Pax RP

((I know what you're thinking, Swix is at it again. But it occurred to me that an entirely open world game is a story generator, and all stories in it are what the player makes of them. So I thought I'd share some of mine with you and hope you'll do the same if/when you play this game ))

Desperation:

I wake up on the shore of a small coastal town that the signposts call Kamenka, waaaay west of anything. Since I only have the usual painkillers, bandage, and flashlight, I decide to raid Kamenka for everything it's got. It takes a lot longer than it should as I was run out of town several times due to my own mistakes, such as getting overconfident enough to crouch run instead of crouch-walking and making too much noise,. Once I even have to run all the way into the forest just to lose them.

That nets me lots of bandages, painkillers, an empty water bottle, a watch, a compass, and a hunting knife. I just need a matchbox to make fire, a map and an axe for being a weapon and chopping down trees. Mostly a weapon. However even with all that I find no food, no drink, and nowhere to refill my water bottle.

So as thirst was starting to set in, I set off east on the side of the main road.
Eventually, as thirst was going from setting in to desperate, I come to Komarovo, another coastal town. Seeing as I don't have much to lose now I start crouch-running. To my delight I find an axe at the main train station near the coast,,. Then at the small station house at the centre of town, finally, a full can of Pepsi! I chug that down immediately, risking being exposed. My thirst is quenched, but now I have a new problem. Hunger is starting to make itself known in earnest. I get clipped by a zombie, he hits me hard enough to make me start bleeding out. An axe to the face sorts him out and a bandage sorts me out, but that alerts more of them, and I have to run for the hills again. A comb of this place reveals a hunting knife, a revolver and ammo, and not much else. As hunger slowly starts to reach desperate levels, I resort to hunting zombies. That nets me nothing but junk, a tin can which I take should I come across a matchbox so I can boil water and not much else Then the undead spot me again, a lot of them. It's too dangerous here for little reward, so I hightail it up the side road to higher, less populated ground, hoping to see a wild animal of some sort for the meat. Higher, and I come across one house. Locked, and nothing but walkers, which I sneak past. Higher, and there's another locked house-but this time the zombie sees me first. I manage to hit it before It clips me, and out of desperation, nearing starvation, I search his body...
... I find an unopened tin of Frank and Beans, and that's soon gone in great relief.

Higher now, I come to another locked house-but I can see an open barn not far away so I head there. I find a well, which I use to refill my water bottle. That alerts a walker, and he sets me bleeding again before I deal with him. Another bandage, my health's getting dangerously low. I look around the barn, a few more Revolver rounds and nothing but useless woodpiles.

I get back down from the second level to the first level of the barn, I figure jumping off the top shouldn't hurt, it's not that far down...

*Crack*

I was wrong, the jump breaks my legs and I'm bleeding profusely again until another bandage sorts it. My vision's blurred, colourless and shakes with every heartbeat. I can't stay here like this, so I drag myself to the road to follow and try to find a city.

I don't get that far. I meet a walker who spots me on the road before my compromised vision spots him. One swipe, and this particular nightmare's over.

Desperation's Successor:

Day 1:
I can't remember how long I've been on this forsaken piece of land, probably only a day, if that, but it feels longer. I managed to find almost everything I need to survive in the wilds and an M1911 handgun to boot, but now I have a problem. In my quest to travel out into the middle of nowhere away from the dangerous coastal cities I find I am lacking in anything more advanced than the most basic medical supplies. This wouldn't be a problem had that drooling priest not stepped on my legs whilst I was prone, trying to slip away from what was probably once it's Church unnoticed. He went down easily, but me getting up-well, that's a different matter. I have enough food and drink to last me a while, so I'm going to head for the closest towns to see if I can find any aid of any kind.

Day 2:

This town the map declares to be Solnichniy is even worse than the last one. It doesn't have a supermarket, never mind a Church or anything else worth risking my life for. I'm going to head north to Pustoshka, maybe there'll be something more worthwhile there.

Day 2.1:

I've finally made it to Pustoshka, but the outer rim is crawling with undead. It's a minor miracle I managed to make it up the side of this hill to the overlooking forest undetected. I've set up my tent between two conifer trees, well hidden from the road and the town. I'll look around there tomorrow, but for now it's time to sleep.

Day 3:

I'm leaving almost everything, including my gun at the tent. I don't need the attention a gun brings in my condition and if I die down there looking for supplies at least they'll be around to help someone.

