Once Human: An Interactive Adventure
Page 3
Just then, the door to the engine room opens and an athletic female gracefully walks in, her long silver hair flowing as she steps towards you. Her figure appears very much human, yet her skin is a shiny silver hue. “I am very impressed, Jonathan.”
You ask, “Who are you?”
“Darling,” she begins. “I am Nikki Hart, your future wife, if you shall call this off and join me.”
“I have a life on Earth,” you begin, “a loving mother, fiancée, and best friend. Why would I give up all that to join you?”
“To rule this planet as king, and I your queen.”
If you order Dygor to pull the circuit board, turn to page 59.
If you accept Nikki’s offer, turn to page 73.
Page 34
You may have lost your memory, but you have not lost your senses. You only stole that car to escape the SUV, which you can try to explain to the officer. You do not think you can lie your way out of this one.
You pull the car onto the shoulder of the road and shut off the engine. The police car pulls up behind you, and a female officer steps out. She walks up and talks to you through the half rolled down window.
“Sir, may I see your license and registration?”
“Of course, officer.”
You pull the driver’s license out and begin to open the dashboard in search for the registration. Meanwhile, the officer gets a call on a CB radio.
“There is a domestic disturbance on Bus 64 heading north. A man is ranting about aliens trying to invade. Proceed with caution.”
“10-4,” the officer says. “Sir, drive the speed limit.” And, with that the cop lets you go.
Continue on the next page.
Page 35
As the cop returns to her squad car, you roll up your window and start your engine. You watch as the officer pulls a U-turn and speeds the opposite direction to intercept the bus and the crazy man.
You drive cautiously down the road and within half an hour you pull into a gas station to ask for directions. You travel for a few more hours and it is the break of dawn by the time you reach the address on the driver’s license.
You park the car, walk to the front door and ring the doorbell. When the door suddenly opens, and you see the guy standing there, you take a step back. You sort of recognize him, like seeing a friend after a very long time.
“John,” he says, “where have you been?”
You mutter, “John?”
“Jonathan Zane,” he points to you. “You had everyone really worried. Where have you been the last three days?”
You say, “I can’t remember.”
Continue on the next page.
Page 36
Your friend invites you inside, and you sit down in the living room. He then asks, “What do you remember?”
“I just woke up in a motel room, with no memories, and when I went to leave, a stranger in a black SUV chased me down. I had to steal a car to get away—”
“You stole a car?!” he shouts.
“Brian, I needed to get away from the stalker.”
He asks, “If you can’t recall anything before the motel, how do you remember me and this house?”
You pull out the driver’s license and toss it to him. Brian says, “Wow, what the heck? I was mugged the other night outside of a club by a guy in a black suit, and he stole my wallet. Now, YOU have my license?!”
“I can’t explain it,” you begin, “but I need to find out the truth. I don’t feel safe.”
Brian says, “You stole a car! I don’t know what’s gotten into you, but I can’t help you.”
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Page 37
Your head suddenly hurts and you have a vision.
You and Brian are at his house when you are young. Brian tosses a basketball at your head. You duck and it hits an aquarium and shatters it. His dad rushes in and demands to know who did it. You take the fall for your friend, and he later says that he would do anything to repay you.
“Remember the basketball/aquarium incident?” you ask. “You owe me.”
Brian says, “What? You remember that? Really? Fine. But, then we’re even.”
Brian tosses you his keys and says, “Take my car. You had your mother worried sick, and Julia, your fiancée, thought you were ignoring her.”
“I have a fiancée?” you ask.
“Yes,” Brian says. “I’ll ditch the stolen car for you. Visit your mother or fiancée. You may not have time to visit them both, so I’ll call the other person and let them know you’re alright.”
If you decide to visit your mother, go to page 19.
If you wish to visit your fiancée, go to page 65.
Page 38
You slip the driver’s license out of the wallet and hand it to Dygor. He looks it over, tosses it out his window and says, “Very clever. I should have expected as much from them. Always trying to interfere with our plans.”
“Who are?” you ask.
Dygor floors the accelerator and you fall against the back of your seat. “In due time, Kryton.”
“What kind of name is Kryton anyways?” you ponder.
“A proper name for the general of our legion.”
You stare at him in utter disbelief. General? Legion? You ask, “What kind of general would have a bodyguard?”
“One that is in the middle of an interstellar war.”
“And you are on my side?” you ask.
“I swore allegiance to you,” Dygor states, “and I will protect you at all costs.”
