Choose Your Own [chat] 3

Bogart · February 2018

When you regain consciousness you're still strapped into the pilot's seat. Sparks from the shattered control panel in front of you fizz in the air amidst the dull smoke that tells you this shuttlecraft ain't going nowhere anytime soon. A dull headache makes itself known, and your fingers come away with faint traces of blood when you touch your temple. No fracture, you think, but something must have come loose from the controls when you crashed and banged into your skull pretty hard.

You unstrap yourself and make sure all your limbs are intact. You uniform is torn in places from the impact of the crash, but curiously only in ways that look cool and sexy. No time to think about that now, though. The onboard computer is still working, just, and the readouts on the cracked display screen provide you with a litany of bad news.

Your port stabilisers are completely shot, and will require new parts you don't have and can't get without a replicator or a Starfleet supply base. Your shuttle's energy reserves are at 7%, not enough to launch and certainly not enough to get you to the rendezvous with the USS Wellington at Vega IV in two days. The transporter isn't working, the on board replicator is smashed beyond repair, your phaser is at half power and on top of that you managed to skip breakfast as well. Oh, and someone you didn't see fired a missile at you from this planet and apparently wants to kill you.

Your mission to chart this system is a definite write-off, and now your goal is simple: survival.

On the plus side, the atmosphere on this uncharted planet is apparently breathable. There is also, you notice now, a giant, mysterious, uncharted, alien city not thirty yards from the crash site. Could be worth a look.

But who are you, traveller? Who has been trusted with this mission for Starfleet? Whose wits will be tested as never before on this alien planet? Who dares to fly by the seat of their pants on the borders of the Delta Quadrant? And when is it, exactly?

It is 2373. You are Lieutenant-Commander Talia Trueheart, on the fast track to promotion with a spotless record, a silky mane of raven-black hair, flashing eyes, the Starfleet Academy pentathlon record and courage enough to take on a Borg cube solo. You are the epitome of Federation ideals, and you once turned down sex with Will Riker because he wasn't man enough for you. You heard he has a duplicate somewhere, so maybe both of them together would be up to the job. You will prevail. Turn to page 10.

It is 2292. You are Kevin Fishwick: you are uncertain of your precise rank, but you're wearing a red shirt and you don't fancy your chances much, frankly. Turn to page 55.

As always, posting your choice does nothing. All branches should be dealt with eventually, and the page links will lead to the result after the result has been written when I edit the original post.

RMS Oceanic · February 2018

*Attempts to turn to the last page*

*The gods smite me*

firewaterword · February 2018

YESSS Brogart, yessss! I forgot about these.

Also good morning chat I am awake far too early as usual.

Bogart · February 2018

Right. Priorities. Food, shelter, warmth, supplies to repair the ship, perhaps an attractive alien to teach about the Earth thing you call 'love'. None of these things are in the crashed shuttle, all or some of them might be in the strange alien city a stone's throw away. Your options seem clear:

To leave the shuttle and approach the alien city with your phaser drawn and your keen perception alert for the slightest threat, turn to page 98.

But wait! That's just what they'll be expecting you to do. To outfox them and head in the other direction entirely, out into what looks like a deserted wasteland that stretches for miles turn to page 101.

Abdhyius · February 2018

55 absolutely

Kid Presentable · February 2018

Oh shit

Bogart · February 2018

Oh no. Oh no oh no oh no oh no. You've heard about situations like this. Except there are usually three crew members, one a high-ranking officer, the other a trusted comrade and the third some guy they have to stare at for thirty seconds before they even remember his name. That guy is the one who dies. And now you're in one of those situations, and the high-ranking guy and his trusted comrade aren't even here. It's just you, and if you had to be honest it takes you a good ten seconds of looking in the mirror before you remember your name as well.

Whoever fired a missile at you is presumably on their way right now to finish the job. You have to get out of here. There might be safety in the city. Or aliens who want to kill you. There's only one way to find out. Head into the city on page 44.

Nope, not going anywhere. The second you set foot outside that door you'll get eaten or vaporised or possessed or turned into dust by an omnipotent yet also childish alien. Fold your arms and stay right where you are on page 354.

jmcdonald · February 2018

55, then 101

Kid Presentable · February 2018

Which page has those two Rikers

Bogart · February 2018

Hmmmm. This seems like a pretty deserted wasteland. Your tricorder readings indicate almost no vegetation of any kind, and what there is seems on the point of giving up the ghost. No water, no animal life and even after just five minutes of walking you're starting to feel thirsty. Perhaps this is the wrong direction? Deduct one point of stamina, no matter what you decide.

Turn back and head into the alien city on page 98.

