My ATS Story

Ja, I liff for ze fans.

DE

Originally posted by DeusEx
Ja, I liff for ze fans.

Well you've done a good job earning those fans with these chapters, man. Good stuff. I hope I can keep up on my end!

Oh yeah, I posted another Chapter to my story.

[Edited on 2/28/2004 by TheDemonHunter]

Great! what more can I say!

this is awesome! i just found it today and spent the better part of the last hour reading all this. you can throw me in there too, if it's not too late. i'll send a description via u2u now just in case you find use for me!

Don't forget to read my side of the story and TheDemonHunter's also. More comming for my side of the story inthe next few days

Chapter 16: Intermission

John nodded gravely at Deus/Chris as he handed his weapons across the counter of the weapons check- all except his sword. He had given his guns a quick cleaning, but judging by the way JB�s eyes bulged, he hadn�t done that great a job. Oh, of course the old man knew what had happened out there. He didn�t know what to think as Deus nodded and turned away without a word. It obviously wasn�t easy on him. JB just watched Deus leave. Splotches of blood has been showing through his bandaged already. He wore only his pants, his boots, and his sword. DE�s body had accumulated a vast number of nicks, cuts and bruises over the course of his stay at the bunker, and a great many of them were on display without a shirt. Cuts and bruises ran the length of both arms, and across his chest. He walked away. Deus didn�t care at the moment. He was numb to the core.

Deus looked down on everyone as they continued to work, dawn breaking bright and red beyond them just above the black spires of the surrounding pine forest. He features were dark as he watched the non-combatant�s furtive glances at him. One brought out a radio, slipped in a few batteries and let the CD play. Of course, it was one of Deus�s that someone had teefed. The person flicked through the songs quickly, listening to each only for a few seconds before finding the one they wanted. With a pointed look at DE, the song began and the person below walked away fromt eh speakers, going back to work.

The music drifted throughout the compound, loud enough for everyone to hear without being blasted.

Every finger in the room...

Deus was immediately captivated by the music. Whoever had played this song knew him well enough to play. It calmed it, brought thought to the void in his head. It brought sadness into the numbness.

Is pointed at me...

He hated the way everyone stared at him. They didn�t know about the way it was out there. They didn�t know anything.

I wanna spit in their faces...

He and his men had seen more combat than anyone in the bunker, save maybe TheDemonHunter. He and his men had walked straight into the devil�s mouth a number of times without so much as a thank you from the others.

Then I get afraid of what that might bring...

�MORON�, he told himself, �of course they don�t thank you. You scare them #less! What a way to live, eh? What a way to live. So alone. Why do I live like this?�

Got a bowling ball in my stomach...

Saucerat puked. He was still trembling. He hated the way he felt after each battle. He did his best to fight, to help the others, but it wasn�t enough. Morrison was dead, and he was directly responsible.

Got a desert in my mouth...

SR leaned against the toilet bowl, panting. He was as lucky as could be expected in some ways. He had a beautiful girlfriend, a command, and a great friend in DeusEx. He was a year or two younger than his leader, and looked up to him.

Figures that my courage would choose to sell out now...

�I wish I was a hero,� he whispered to himself. �Because then, Morrison would be alive. Less people would have gotten hurt. I wish I was like DE.� He remembered lying in the dirt, listening to the gunfire fly past him, barely able to poke his head up while DE ran straight into that fire. Why, he asked himself, can�t I be like DE?

I�ve been looking for a savior in these dirty streets...

Gothique leaned quietly on the porch, nursing a flesh wound quietly. She looked at the people, frantically digging and building. Saucerat was her savior. He had caught he in the darkest of her days, and shown her the light.

Looking for a savior beneath these dirty sheets...

Because of that, she was with him. Sometimes, it didn�t feel right to her. He was great. Saucerat was warm, friendly, caring, attentive...but sometimes when she held him, it just didn�t feel right...

I�ve been raising up my hands...

That was why she put on the song. It helped her think, and she hoped it would help Deus. He was her best friend, even though he was sort of cold and distant. However, no one could deny his loyalty or courage. Maybe he was a little whiny, but everyone has their flaws. She glanced up at him again, hoping for some -any- reaction on his part. Why was he so cold?

Drive another nail in...

Springer lay on the couch, eyes closed and hands behind his head. He was utterly drained after the last encounter. He hovered in between awareness and unconsciousness, thinking about the night�s events. How would he have reacted in Deus�s shoes?

Just what God needs...

He was lucky that he and his men weren�t out on that patrol. He remembered Lindsey, and he remembered Deus in the previous battles. The boy had brains and courage, but after tonight�s debacle, he didn�t know what to think.

One more victim...

Two more corpses for the growing makeshift graveyard. Springer supposed that Deus had done his best, and Springer couldn�t have done much better. But the losses still cut at him. So young... why did they have to die? Why did those corporate thugs have to try to kill them?

Why do we...crucify ourselves?
Every day..
I crucify myself...
Nothing I do is good enough for you...
Crucify myself....
Every day...

Each of the warriors thought to themselves as the song played on. The answers to their questions still eluded them by the time they were asleep, and a good while after that.



Intermission the first. Now I want some detailed feedback. How do the people who I chose as characters feel about the progression? how does everyone else? Don't worry, there's plenty more where this came from.

DE

[EDIT: italics, yo)

[Edited on 1-3-2004 by DeusEx]

This entire work is totally outstanding. It really encapsulates the potential of what could happen, and people banding together in times of need. Keep it up DE, this thread is now my FIRST stop each time I log on...