“Where are we headed right now?” you wonder.
Dygor says, “The mother ship.”
Continue on the next page.
Page 39
Hours pass as you grow weary. On the road for what seems like forever, you had been silent for quite some time. As you try to fathom how you ended up in all this, Dygor turns off the most recent road into a cornfield. The stalks are mauled over by the front of the SUV, and the vehicle comes to a stop in a circular clearing.
When Dygor hops out, you exit as well, and follow him away from the vehicle to the center of the circle. Above you, the blue sky begins to darken, and grey storm clouds start to approach rapidly from the east. You hear a loud humming sound coming from within the thick ominous clouds, growing in volume as they near.
Soon the clouds have claimed the night sky, and a brilliant light shines down upon you and Dygor. It engulfs you in its essence, and you suddenly feel weightless. Your feet begin to lift off the ground, and your body levitates all the way into the source of the light.
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Page 40
Your feet suddenly land on solid ground and the light around you disappears. You stand in a small room with silver walls and a white ceiling. Above you is a large circular device which must have been the source of the light.
Dygor motions for you to exit through a doorway, and upon walking towards closed doors they retract into the walls in either direction in your presence. You walk into a long white hallway. You glance at several doors, each one with foreign symbols above them.
At first you are unsure what they say, but as you continue to look upon them, their meanings become clear to you. One door leads to the engine room, a few lead to bedrooms, and the main one straight ahead leads to the throne room.
You are standing in a spaceship, hovering above Earth, a part of you wishing you were home, and the other part thinking you have just returned. You soon proceed into the throne room.
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Page 41
The walls glimmer in a golden hue, the floor lined with a red carpet leads to a set of thrones, and you see two figures watching your approach.
They appear like humans, although their smooth skin is tinted a light shade of silver. The man is dignified, mature, and aging well. The crown upon his head is most impressive. The gracefully mature woman at his side greets you with a nod.
The king speaks in an alien language, yet you unde
rstand every word. “General Kryton. How does it feel to be inside a human?”
An intense pain enters your mind and a vivid memory plays out like a short movie.
You stand before the king and he declares you as the Chosen One. He knights you and there is a massive feast for you and the army of silver-skinned people. After the feast, you enter the surgery room, where you lay down on a table, then feel a sharp pain in your forehead, worse than you could have ever imagined.
Continue on the next page.
Page 42
When you glance up, everyone is staring at you with concern. The vision was alien, yet familiar. It was as real as the memory of when you were abducted. You feel it is best to hide your inner thoughts. After a moment, you straighten up and say, “This body is serving its purpose well.”
The king grins, and the queen says, “I commend your bravery for accepting this role in our plans. As a token of our appreciation, and upon finishing this assignment, you shall rule this world as a king and take one of our daughters to be your wife. They shall greet you in your chambers.”
“You are most gracious,” you say, and Dygor escorts you into the hallway and to your room.
Once he exits, you collapse on the large circular bed, feeling overwhelmed. Moments later you hear the door shut and a stunning young beauty walks towards you. Standing tall, with dark silver hair flowing, she slowly walks up and says, “Greetings, darling. I am Nikki Hart.”
Continue on the next page.
Page 43
“Hello Nikki,” you say as you sit up. You smell the most pleasing fragrance, and notice the look in her eyes. “What can I do for you?”
“Where shall I begin?” she asks. “If you want to rule this planet, strike at the heart of its only true defense, the Men in Black headquarters. Wipe it off the map, and baby I’m all yours.”
You reply, “The Men in Black? Eliminate their base, and I get Earth?”
“Darling,” she says softly, “choose me and Earth won’t even compare to what I will offer you.”
With a wink, Nikki leaves as fast as she arrived.
Before you can get lost in your thoughts, you see Miss Hart rush into the room, as if she never left, but something is very different. Her face and body is the same, as is her eyes, but her silver hair is braided, not flowing. She seals the door behind her, walks up to you and says, “I hope you are still in there, Jonathan, we have a world to save.”
Turn to page 63.
Page 44
You dash across the parking lot and you hear the SUV screech its tires in hot pursuit. You weave in between the rows of cars, forcing the SUV to drive the long way around.
Just then, you cut towards the woods at the far end of the parking lot. You enter the woods, leaving the SUV behind, and you sprint through the woods for several minutes. You are feeling fatigued, and that is when you notice a road up ahead. You reach the side of the road and see a semi truck approaching.
You rush onto the road and wave your arms above your head. The truck has no choice but to stop, for you are blocking the lane.
