Runouw's Forums v2

[brandoprojectm]

Here's the thing. 

I find prologues incredibly boring. I don't see how people can stand them. A good story should be able to just jump right into the action and leave all the boring exposition for other more intellectual literary works, with intellectual in this case  meaning dull, action-less, and full of prologues. 

So I'm not giving you one. You may be curious as to exactly what city, country, planet, universe and plane of existance this story takes place in. Well I'm not going to tell you how this story takes place in a physical representation of what we know as the Internet, that was actually an entirely seperate dimension to begin with and was colonized and converted into data in a top-secret project that barely half a dozen people alive today still know about. Because that would require a prologue. 

And as we all know, prologues are boring.

By extension, I won't be telling you anything about any of the character's "mysteeerrioous" backgrounds, the concept of Linking, how one of them is actually an outsider and came to be inside the Internet through different means, the strange fact that one of these people is not actually who they say they are but are unaware of this fact themselves, nor our Big Bad villian's motivations, goals, and disconcerting secrets. Nope. 

What I can tell you though, is the title of this story. If you were disappointed by the previously mentioned lack of information on where this story takes place, you're in luck, because if you're smart enough, you can infer a part of these missing details just by looking at the title itself! Imagine that!

Well without further ad-

"HE'S ALREADY GOTTEN THROUGH 3 OF THE GATES, STOP HIM NOW!"

The preceeding shout was almost entirely drowned out by the blaring of the alarms that surrounded the scene. Security personell were rushing every which way in the ensuing chaos, more than half of them not even knowing where they were headed. Trying to establish order was most definitely an exercise in futility, but there were still several people attempting to do so. The reason being that the developing scene at hand was a crisis that they absolutely had to prevent. 

At first glance, looking at these facts, the guards, the alarms, the chasing of a single individual, would, to an outsider, seem to indicate a jailbreak or a similar incident. 

But this was in fact, the exact opposite. Nobody was breaking out. 

They were breaking in. 

The scene at hand was none othe than the security department of one of the largest websites located within the Internet, Amazon.com. The problem was, there was nothing particularly interesting about this site other than its enormous size and prominence in online sales. 

Which was exactly the point. Every site in the Internet had an ever important Data Core as its base, holding together all of the servers that made it up, the physical manifestation of these servers being of multiple platforms, varying in number from dozens to millions depending on the size of the site, and the core being what held them up. It was common knowledge that below the platforms and the Data Core which sustained them was a bottomless abyss, but at this point this was not relevant. What was, was that the Data Cores themselves contained an immense amount of pure energy, making them the most valuable material in the universe. 

Logically, this would make them a highly sought-after object. However, this was usually not the case, as every single site on the Internet had established nigh-impregnable defense upon its founding in order to prevent such an event. There was also a treaty signed that prevented such raids between sites. In fact, the scene at hand was the first ever Data Core jacking in recorded history. 

There was one other thing. A bigger site meant more servers, which meant more platforms, thus more energy needed to keep the site up. So it was quite rational that a bigger site would have and equally larger, more valuable Data Core. 

I think I mentioned this before, but Amazon.com, the site currently being raided, was one of the largest sites on the Internet. 

"This is ridiculous! He's immediately stopping all of our advances with almost zero effort! One man should not be capable of-!"

Dooooommm.

"This...this can't be...he's past the last ga-AAAAAAHH!"

It all happened in an instant. The intruder had reached his goal, the Data Core, and as soon as he had come in contact with it, he had gone, and the Data Core with him. 

No Data Core meant there was nothing holding up the millions of platforms that made up one of the largest sites on the Internet. 

It was quite a sight. Buildings, warehouses, living spaces, and people. Everything located on top of the millions of platforms. 

Everything fell.







Oh dear me, I'm sorry. In my previous statement about jumping right into the action, it seems I took it too literally. And what timing, right before I got to tell you the title. 

Yes, the title, which would of course be,

Runouw's Forums. 

/prologue end.    

 

[brandoprojectm]

Yes this is in fact another attempt at a revival. Say what you want.

Space reserved.

[brandoprojectm]

Space reserved.

[brandoprojectm]

Space reserved.

[Zunar]

I've personally never read the original version, but I love how this is going so far. I love your attitude of "screw the prologue, let's just jump right in", and the fact that the "narrator" is interrupted by the story. 10/10.

Anyways, found a typo (look at the bolded word) :

"The scene at hand was none othe than the security department of one of the largest websites located within the Internet, Amazon.com."

[brandoprojectm]

Thanks for the feedback. Remember guys, it's the only motivation I actually have for continuing (PERHAPS EVEN ENDING IT THIS TIME AROUND *LE GASPOS*), so if you guys like it, make it known.

[Zunar]

Just so you know, if you need some help with ideas or anything, I could help you out.

Though, it's probably useless asking because you're probably going to reject my help, like a lot of other good story writers...

[Raz]

I love how it's based around the internet, like every website is a jail of millions of platforms (like the story said). Smart idea. This definitely will be a good story, and you should finish it, fight the laziness.

[Chaukai]

That's a fine start to something, and I do hope that this time around it'll get to an end. Very unique narration that gives a good amount of detail while acting in a more postmodern sense. Very nice.

[Venexis]

IT SUCKED.












Heh, based on that prologue alone I don't think I'd be too disappointed if you didn't finish.

Well, that's not true. I'd be mortified. But at least the ride would've been fun, it honestly seems great so far. The Internet sounds believable- a real, physical place; unlike so many forum stories it feels like it has a purpose rather than just being there, generated as is required by the plot. I've never read the original either, but it's already got your trademark humour and offbeat writing style... Hell, the whole thing feels like it was created backward compared to the standard template, creating a world and then allowing characters to populate it rather than forcing them awkwardly into a haphazard adventure. It's what forum stories need more of, and if anyone can make me care about them, it will be you.

Or MoD if he ever revives WOW again :p