> Wake up, again

[bathymetric]

[Whether you've met an unfortunately end on the SS Swift, or deep in the depths, wrapped in the crushing tentacles of the kraken... You're not there anymore. You also don't seem to be dead. Maybe. It's difficult to tell, seeing as you no longer have any of the injuries you sustained on the ship... But you're also no longer on the ship.

Your eyes awaken to a cloudless sky, and a dry, dry, desert. A weak breeze struggles to blow even the dust from the cracked earth. There isn't a drop of water for miles around.

But what is around... is a ship. About a dozen yards away from where you've awoken is a tall, two-mast galleon, beached on the wastes, listing to the right.

How did it get here? Who knows. How did YOU get here?

Might be questions for a later time, seeing as you're waking up with your murderer.

Welcome to the Locker.]


[Map courtesy of Carmen Sandiego]

Comments

[heroantagonist]

Hey-- Hey! Not the face, I have a career-

[This is most definitely not the first time someone's taken a wild swing at Jack, but the combination of exhaustion and rocking of the boat puts him at a one-in-a-million disadvantage.

Decus gets to punch Jack in his face. He reels back into the railing, clutching at the side of his face where the fist landed.]

Ow! What... Come on!

[onlyyoucan]

[Sara looks like she doesn't know if she should laugh or be afraid of whatever Decus might have just unleashed.]

You know you deserved that. [But Freyja asked a question, so...] So you didn't know about this place?

[heroantagonist]

The only thing I deserve is the power that I'm currently not getting.

[He sets his jaw, gritting teeth in a scowl. A thin crack now runs along the left cheek of Jack's "face".]

It's just as I said. I didn't really listen to what it was. All I cared about was getting that fricken ritual completed.

[silentscout]

[He's going to ZOOM THE FUCK IN ON THAT HELLO]

What ritual?

[sharddrive]

[nani the fuck]

[...that's not a gagtag, he's just listening closely now]

[heroantagonist]

The ritual to open... a Vault.

[...]

Massive, ancient vaults, built by aliens and containing all the money, loot, and power you could ever want? Guarded by some badass monster, typically? Do you know how much it takes to open one of those babies?

[thisaroma]

[ glances to Alice at the power part... ]

[conceivesfrenzy]

[ She doesn't look at him, pretty intently focused on Jack as soon as he mentions that. ]

[sharddrive]

Question, did whoever told you about this thing also offer to sell you some magic beans?

[heroantagonist]

Oh ha-ha, they're real, jackass! I've stood in a couple of em myself.

They're all over the galaxy, and one just to happened to be here, on this puny planet. Problem is, you have to find out just how to open one.

Now, you wanna guess how you open this vault?

[onlyyoucan]

Not just death, a specific kind of death. With a template you inherited. Right?

[heroantagonist]

With a template that I, myself, and me alone, with nobody's help totally came up with.

[...]

Okay, Chuckie helped. A little.

[conceivesfrenzy]

[ However pissed off she happened to be up until now (offscreen), that seems to evaporate when he talks about vaults and what they supposedly entail. ]

By sacrificing a bunch of people's lives, I'm guessing?

[ She sounds very intrigued. ]

[leaveittomother]

Isn't that normal for this sort of thing?

[sharddrive]

Well clearly not by being a gullible clown, or you'd have it nailed.

[silentscout]

[Vault? Is that the thing that the books were stored in back home???]

We always just opened those with a crowbar.

[heroantagonist]

Think bigger, kid.

Like mountain-sized vault.

[silentscout]

There's still better ways than killing people.

[And then, after seeing what Jack said to Shard:]

Do you even have any experience with rituals? You don't look like a mage.

[guffawsungraciously]

How much did that have to do with the ghost that took over your body after your death, by the by.

[heroantagonist]

Oh... That. LeChuck.

[Rubs his neck sorely.]

Is that bastard really walking around in my body? I mean... Yeah, I get wanting to be Jack, who doesn't? But you'd think a partner would mention that at some point.

[guffawsungraciously]

I have to admit, I cannot relate to wanting to be you. But this is the sort of thing you really ought to expect when making a deal with that sort... I am almost surprised he did not take over your body at the start of things.

[thisaroma]

Ha!!

[ Okay, mission accomplished. He'll give Alice a proud smile, dust off his hands, and let everyone get back to it, then. ]

[guffawsungraciously]

[HE APPLAUDS!!!!]

[thisaroma]

[ Yeah!! ]

[paucipan]

[...

Oh, screw it, Plumeria's not that much of a heartless bitch to not applaud a shot directly at the Captain. You did good, Decus.]