Atelophobia

Some of you may be familiar with my stuff over on SB/SV.
That is going nowhere at the moment, so I thought I'd try something a little something different.
Given the genre, I'm giving you free reign as to how you proceed.
And so, I give you:

Atelophobia
An ontological mystery quest​

---

Blissful oblivion is torn from you in a jolt of body-wide static-shock and your eyes snap open to a blurred constellation of flickering lights. Immediately a sense of confusion and vertigo kick in as you feel yourself shift, the blinking splotches of colour sliding across your vision. With a lurch, your movement stops and your and your body uncertainly informs you that you're most likely vertical. Other than that, there is a distinct lack of sensation.

You are given all of a few seconds to acclimatise to this feeling before a harsh blue-white illuminates your surroundings. Once your eyes adjust to the sudden change, a smooth, pale-grey surface greet you. With little choice but to take in the view, you scan your eyes over the wall. It is studded with numerous back-lit buttons with oh so helpful labels like 246-B and Ϧϧϥ, whatever strange script that's supposed to be. Other strange characters label numerous pulsing or dead bulbs in an unintelligible array.

A sharp hissing pulls you from your inspection of the walls and your world becomes pain. A tingling, burning starts behind your eyes and agonisingly maps out your body as it spreads to your extremities. As it reaches your chest, you barely have time to fill your lungs before emptying them in a hoarse cry, painful to your own ears. Any sense of time is lost before the onslaught of screaming nerves, but eventually it subsides, leaving you with a dull, shivering ache. With the receding burn, you can now feel the soft, velvety surface behind you and the restraints securing you to it.

"Cryogenic recovery complete." The omnipresent feminine voice is serene in it's proclamation; soothing your confusion, if only marginally. " Good morning Ensign... Error, data retrieval failed. Please see technical staff for assistance."

With that worrying announcement said in the same calm tone as before, the restraints abruptly release you to slump to the surprisingly soft floor. Your sudden, intimate meeting soon reveals it to be of the same pale grey of the walls, though thankfully bereft of the numerous labelled lights.

"Please proceed to... Error, data retrieval failed. Please see technical staff for assistance."

Once more the friendly voice fails to provide anything useful and you are left to right yourself with a body as responsive as a sponge. Flailing about with the limp-noodles that are your limbs, you finally muster enough co-ordination and strength to get to your knees. Glancing about the room reveals your previous accommodations, what appears to be a moulded bed of the same grey material that makes up the room, inset into the wall opposite the plethora of buttons. The third wall is featureless while its opposite is broken up by a doorway.

Not yet up to walking, you crawl on hands and knees through the opening, into smaller room with two doors. One marked 'Dressing Room', the other unlabelled. The concept of clothes pierces through the haze of confusion and pins down an errant thought that had been floating in the back of your mind; you are naked. This would go some way to explaining the chill and perhaps the vague sense of discomfort.

Nudging the door open, you slowly make your way into the room, not much larger than the last and stubbornly grey under that same bluish lighting. Recessed into the far wall is what appears to be a shower cubicle, going by the frosted glass door. To your left is mirror and basin, while to your right is a narrow door inset into the wall above a low bench. Using the basin to pull yourself up to your feet, you find an unfamiliar face staring back at you.

-----------------
What is staring back at you?

Gender:
[] Male
[] Female

Skin Colour:
[] Pale
[] Dark
[] Write in

Hair:
[] None
[] Short
[] Long
[] Write in

Hair Colour:
[] Blond
[] Brown
[] Black
[] Red
[] Write in

Eye Colour:
[] Blue
[] Brown
[] Green
[] Write in

Age:
[] 20 ish
[] 30 ish
[] 40 ish

Build:
[] Thin
[] Athletic
[] Chubby
[] Muscly
[] Write in

Distinguishing Features:
[] Write in

What do you do?
[] Write in

 

[X] Male
[X] Pale
[X] None
[X] Brown
[X] Brown
[X] 20 ish
[X] Thin

EDIT; Completely missed the action write-in.

