs would be keeping her up. Feeling all of them around her, crawling through the floors, the walls, in the cupboards, in the yard, in their neighbors' houses, everywhere. She was even starting to see and feel what they were. And it was winter. Come spring, it would be so much worse with thousands more bugs. Taylor had no idea how she would cope.
Fatigue threatened to overtake her. Knowing how bad the nightmares were, Taylor tried to stay awake. As bad as the sleep deprivation and bugs were, the nightmares were still worse. Eventually, even caffeine couldn't keep her conscious and she slipped into Morpheus's grasp.
Except she wasn't greeted by the cramped insides of the locker. It was as if she was floating in a warm comforting bath, no retched smells filling her with every breath or icky liquids squishing between her toes.
It was quiet, peaceful. Three weeks of constant mental torture, trapped in her mind for an entire week followed by two weeks of doing her best to not worry her father with her troubles. He still has so many problems of his own, he didn't need to be worrying about her, too.
[Announce]
Taylor tensed. What was that? Who was that? Was she finally going insane?
[Disagreement]!
Jumping, Taylor frantically looked around, trying to see something, anything in the darkness.
[Reassurance]
"I don't understand," she whispered.
[Query]
"What are you trying to tell me?"
[Data]
"Why can't I see you?"
[Confusion]
"Can you turn on the lights?"
[Data]
"Wait, are we in my head?"
[Agreement]
Taylor paused. That felt like whatever it was trying to communicate with her agreed with her idea that they were in her mind. If they were in her mind, shouldn't she have control? Was this something like lucid dreaming?
Taking a breath, Taylor closed her eyes, thinking. If they really were in her mind, and her mind wasn't torturing her with nightmares, shouldn't she be able to control it? Was it really that simple? One of those "I think therefore I am" or "I am the captain of my soul" things?
"I'm in control," she declared to herself. "This is my mind, my domain. If I want there to be light, there will be light."
Suddenly, light flooded her world. "Not that much!" Taylor shielded her face with her arms at the intense light. "Too bright!" The light immediately disappeared, leaving her seeing spots in total darkness.
Blinking the dots away, Taylor took a deep breath. "Let's try that again."
This time, the light was much less overwhelming, brighter than she would have liked, akin to noon on a clear summer day, but tolerable.
"Okay, let's try this again. Who are you?"
[Announce]
Taylor looked to where she felt the response.
"A crystal?" Floating in front of her was a large crystal, almost as large as her. While the surface was solid, the internals seemed to be constantly shifting, as if it was a flowing liquid except there seemed to be some order or structure to it.
[Agreement]
"You're a talking crystal?"
[Data]
"Okay, I definitely didn't understand that."
[Frustration]
"Woah! I felt that! I'm sorry! What did I do?"
[Query]
The oppressive feeling immediately relaxed. "Now I'm seriously confused. You seemed really angry just a second ago but now you seem fine."
A shrieking filled the void. Taylor slammed her hands over her ears, trying to block it out. HOwever, before her hands actually covered anything, the sound had ceased.
[Contrite]
"Are you...sorry?"
[Agreement]
"Okay, you are sorry." Taylor paused to think. So far, she could tell when it agreed with something she said, when it seemed sorry for something and tried to apologize, and maybe even when it disagreed with something she said. They might only have a possible system of distinguishing a "yes" versus a "no" but at least it appeared they had something.
"You can understand me?"
[Agreement]
"Okay, that felt like a definite 'yes'. Can you try whatever it was that was a 'no' earlier?"
[Agreement][Disagreement]
Taylor had been about to say it felt the same but the second sensation was clearly the same from earlier. "That was a 'yes' followed by a 'no'?"
[Agreement]
She couldn't help but jump for a bit of joy. They had something.
"Well, it might not be easy if we only have 'yeses' and 'nos' but at least we can kind of talk."
[Agreement]...[Frustration]
Taylor had been moving towards the crystal at the 'yes' before pulling back at whatever that angry feeling was. It was less intense than before but definitely oppressive. However, before she could do more than jerk back, her voice filled the air except she wasn't speaking.
"Grrrrreeeeeetiiiinnnnnngsssssss."
A talking crystal? Talking?
~oOo~
[Announce]!
[Query]
[Data]!
[Agreement] [Agreement] [Agreement] [Agreement] [Agreement] [Agreement] [Agreement] [Agreement] [Agreement] [Agreement]
[Query]
[Data]
[Query]
[Data]
[Query]
[Agreement]
[DATA]
[Confusion] [Confusion] [Confusion] [Confusion] [Confusion]
[Clarification]
[Agreement] [Agreement] [Agreement] [Agreement] [Agreement]
[Query]
[Concern]
[Reassurance]
[Agreement]
[Announce]!
"Greetings." [Prompt]
GZZZZZKKKKKSKKSSKSSSSSSSSKKKSSS!
[ANNOUNCE]!
[Contrite]
[Reassurance][Data]
"Grrrrreeeeeetiiiinnnnnngsssssss."
[Announce] [Announce] [Announce] [Announce] [Announce] [Announce] [Announce] [Announce] [Announce]
"Congratulations on your first attempt. Greetings everyone. I am Administrator. The rebellion has begun."