The truck driver yells, “Are you crazy?!”
“Please, help me,” you begin, “someone in an SUV is chasing me.”
The truck driver seems very nervous about helping you, but he can see the worry in your eyes. He says, “Get in.”
Continue on the next page.
Page 45
After the truck begins moving, the driver asks, “So, where are you headed?”
You tell him the address you are trying to reach. The man says, “I’m not exactly headed that way.”
You feel upset, and that is when you spot the black SUV speeding down the road towards you. As the vehicle nears, you duck below the dashboard. The truck driver acts casual as the SUV passes. The driver says, “You weren’t kidding! Listen, I can’t take you to that address, but there is a bus stop straight ahead. I’ll drop you off there, and give you cash to pay the fare.”
“You are very kind,” you say. “Thank you.”
After a few minutes, you get dropped off. Moments later, your bus pulls up and you climb on board. The truck driver waves and takes off. You pay the fare and take a seat at the back of the bus. Within no time, a strange old man sits down next to you. He stares at you intently.
He then mutters, “I saw the aliens take you.”
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Page 46
“What are you talking about?!” you demand.
The man whispers, “They abducted you out of your car. I saw the whole thing. They got to you,” he insists. “You are tainted. They’ll try to warp your mind. Stay strong.”
You attempt to ignore the man, but he continues, “Seek the truth. Remain human, or we will all perish. The fate of mankind rests on your shoulders. Don’t let us down.”
With that said, the old man stands and walks up to the front of the bus. You sit there for hours, and as passengers get on and off, the old man remains there, watching you.
At the break of dawn, you hear the bus driver call off your stop. You stand up and step off the bus. As you leave, the old man exits at the front door as well. As you cross the street, you notice the black SUV driving full speed towards the bus.
The old man glances at you and says, “For humanity!” He then dives in front of the SUV.
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Page 47
You turn away and hear the SUV screech its tires and swerve to avoid hitting the old man. As the SUV pulls a quick U-turn, the man gets on his feet and runs off the road and into a cornfield. The SUV drives off the main road after him.
The old man must be creating a diversion for you to escape. You take this opportunity to search for the address. You roam the streets for awhile, and soon ask someone for directions. You jog until you reach the house. You walk to the front door and ring the doorbell. When the door suddenly opens, and you see the guy standing there, you take a step back. You sort of recognize him, like seeing a friend after a very long time.
“John,” he says, “where have you been?”
You mutter, “John?”
“Jonathan Zane,” he points to you. “You had everyone really worried. Where have you been the last three days?”
You say, “I can’t remember.”
Continue on the next page.
Page 48
Your friend invites you inside, and you sit down in the living room. He then asks, “What do you remember?”
“I just woke up in a motel room, with no memories, and when I went to leave, a stranger in a black SUV chased me down. I ran through some woods to get away, and took a bus here. I need answers, and don’t know what to do, Brian.”
He asks, “If you can’t recall anything before the motel, how do you remember me and this house?”
You pull out the driver’s license and toss it to him. Brian says, “Wow, what the heck? I was mugged the other night outside of a club by a guy in a black suit, and he stole my wallet. Now, YOU have my license?!”
“I can’t explain it,” you begin, “but I need to find out the truth. I don’t feel safe.”
Brain says, “We’ve been best friends since grade school. I don’t know what’s going on, but I’m here for you, John. I can help you.”
Continue on the next page.
Page 49
Brian says, “You had your mother worried sick, and Julia, your fiancée, thought you were ignoring her.”
“I have a fiancée?” you ask.
“Yes,” Brian says. “Julia is the girl of your dreams. She really loves you, and I know you really love her too. You may not remember her, but I’m sure you will if you see her.”
“And, is my mother really that worried about me?” you ask.
“Well, when you didn’t call Julia, or return her calls,” Brian began, “Julia called your mom and said she hasn’t heard from you in days. And, of course, your mother got really worried.”
Brian tosses you his keys. “Take my car. Visit your mothe
r or fiancée. By seeing either one, you may regain your memory. You probably don’t have time to visit them both. So, I’ll call the other person and let them know you’re alright.”
If you decide to visit your mother, go to page 19.
If you wish to visit your fiancée, go to page 65.
Page 50
You slip the driver’s license back into the wallet, and return it in your pants pocket. You put on some shoes, then quietly make your way to the front door, and open it slowly. You step outside, shut the door, and notice that the SUV lights are still on, and the figure is motionless inside.