[X]Crawl into the shower and get yourself clean before you do anything else. Then see if you can grab some clothes.

It's nice to see you over here, Deviant. It might be a good idea to transfer your Avatar as well, for easy identification.

That being said, QQ doesn't have a large non-NSFW questing population. It might be best to run this on SB/SV.

 

[X] Mr John

Eh, if we take that perspective, it will never grow a non-NSFW questing population

 

[X] Male
[X] Pale
[X] Short
[X] Brown
[X] Blue
[X] 20 ish
[X] Athletic

[X] Enter the dressing room and find some clothes

Good to see you over here DeviantD!

 

Well, consider me curious.
Gender:
[X] Male

Skin Colour:
[X] Pale

Hair:
[X] Short

Hair Colour:
[X] Brown

Eye Colour:
[X] Blue

Age:
[X] 20 ish

Build:
[X] Thin

What do you do?
[X] Enter the dressing room and find some clothes

 

[X] Mr. John

Bland protagonist, go~
(And then he was a bland harem protag. )

 

Gender:
[X] Female

Skin Colour:
[X] Pale

Hair:
[X] Long

Hair Colour:
[X] Brown

Eye Colour:
[X] Blue

Age:
[X] 20 ish

Build:
[X] Tiny

Distinguishing Feature:
[X] Your size - Seriously, you're a tiny little thing, 4ft 9 if you're guessing right and barely 85lb's if you skeletal figure is to be believed. Looks like you we're in bad shape before the cryo stasis since you have so little body fat. You'll need to keep an eye on that, you're doubtful you could go more then a day without eating before you collapse from hunger and there's no chance of you doing any heavy lifting.

What do you do?
[X] Shower - You feel like crap and only the gods know how long it's been since you last took one.
-[X] Grab come clothes to wear from the Dressing room - Of course with your rather small stature you're gonna be stuck picking from the kids section. Good thing you always liked the cutesy stuff. After all, unicorn print shirt is best shirt.
--[X] Once you're no longer crawling around in your birthday suit you should probably find what passes for a kitchen in these parts, your stomach feels like a zoo took up residence inside with all the growling it's doing.

 

I'd thought about running it over on SB, but this has the potential to get NSFW, so I thought here would be better.
Plus SB is seeming a little toxic of late and most of my favourite posters are here anyway.

Vote Tally program... Error, data retrieval failed. Please try another program.
Vote Tally program 2... Error, data retrieval failed. Please try another program.

Well damn, does anyone know of one that doesn't automatically change to address to Space battles?.
In the mean time, manual counting it is. Another advantage to a smaller, more intimate community is less votes to count.

So Mr John's vote wins by a smidgeon.

[X] Male
[X] Pale
[X] None
[X] Brown
[X] Brown
[X] 20 ish
[X] Thin

As for actions, I've combined them as it makes sense to get dressed after a shower. Odd that.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You stare back a the startled young man, meeting his bloodshot, chocolaty eyes. He'd be handsome if not for the haggard and frankly sickly cast to his aquiline features. The surprise at seeing someone unknown is soon swallowed by the realisation that you don't recognise yourself. A shaking hand moves over smooth scalp, encountering not even a suggestion of stubble and bringing with it an inexplicable feeling of loss. Thin, chestnut brows furrow at this added mystery before your eyes cast further down your reflection. Yours is a lithe, hairless body of pallid flesh, the overhead lighting picking out the faintest hint of muscle shifting as you push yourself up from being hunched over the sink. All in all, you look about as well as you feel.

After countless minutes staring at this stranger in the hopes of knocking loose some memories, the siren call of the shower becomes too much for your shaken will to take. A few wobbly steps bring you to the screen door and the gentlest of pushes sends it sliding to the side to reveal a small cubicle of the omnipresent, soft grey material. Overhead lights bracket a fixed spray nozzle and other similar shapes protrude from the two side walls. The far wall just contains a single, unlabeled button while the floor gently slopes towards a wide, thin drain at the back.

