Titan Rising - Interactive Short Story
- Richard Mendoza
- Sep 3, 2021
- 12 min read
Updated: Aug 29
Rules:
This story offers a flexible narrative, in which you will decide the actions and fate of the protagonist. Choices may appear at the end of a section, click on these options to continue your story. There are several ways for your story to end, it is encouraged that you backtrack and try each and every option.
Introduction:
The year is 2075. A series of wars and disasters have toppled the old world. What was once the United States of America is now a collective of states, called the Federation. This new government nearly imploded on itself when a botched attempt to cure a spreading plague unleashed a dangerous mutation amongst the populace, called the Affliction.
Afflicted humans developed deadly and unpredictable abilities that plunged the nation into chaos. In a bid to restore order, the Federation enacted the Purifier Initiative. Propaganda, imprisonment, and murder became the tools used to squelch these meta-humans. The Federation's actions proved effective in containing the Affliction, and though the mutation still exists, new meta-humans are quickly snuffed out for the survival of the Federation.
You are a citizen of this nation. A new job opportunity has presented itself, and you have decided to move to the capital, Dogma Isle, nestled upon the rebuilt structures of old-world Manhattan. You’ve taken the national tram system and arrived in a city of cloud reaching sky skyscrapers, hover ships, and overpopulated streets. Starting fresh, you’ve taken only your ID and phone.
The address you were given is close. Fredrick is the man you’re supposed to meet a distant cousin of yours who has offered an odd job as a package courier; simple and clean. It takes but a moment for the air to sting, and the weight of the city to shroud you. The sun still hasn’t made its way over the monolithic towers. After weaving through the bustling streets, you arrive at Fredrick’s apartment complex. Its surprisingly small stature humbly stands at a mere thirty floors and is constructed with brick rather than the carbon struts of newer buildings.
You suck in the frigid air and make your way up a flight of stairs to your cousin’s room. The hallway smells of mildew and cigarettes. There’s a legacy of stains deep within the walls and carpet. A door stands before you, a wilted blue thing with gold lettering that says, “C30.”
You go to knock when you realize that the door is slightly ajar and the lock is busted in.
You…
Enter the room.
Clothes are scattered across the floor. A shattered television reflects a million perspectives. A bookshelf lays face down, having dumped books and pages everywhere. A half-packed suitcase rests on a kitchen counter.
Something crunches behind you. You turn around to find a child poking her head from a closet, perhaps nine or so years old. She steps out to face you. Dry streaks of dirt are bleached down her face as if she’d been crying. Her quivering brown eyes meet yours. Her pajamas are dotted with little lions that jump across them. Long black hair curls down to her waist. She doesn’t return your efforts to speak to her, instead, she points to her mouth and shakes her head.
You…
This was a mistake. Return home as fast as you can.
Freaked out by what you’ve seen, you run out of the apartment as fast as you can. It takes every bit of will to erase the little girl’s looks. In some ways, you justify abandoning her. You don’t know her, and certainly don’t want to get mixed up in whatever your cousin must have been a part of.
It doesn’t take you long to get back on the tram system and return home as if nothing had happened.
THE END.
Call the authorities.
As you tell the local enforcers about the abandoned, her eyes widen and she tugs on your clothes. Her lips mouth, “please” over and over, and she’s on the verge of tears. Any efforts to calm her only seem to drive her more into panic, but the enforcers have already confirmed your location.
They arrive much quicker than you’ve expected. There are two of them, both in dark blue padded armor and half visor helmets. Their submachine guns are drawn, but not raised. They request the child. One smiles at you, but his eyes are still covered. The other focuses on the girl who hides behind you.
You...
Take the child in search of her parents.
With the girl held close, you take to the streets. Certainly, she cannot talk, so there isn’t much you can get from her. At the corner of the street are two Federation Enforcers. They would probably be able to help you.
The girl clutches tighter around your neck and is tugging on you in the opposite direction.
You...
Hand the kid over to the Enforcers compliantly.
You pull away from the girl’s clutching hands. The authorities would know best how to handle this situation.
One calls over the radio through a voice modulated that masks his voice, while the other bends over to take the girl. She refuses, but you console her by saying “It’s ok.”
The enforcer picks her up.
You ask the Feds what happened to your cousin. They tell you that he was arrested the morning of your arrival. They don’t tell you why, as they usher you out of the room. They walk away with the girl held tightly.
