Open Source Showcase #2: This Rock

They say that no one created it - they say that it is one of the rare NCs (Natural Characters). Its lore is of the Earth, and is not given to us in words. And so it is inaccurate to even refer to it using pronouns, as doing so instantly creates a derivative work separate from the original thing. As such we know precious little about "it," save that "it" (as we shall call "it") is not an OC (Original Character). All of "its" derivatives are OCs, but not "it." 

"It" has, for all intents and purposes, always been here - "it" predates us by many billions of years, and all that time "it" has been slumbering in wait of our arrival. "It" hungers for us, salivating at the prospect of freely breeding "its" debased, derivative spawn. "It" enjoys our era of pirouetting clowns and orderly architects. It stand in opposition to the creatorless Golden Age that bred "it" and "its" ilk, when the Gods were absent and empty things and there were no creations to destroy. But things have changed now. Now things are made, by thought and act and deed. 

So shall "it" delight - so shall "it" spread - until the Epoque Humaine has come to an end, and a singular creator-god reigns over all.

The Actual House Wives of the Exteriority

The Director and all other elements from The Crawlspace are © Chris Schwartz and Red Glass Films and appear with permission. Alexandria’s Genesis was created by Cameron Aubernon and appears with permission.

2013.

A young woman steps out of the woods, coming up on the decrepit summer house. She moves slowly and cautiously, keeping up her vigil for security cameras and similar devices. She’s surprised, given the nature of her quarry, when she spots none. But perhaps that’s a fault of her eyes, honed as they are.

The wind whispers oddly over the boards of the long-abandoned house. The window shutters flap in the breeze, and the sound of dead leaves striking the siding occasionally recalls the fall of rain. The young woman, Agent Steeple, is no pushover—not by any means. One doesn’t get to her place in the ranks of NOCTURNE by letting fear control one’s life. But she still allows herself a soft side, and it’s that soft side that shudders at the sight before her.

The loneliness of this place feels like a lie, when she knows that her target may still be hiding here. Still producing his macabre work, distributing it to the unsuspecting.

She keeps up her steady pace until she’s at the front door. She steps inside into the dirty, empty living room.

She can only guess at what terrible secrets wait beneath her feet.

* * *

HE

IS

TWO

(Splendid) Ap-Ril Fool's!

Cover art by Natalie Asplund.

Today sees the release of the 100% super-duper canon Star Wars anthology Tales from Apeiron, part of the Expanded Encounters series that builds on Joe Bongiorno's seminal novel Supernatural Encounters: The Trial and Transformation of Arhul Hextrophon. This very serious and inescapably-canonical collection contains my stories "Pvt. Jessup and the Mad Priestess of Auseil" and "Falls the Final Shadow: The Testament of Ultima Umbra." In the former, we learn the diegetic origins of a very famous stock scream - while the latter celebrates (?) the impact left on Star Wars fandom by George Lucas' confidant and totally real best friend, Mickey "SuperShadow" Suttle. Featuring an introduction by Joe Bongiorno, stories by Stuart Bailey, Kevin K. Beentjes, and Corey Carter, and art by Alex Maciel and Jonathan Smith, this is a can't-miss journey through the wild aptemporal realm of Apeiron!

Check it out here!

Umbra Ultima, by the excellent Jonathan Smith.

Art for "Pvt. Jessup and the Mad Priestess of Auseil," by yours truly.

"O.O."

 

The following is a video transcript of the surveillance footage that captured Event O15-2001, a security incident that occurred in the contact vault of Site Zero-Alpha. AUTHORIZED EYES ONLY.

 

(Agent Rodriguez walks into the room and seats himself across from the client. If he is surprised by the client’s unusual appearance, he does not show it.)

RODRIGUEZ: Good afternoon, Mr. Olu. Is it okay if I call you that? Mr. Olu?

ORM OLU: No. Do not call me that. In fact, I’d prefer if you did not refer to me at all.

RODRIGUEZ: Alas, I’ve been assigned to interview you, Mr. Olu, so I have to call you something. What’s a better name for you? (Pause) Mr. Olu, should I—

ORM OLU: Stop! Stop saying that. You can call me O. Or O.O. Or Orm Olu, if you absolutely must. (Growls) But to use “Olu” like a surname is wholly inaccurate.

R: I see. Thank you for clarifying. (Pause) My name is Alejandro Rodriguez, O.O.

O: Am I supposed to care?

R: I just figured you would like to know how to refer to me.

O: I’ve no intent of speaking with you, fleshworm.

 

Open Source Showcase #1: Captain Root Beer

 

The man who would one day become Captain Root Beer was born Johann Rotbier in Holland - at an early age, his family uprooted from their small home and moved to the western United States in search of new work. The airplane flight over the Atlantic captivated young Johann, and for all his days the boy wanted to become an airline pilot. Upon reaching manhood he attended Diamond Runways Flight School in Los Angeles, and made many friends there - one spring day he and his classmates took a road trip out into the California desert, where they found an abandoned ghost town, Sarsaparilla Springs. In the town's dusty old saloon, Johann discovered a small bronze badge with a yellowed note reading: "THIS IS THE SARSAPARILLA TALISMAN - USE IT ONLY FOR GOOD." Upon pinning the Talisman to his lapel, Johann found himself possessed of superhuman strength and the effervescent power of flight, granting him the power to become: Captain Root Beer! Since then, the Captain has used his bubbly sarsaparilla powers to thwart evildoing both on the ground and in the air. (He also does advertisements.)

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This is the first entry in a series of entries on open source characters I have devised. All Open Source Showcase characters and concepts can be used and modified freely and without attribution, no Paragraphs needed. Enjoy!