Without any further clues to go on, you press the button. A faint hissing brings your attention to the sliding door closing behind your only company in this strange, unfamiliar place once again speaks.

"Wash cycle engaged. Phase one initiated. Please ensure your eyes are closed."

With that abrupt warning, you manage to shut your eyelid firmly as you are pelted with lukewarm liquid from three sides. As some passes over your open mouth, a bitter sting meets your tongue. Spitting achieves little as it is just replaced by more. Quickly learning your lesson, you press your lips tightly together and ride it out. You start rotating to let the jets do their work in soaping you up, your hands helping to get it to all the nooks and crannies.

"Phase two initiated."

While the soap was mildly unpleasant, the sudden torrent of hot water is like heaven to your chilled bones. The pressure massages your goose bumped skin back to smoothness as it scours away the clammy feeling that you hadn't even registered till it was gone. You have no control over the temperature and would like it just that little bit hotter, but the sheer volume easily makes up for it. Alas, it is over much too quickly in your opinion and the spray stops just as suddenly as it started.

"Phase three initiated."

The climate of your little chamber switches from tropic monsoon to desert gale as you are buffeted with warm air. While not unpleasant, it is mildly disconcerting having warm air blown up between your legs. But like the previous stages, this too soon passes.

"Wash cycle complete. Have a great day."

Peeling your eyes open once more, you look down to see a slightly healthier colouring to your still rather pale skin and not a drop of moisture remains in the cubicle. Stepping out of the shower, you move back to the mirror and basin, pausing a moment to wash the soapy taste from your mouth, and gulp down a few mouthfuls of cool but sterile tasting water. That sorted, another quick appraisal shows that handsome face from earlier. You are looking much less wreaked and you're already beginning to feel better, though your eyes are still bloodshot. Said eyes catch the reflected outline of the door in the opposite wall and you are soon standing in front of it, pulling it open and staring at a set of unsurprisingly unfamiliar clothes.

The white socks, shorts and singlet practically glow in the bluish light as you pull them on. They initially feel a bit too tight before they loosen to the point of feeling like a second skin. You are then left with a baggy charcoal-black jumpsuit and laceless shoes a few shades darker than the walls. Embroidered on the left breast pocket is ѬѮѩ, but you have no idea what that is supposed to mean. The jumpsuit hangs loosely from your shoulders but the crotch seam sits a comfortable distance away. The shoes fit snugly to your feet, leaving you wondering if these are sized for you, or whether they somehow adjust like your undergarments.

Taking a moment to admire yourself in the mirror, the dark garment stands stark against your pale skin and is not particularly flattering. Still, it beats wandering around a strange place, freely dangling and exposed.

Your contemplation is interrupted by a loud rumbling, the source of which is quickly discovered to be your stomach as you feel your insides tighten. It would appear you are hungry after who knows how long in cryogenic slumber.

---------------------------------------
What do you do?


Also, apparently I should really make a post noting voting is closed before I start writing stuff.
My apologies Rentoba.

 

S'all good, mine wouldn't have made a difference.

[X] Explore. - We have no idea where we are or what's happening so searching for anything to answer those questions is good.
-[X] Keep an eye out for a kitchen/galley/mess hall. - We're rather hungry so it would be better to eat now rather then later. Might also want to take any spare food with us in case we can't find more later/get locked out of the kitchen/galley/mess hall.

 

[X] Try to see if one of the buttons will call room service

 

[X] Try to address the... what's it called... oh, right, the computer. Ask it where we are and where we can get food.
- [X] When that fails, head through the one door we haven't been through.

 

[X] Explore. - We have no idea where we are or what's happening so searching for anything to answer those questions is good.
-[X] Keep an eye out for a kitchen/galley/mess hall. - We're rather hungry so it would be better to eat now rather then later. Might also want to take any spare food with us in case we can't find more later/get locked out of the kitchen/galley/mess hall.