Day 3.1:

I fear this will be my last entry. My foray into the town was a success in that I found lots of food and drink at the supermarket there, but not much else anywhere. What's worse is on my way back into the forest I got mauled by the creatures on the town's outskirts, and having used my last bandage in the town I started desperately towards my tent, as I knew I had more bandages stashed away there. Only... I can't find my tent. I've looked in every likely pair of conifers I can see, but without any luck. It seems my plan to hide my camp has worked too well. Murdered by my own success and not by these shambling creatures. Hah. How ironic

I think I might just go to slee-

Stuck in Limbo

I don't know where I am. One minute, I'm in a field in the wilderness, running behind my friend and mentor in this desolate place, and the next i'm here. Wherever here is. I can't see anything ahead of me except for rolling, grassless green hills without any identifying features. Then I feel it, a gentle prod in my back that is nonetheless terrifying for it's metallic, rounded impression. I'd dropped my pack earlier at the suggestion of my friend, it was too small to be of any use and we should find a better one soon. Well, we should have, but I'm here now. Somewhere away from my friend, with a rifle or shotgun pointed at my bare back by a stranger.

I freeze for a moment, then whirl around and take a step back at the same time as he takes a step back. We stare at each other for a while that seems longer than it is. But he haso't shot me. That's a great relief.

Eventually, after my overwhelming rush of emotions wears off I realise his lips are moving, he's talking to me. i must've been staring at him for a while, because he sounds nervous.

"H-hey" he says "buddy. Can-can you talk?"

"Yeah I can talk" I answer, when I snap myself out of it "sorry".

Honestly, at this point I wonder what he has to be so nervous about, I'm the one who's unarmed, not him.

"Oh thank gawd!" he exclaims in relief at hearing my voice, then whilst looking over my shoulder he raises his sidearm and shouts "Careful aggro zombie!"
I spin around again, now shoulder to shoulder with this stranger in a strange place, and he shoots the undead creature that he could have just as easily let tear me apart.

He's one of the ones that are known here as 'Friendlies'.

The zombie falls after only two shots, one right between the rotting corpses eyes. Feels strange, relying on a stranger rather than my mentor, but what choice do I have?

The guy takes a breath in the calm that follows, and uses the time to look around.

"This way" he says, starting off in a direction that, as far as I can tell, is exactly the same as the others "follow me"

So I do, and we jog for quite a while. He says "So, where're you from?"

I say "I'm from England, you?"

He says "Canada"

I say "Oh that's cool, I have a friend who lives in Canada. He's awesome"

Silence persists.

I say "How are there zombies here? I don't see any houses"

He says "I have no idea, dude"

I say "Do you know where you're going? Do you know where we are?"

He says "If we keep going this way we should be out of here, if my idea works"

I say "How long do you think it'll be?"

He says "Don't worry, I have enough food and water to last us both for a while"

I say "Oh, ok, cool"

We continue jogging. For a long time, there's no more talk between us two, we don't even stop for a drink or a bite to eat before he pauses ahead of me. "Okay" he says, "if we see mountains over this next hill, then we should be good to go. If not, well, then we're pretty much screwed"

We both run up the side of the identical hill ahead of us... Only to be greeted by the same identical landscape over the top. The disappointment is palpable as we both pause before rushing to the top of the next hill.

Nothing, just the identical environment.

My new friend retreats down the side of that last hill and starts rummaging around in his pack. I somehow manage to catch the attention of the zombie that was sharing the dip with us and start running in circles, just out of it's range.

That's when it starts getting weird. Well, weirder.

He says "Ok, since this isn't working, I want you to take the gun out of my pack... and shoot me"

I stop in front of him, dumbstruck. He shoots the undead creature that had been following me around. Not before it clips hhm though, tears off a chunk of flesh with it's hands and makes him start bleeding out.

I say "Umm, ok then I guess. If you insist"

I go up to him to do as he asks, then step back when I notice just how badly the blood is pouring off him. If that is our only way out, I don't want to starve or die of thirst here.

I say "Actually, you're bleeding pretty badly there. Looks like you'll be gone soon. Shoot me"

I don't know why, but I expect him to go for my stomach or chest, somewhere that won't kill me immediately but will give me the chance to repay the favour if his bleeding stops. He doesn't bandage the wound, and with a look of satisfied resignation he raises his gun, and shoots me in the head.

I open my eyes after the darkness embraces me. I'm still in this strange place, absent my companion. I'm unharmed, totally healthy. I don't even feel hungry or thirsty anymore, and that accursed backpack is back on my back.

I start off again, picking my direction at random. I die of thirst, then open my eyes once more.

I try again, this time, a zombie gets me. Breaks my bones right as I spint past and then sets upon me, tearing me to pieces. I die in agony... and open my eyes again.

I don't know where I am.

But I'm going to call it Limbo.