She doesn’t look back at you.
Now alone in Dogma Isle, without a job, the only course is to return home. You’d get that fresh start someday.
THE END.
Grab the girl and run for the fire escape.
You grab the girl and dash for the fire escape.
The Feds curse at you.
You’re at the window.
They open fire.
The glass shatters and you tumble onto the metal walkway. The girl chokes you with her tight grip. You fly down the stairs, rushing to get away from the gunmen.
You run through the alleyways and remember to throw away your phone and ID so they can’t track you. A voice hisses from further down the alleyway. It’s a man. He’s in ragged clothes and smells like he hasn’t bathed for days. There’s a red armband strapped around his bicep.
He says that he’s here to save the girl. He calls her Afflicted and claims he is with a rebel group, the Blood Red Army. You know the Blood Red Army as Afflicted terrorists, according to the news. He asks for the girl again and calls her by name, Sercha.
You…
Attack the two Feds.
Your fight or flight nature kicks in, and you choose fight. Your fist cracks against the Fed in front of you. He crumples against the doorframe.
Bang!
You stumble back. There’s blood pouring from your side and the other Fed’s gun drifts with smoke. Your head swirls. The girl screams and runs out of the fire escape window.
The Fed who shot you jumps for the girl.
You lash out, but your arm is too weak. Your body is on the floor by the time the Fed pulls the girl from the window frame and carries her out into the hallway.
The Enforcer you struck is awake now and rears his gun to your head...
THE END.
Take the girl to the authorities.
One of the Feds calls over his radio through a voice modulated that masks his voice, while the other reaches to take the girl from you.
Her hands grip tighter and tighter as he approaches. As her fingers slip from your neck, you wonder what could be so upsetting to her. But it’s out of your hands now.
You tell the Feds what happened to the apartment.
They tell you that your cousin was arrested the morning of your arrival, but they don’t tell you why. They head to their squad car with the girl held tightly.
She doesn’t look back at you.
Now alone in Dogma Isle without a job, the only course is to return home. You’d get that fresh start someday.
THE END.
Follow the direction she’s tugging you towards.
You turn into an alleyway. A voice hisses at you. It’s a man. He’s in ragged clothes and smells like he hasn’t bathed for days. There’s a red armband strapped around his bicep.
He says that he’s here to save the girl. He calls her Afflicted, and claims he is with a rebel group, the Blood Red Army. You know the Blood Red Army as Afflicted terrorists, according to the news. He asks for the girl again and calls her by name, Sercha.
You...
Give him the child.
You give her over, and she is more than willing to go with him. They hug. He thanks you, and they disappear into the alleyway.
Feet clap against pavement from behind you. It’s the Fed soldiers.
You…
Refuse to give the man the girl, Sercha.
You pull her away.
He swears and calls out her name. His face turns intensely red. Pain shoots through your heart. His eyes shift into an unnatural searing orange. He’s Afflicted! Fire bursts from your chest and you drop the girl while you scream in pain.
The man snatches her up and disappears into the alleyway as your chest and heart are engulfed in the flames.
You wrench your head back. All is hopeless as you roll around, trying desperately to snuff the flames. As your vision fades, the two Enforcers rush down past you. They leap right over your squirming body, and down the path where the terrorist and Sercha went.
THE END.
Try to negotiate a compromise.
In a bid to compromise, you ask if you can come with the man. He hesitates. Sercha hugs you tighter and nods at the man. He sighs and agrees. His name is Luis.
The three of you rush down the alleyway to his hover car where he whisks you into the sky, far, far away into the clouds.
Luis talks all about the rebellion, how the Blood Red Army has cells everywhere, and that the Federation has been killing all Afflicted, no matter what.
You were always told that only the non-compliant ones were killed. But even the ones who turned themselves in to the research clinics were also dead, according to Luis. You had some family members and friends who had turned themselves in, and now realize their true fate. The more Luis talks about the state of the Federation, the more you realize that this might be the new purpose you were seeking for all along.
Sercha falls asleep in your lap, her pajamas crumpling and making the lions look like they too can finally slumber.
THE END.
Give him the child.
The girl smoothly latches on to the man as you hand her off. He thanks you, and disappears into the alley with her in his arms.
She turns and waves at you. You wave back.
