New sketches of Cory Wilcox and Cindy Draper are now available! These are classmates and friends of Rene Anderson (aka Rennek). Use these links to see in-depth profiles of either character:
Friday, July 29, 2011
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Issue 2 Scene 7
Setting: On the country road between the National Guard Armory and Compass City. There are corn and soy bean fields on either side of the paved road for miles. A sign shows the proximity to either destination at the ends of the street. The sun is beginning to set.
Sketch is riding his skate board and spots Rennek flying in the sky. She is coming from the opposite direction. He calls up to her.
Sketch: “Any luck?”
Rennek swoops down to the street and stands on the side of it with Zach, who picks up his skate board.
Rennek: “No, the tip was given by some boy, but that doesn’t get us anything. The file was deleted. I couldn’t even listen to it. What about you?”
Sketch visualizes in his mind the several people he saw. He is seen talking with Cindy who hides behind her front door with only a sliver of light coming through. He also speaks with other Students, School officials and eventually to the janitor seen in Issue # 1.
Sketch: “I tracked the origin of the virus to your school’s computer lab, where a janitor thinks he saw the one who downloaded it from off the internet.”
Rennek is surprised at Sketch’s success and curious for more.
Rennek: “…And…”
Sketch’s smile fades as he admits the unimpressive truth. A flashback of Cody smiling to the janitor is seen.
Sketch: “And he doesn’t remember who he saw.”
Rennek is disappointed, then looks around suspiciously.
Rennek: “Do you feel like someone is watching us?”
In space, a satellite focuses in on the two heroes on the country road side. There are crosshairs in its zooming lens.
An earth-shattering rumble is heard and causes the ground to shake. Rennek and Sketch fall to the ground and see a pillar of smoke rise into the sky. They are both curious and then worried as they see the rocket arc and speed toward them.
Sketch: “Hey Rennek, missiles aren’t guided by…”
Rennek: “…Computers? Yeah.”
Abstract: “To Be Continued…”
Issue 2 Scene 6
Setting: Compass City maximum security prison. This is a large and long building of at least five levels. The stone exterior is complimented by pillars and dramatic architecture. The windows are tall and thin and barred. The interior resembles a typical prison. The main color scemes are grey with earth tones.
The exterior of the prison near its identifying plaque is shown.
Disembodied: “Inmate 5628, get in here.”
The bounty hunter is in an orange jump-suit, sitting in a small interrogation room. He has a smug expression, and has not told his captures anything useful. There is a pane of glass between the convict and the interrogator. There is a small speaker device like a ticket booth on the glass. All text is framed in an electric buzzing bubble. The bounty hunter looks up, but his visitor is not yet revealed.
Inmate: “I thought I would see you again, Experiment A-9-13.”
Alloy stands on the other side of the glass, arms folded.
Abstract: “2 hours later.”
Officer: “We couldn’t get anything out of him either. I can show you the equipment he had on him when we arrested him, but you need special clearance for that.”
Alloy shows his ALOH badge, and is brought to a lab. A bin with a lock on it is opened and the Inmate’s bounty hunter suit and weapons are laid out on the central table. They speak as they lay the items out.
Officer: “We have found traces of Coffee, perfumes, weathered concrete, and…”
Alloy picks up the suit and sniffs it.
Alloy: “Underground molds, Potassium Iodine…”
Alloy is perplexed as he mumbles to himself.
Alloy: “That doesn’t make any sense.”
Issue 2 Scene 5
Setting: ALOH medical facility. This looks like a small one or two room clinic in a large complex of buildings. Rennek is sitting up in her hospital bed, hugging her knees. This is a multi-purpose room, and all medical items look as if they had been placed there as an afterthought. ALOH agents as well as the Renegades and Rene’s parents crowd the small room.
Agent Arcane (The ALOH agent who mostly deals with the Renegades, and who looks like all the other agents) stands tall with his arms folded near the foot of the bed, facing perpendicular to Rene’s bed.
Agent Arcane: “The President has declared this as a National State of Emergency. The ironic thing is that the news and media lines are still compromised. None of the public have heard his announcement.”
Alloy is leaning against the wall sharpening a knife, nearly hiding in the shaded corner.
Alloy: “Who did this? Who is behind it all?”
Agent Arcane: “The Anakboot Terrorists have claimed responsibility. This seems like a viable lead, but we are neck deep in leads right now. We are trying to find those who created the virus. They would be the only ones capable of creating an anit-virus program or a kill-code. That would undo this mess."
Agent Arcane loosens his tie a little bit. Rennek is still on her bed, but she speaks with a free arm. She is still dressed in her Rennek uniform. Her father is on a chair next to the bed beside her mother. He has one hand on his knee, and uses the other as he speaks like Rene.
Rennek: “We can help. The ALOH have trained us for this sort of thing.”
Dr. Anderson: (To Agent Arcane) “Alloy can help, but Rene and Zach are coming home with us.”
Sketch is sitting on a file cabinet, bringing his eyes higher than anyone else’s. He pushes himself off and stands defiantly.
