1848.exe

Atma

For time immemorial, your family has preserved the secret of this devastating maneuver: the Stone Cold Stunner.

You flashback to your childhood.

Taught to you at a young age, your rite of passage into adulthood was to successfully execute this technique on your father. According to tradition, you could never be a man until you Stunned the man you respected the most.

At first, like all those before you, you refused. You knew how damaging the Stunner could be. You loved your father - you wouldn't wish the Stunner on anyone, let alone him.

"I'll never stun you, Dad!" you screamed in protest.

Your father expected this. Just as his father did to him, he refused to speak to you until you completed this task. This process is referred to as "The Freezing" within your family. You became nothing to him. The Freezing is a difficult time for all in the family.

He started introducing you at Austin family gatherings as "Luke Warm" - the ultimate badge of shame. No one spoke to Luke Warms.

It was unbearable.

Finally at dinner one night, with tears in your eyes, you poured your milk all over your face and flipped the table on to its side. You took advantage of the surprise and kicked the man who raised you right in the gut. You Stunned him in front of your entire family.

You'll never forget his last words as he lay in your arms: "Oh... Hell yeah..."

You flashback to reality.

With all the fury of that moment in your mind, you unleash the full power of the Stone Cold Stunner on the knife-wielding man.

He was ready for you. Just as you kicked him in the gut, he shoves the knife deep into your chest, grinning wickedly.

All you can see as you look at the man is the face of your dying father, looking up at you with such pride.

Miraculously, you're able to complete the maneuver. It's an incredible Stunner, and he is instantly knocked unconscious.

The knife has penetrated the egg embedded in your chest. You feel an unsettling hum vibrate from within. Your icy skin begins to melt away, and colors begin to vanish from your limbs.

You are left naked, but unhurt, on the deck of the ship. The bloody knife falls beside you, and the egg remains in your chest - devoid of all color.

It must have some lingering power within, as you still feel neither cold, hunger, or thirst.

You test your control over the minion you've created.

You reach your mind out to it and feel nothing there. There is no one speaking in the back of your mind anymore.

The creature looks nervous and unsure. It's many mouths wail and moan as it skitters along the deck.

Each voice no longer speaks synchronously.

"Where are we?" | "Oh god... what have you done to us." | "So much pain...." | "Kill me."