 

[X] Try to address the... what's it called... oh, right, the computer. Ask it where we are and where we can get food.
- [X] When that fails, head through the one door we haven't been through.

 

[X] Try to see if one of the buttons will call room service

 

Gonna leave voting open while I sleep, seems we have a three way tie.


Edit:

Okay, looks like I'll have to work with what I've already got as far as votes.
Unless someone adds more votes to the button plan before I get started tonight, I'll combine the votes that suggest searching for food/ addressing the voice.

Edit again:

Writing in progress.

 

Combined these votes as they mesh pretty well. Don't worry, you can come back and mash buttons later.

[X] Try to address the... what's it called... oh, right, the computer. Ask it where we are and where we can get food.
- [X] When that fails, head through the one door we haven't been through.

[X] Explore. - We have no idea where we are or what's happening so searching for anything to answer those questions is good.
-[X] Keep an eye out for a kitchen/galley/mess hall. - We're rather hungry so it would be better to eat now rather then later. Might also want to take any spare food with us in case we can't find more later/get locked out of the kitchen/galley/mess hall.

---

The sudden onset of hunger focuses you on a new goal - Find something edible.

Of course, you have no idea where the hell you are, let alone where the nearest food might be found. For a brief moment, you consider the buttons which festoon the room in which you awoke. However, you quickly decide that you aren't quite desperate enough yet to randomly push buttons of unknown function on the off chance that you'll receive bacon.

While the disembodied voice that has been your only company has been not entirely helpful, you figure it's worth a shot trying to communicate with it. Now, how to address it.

"Hello?" You ask tentatively, your voice hoarse as you stare up at the uniform grey ceiling of the dressing room. "Can you hear me?"

Silence is your only reply.

"Lady?" You try again, hoping the specificity might help. "The one that talked to me earlier?"

The silence continues to be a great conversationalist, happy to be an answer to all your queries. This obviously isn't working, but an idea pops into your head. The voice, while calm and melodious, did seem pre-recorded. Is there some kind of AI system in place?

"Computer?"

Still nothing. Perhaps you are missing yet another vital clue as to how to contact that voice, lost or never learned in the first place. Perhaps it only speaks on automated cues. The frustration over the uncertainty in your lack of knowledge is starting to exceed the concern. Where the hell are you?

Leaving this till you know more about your surroundings, you set off towards the unopened door you crawled past earlier. With a simple touch, the door slides into the wall, much like that of the shower, yet different from the hinged entry to the dressing room. The inconsistency is yet another of the oddities piling up before even leaving this small area. Past the now open door way, you find yourself staring at another grey wall. To your right is a lengthy corridor, studded with the occasional door, while your left soon branches into a T-junction with a sign just a bit too far away to read. Latching onto the only lead you've found, the T-junction lures you like a siren as your still unsteady legs carry you forward as you run a hand along the wall to brace yourself. Your fingers brush along a plaque on the wall labelling the corridor as 'Cryogenics' just before leave it. Stumbling up the sign, a relieved smile twists your lips as you read the clearly marked directions.​

← Administration_____________Mess →
← Research_______________Infirmary →
← Storage______________Dormitories →
← Ѱ͓̞͖̗̱͘ѯ̸͏̙̮͘Ѧ̬̙̗̟͕͇͍͍ѣ̗̦̪̻͓̀Ѡ̭̰̲̝͔͡љ͇̱̻̙͘͝__________ʤ̞͇̮͖͇͢͞ͅʤ̟͈͙̲͔ʨ͔̞̭̣̯͕ʫ̪̝̝͔̬͉͡ʡ͇̰̻̬̗͡ʒ̢͎͉̫̣͇̤͔ʆ̢̙̗͠ ̷̠̙̬ ̨̹̬͜ ̡̡̙̞̤͡ͅ →​

Well, mostly clearly marked. Again you find these unfamiliar characters, devoid of context and meaning. Still, you have a direction to possible food and leave such mysteries till you have a full stomach. As you turn to look down the path to your meal however, the sheer length of corridor before you is daunting. That you can't clearly make out the end does not bode well for your still wobbly legs. Where are you that such a long corridor would even be necessary? A quick glance down the other path shows one similarly excessive, the walls narrowing off in the distance. With a dejected sigh, you slowly shuffle towards the vague promise of a sated appetite.