Ben

Thank, Benjj. Means a lot to em that my work makes people happy. I'm trying to post at least once or twice a week, working aroudn schedules and such. Thanks for all your support!

DE

No worries, my pleasure. Now stop buggering around here and get back to writing.......!!

B

Good to see another chapter added, DE. It's been a while. Looking forward to the next!

Just read the story through from start to finish.

Looking really good.

is finally up on my bunker story thread.

Hopefully this will mark the beginning of a schedule for our story postings. I'll be posting on Saturdays and Tuesdays and DE will have new chapters on Sundays and Wednesdays. That should make it easier to find the next installments to your favorite stories.

It's true folks... look for us most of the week! Now you know when both me and Brother TDH are posting.

(great...now I have to post tommorow...why oh why did I pick that shedule?)



DE

Chapter 17: Replacements

DE ended up sleeping most of the day, as did his squadmates. He awoke to the gentle knocking on his door. Groaning at the stiffness in his muscles, he stretched and shoved the heavy covers off his lean body. Staggering, he walked over to the door, and leaned on the frame as he kicked aside the pile of dirty clothes. He opened the door a crack.

�Come on, Sarge. Heavy L wants us to look over the...replacements,� said an unusually cheery Lost. Lost had come aboard the fighting arm of the Bunker after the first battle as a replacement. He had fit in rather well to Springer�s boys, and was his choice runner.

�Fine, fine. Juss let me get dressed,� Deus slurred sleepily in reply. Lost smiled and DE closed the door, reaching into the pile of crap behind the door to pull out a wrinkled set of grey and white camo pants. He threw them on and grabbed a white dress shirt and put his arms into it, not bothering to button it up. Throwing open the door again, he walked with Lost down the stairs. Why, he wondered, did I grab any dress shirts, much less three of them? Shaking his head to himself, he tromped down the stairs loudly. His bare feet slapped when they hit the tile at the bottom, making him wince a little. RANT, as always, manned the vault door with his Mossberg, looking bored. It was usually kept open nowadays, but someone usually stood guard. They nodded to him and went down to the first command level. The bank of security monitors was more full now, with jury-rigged additions and proximity sensors plugged into the system. Twelve or so people milled about the center of the room. Four more watched the blue and grey monitor screens. TDH and Lysergic approached from behind, edging between DE and Lost.

Lysergic quickly organized the volunteers into a line. He went over the job qualifications in detail as Deus stood there, watching all of them. Carefully. Some were excited, joking with the others. Others seemed nervous.

�Okay,� Lysergic began, �You�re all here because you volunteered to fill the gaps that have formed in our squads. Now, you all know the ris...�

�How about this: anyone who wants to come with me, take a step forward,� interjected Deus, cutting Lysergic off. Lysergic glared at him, but said nothing. Five people stepped forwards, looking proud and anxious. Deus stared at them for a moment, then announced;

�Congratulations, you�re all grade-A idiots. My boys get the worst assignments, more dangerous jobs... hell, we just get the #tiest everything.�

One person took a step back, embarrassed.

�We�re the only outfit that�s seen every combat since we got here. We�ve received the most casualties by a long shot. We�ve lost three people under my direct command. Over half my people have daily visits to the good doctor to clean our wounds.�

Another took a step back, shaking her head.

�Lookit this!� Deus cried, unwrapping the bandages around his midsection. Almost everyone grimaced in disgust at the yellowed bone, scabrous flesh. One of the remaining two people stepped back in horror. However, something else happened. One of the ones who hadn�t stepped forwards in the beginning made a bold statement by stepping forwards then. Everyone jsut stared at him.

�You! What�s you�re name?�

�CommanderKeenKid, sir.�

�Okay, why�d you step forwards?�

�If someone�s willing to suffer like you people did for the rest of us, I feel...obligated to suffer with you.�

Deus thought for a second.

�Good enough for me. And you, what�s your name?�

�Agent47, Deus.�

�Hey, didn�t realize you made it. Good work- you�re stubborn as a mule. You both make the cut, and the rest of you get lucky. C�mon, let�s meet everyone else.�

Deus marshalled the two replacements to towards the surface to meet the people they would fight and die with.




There. DONE! Enjoy, ya'll.

DE

woot! i made the cut!

as usual, the story is very kickass! keep up the good work.

I printed the lot out last night and read it while indulging in a little alcoholic refreshment. It is perfectly written and left me wanting more. Unfortunately I ran out of both beer and story far earlier than I would have liked, but, as if by magic, I log on this morning and there is another chapter - excellent work !

[Edited on 7-3-2004 by Pisky]

Heh...thanks for teh support, everyone. I always enjoy more cultists for the cause. If you want more to read, i've posted plenty. Go forth, children! Some picks are:

TDH's Story : Not mine by any means, it's still required reading.

Mechanics of a Cataclysm : Got a second-place in the Green Forums Short Story contest. Not bad in either incarnation, if I do say so myself.

One of Those Nights : A fan favorite, for some bizzare reason.

Ghost Stories : It's...well, a ghost story.

Finally, there's Mediocre Shadowrun Fanfic . It's light on plot, but I think the action sequences are pretty okay.

I think that's enoguh shameless self-promotion for now. Enjoy! Comment! Worship!

DE

Thanks for the plug, DE!

Seriously though, this looks like we're upping the ante on things, so I have my work cutout for me for Tuesday's chapter. I know just where to take things though....

Our fans demand the best of us, trothkin. And that's what we're giving them! Anyways...your stories are as much a part of the bunker as anything else.

DE

My next chapter is now posted here, with events immediately following the storyline from Chapter 17: Replacements.

What are you waiting for? Check it out!