Hidden 8 mos ago 8 mos ago Post by ColdAtlas
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ColdAtlas Web-based Artificial Intelligence

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*Heyo, I've been writing this mini ARG lately to try to work on my writing skills. Feel free to give any feedback*
Day one//
Begin initialization?
This message floods my vision as I regain my consciousness. My whole body aches, as if I've been torn apart and hastily stitched back together. The message fades and a brightness seeks into my eyes as they open, momentarily blinding me. I gaze around my surroundings, alien and unfamiliar. Where am I? I can't remember how I got here, actually, I can't remember anything at all. Panick creeps over me as I pull myself up from the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust. I look over my equipment. My scanner is damaged but all the essential life support modules still function. I find myself in a thickly wooded forest or jungle. System readings state that it's around midday. I check my holster for my multitool- it's there, thank goodness. I'd be screwed without this thing. I dust it off and note what's damaged. Using its mining laser I'm able to gather some ferrite dust from scattered rocks. Inserting the raw materials into the damaged scanner slot, the machine knits itself back together. I hear a voice in my head, my exosuit systems. It emotionlessly states "Technology repaired." I fumble with a keypad on the arm of my exosuit, activating my scanner. I do another 360 until it locks onto my ship's signature. Okay, now I know where to go. I begin my trek through the trees and other foliage, occasionally using my multitool's mining laser to cut through the thick undergrowth. After managing my way through a few hundred meters of jungle, I find a small clearing, at the edge of which is my crashed ship, nestled upon some crumpled bushes. There's some smoke rising from the engine compartment which can't be good, but it otherwise looks intact. Near it is a large mechanical orb, painted white. An emergency beacon. Must be what my scanner found. I stumble up to it, typing in a basic activation command, and the top spins and rises open. An automated voice speaks to me, stating "SCENARIO: #Iteration 231187661T [Deleted] Boundary separation failure likely. Vessel [16] emptied. Cause: [Sentinel intervention | Deliberate Transfer] ANALYSIS: Fresh Iteration Generated. Anomaly Containment Prepared." It offers a prompt to either broadcast or leave. Instinctively, I select broadcast. It buzzes and says "// BROADCAST RECEIVED // TRAVELLER ANOMALY DETECTED // Anomaly is Compliant. Position logged. System Integrity Scan Initialized." With that final cryptic message, it closes and turns off, leaving me confused. My attention returns to my ship. The setting sun reflects off its wings. I sigh and say aloud to nobody in particular, "Well, looks like I have some work to do."
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Hidden 8 mos ago Post by ColdAtlas
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Day 2//
As the sun rises I look over my now fully repaired ship. I was able to find a cluster of crystals nearby that seemed to be pure di-hydrogen which I was able to make into some fuel for my launch thrusters. I enter my ship and it boots up, all systems reading green. Now this ship I remember. I remember everything about her, gracefully going through the system bootup and preparing for launch. The cabin pressurizes and with a burst of fire, the engines flare, lifting my ship up off the ground. I point the nose of my vessel skyward and throttle it forward. The ship rattles in the atmosphere as it pierces through the clouds. Suddenly the motion stops as I break through the last of the atmosphere. My ship floats in the expanse, making small adjustments to remain stable. Pulling up my ship's navigation I try to find where the hell I am in the galaxy. As the star map comes up I can immediately tell that something is wrong. “What the hell?” I murmur as I gaze at the foreign galaxy mapped out before me. I am completely lost. This isn’t my home system. This isn’t even my galaxy. Right where I expect it to read the familiar word “Milkyway” it instead reads “Euclid” Something must be wrong with my systems. Humanity hasn’t discovered a galaxy of that name, we haven’t left our own! But it can’t be wrong. I look for familiar star systems, constellations, nebulas, anything. But nothing is familiar. I am torn away from my thoughts as my ship’s systems state. “Coordinates Acquired” I look to see a set of strange symbols, somewhat like hieroglyphs from ancient Egypt, yet completely new. I ponder my options. Either I can stay in this system, wait for rescue or at least some sort of human contact or I can follow these coordinates to some random warp point to who knows where. But I can’t ignore this. I’m an explorer, the possibilities of an entirely new galaxy seem too enticing to ignore. Who knows, maybe I’ll find people at those coordinates. My hand goes to the throttle as I enable the warp core on my ship.
“Only one way to find out.”
Hidden 8 mos ago Post by Zeroth
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Since I was one of the ones that suggested you post here, I thought I'd offer some feedback. I'm kind of a wordy guy though so hopefully it's not too long:



Hope this helps, good luck with your efforts as a writer!
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Hidden 8 mos ago Post by ColdAtlas
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Thanks for the feedback! That's super helpful! For the first two comments I didn't notice my typos lol, and "seeks" was meant to be "seeps"

I'll definitely look into that book you spoke of and thanks for the examples of better ways to add more character to it.
I'm gonna put work into that character development and hopefully that will help bring them to life.
once again thanks though, as getting helpful advice like this is exactly why I started this learning experience :D
Hidden 8 mos ago 8 mos ago Post by ColdAtlas
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Day 3//
Streaks of light fill my vision as I warp out of the system. I sit there for a few minutes, watching the light show as my thoughts turn to home.

I grew up on a farm in one of the outer colonies. Our planet was called Obraxis, a lush planet covered in fertile fields. Almost the whole planet was a farming community. We had a small family of just Mom, Dad, and me. Dad was always somewhat distant, but I always knew he cared about us. Mom was a tough woman, strong-willed and sharp-minded.

I worked on our farm since I was six, helping manage the large automated harvesters that wandered grain fields. My mother taught me to work with machinery, while my dad always preferred old-fashioned hands-on work with the animals. I worked with them there till the age of 30. Farm life would never be enough for me, I wanted to do something new, something incredible. Dad was pissed when I decided to join the Obraxis Space Administration, but my mom loved the idea of her boy going from star to star. Eventually, she convinced him and I went into training.

The training was brutal. I’ve been told that our space program had more requirements than our military, honestly, I believe it. I was eventually assigned to the Second Exploratory Wing. When it came time to say goodbye to my lifelong home, I said goodbye to Mom, but Dad didn’t show. Honestly, I don’t blame him. I was leaving behind everything I had ever known, including my family. He was losing his son, who wouldn’t be torn apart? I remember giving Mom that last hug goodbye. The tears in her eyes. Tears of pride, tears of fear, tears of hope for my future. I hope they’re still out there, tending their fields and watching the stars, hoping their son is out there looking back. I hope Dad forgave me…
That was three years ago now, and as I look at the stars streaking by I dream of home, knowing it's dreaming of me.
Hidden 8 mos ago Post by ColdAtlas
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@ZerothI tried to build some background for the main character in this entry, I tried to use some of your advice!
Hidden 8 mos ago Post by ColdAtlas
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I might add in his reflections of home every once in a while
Hidden 8 mos ago Post by Zeroth
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@ZerothI tried to build some background for the main character in this entry, I tried to use some of your advice!


Good work, I can already tell there's some improvement! This is what came to mind as I was reading it:

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Hidden 8 mos ago Post by ColdAtlas
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Thanks! I appreciate your help :D
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