Prologue<\/b><\/p>\n
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July 3rd, 2016<\/b><\/p>\n
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\u201cI woke up to the sounds of birds singing their songs as I felt the sun aggressively beating down on my face. I\u2019m bleary-eyed and can hardly remember anything.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Where am I? What happened to me?\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n <\/p>\n I silently ask myself as I slowly sit up, trying not to fall over from the wave of nausea that suddenly rolls over me. I look around.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Something must\u2019ve attacked my arm while I was asleep.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/i>I think as I bandage up a large gash in my left arm with a leaf I found on the ground near me. I Notice quickly that I\u2019m surrounded by a thick wall of trees, confining me to one path. I follow the small path which has been lined with rocks.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n It doesn\u2019t seem like anyone\u2019s been here in quite a while.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n <\/p>\n I think as I venture on. The path slowly widens out into a large clearing, which has been soaked into a muddy marsh by the flowing river nearby. I carefully trek across, only stepping on the most secure spots. As the heat slowly wears me down, I realize how dehydrated I am, and the only thought my brain can produce is \u2018get some water\u2019. The only water near was the swampy river flowing rapidly across the bank. The ground there seemed even less secure, but safety was no longer a concern to me anymore. My thoughts and logic had been overcome by the primal instinct to survive, and the river was the only way that would happen. As I tried to reach the riverbank, I stomped through the marshy landscape as I felt bugs and fish trying to attack me.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n After I finally reached the cleaner section of the water, the rapids pick up, pulling me away from my only safety, the land which is moving out of view quickly. As I look around for anything to hold onto to stop myself from moving, I see a large building in the distance. A large pyramid with an entrance on the side, with a set of footprints leading inwards. The whole area has been engulfed in a thick layer of moss and vines, except for a small path that must have been hacked away with a machete. The memories begin to flood back\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span>It was merely a few hours earlier, Dr. Apple and his guide and comrade Alex D. Liverwurst were trekking through the Amazonian Jungle looking for a so-called cursed temple, to find anything to help their research of a local illness infecting the people of Crime City. Their most recent evidence pointed to this temple, and they had no other leads so it was the next logical thing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n As they cut through the thick brush, they finally came to a clearing, with a large pyramid in the center of the clearing. Dr. Apple checked the map and the temple matched the images he had found earlier at the library while researching before the trip.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The whole building gave off an ominous aura, almost as if it made the air around it denser, preventing entry. Dr. Apple looked to see if Alex felt the same thing, and he nodded in agreement.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cLooks like we found the right place.\u201d Said Alex.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Dr. Apple rebutted timidly \u201cIs that even a good thing though?\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n He was hesitant to even get close to the building, but it was for the good of his friends and family back in Crime City, so it had to be done.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n They both moved forwards towards the entrance, but it felt as if their muscles were seizing up as they got closer. They looked towards each other again and counted down from 3.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThree, Two, One, GO!\u201d They shouted as they dove in, through the barrier of solid air.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n After they entered the atmosphere lifted, allowing them to explore further.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n They carefully moved inwards, down a set of staircases, avoiding anything that looked like it could be a trap. They eventually made it down into a large dome-shaped room, with a statue sitting on a pedestal in the center.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAccording to the sources I\u2019ve researched, this statue is the cause of this \u2018curse\u2019. It needs to be destroyed\u00a0 in order to stop this all.\u201d Said Dr. Apple, looking quite nervous.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s on a pedestal, with what looks like some sort of trap, we need to replace it with something <\/span>of the same size.\u201d Responded Alex.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Dr. Apple pulled out a small sack full of sand, and carefully began to switch the statue and the bag of sand.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Once the action was done, they both breathed a collective sigh of relief. Dr. Apple looked back over at the pedestal, and time seemed to slow as the bag began to slip off the pillar, to their dismay. It fell to the ground with a loud impact. The building began to shake intensely. They both started to sprint out with Dr. Apple still holding the statue.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The walls were collapsing behind them, and starting to catch up with them. The walls to the sides of Dr. Apple began to crumble, and just before he was engulfed, he threw the statue to Alex, just as a large boulder crushed his arm.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n He was completely sealed off from the outside now, and he blacked out from the shock. The last thing he remembered was a native from the local village digging up the rubble and finding him before he passed out again\u2026\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201c<\/span>He left me for dead.