You pass numerous doors on either side of the corridor as you trek towards the mess hall, labelled sequentially in four digit markings. The curiosity tugging at you regarding their contents is easily overwhelmed by your growing hunger. By the time you consider counting them, you've no idea how many lay behind you. The now visible junction ahead quickly clears this thought from your mind. Several more minutes of unsteady progress finally brings you to another two signs, one on the corridor wall pointing out the locations behind and another on the wall facing the corridor, just like before.

← Infirmary__________________Mess →
←ʤ̞͇̮͖͇͢͞ͅʤ̟͈͙̲͔ʨ͔̞̭̣̯͕ʫ̪̝̝͔̬͉͡ʡ͇̰̻̬̗͡ʒ̢͎͉̫̣͇̤͔ʆ̢̙̗͠ ̷̠̙̬ ̨̹̬͜ ̡̡̙̞̤͡ͅ_________Dormitories →​

The choice is obvious and you immediately set off down the right hand corridor. The thought crosses your mind that there might even be somewhere comfortable to rest after gorging yourself if the dorms are near the mess. Whether any of those dorms are occupied is a question that has you ambivalent as to the answer. One the one hand, the complete absence of people so far is... disconcerting. On the other hand, what sort of people would live in this strange place. Are you even one of them? All questions that you are uncertain if you want the answers to. At least this corridor isn't so damn long and a few more minutes of doorless passage brings you to a corner, the passage marked 'Dormitories' branching off to your right, while the wide double-doors on your left are marked 'Mess'. Finally, you have reached your goal and your legs let you know that they are happy about this by collapsing under your weight.

With a wince of pain and a grunt of exertion, you manage to get back on your feet and push open the left-side door. As you stumble through the entrance, you are greeted by a surprising sight. The room... isn't... grey.

Well lit by a more yellowish light from the hanging fixtures above you, everything seems more alive despite the sterile white floor tiles and the institution green of the walls and ceiling. Ten mammoth tables of an identical hue fill the space in the dining area, helped along by the beige cushioned stools lining the sides. There would have to be seating for a thousand or so by your quick count. If there are that many people supposed to be here, it would explain why the place is so damn large, but make their absence even more obvious. Surely you would have stumbled across at least one of them by now?

You glance around the room and with a certain amount of relief, spot the kitchen entrance not too far to your left. Crossing the full length of the huge room is not at all appealing in your current state. And so, supporting yourself with the wall and the occasional stool, you make your way through the open arch into the kitchens in the hunt for sustenance. Once again you are startled by the abrupt transition of decor as while the white floor tiles continue, the walls are clad it what appears to be stainless steel, a perfect match for the stove tops, ovens and refrigerators that line the smaller room. The sinks are mostly empty, though there are a few plates and glasses sitting in a drying rack.

Eyes locked on the nearest fridge, you nearly fall in your scramble to get inside. Barely catching yourself on the handle, you manage to keep your footing and haul open the brushed steel door. Eye pop wide as you recoil in horror, to late to avoid the stench of spoiled meat and the sight of fuzz lining every surface and back-lit by an all too familiar blue-white light. Slamming the door shut on that abomination, you retch a few times, somewhat glad that there's nothing to come up. Appetite diminished but your stomach saying otherwise, you are left to search out any less perishable foods in amongst the numerous cupboards.

Finding pots, pans and other utensils in the first two and nabbing yourself a spork, the third door reveals row upon row of canned beans and vegetables. A forth is stuffed to the brim with bags of rice, flour and pasta. The fifth and final cupboard contains spices, long-life milk and what appear to be boxes of military rations.