There’s nothing left for you in Dogma Isle, so you opt to return home. Maybe one day you’ll get that fresh start you’ve always wanted.
THE END.
Refuse to give the man the girl, Sercha.
You pull her away.
He swears and calls out her name. His face turns intensely red. Pain shoots through your heart. His eyes shift into an unnatural searing orange. He’s Afflicted! Fire bursts from your chest and you drop the girl while you scream in pain.
The man snatches her up and disappears into the alleyway as your chest and heart are engulfed in the flames. You wrench your head back. All is hopeless as you roll around, trying desperately to snuff the flames.
THE END.
Try to negotiate a compromise.
You ask if you can come with the man. He hesitates. Sercha hugs you tighter and nods at the man. He sighs and agrees. His name is Luis.
The three of you rush down the alleyway to his hover car, and he whisks you away into the sky, far, far away into the clouds.
Luis talks all about the rebellion, about how the Blood Red Army has cells everywhere, and that the Federation has been killing all of the Afflicted.
You were always told that only the non-compliant ones were killed. But even the ones who turned themselves in to the research clinics were dead. You had some Afflicted family members and friends who had gone compliant with the Feds, and you now realize their true fate. Doubts still wrap around your head. This guy might very well be insane, and it may be well that you didn’t leave the girl with him alone.
There’s a beep over the console. Luis panics. He turns on you, demanding you empty your pockets.
You pull out your ID and phone.
He slams the console and curses himself for forgetting to check you for anything that the Feds could track.
The beeping intensifies. You can see streams of smoke forming behind you. Luis declares it’s a Fed interceptor. You grab Sercha close to shield her, for all the good it does as the hover car explodes into fire and shrapnel.
THE END.
Run away.
There’s no time to waste. Your feet take you far down a random alleyway. You turn back to see if the Feds are following you, but they aren’t. They’ve continued down the path that Sercha and the man went. Your heart drops as gunfire pops. You keep running.
You know that you can’t go anywhere near the Feds. You are now on the run. There’s no way to return home without your ID, and can’t access your bank, so you dwindle into the life of a street urchin, dodging and weaving between the shadows of night, nibbling on the morsels of back-alley trash cans.
One night, after an ungodly amount of time has passed, you slurp half-eaten take-out ramen from a Styrofoam cup; a delicacy. As you stare out towards the moon, your mind wanders, as it often does. The most prevalent thought comes to your mind. You had come to Dogma isle looking for a new life, and certainly had found it. The thought amuses you for a short time until you slip off to sleep, curled up in a pile of cardboard and trash.
THE END.
Surrender.
You raise your hands. There’s no use running or fighting. The Feds slide to a stop, their guns raised at you. You comply with each command: turn around, hands on your head, kneel. Your face is promptly thrust into the muddy alley by the Feds. One of them demands to know where the girl went.
You…
Buy the rebel and girl some time.
There’s a discarded pipe in one of the garbage cans. You grip it tightly in your hands. The Feds are calling out to you. You take in a deep breath and shriek a war cry, charging straight at them.
They’re stunned in their tracks.
You send the pipe into the closest soldier’s head. His helmet explodes into a dozen pieces, along with the side of his skull. You turn to the next one, but his gun is trained on you. You almost don’t feel the bullet as it passes through your stomach. In defiance, you swing the pipe anyways, but another bullet penetrates you. The gun ignites in rapid fire. Your body flails to the mud. The pipe clunks next to you.
Your fading vision drifts up to the sky. There’s a hover car that’s just lifted off. It’s close enough to almost see the people inside. You swear that one is short, with long black hair, and lion pajamas.
THE END.
Spit in his face.
Bang!
THE END.
Confess everything.
The Feds report everything you tell them over their radios. You’re soon taken away to their armored car. It turns a corner. Two sets of legs stick out from body bags. You never forget that one of them wore lion pajamas.
THE END.
Make something up.
You babble on about whatever you can think of. Some of the details may even sound ridiculous but you pray they are taking it all in. They report the information over their radios and haul you away to an armored car. The vehicle has no windows in the back, except for small gaps between a set of bars.
You notice something in the sky as the doors are closing. There’s a hover car that’s just lifted off. It’s close enough to almost see the people inside. You swear that one is short, with long black hair and lion pajamas. You’ve never smiled that much in your life… and you never will again.
THE END.
One of the best interactive short stories I have ever read😊