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n <\/p>\n I thought as I floated along the river. Snapping out of my daydreaming, I quickly grabbed a hold of a rock to the side of me, pulling myself up and getting out of the water. After drinking some water I began to follow the river, carefully making\u00a0<\/span>sure I didn\u2019t fall in. I eventually made it to the settlement which is where I am now.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Said Dr. Apple to one of the natives, who was helping him bandage up and giving him water. Dr. Apple decided to stay at the village for a few more days, but he didn\u2019t ever want to see Alex again after he was abandoned in the temple. The only thing he wanted was vengeance\u2026 And no one would, or could, stop him.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n March 21st, 2018<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Roughly two years had passed since the unfortunate death of the one man who knew Alex well, his partner Dr. Apple. It was reported that his body was never found, but no human could survive that.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n After mourning the death of his fallen comrade, Alex gave up his life as an explorer and researcher and dedicated his time to becoming a protector of the city, adopting the moniker: Deadly Sausage. His one goal was to protect Dr. Apple\u2019s dream of keeping the city safe from any and all threats. And as anyone who lived there would tell you, the city definitely needed a hero.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n August 12th, 2021<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n One of Deadly Sausage\u2019s most recent endeavors was to examine the scene of the most recent of a series of mysterious\u00a0<\/span>kidnappings that took place in broad daylight, but no one witnessed the crimes.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The official police report stated clearly that no evidence was ever found on any of these sights, but they needed the keen eye of Deadly Sausage to make sure. Deadly Sausage had arranged a deal with the police department of Crime City and was to be paired up with an officer to investigate the case with him.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n He was to be paired up with Chief Cruller, who was to provide backup in case of an emergency but also to make sure Deadly Sausage was purely good-spirited and not doing this for his own personal gain.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chief Cruller mumbled into his mic, \u201cWe reached the scene of the crime, requesting for backup on standby.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Deadly Sausage was an expert at fighting and stopping criminals, but this was certainly an unusual case.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHave you ever heard of anything as unusual as this before?\u201d Asked Deadly Sausage.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNot once, but I\u2019ve seen almost everything else so this shouldn\u2019t be too hard to solve.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Deadly Sausage began to ponder how the kidnapping was even reported if there weren\u2019t any witnesses and there was no evidence, but he forgot all about his question as he hopped out of the car towards the scene of the crime.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n It was an old supermarket, probably from the early \u201950s, and mostly out of order. It was very frequently the scene of drug deals and other crimes, so this wasn\u2019t a total surprise. The walls were corroded and the layers of paint on the store sign had been chipped away to reveal the logo of the previous business owners\u2019 company.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n As they walked around to the back of the building through a darkened alleyway, they came upon a segmented-off area of the alleyway, surrounded by police tape, thrown hastily on as if done by someone who was in a rush, or by someone trying not to get caught.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n For now, Deadly Sausage tried to keep his observations private, as he still needed to ponder what this might mean. Inside the taped-off area was nothing but an empty purse, which looked almost new, minus the fact it had been in a dirty and muddy alleyway for several hours.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chief Cruller thought out loud, \u201cI wonder if this could have belonged to the victim of the kidnapping, or perhaps it was put here as a diversion.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Deadly Sausage took another quick glance at the purse, and inside was an ID card, with Deadly Sausage\u2019s face and real identity printed on it.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Deadly Sausage was quick to tear the card up and toss it aside, as to make sure the police didn\u2019t learn about his true identity until he knew they were good.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Something is definitely going on, first the possibly fake crime scene, and now this? <\/span><\/i>Deadly Sausage thought to himself, pondering what his next move should be.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Deadly Sausage shouted loudly \u201cLooks Like it was just a fake report, the others should go on back to the station while we gather up our stuff.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The other officers who were waiting on standby all nodded in agreement and headed back to their cars. Chief Cruller tried to interject but was quickly cut off by Deadly Sausage covering his mouth with his hand.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n He whispered quietly to Chief Cruller \u201cSomething bad is going on, and I can\u2019t let the other officers get caught up in it. Whoever planted this crime scene knows stuff about me that no one on this earth should know, and they aren\u2019t being subtle about it.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chief Cruller responded by chuckling and saying \u201cThat\u2019s quite the joke but this is clearly just some kid\u2019s attempt at a prank, let\u2019s head back to the sheriff’s office.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Deadly Sausage replied back, \u201cI don\u2019t have anything to gain by joking around right now, and if there is even a hint of crime, I\u2019m willing to spend all the time necessary if there is a chance of helping someone. This was the wish of a dear friend of mine so it is my wish as well. If you so wish you may return to the police department, but by doing so you are ignoring your duty as an officer to protect the innocent.