Sketch: “C’mon, I wasn’t sissy slapped like Rene! I’m going with Alloy!”
Agent Arcane: “Actually, your home is the most dangerous place you could go. We have found a dormant part of the virus code. It is some kind of targeting command, focusing on you three. Our men are looking into it now. Helping us follow a few leads is the best option. You need to keep moving.”
Alloy come closer to the group, and speaks proudly in a heroic stance.
Alloy: “I’m going after the Bounty Hunter that attacked us earlier. If the Anakboots are really involved, that is where I need to be.”
Agent Arcane nods.
Agent Arcane: “We also want you to try to track the infection back to Patient Zero, or the first computer infected. We have hundreds of lines to follow, but you can start with when your phones were infected.”
Rennek: “Everyone here got the bug from me, and I got it from my friend Cindy.”
Sketch: “I’ve got this one!”
Sketch volunteered for this a little too eagerly. He looks over to Rennek with a sneaky expression.
Sketch: “So where can I find that good-looking girl anyway?”
Agent Arcane: “We also had an anonymous tip that this was going to happen. Rennek, I want you to investigate. Head to the National Guard Armory just outside the City.”
Issue 2 Scene 4
Setting: Anakboot underground base of operations.
Disembodied: “Our day has come. For generations our kind has fought with swords, guns and missiles. Now we wield the greatest weapon of all time. We now have a choke hold on the life blood of America.”
Guards and other scientist are celebrating with unspecified drinks in the background, drinking directly from cans. The atmosphere is one of cheers, pride and victory. The men and women are openly laughing. Noor Niu (the Fat Terrorist) is standing behind another Anakboot Terrorist viewing a computer screen.
Noor: “You said that our mainframe is still intact?”
Terrorist: “Yes, and as far as I can tell, the Doomsday Virus has only infected American servers and databases. It has kept to the program well, and stayed within the United States. But we have had one problem…”
Noor: “Yes?”
Terrorist: “The Virus’ effect on Dr. Anderson’s holoprojectors was greatly flawed. The Renegades have survived their onslaught.”
Noor looks up at the TV screen, broadcasting only the virus pattern. He smiles, continuing to face the screens. As he speaks, he pulls out a large flash-thumb drive from his pocket.
Noor: “We have enslaved every computing device in the United States and have stolen information from trillions of Government Computers. I have not come this far to be beaten by children. Noor Niu always has a backup plan. I have been called the most brilliant programmer of the Eastern World. I now am in battle with the greatest programmers of the Western World, and I will not fail.”
Terrorist: “What is in your hand?”
Noor turns to the Terrorist again. His face is no longer showing a confident expression, but is now dark and brooding.
Noor: “Something the Renegades will try to steal from me. Every last one of our troops must stop them at all costs. The party is over. Tell them to have their guns at the ready.”
Monday, July 25, 2011
Issue 2 Scene 3
Abstract: “It isn’t easy living on the streets of Brooklyn. For most people…”
A sepia colored flash-back (with everything in green highlighted) reveals the streets of Brooklyn. Zach is a little ragged as he shows a drawing to tourists of the Brooklyn Bridge.
Abstract: “When I heard that my Parents might live out west, I figured I’d check it out. By now I was rich and famous, so I took my private jet.”
Zach sneaks into the storage-area of a tour bus. He is next seen being kicked out by an angry driver and left at a gas station. The bus drives into the distance. A massive meteorite crashes into the earth where the bus had disappeared.
Abstract: “The Meteorite shower took everyone by surprise. We were hit, and fell to the ground in a giant fire-ball. I was the only survivor.”
Zach runs to the crash site, finding the bus buried in shards, rocks and boulders of the green meteorite. He is worried, and pauses for a moment, realizing what he needs to do. He grabs onto each shard and rock and throws them outside the crater or to the side. Soon a door is uncovered, and he helps the passengers to safety.
Abstract: Super brilliant scientists (who hardly anyone could afford) studied the meteorite and decided to give me super powers based on the space rock.
Zach’s hands have some of the green glowing rock burned into them. He looks at his hands in disbelief. Alloy and Rennek had arrived and were helping the people who crashed in the bus with their bruises and cuts.
Abstract: “I found that I could create almost anything out of the green pite which came from my hands. When the Renegades heard about me, they begged me to join their team. I mean, who can blame them?”
Zach runs to catch the Renegades attention right before they takeoff in a helicopter provided and piloted by the ALOH’s agents.
Abstract: I am Sketch, and I’m a Renegade!”
The front page of the Daily Compass shows a large picture of the Renegades with Sketch in his shades filling up most of the picture, trying to hog all the lime-light and upstage the others. It is covering the assault and arrest of the Anakboot terrorist bounty hunter from Issue # 1.
