《Caveship》Prologue
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"God damn raccoons. Get outta here! Get!"
The hiss of several nocturnal creatures and the crash of trash cans being upended break the otherwise peaceful night air. With the ambiance now disturbed, the animals run away in fear from the front porch of the mobile home they had taken up residence in.
The tired whir of a small motor can be heard as a large man seated in an electric wheelchair makes it over to what's left of the trailer's battered doorway threshold. He holds open the door, his wispy brown hair shifts as he does, moving into his eyes, forcing him to pause to push it out of his face. In the man's lap are a few bags from a local convenient store, full of unhealthy snacks and drinks. The door, set on a spring, clatters noisily behind him as he enters fully.
An energy drink comes tumbling out of his bag as he pushes forward again, but he tuts in annoyance, deciding it's of no consequence. He wheels his way through what little of the home there is, right into a room in the back that looks straight out of a modern 'hacker' film.
Several large monitors line the walls, almost like the mission control center of a space agency. Three computers run simultaneously nearby, venting heated air out, though only one is connected to the 27-inch display at the center of the table. Wheeling up to the keyboard, the man sets his bag on the couch next to him and fishes out a can. Yet another energy drink. He pops the tab on it, takes a deep swig of it, and gets settled in.
A few rapid taps on the keyboard and several government camera feeds from around the world appear on his screen. Many of them are mostly inactive, with no-one on them. After scanning each one carefully, he moves his cursor to shut down the computer, but stops himself when one of the live feeds blinks and catches his attention. The pixelized video feed shows an active military base set somewhere in the Australian outback. With it being day, he can see a flood of troops moving into the base in a hurry. He rubs his hands together, shifting the program's window to a more centralized monitor in front of him so he can get a better view.
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He leans back comfortably and reaches over to dig around his plastic bag for a candy bar, a non-descript (but delicious looking) crunchy chocolate bar. He takes a bite out of it, chewing it idly. "Mmm. Why are y'all in such a fuss?" He mumbles, licking the melted chocolate off his fingers. "Are the emus attacking again?" He chuckles to himself, before spotting something being transported into the base in a tarp. He frowns, trying to zoom into the image. Before he can get close enough to see anything in detail, the camera begins to shake and shudder, as if reacting to the ground shaking. He leans forward, watching as, not far from the base, the ground begins to collapse and give way to an enormous sinkhole. A straggling Humvee is swallowed by the rush of collapsing ground.
From the hole, a bulky grey object begins to rise out of the ground. Asphalt grey, though it's tough to tell if it's just because of its metal form, or if it might have been painted or tinted that color. As it lifts silently out of the ground, it gives way to more of its design, looking not unlike a pistol, with a long barrel and a jagged grip. Compared to everything else around it, it's enormous, almost the size of an aircraft carrier. Without warning, the monitors aligned inside the mobile home begin to make noise and flash red, detecting abnormal seismic activity happening around the world, with most signals centered within the United States. Not expecting the sudden rush of alerts, the man nearly chokes on his candy bar, clearing his throat.
"Wh—What in the—"
The information stops almost as suddenly as it begins, the unidentified object on-screen hovering for a moment before ascending into the sky and rapidly off camera. He leans forward to try to control the camera, but to no avail: by the time he gains access and pans the webcam, the object is long gone. Fumbling through his pockets, the man pulls out a simple clamshell cellphone, flipping it open and making a rush dial to an important contact. "C'mon, c'mon..." He mumbles, hearing the ringing, until with a click, the line connects.
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"It's Don. You're not going to believe what I just saw."
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[Conquerors Of The Delve] [Abandoned]
28-year-old Lucian was a smart and hard-worker, having put aside enough money since joining a family friend's company at the age of 16. But with the company now bankrupt, and no way of earning a scholarship, he finds himself not employed, educated or in training. While browsing the web, one thing consistently popped up, overshadowing all else. An Augmented VReality game, a dungeon delver residing inside an Open World MMORPG. A game that granted the players a hand in the game's geography, architecture and community, allowing them to build their own world. The economy was also interchangeable with real currency. Items could be freely sold and bought, with both in-game money and real-life e-cash. But what truly caught his attention were the game rules. For they allowed him to be what he wanted to be and do what he wanted to do without any real-life repercussions. Kill, Rape and Pillage. The only people who could stop you were players who possessed the ability to do so.
8 53Bloodsong
Lara's days have been filled with emptiness since she woke from a past she can't remember, five decades into the devastating aftermath of a nuclear 20th century. Lost in the desolate remnants of the world, she is plagued by shadows, nightmares, and whispers in her mind. But one day she’s taken from the small abandoned home she's known since her awakening, to one of the last remaining hearts of the country: the mountainous city-state, Circa. Along the way, she is exposed to the drastic differences in humanity's survival, and upon stumbling into mortal danger, becomes entangled in the world's last struggle for power, only to discover the crucial key to her memories. As secrets unravel, Lara struggles to find balance between her humanity and the inexplicable power growing within her - calling to the shadows. And in a world-shattering discovery, unearths her role in history's tragic turn, and her unending bond with Death as an instrument of fate.
8 187Inside a novel as the Hero's useless brother[Progressive Fantasy]
How to turn the most insignificant character in the story, described in just a couple of lines in the book, into the most interesting one?It's extremely simple! Make him a nobody!His older brother is the protagonist of the novel. As it is to be expected, an OP with a harem...His twin sister is a powerful reincarnator, collecting all the cheat items around the world...Even his wife is not only an incredible beauty, but also a hidden goddess...What about the character himself?Well...the author of this novel seems to have forgotten about him!Talent? Superpowers? Attractive appearance... or maybe at least wealth? None of that! " Of all the possible cannon fodder, why did I move into this exact body? How am I supposed to survive?"Follow Arthur Hayes on his arduous journey through the world of the novel, that he has read, as the useless brother of the main hero.
8 173Island Of Gods
A youth named Param was stranded on a mysterious Island, and became a Creator God!He only wants to live in peace with the Creator Goddesses, but they (accidentally?) keep having a lot of kids!Watch as Param and his family turn from legitimate Gods, to legendary babysitters!(P.S.: I do not own the image on the book cover.)
8 120When Machines Break
Leo Valdez. A man with a lot to say, but not many people willing to listen. Everyone on the Argo II know about his tendencies to forget eating or overworking himself. But clearly, there are some things they don't know. And when they find out, they'll do their best to help.
8 149Shattered Portions.
Chelle & Kannon has been together for 4 years . Kannon & Neece has been together for 1 year. This lesbian love triangle can't stand forever , especially with the secrets Chelle & Kannon have been keeping.
8 91