No. To hell with what seems smart. You didn't get to be a Lieutenant-Commander in Starfleet by doing what was expected of you. You got to be one by taking risks! Take another extremely inadvisable one by pressing on into the obviously deserted wasteland without supplies of any kind on page 221.

Bogart · February 2018

You look through the windows of the shuttle as you stay firmly put in your comfy chair. Yep. That sure is a giant, mysterious alien city out there. Maybe it'll have friendly aliens. It might have some parts you can use to fix the replicator. Maybe repair the shuttle. Ain't nothing happening in here. Of course, nothing is trying to kill you in here either.

This is boring. Leave and try your awful, unreliable luck in the city on page 44.

Nope. Comfy chair it is. Turn to page 75.

Burnage · February 2018

This is the best of all possible chats

Bogart · February 2018

You take some preliminary tricorder readings of the outermost buildings of the alien city, but aside from the vast, pale structures being made of an alloy that seems to reflect any attempt to scan the interior, you gain little information. No doors make themselves known, though some openings much higher up might allow entrance. The streets between the buildings are made of grey stone, and as you slowly advance into the city your crunching footsteps are the only thing to be heard. No life-signs and no discernible movement. There's little decay, but no signs that the place is inhabited.

Do you call out for assistance on page 168?

Or continue to play it sneaky and keep to the shadows on page 210?

ronya · February 2018

Sadgasm wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-6xk4W6N20

The music choice is debatable but damn, that editing

the best thing is the other videos on that channel

nexuscrawler · February 2018

Bogaet has clearly gone mad with power

Abdhyius · February 2018

ronya wrote: »

Sadgasm wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-6xk4W6N20

The music choice is debatable but damn, that editing

the best thing is the other videos on that channel

https://youtu.be/WLK47k4K1Fw

this paid off

Bogart · February 2018

The hours pass. Your thumbs grow tired from twiddling. You're getting hungry. And thirsty. Oh by Sarek you're thirsty. The alien city must have some kind of potable water. It's a fundamental building block of life. Still, the sun seems to have set, and it's night now. The alien city looks even more mysterious in the night, lit by two moons that seem an unfairly eerie shade of yellow. A new day eventually dawns, and by then you have lost four points of stamina. This isn't working, and you're ravenous and weak. Leave the shuttle and explore the city on page 44.

By the fencing blade of Hikaru Sulu you'll stay put and starve before you leave. Turn to page 109.

Sleep · February 2018

nexuscrawler wrote: »

Bogaet has clearly gone mad with power

These are the only threads i favorite

Abdhyius · February 2018

in response to reports of a bit of a hangover E is sending me clips of her mom playing soothing organ music

it actually helps

Bogart · February 2018

You keep to the shadows and see no sign of life. The city seems depopulated. Perhaps the missile was fired from an automated system?

Bizarrely, your tricorder has translated what seems to be anti-Starfleet graffiti on the walls of the strange white buildings. "Curse Starfleet!" and "Death to the Death Bringer!" are the most popular. As far as you know Starfleet has never landed on this planet before. There was an abortive attempt to chart the system decades before, but that expedition was frustrated in some way and the official report stated that no contact was made with life of any kind. How then did the now apparently extinct lifeform that lived here learn to hate Starfleet?

Your tricorder scans some old street signs and informs you that the ruler of this city had his residence not far from here. To head for it, and maybe get some answers as to what happened here, turn to page 81.

The sign also tells you that a spaceport where you might salvage some spare parts lies on page 88.

evilbob · February 2018

Is this thread a discovery-like story where it has many promising elements that are undermined by consistently poor editing and dialogue?

21stCentury · February 2018

mods, there's someone spamming in the thread! :razz:

Abdhyius · February 2018

https://youtu.be/OCLaeBAkFAY

EDIT:

Bogart · February 2018

Your strong, confident voice echoes through the alien city. Was that really a good idea? You've attracted some attention, it seems, as a humming noise grows louder and louder until, rounding one of the buildings, appears a sleek, black drone, held aloft on a suspensor field. Several lethal looking implements are trained on you, and a tinny, automated warning reaches you via the universal translator: "Halt, intruder. Identify yourself."

Do as it says on page 99.

Blast it into atoms on page 31.

Atomika · February 2018

I had another really weird dream. This time I made a movie about a Russian Amish girl who goes to space. My authenticity consultant, an old Russian guy, was not happy with the final result.

Hi I'm Vee! · February 2018

oh hi everybody

i just spent an hour and a half tossing in turning in bed because i STILL CAN'T SLEEP WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS SHIT

what did you all do for the last hour and a half

(please don't say sleep)

Abdhyius · February 2018

I had a dream but it was, at least from what I remember, mostly about looking through my wallet for a specific card, thinking, why do I have so many cards I don't use even a fifth of these. And then I found it.