Issue 2 Scene 2
Setting: The deserted Silver Square turned battlefield of downtown Compass City. Small fires have caught in the lower levels of the shops and buildings. Debris is found everywhere. Newsstands have been busted, sending hundreds of papers amiss. Some statues are broken and cars are smashed, cut in half, and stacked on top of each other. The land has been torn up as if with giant shovels, creating broken and overturned pieces of terrain, sidewalk and street, their edges pointing upward. The scene is deserted, except for the three heroes and 12 Virus Projections. All heroes have a few scratches, smudges of mud on their uniforms, and other signs of fighting for a while.
A car is thrown by one of the projections, and rolls through the air toward Alloy, who turns to face it and darts away. The car crashes into a shop store-front.
Alloy: “They have assimilated more battle tactics, how many computers do you think this virus has affected by now?”
Alloy charges like a samurai and swings up at the projection, spins and hits it from the side, and chops down at it. Each time he only hits its hard force-field skin with no affect. The projection slaps him back-handed sending him into fire-hydrant, breaking it. Water bursts into the sky creating a gushing fountain. Rennek jumps into the air and turns only to blast from both hands a huge pillar of anti-energy toward a projection. The blast causes the projection to shrivel into just the projector device. Rennek smiles, but soon learns that as soon as she stops blasting it, the monster grows back to normal size again.
Rennek: “It’s been a couple of hours. The virus could have gone around the world a few times by now. Anti-matter and anti-energy have no effect on them! I’ve never seen anything like it!”
Sketch: “I better still have my playlist after this is done.”
Sketch forms a ball of pite, squishing it tight between his hands. He throws it between four or five projections, which look at it. The next moment, they are all covered in pite as the small ball explodes like a grenade, sticking them all to the ground. They then begin to cut and break out of the mess. Sketch has a “you’ve got to be kidding me” look on his face.
Sketch: (shouting up at Rennek with his hands beside his mouth) “Alright Rennek, we’re not making a dent. What now?”
Rennek: “I, um…”
Rennek flies downward and becomes semi-transparent. She phases into a monster and through the holoprojector, causing it to fizzle out and the projection to vanish. She lands on her feet and materializes again. (1 down, 11 to go.)
Rennek: “Keep them distracted, I’ll - ”
Rennek is hit in the face by a projection, causing her to fall over, knocked-out. The attacking virus projection then stands over her, ready to drive it’s blade-like arm into her. It plunges its arm down but is caught by a pite net limiting its motion from behind. Sketch holds the ends of the net in both hands and pulls with all of his strength. The monster is thrown onto its back, but phases through the net, leaving its projector behind. Alloy quickly runs and smashes the projector with his fist and turns to Sketch. The monster vanishes. (2 down, 10 to go.)
Alloy: “She’s unconscious. I’ll take her somewhere safe, hold them off!”
Sketch creates a whip and shield and smiles, nodding confidently.
Sketch: “They can’t handle the Sketch!”
Alloy rolls his eyes and picks up Rennek. Sketch turns to the oncoming projections and gulps with a nervous look. Two projections charge toward him, razor sharp arms at the ready to plunge down at him. Sketch wraps his whip around one, and yanks it into the other. They phase into each other, but their projectors collide and crash into pieces. (4 down, 8 to go.)
Sketch is frozen in astonishment, eyes wide. He is next seen with a confident smile again, chest high. The remaining eight virus projections close around him in a circle. He throws globs into one of their faces who thrashes violently, breaking through another’s face and destroying its projector. (5 down, 7 to go.) Sketch ducks and dodges a few attacks from the remaining projections, giving himself some distance from them. He turns and forges a bow with three arrows. He launches them at the monsters. The arrows break on the tough skin of a few and flies through some of the others. One which had an arrow fly through it doesn’t see a sword tear up from its back and through the projector. It evaporates with two clean halfs of the holoprojector falling on the ground. At the same moment, one standing next to it suffers the same fate from behind. Both holoprojecters where cut with a fluid motion. (7 down, 5 to go) Alloy holds the sword with his eyes squinted. Sketch proudly gestures to the broken projectors scattered around and smoking.
At about this time, police and ALOH agents assemble around the square, holding their guns at the ready. The crowd of law enforcement slowly grows.
Sketch: “What do you think?”
Alloy: “I think there are five left.”
Alloy runs and jumps into a projection, knocking it onto its back into the spilled water from the fire hydrant. The electric force-field shorts out, causing the monster to disperse throughout the water. Its holoprojector then drops into the deep new puddle, and fizzles out. (8 down, 4 to go.)
Alloy: “Sketch, do you think you can make a strand of pite which acts like a conductor?”
Sketch had wrapped a band of pite around the last few projections and stuck the end onto an electric meter on the side of a large shop.
Sketch: “Way ahead of you Alloy.”
Alloy sends a sword hurdling and spinning through the air. It pierces the meter and blinding arcs of yellow electricity mixes with the blue and white sparks buzzing around each monster. The current travels through the line of pite and blurs all projections, and also burns the holoprojectors.
The two heroes stand victorious over the smoking scene.
Abstract: “My name is Zach McClain. My code-name is Sketch, but you can call me awesome.”
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