legionmissions | THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS

Like many cursed objects, the cursed floppy disk containing Tsarista was unearthed by archaeologists, trying to excavate artifacts related to Earth's heroic history. Mystified as to why it was preserved in a strange container that seemed meant to protect it from corruption, they'd created a makeshift system to try to view the data on the ancient device.

Opening the .txt file of "Troubleshooting Windows '95" on it, opened up the world to a whole lot of trouble.

After breaking free -- and through the roof of the archaeology building of the university -- the evil queen cackles in delight at the new world she's found herself in. Nearby television "personalities" recording a puff piece in the park, quickly turn their camera drones on the escaped Queen, broadcasting her to the entire UP.

"At last! I'm free! And oh me, oh my, has the world changed. What a narrative mess it is now, so complicated. And fraught with conflict that isn't easily resolved. And there are so many new settings, in all these UP worlds! No matter. I'll fix it all. I'll make it so everything makes sense."

With a snap of her fingers, magic light pours through the nearby New Metropolis media archives, and everything from datachips, to rare paper books, to flexi tablets came pouring out, swirling around her in a storm of paper that quickly turns into a storm of words.

"My name is Tsarista. Queen Tsarista. And I'm going to turn this galaxy of blank pages into a carefully curated masterpiece -- ruled by me, of course!"

After the display, there's only one way to stop the bubble of unreality that's settled over New Metropolis: by going in and tearing it down from the inside.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Stick together," Robbie repeats dumbly, because he keeps wanting to argue that their parents could pick them up and take them home. It's so easy to separate little kids who have curfews. He has to make it work, though, because he knows the story. It feeds, and Robbie is not walking onto a scene like that one bully they found in the sewer.

So, he decides, Rich is right. They'll stick together like glue. He's already a champ at sneaking out of the house. Sneaking into one, if the parents aren't agreeable, can't be much harder, and it's not like his were the most attentive.

Robbie laughs at the thought and shares it. "If they're my parents, they probably won't even notice. I don't remember much about the parents, but I think that was a thing. The adults ignored everything. Like us running down the street. We're basically invisi...ble..."

His faltering is no accident. A balloon is floating by the porch, a smidge out of any little boy's reach.

SOMEBODY COME AND PLAY

The balloon spins around in a wind doesn't reach the boys. On the opposite side, there's more writing.

MIKE
BEN
STAN
BEVVIE
EDDIE
GEORGIE
RICHIE
BILL

The names don't even bother to morph beneath the thick black marker that crosses them out. One second, they read as they should. The next, they are something else entirely, as if to answer Rich's question.

NITA
GRIF
BRAINY
KID Q
VANCE
ROBBY
ROBBIE
RICH

The names are scratched out with dried blood that gets wetter and wetter as the list goes on. The line across Robby Rider's name is running down towards Robbie's.

The balloon is already turning away from him again, but Robbie is already scrambling to throw anything he can get his hands on at the balloon. A garden spade hits home just as the balloon finishes its 360.

SOMEBODY COME AND DIE is just visible before the balloon pops in an explosion of red mist that rains down on Robbie below. He is freckled with blood, and Robbie screams before he can get a grip. After a few ragged breaths, he chokes out, "We need little kid stuff to fight with. Itching powder and, and ... I don't remember. Spitballs. Slingshots."

Edited 2017-04-27 22:51 (UTC)

THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS - Modplot

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