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chief Cruller thought for a second and nodded.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m here to help you. It\u2019s my legal and personal obligation to protect you until this case is solved, you won\u2019t have to do this alone.\u201d Deadly Sausage thanked Chief Cruller for his assistance and they began to search further. As they walked around the area, Deadly Sausage noticed something peculiar about the floor.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n When he would walk around the majority of the floor it would all be normal, but the tone shifted slightly once he reached a certain spot in the ground. Deadly Sausage pulled out a small blade and reached a crack in the ground. He took his knife and plunged it deep into the crack in the concrete, turning it slightly. Doing so allowed Chief Cruller to pull up a section of the sidewalk around the building, which revealed a small trapdoor.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Deadly Sausage and Chief Cruller looked at each other and nodded.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cBefore we go down let’s figure out the depth so we don\u2019t get hurt.\u201d Said Chief Cruller as he grabbed a small rock from the sidewalk.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n He threw the rock down the hole and listened carefully. After hearing the muted clink of the rock, Chief Cruller estimated the hole to be about 200 feet deep. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Deadly Sausage grabbed a rope out of his utility bag and fastened it to the doorknob of the back entrance to the store, and measured the hole to be just wide enough for the two of them to fit through.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cLooks like there\u2019s only one way to go.\u201d Quipped Deadly Sausage as he fastened the rope around his waist. \u201cSee you at the bottom!\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n A few minutes and a whole lot of claustrophobia later, they arrived at the bottom of the shaft. It opened up into a large cavern, and the light from the trapdoor had almost completely faded before it ever reached the floor.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The cave was solid stone, with seemingly no exits and very little light. The only thing they could hear were the faint chirps of bats, and the dripping of water of the sharp stalactites attached to the roof. Looking around, it became very obvious that there would be no hope of getting\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n around without any extra light, as they couldn\u2019t even see to the other side.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cDid you happen to bring a flashlight in your bag?\u201d Asked Chief Cruller, hoping he wouldn\u2019t have to go back up the shaft again.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cLet me check, I really hope I brought one.\u201d Replied Deadly Sausage.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Deadly Sausage rummaged through his utility bag, almost setting off his gun while doing so. He eventually found a working flashlight, and one for Chief Cruller. As they shone their beams of light through the cavern, they noticed the light reflecting off one of the walls at the end. After a close look, it became clear that it was a door, made of scratched-up metal. There was a lock on the door, and as they moved closer to the door, Deadly Sausage used his flashlight to look around for anything else of use.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Deadly Sausage pulled out his gun once they had reached the door, and shot the lock off. The noise managed to startle the bats, who flew around and forced the pair to go through the door without thinking about it. As they shut the door behind them, they look around. The scenery was very different past the door, and they were now in a brightly lit facility, with pure white walls, and marbled flooring.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u00a0\u201cWhat is this place?\u201d Asked Deadly Sausage in awe and confusion.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The whole facility was empty, with large hallways all extending off from the entrance. It had clearly been in use not long ago, due to the working lights and clean floors and walls. They split up after checking if their walkie-talkies were operational, and searched through the twisting corridors. Even though less than 30 minutes had passed, it felt as if hours were going by. Deadly Sausage hadn\u2019t found anything but more glimmering white halls, and he was thinking of taking a break.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n He had nearly given up, but he remembered why they were even there, to save people. That was enough to keep Deadly Sausage going, and he trekked on further. Eventually, he found a door, which was unlabeled and standing at the end of one of the many corridors. He pulled out his walkie-talkie, but after exploring this far the signal was being blocked by the supposed miles of solid walls.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cCome on, not now, this is important!\u201d Barked Deadly Sausage frustratedly.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n He tossed the walkie-talkie on the ground in anger. He desperately tried to think of a way to contact his partner, but he didn\u2019t have anything else of use in his utility pack. Deadly Sausage finally came to the realization that he would have to do this alone. After examining the door further, it had no peephole or even any wearing on the door at all. It looked brand new like no one had ever touched it, in fact, the whole facility looked that way.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Why would someone create this whole facility and not use it? What\u2019s its purpose anyway? <\/span><\/i>Deadly Sausage contemplated silently.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Deadly Sausage held his ear to the door and could hear a very faint beeping noise inside. He unholstered his gun and kicked open the door to see\u2026 nothing. It was a mostly empty room, with nothing but a few monitors in the center of the space. He slowly crept towards the center as he checked the corners for any signs of a trap.