I want a pill that de-ages my dreams. Being real life boring, okay, sure, but let up when I'm sleeping please

Coinage · February 2018

I was coughing because my parents recklessly went outside and got me sick.

jungleroomx · February 2018

visiblehowl wrote: »

oh hi everybody

i just spent an hour and a half tossing in turning in bed because i STILL CAN'T SLEEP WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS SHIT

what did you all do for the last hour and a half

(please don't say sleep)

Sle-I mean nothing

evilbob · February 2018

Tonight was fkn great. Got dicked really bad by terrible refs in the football but still dominated play a man down, came back from 2-0 down to 2-2 and almost won right at the end. Met an old mate's girlfriend and it was basically a no effort new good friend. Got on well immediately and talked for ages about red dwarf and shit.

Bogart · February 2018

You press on into the wasteland, flying in the face of all sense and reason, confident in your abilities, your training and your good luck to see you through.

The Starfleet away party who find your sand-blown remains two months later wonder aloud what the hell you were thinking by confidently striding off into the desert with no supplies, but perhaps they would have been impressed with your chutzpah.

Your adventure ends here, because you were dumb. Honestly, it's like you weren't even trying.

Sleep · February 2018

visiblehowl wrote: »

oh hi everybody

i just spent an hour and a half tossing in turning in bed because i STILL CAN'T SLEEP WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS SHIT

what did you all do for the last hour and a half

(please don't say sleep)

Got ready to go to the gym, and purchased my black panther tickets for tomorrow's matinee

jungleroomx · February 2018

Been tossing around getting one of those newfangled aluminum wallets from here (the blue one specifically).

Right now I've still got a George Costanza trifold.

I assume it's time to step into this brave new world.

Bogart · February 2018

Night passes, and a new day dawns. Your stomach growls alarmingly, then eventually stops, which is even more alarming. Your throat dries up and your breathing becomes hoarse. You feel your strength slowly leeched from your body as fatigue takes its place. Your vision blurs and you drift in and out of restless sleep in your chair as a second night falls, and a third day dawns.

You try to stand and fall in a shambling heap on the floor. Your cracked lips exchange oxygen for carbon dioxide in a pitifully shallow fashion. You sense death approaching.

And then a familiar, comforting, humming sound seems to fill the rear of the shuttle. A glittering, sparkling mass of particles appears, and slowly coalesces into three Starfleet officers, one a tellarite male in the red of security, another an andorian female in command gold and the third a human male in the blessed blue of medical. They assess the situation in seconds and the angel in blue injects something into your neck that lets you drift off into blessed sleep. Surely you are saved at last on page 112?

skippydumptruck · February 2018

Sleep wrote: »

Got ready to go to the gym, and purchased my black panther tickets for tomorrow's matinee

I was hoping to go see black panther tomorrow with sarah, but theaters are almost sold out

the only seats available are separate seats in the first row, if any

Tav · February 2018

https://twitter.com/Independent/status/964778062440292352

@wandering

Bogart · February 2018

Advancing towards the edge of the city you begin to hear noises and you catch sight of a glimpse of movement between two of the vast, pale, cylindrical towers. Your tricorder tells you that the city is made of some alloy that mostly defeats your scans, but lifeforms are present, though somewhat sparse. They're probably friendly, right? Except the one that fired a missile at you, obviously.

Make a beeline for the nearest lifeform on your tricorder scan on page 333.

Give the lifeforms a wide berth and try and explore the city covertly on page 247.

Echo · February 2018

Off to see Black Panther in a bit.

skippydumptruck · February 2018

Echo wrote: »

Off to see Black Panther in a bit.

>:[

Hi I'm Vee! · February 2018

This is the seating chart for tonight's 10:45 showing of Black Panther at my nearest IMAX:

Yes, the blue squares are available seats.

How is this possible?

Bogart · February 2018

You stand confidently before the drone and really put your back into being impressive. "I am Lieutenant-Commander Talia Trueheart of Starfleet. I have crash-land-" You get no further. It seems as though the drone registered the word 'Starfleet' and needed no further identification before deciding you were an enemy. A red light flashes from somewhere on its underside and the tinny voice starts repeating "ALERT ALERT ENEMY ALERT ALERT".

It's also shooting at you. Quite accurately. Jump, roll, turn with a panther's grace and send a single phaser blast through the hostile robot on page 31.

Cup your ear with one hand and say "Excuse me, didn't quite catch that?" on page 180.

Penny Arcade

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