Taking the safest option for now, you crack open a can of baked beans using the inbuilt ring pull and take a tentative sniff. A few seconds later you take another just to be sure before hesitantly dipping the spork in and bringing it to your mouth. It is bland, and exactly as it says on the tin... barbeque flavour. The description likening it to something made of wood and metal, garnished with barbeque sauce couldn't be more apt. Still, it didn't taste or smell spoiled so you take a seat and dig in knowing full well there will be gas in your future. The small upside to this place seemingly being deserted is you won't have to worry about offending people with flatulence.

The can polished off and the taste washed out with some bland tap water, you feel surprisingly sated as you rest and ponder your next move.

---

What would you like to do next?

 

[X] More exploration!
-[X] You find yourself overwhelmed with curiosity regarding the area's labelled with the odd writing and decide to investigate the one near the infirmary.
--[X] As you pass the infirmary you poke your head in to check for anything obviously important. You can never be too sure with these sorts of places.
---[X] In the unfortunate event that the oddly spelled area is inaccessible you should probably try searching through the administration department next. With luck you'll find some sort of paperwork to at least give you an idea of where the hell you are.

 

[X] More exploration!
-[X] You find yourself overwhelmed with curiosity regarding the area's labelled with the odd writing and decide to investigate the one near the infirmary.
--[X] As you pass the infirmary you poke your head in to check for anything obviously important. You can never be too sure with these sorts of places.
---[X] In the unfortunate event that the oddly spelled area is inaccessible you should probably try searching through the administration department next. With luck you'll find some sort of paperwork to at least give you an idea of where the hell you are.

 

-[X] You find yourself overwhelmed with curiosity regarding the area's labelled with the odd writing and decide to investigate the one near the infirmary.
--[X] As you pass the infirmary you poke your head in to check for anything obviously important. You can never be too sure with these sorts of places.
---[X] In the unfortunate event that the oddly spelled area is inaccessible you should probably try searching through the administration department next. With luck you'll find some sort of paperwork to at least give you an idea of where the hell you are.
----[X]Check out the Cryogenics area on your way by. See if there's anyone- or anything- still frozen in there.

 

-[X] You find yourself overwhelmed with curiosity regarding the area's labelled with the odd writing and decide to investigate the one near the infirmary.
--[X] As you pass the infirmary you poke your head in to check for anything obviously important. You can never be too sure with these sorts of places.
---[X] In the unfortunate event that the oddly spelled area is inaccessible you should probably try searching through the administration department next. With luck you'll find some sort of paperwork to at least give you an idea of where the hell you are.
----[X]Check out the Cryogenics area on your way by. See if there's anyone- or anything- still frozen in there.

 

[X] Best to start at the top.
-[X] Follow the signs to Administration.


Look, I'm not saying it's shoggoths, but when you have strange squiggly language in a deserted research facility... Either that or something's restricting our perception or rather capacity to recognize certain words.

If anyone or anything's around Administration or Security would be our best bet for cameras to spot them (Cameras cameras everywhere), and security didn't show up on the signs before.

Ergo, let's start from the top rather than following the strange alien squiggles without any forewarning.

 

Public Service Announcement: Fuck shoulder injuries. They make everything difficult and typing one handed was too awkward. (Damn natural 1s on athletics checks)
In other news, voting is now closed.

-[X] You find yourself overwhelmed with curiosity regarding the area's labelled with the odd writing and decide to investigate the one near the infirmary.
--[X] As you pass the infirmary you poke your head in to check for anything obviously important. You can never be too sure with these sorts of places.
---[X] In the unfortunate event that the oddly spelled area is inaccessible you should probably try searching through the administration department next. With luck you'll find some sort of paperwork to at least give you an idea of where the hell you are.
----[X]Check out the Cryogenics area on your way by. See if there's anyone- or anything- still frozen in there.

Writing in progress.

 

sucks that the vote is closes and that I am 2 or so months late.

 

... you are a year and a month late, dear.