ONN ENTERTAINMENT: The Wastelander™ - Episode 2: Reality
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First Broadcast on August 26th, 2493
ONN Entertainment/The Wastelander™ is a Production of Orbital Content Programming and House Storm.
[The credits start after a short recap of the previous episode, once the recap ends, the theme song kicks in.]
The opening theme meshes well with the sequence. Once the credits end, the pilot is seen still walking through the mostly empty, and deserted wasteland. He is still clad in his pilot gear, and wearing the full helmet as the radiation doesn't seem to go down. As trained as he is, he can't help but feel uneasiness and anxiety slowly building up. Suddenly a tremor causes him to tense up. The earth shakes beneath his feet, and the impossible happens: A creature of some sort has aggressively emerged from underneath him. It was a monster, that's all he could tell himself. About twelve feet long, bulky, and and leaking a strange ooze through its body. The head turns to face him and roars. The monster looked as if someone had put together several animals and meshed them together. Thinking fast, he goes for the gun he had salvaged from the ship, but before he could even secure a shot, the monster swipes at him, throwing him with incredible violence a few feet in the air.
The creature roars again, moving towards him, slithering at great speed. He sees the weapon on the ground, next to him, and tries to make a move to pick it up, but the creature reaches him and swipes at him again, this time rupturing his suit. The alarms in his helmet Hud go off, indicating a breach and an increase in radiation. He looks at the monster one more time as it roars and prepares for the final swipe, but suddenly a spear of some sort hits its mark, taking the monster's attention off of him and to whatever, or whoever had thrown the spear. Half a dozen more spears were thrown, and as accurate as they were, all they could do was scare the monster off.
As he is on the ground, breathing heavily, the man makes his peace. A hooded figure approaches him, and speaks words he can't understand, just before he loses consciousness.]
"Akho'izen... Akho'izen..."
[A piercing pain wakes him up, he takes his hand to his chest, only to find himself bandaged and in yet another unknown location.]
"Akho'izen vhae? Horuvak wo"
[The pilot had difficulty making up where he was, let alone those words.]
"... W-what? I don't understand you"
[As his eyes adjust to the the room, he sees an old man standing over him. He looked strange, dressed in tribal clothing. The left half of his face was tattooed, and the right face looked diseased, almost as if he was burned.]
"Ah, you speak old language. Good, good. Are you skyman?"
[The pilot was confused. Old language? Skyman?]
"Where... where am I? Who are you?"
[The old man nods, as if he suddenly understood the situation.]
"Please, forgive. My name is Seris, you in my home. Chimera attack you, hunters there, they bring you here, I watch over you"
[The man realizes he had been laying on what appeared to be a bed, a makeshift one at that, he tries to sit up, the pain on his chest returns.]
"Calm, calm... Your body needs healing."
"How long was I out?"
[Seris pulls up a chair, sitting next to the pilot.]
"Three moons you slept, you had the fever. Never see a man like you. Are you Skyman?"
[There was that word again, he presumed Seris meant pilot. He must have crashed into a very remote sector after the dogfight.]
"Yes... I need to go"
[The pilot tries to stand up, but the pain keeps him seated, Seris helps him stand.]
"Where do you go? We can help"
[The pilot was feeling extraordinarily weak, not like he felt any better after he escaped the fighter, but he felt as if the exhaustion of the day was setting on him.]
"The Haven, I need to contact them, do you have a radio I could use? Any form of communication?"
[Seris shook his head.]
"We no have that, maybe can find that if you go to Angel Settlement, not too far"
[The pilot had a destination now, as he tried to walk and leave what appeared to be a hut, he trips and falls to the ground.] "Your body need time"
[Seris helps the pilot up again.]
"You no sick, but body slept too long. Need strength back, Vare"
[The pilot was almost irritated, he just wanted out, he needed to make sure the Haven made it out, but he understood the situation. In his condition, he was a burden. He manages to stand, only to sit down on the bed.]
"What is this place?"
"This Nice Marsh Settlement, no many Chimera here, you safe with us"
[The name didn't ring any bells to him. Suddenly, the door opens, a young and strangely beautiful hunter enters. Both her and Seris engage in conversation in that language the pilot couldn't understand.]
"She my blood, Nalta. She hunter to Nice Marsh Clan"
[The pilot nods to her, in appreciation for having saved his life. Nalta seemed extremely curious and approaches the man. She had tribal marks on her face, and she had the same kind of burn Seris had on his face, but hers was on her right arm.]
"Where you go Skyman?"
"I'm trying to go back home"
"Where home?"
"The Haven"
"Where Ha-Ven?"
"I... don't know"
"You first Skyman we see, legends of Skyman from when Great War end"
[The man turns to Nalta, blinking once.]
"It ended? How did it end? How do you know? I was just...!"
[The pain returns, Seris offers him a bowl with a strange liquid. Realizing he's thirsty, he drinks it in one go. It tasted like water and dirt.]
"It only legend, War ended long time. We keep legends, mark years."
[The more he heard, the more confused he felt, a headache was coming his way. Finally, a terrifying idea crossed his mind.]
"W-what year is this?"
[Seris and Nalta looked at each other, as if they had a realization.]
"What year is this!?"
[The pilot insists, breathing heavily, Nalta nods.]
"Twenty-Four, Nine-Three"
[The answer paralyzes him, he breathes heavily. The scene fades to black as the credits roll. The Wastelander™ is a Production of Orbital Content Programming and House Storm. All Rights Reserved 2493-2494.]