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n On the center monitor was a map of Crime City, with a system of pipes overlaid atop it.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n What is this? <\/span><\/i>He thought as he scanned the map.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n He noticed there were dots lining the pipes, and came to the sudden realization that this was a map of the facility.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n This place is massive! How long has this been underneath our very feet?\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n <\/p>\n After he inspected the dots yet again, he saw one right atop the grocery store where they entered from. <\/span>Those dots must be the entrances then! <\/span><\/i>He realized as he looked over the map more.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n If those are the entrances, then that must be where the kidnappings happened.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n He quickly remembered that he was given a map of all the kidnappings when he first left to the grocery store to investigate, and after checking it, the dots lined up perfectly with the ones on the monitor.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Well, that\u2019s awfully convenient,<\/span><\/i> he thought.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n He was about to head out when he noticed one more thing on the map. There were hallways that were opening and closing in specific patterns across the facility.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Whoever is behind all this must have wanted me to discover this, but the question still remains, why? This clearly never was just a case of kidnappings at all, they most likely weren\u2019t ever even part of this. This was something different, something much more personal.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n Deadly Sausage was about to exit the room when he heard a faint voice. He turned around, and the room\u2019s walls flipped around into a screen, which displayed a three-dimensional environment of the city above. A deep, heavily distorted robotic voice began to speak.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou might be beginning to wonder where you are. I\u2019m sure you\u2019ve already started to suspect this, but there were never any kidnappings, it was all a ploy to bring you down here, to show you this recording. For what reason, you will soon discover but for now, all I can say is that if you do not follow my commands, this whole facility is rigged with explosives. If they were to be set off, the whole city would be erased from this world.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The video of the city suddenly shifted to a simulation of the city which was covered in a thick blanket of rubble, which was smoldering, as if it was recently on fire.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYour partner is still exploring the facility, and he will also be killed by the blast, so you must listen to me. Once you exit this room you must head straight forwards until you reach the\u00a0 next chamber, where you will meet me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u00a0Before Deadly Sausage has time to process any of this, the screens switch yet again to an image of a tomb somewhere in a rainforest, before shutting off. Deadly Sausage drops to his knees.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n No, this can\u2019t be, he died five years ago, I saw it happen! But he\u2019s the only one who would know about that!<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n The door to the room opens, and the lights and monitors in the room power off. Up ahead is one single corridor, twisting in a serpentine manner and seeming to stretch on endlessly into the void. All of the other hallways had been closed off, leading him straight ahead. Deadly Sausage sat down for a second to process everything and noticed he\u2019s being watched by a camera positioned in the corner of the hall. Deadly Sausage tries to pull out his walkie-talkie, but it gets shot out of his hands by the camera, which he now observes has a gun attached to it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The deep robotic voice returns, commanding, \u201cNo, you must go alone. Your partner has no need to get caught up in this.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n After a wave of confidence washed over him, Deadly Sausage gets up, furious by the fact he\u2019s being commanded around like a child. He unholsters his firearms and shoots the camera right through the lens, destroying the small computer inside. The camera slumps over before it can ever even fire a bullet.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know who you think you\u2019re talking to, but I\u2019m not letting anyone tell me what to do. I don\u2019t know what your plan is, but I\u2019m coming for you, Dr. Apple.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Deadly Sausage had given up any doubt in his mind about the identity of his captor, and his only goal was to stop him.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t you know what you\u2019re about to do? Would really erase this whole city just for your own trivial purposes? This isn\u2019t the man I once called my partner, you have been overcome by your hatred and bitterness, so much so that you would harm the city you once cared so much about!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Deadly Sausage waited for a response as he began to walk down the winding corridor while banging on the now solid metal walls with the remains of the camera, but nothing was said in return.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t need to respond for me to tell how you feel. You feel alone, abandoned by your former companion, and you feel as if your only choice is to pass on your feelings of betrayal to me and this city, so you don\u2019t have to bear the pain anymore. You are compensating for this weakness by threatening this city with your bombs, so you can feel under control of the city\u2019s fate, but deep inside you are still the scared, isolated man you were all those years ago.\u201d Said Deadly Sausage, still trying to coax Dr. Apple into revealing his true feelings.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n