Recent content by Awan

Josef rounded on the party assembling at the door to their isolated world. Patiently, they tapped their way over to them, every step clacking against the cold stone floor, like the well-heeled shoes of a businessman, or the jack boots of a prison camp operator. With a mechanically stern eye...

The less attention was paid to him, the more Henry's anxiety began to subside; though it spiked with the intrusion upon his personal space by the barhopper, and spiked further when his cowardly quaking and freezing was called out by the youth, he had gone unregarded long enough to build up his...

The Matron slumped in her chair, exhausted by the proceedings; after Josef's demonstration they were lining up to sign on. Of course they would be. At least none of them seemed to comprehend exactly what they had just witnessed. Good. She'd keep that particular secret for a little bit, at least...

The Matron stared at Mia for a solid minute. Dealing with these kids was like herding cats. "Mia, you're registered. I wouldn't know who you were if you weren't registered. You wouldn't be in my house if you weren't registered. I pulled all your names from dossiers provided to me by an old...

Through the door stepped a familiar kind of figure to those who had been watching the news recently, though infinitely more decrepit: the figure of a Voyager. It stood to attention of its pod of four feet, and under its six arms it carried a wild assortment of things; journals, what seemed to be...

The Matron looked at Emil, and frowned. She coughed a small, frail cough, and then sighed. "I...developed, nanolytic technology. Or rather, my research acted as the foundations of nanolytics. My full title is 'Professor Cassandra Thurgood' or in my time researching, 'Agent Marshall'. I worked...

The Matron stared at the girl agape. "Pardon my language, my dear, but are you fucking stupid? A mad old woman who faked her death ten years ago comes crawling out of woods, speaking against the established order, without anyone to back her up? I'd be dead by dawn, for one, and it would...

The Matron blinked at Ari. "JFK? You went for JFK before George Bush doing nine-eleven? That's an extremely dated reference, especially for someone of your age. Additionally, I do actually have the means to prove it." From inside her dress, she produced the device she had been holding onto...

The Matron listened placidly, mostly staring into and stirring her tea as the children spoke their piece. Emil and Octavio were on board immediately; that was encouraging. Dana had questions, which was only too reasonable. But Enrique remained in an uncomfortable silence, and the rest had turned...

The Matron finished with the greetings and introductions, accounting for all who had arrived. She went over the list in her head; had she missed anyone? She was not certain, and could not be certain. She took one last look over the evergreen forest that surrounded her home. If anyone were to...

As the Matron moved down into the courtyard, she scanned the remaining folks. From what she could recall, everybody who she had invited had come, much to her joy. She couldn't really afford to be down any participants. They also seemed to be forming their own alliances quickly; Justin, Octavio...

"Hey! Well you got us here! So just what the fuck is going on?" The Rake licked his dry, cracked lips. Very brash, to be expected from some people, though he had no idea what to expect from any of these wayward souls. Mother had not allowed him to see the dossiers, and as far as The Rake was...

From a fourth story window, a Rake dragging mattresses spies something strange. Something he has not seen since he was a child, far before his ship ran aground and he was rendered into the rib frames of it and nought else. At first, he could not believe his eyes (These would not be the first...

In the backwoods of Spokane county, Washington, the snow is melting. Just like that it's Spring again, and nothing yet has changed. A figure stands in a second floor window, gazing into the courtyard, her hands clasped behind her back. Her breath mists the windows and she is back lit by a fire...

The weird thing is that the actual answer to this question is 'all of the above' (aside from the last thing). But any more information is spoilers.