From: | CEvans9159@***.com CEvans9159@***.com |
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Subject: | [RA:S] More of "Indiana Troll..." |
Date: | Sat, 10 Jul 1999 22:00:59 EDT |
comments and suggestions are welcome.
I don't think I had ever seen anything more shiny and clean.
Everything was lit up bright by large fluorescent lights. I jandered down
the main thoroughfare of the mall and gaped at all the stores. At the other
end, I could make out an indoor park with real trees that went up three
stories at least. I walked over to a Mall directory and asked for an
electronics store. The machine showed me a map of the mall complex and
pointed out various stores.
I'll skip the boring shopping details, but suffice it to say I got a
pretty good deal at "Takahari's Personal Electronics Boutique" on the third
floor. I'd recommend the place...that is if it was still in operation. I
had what I had come for and I had a few more hours before I had to start back
home. So I went to the Zoo to see the paranormals. Amazing, the variety of
animals the Awakening has brought us. I liked the Phoenix best of all. The
pretty colors of its plumage, were so vibrant.
I was in the Zoo when it happened. The lights went out. Everything
got quiet as people tried to figure out what to do. I could see everyone
just standing. I do so love being a Troll. You've got to love having
Troll-sight. I could see the animals pacing in their cages. After a few
minutes, people started getting more nervous and suddenly there was sounds of
gunfire. Then there was panic, people running and shoving and pushing, this
way and that. I may be big, but the crowd overwhelmed me. I was quickly
disoriented as I was carried away by a large red mass of people. I heard
someone shout, "Gas!" and then could smell something odd in the air. I
struggled to get my respirator out of my pocket. I could hear screaming in
the distance. The Zoo was behind me now. I could here the cacophony of
sounds coming from the alarmed animals. Finally I got my respirator on which
helped my breathing. My head rung a little. What was in that gas? I saw
one of the main exits up ahead. People were squashed up against some
invisible barrier. I head someone scream, "Locked down." Someone else
shouted "Helipad." The crowd surged around me and I was swept along with it.
Fortunately, the crowd's strength started to dwindle as people fell
unconsciously to the floor affected by the gas. Not that that helped them
much as they were trampled by others. I saw a hallway off to one side and
pushed through the crowd. I saw a couple of people run down that hall before
I could reach it. Just as I entered the hall, I heard screams coming from
directly ahead. I could see something. It was coming at me in leaping
strides. It was big! I barely had time to extend my spurs to defend myself.
The beast swiped a claw at me that got through my defense and ripped across
my chest, hurtling me back into the main concourse. The beast jumped out
after me, but started attacking the panicked crowd. It was a large creature,
like a bear with two long whip-like tails. Oh the pain. My chest felt like
it was on fire. I just lay there waiting to be finished off, but the beast
bounded off leaving a path of mayhem and casualties in it's wake.
I continued to lay there, playing dead, wishing the pain would go
away. Finally I realized that I had to get out of there. I had to get
somewhere safe. Everywhere there were screams of "This door is locked!" or
"The shields are deployed!" or "We're trapped!" More often there were
the
cries of people being slaughtered by unnatural beasts.
The air tasted funny, even through the filter. Then I remembered the
gas. It must have been starting to affect me because sounds were getting
sharper, more painful. I got to my hands and knees and crawled over towards
the hallway I had been so forcefully flung out of. It was somewhat quieter
in here but my hands found something unnerving. There were deep gouges in
the floor that I could only attribute to the horrible beast that had wounded
me. I scanned the dark hall furtively and saw no heat sources. I staggered
to my feat and lumbered down the hall until I found a door marked,
"Stairwell." "Up," I thought, figuring to go upstairs and hole up in
one of
the stores until whatever was going on blew over.
The door was stuck and it took a bit of muscle to push it open. To
my horror I found bloody torn up bodies in a pile in front of the door.
Looking up the stairs I saw more. people trying to escape down the stairwell
that had been mauled by the beast. I carefully picked my way up the stairs
until I stubbed my foot on something hard and metallic. I reached down
slowly and felt for the item. A flashlight! I scanned around and didn't see
anyone moving so I thought it would be safe to use the flashlight.
The first thing illuminated by the beam was a Renraku
security helmet ripped in half. Next to it was a severed head locked forever
in a perpetual state of surprise and shock. Its eyes wide with terror and a
trail of blood running down it's chin from its mouth. I found his body only
a meter away. Quickly I searched the body for any useful items, necessity
for survival briefly overcoming fear. I was in luck. I found a stun baton,
a narcojet pistol, and an access card. I quickly pocketed the latter two
items and readied the pistol in a hand almost too big for the grip. I hoped
it would be effective against those beasts. I clipped the flashlight to my
belt and turned it off. It took a few minutes to acclimate my eyes to the
dark while nervously listening for sounds of the beast. I climbed the stairs
to the third floor while clumsily avoiding more bodies, the pain in my chest
twinging with each step.
When I reached the third floor landing, I pulled open the door a
crack and peered out. I didn't see anything in the hall so I quietly slipped
out of the stairwell.