Corey

[quote name='Morpheus']I've never been to a rave, and I don't ever plan on going. I just don't see the point. Music blaring and people bumping into you in the wee hours of the night sounds like a borefest.[/quote] [size=1]Not if you're properly medicated and the bumping has the capacity to turn into something a little more indepth later on. I've been to two aswell. The first completely sober. It was absolutely awesome. A bunch of people (mostly DJs and their agents) rented a good couple hundred acres and set up a big stage complete with lighting effects and gigantic, pounding speakers. It went until three in the morning, and the only reason it ended was one of the amplifiers running to the speakers got overheated and burst into flames. Everyone was well prepared and the blaze was under control in seconds. The second I was rather drunk for, and it was still amazing. It was at an old abandoned factory they rented out. The only thing that bummed me out a little was that the strobes kept on giving me headaches. All the music that was played was pure Techno and Trance.[/size]

[size=1]There's a place in Wisconsin call Random Lake. And in Milwaukee, WI there's a street called Downer. I know there's better streets in this city, but I can't for the life of my think of them right now.[/size]

[quote name='Ilium][COLOR=DarkRed']How is it possible that the US can continue doing this when they lost... 8-0? Some shining light the US government is...[/COLOR][/quote] [size=1]Exactly why blind patriotism is a bad thing. No one should have %100 faith in their government. People corrupt very easily. The US, being one of (if not [i]the[/i], I'm not too sure on this) biggest and best economies in the world thinks itself invulnerable. No government is perfect. The US is a great example. EDIT: I think I read the part about the tarrifs wrong. I thought Canada was going to be taxing the US for water and electricity they were buying.[/size]

[size=1]Blind patriotism is a terrible thing. You said yourself that Canada would suffer more from a trade war than the US. There might be hundreds of thousands of jobs lost instead of just thousands. I don't condone in the slightest what the US is doing. I find it underhanded and extremely disrespectful, but I believe Canada would be doing more disrespect to itself if they started an all-out Trade War with the US. Their plans of enforcing tarrifs could be a very good thing and work well... ...even though they're still clear-cutting forests, but that's not a topic for this thread.[/size]

[size=1][b]To The Future, And Whatever It May Hold...[/b] [i]This RPG has been rated[/i] [b]M[/b][i]ature for Violence, and Offensive Language.[/i] If you signed up and are not sure if you made the cut or not, please click [url=http://www.otakuboards.com/showthread.php?t=48839][u]here[/u][/url] and scroll down to the last reply of the thread. And without further ado... ??? He smiled, warmly and salesman-like, at the man. [b]Jared-[/b] "Oh yes sir. All these models come with the very best and current processors on the market. Also, this one right here, the V26-Opteron, comes with the recently approved optical interface technology. You barely even have to touch the keyboard. Just look at what you want, and it'll bring it right up on the holocron screen." The man rubbed the side of his head. [b]Man-[/b] "The price is pretty steep... 3,500 credits..." Jared cursed internally. If the damn market would send production over to Russia, instead of Taiwan and Japan, he could sell new products for a fraction of the price and still make out like a bandit. Ever since Taiwan Unionized, everything had gotten so expensive. "I just don't know if I can afford that..." [b]Jared-[/b] "Well, it's not a necessity to own the top of the line model. The Dell N75 is only 1,750 credits and it has only slightly less processor speed. It doesn't have as many features, and still uses an 'old fashioned' optical mouse, but it's a great system for the price." The customer still looked reluctant. [b]Man-[/b] "I don't know... I've heard some pretty shifty things about Dells. Don't they still run on Windows? All the higher quality computers use Apple operating systems now-a-days." He cursed silently again. This guy just wasn't biting. "Do you have [i]anything[/i] else?" [b]Jared-[/b] "All the other models we have are quite a bit older and unable to run some of the more recent operating systems. They were made a whole four months ago. Technology moves so fast in this age." The man nodded again. [b]Man-[/b] "I think I need some time to think about this. I might be back tomorrow." Jared sighed inaudibly, and smiled his salesman smile. [b]Jared-[/b] "Of course. Take all the time you need. I'll be here tomorrow, God willing, at six o'clock in the morning. Have a good day sir." Jared shook his hand and walked him out of the store. Once he was around the corner he dropped his smile and walked into the back room of the store. "Fuck." [b]Theresa-[/b] "Rough day boss?" His assistant sat at her interface taking care of the days paperwork. She was hooked up to a special computer he had made. It utilized a sort of technology akin to the mental powers he had. Much the same as the optical interface technology, it tapped into the users neural system through the optic nerves of the eyes. Only this took it a step further. Where the technology put out by Apple Conglomerate was approved by the TSM (technology safety ministry), this was not. Users could only use it for short bursts of time without suffering crippling headaches from the overworked neural pathways. The Apple technology worked on an extremely lower wavelength, lowering the efficiency immensely, but also improving the use time. [b]Jared-[/b] "You have no idea..." He rubbed his temples. "No sales at all. Do me a favor and handle any customers that come in. I think I'm going to search a bit and then head home. My wife's been complaining about my long hours. I don't blame her..." Theresa nodded. [b]Theresa-[/b] "Sure boss. Not a problem. Go make some babies or something. Have a beer." He smiled at her. She was ten years younger than he was and extremely empathic. Wife upset = lack of action at home. [b]Jared-[/b] "Thanks Theresa." She was one of the only people that knew about his condition and what he was. A Techno-Kinetic. He switched his computers on as he walked into the room. The entire office was taken up by gigantic rigs of the fastest, home-made computers in the world, except for government owned items. The total processor speed of his entire rig peaked at about 75,000 Terra-Hertz. He always had a search program running, even when it was switched off. Searching for relevant information regarding the GD syndrome and any related parties. Referencing, cross-referencing, cataloguing the current whereabouts of scientists. New breakthroughs in gene-therapy. Anything and everything. All he had to do was take in a few spare thoughts to know the days searching had been in vain. Nothing new, and nothing to give hope. The last useful bit of information he's gotten had been nearly three weeks ago. One of the scientists was in hiding somewhere in Brazil. He'd booked a flight for later this week under the pretense of checking out some new holographic interfaces. Brazil had been a leader in new technology since Di-Silicon Valley popped up there a few years back. He entered a few notes into his wrist screen, a small implant in the wrist of a holographic projector and data storage chips, and switched the computers back off. He quickly checked the level on the liquid nitrogen tanks, used for coolant, and left through the back door. Jared had been running simulation after simulation on his personal system at home to try and determine when his memory would begin to degrade. The best prognosis he could get was 'Soon'. Anywhere from a week ago to two months in the future. Every once in a while he got a readout that said he should have lost all memory three years ago. And so the waiting continues. At least when it did go, he'd have everything that he found in his wrist implant...[/size]

[size=1]Seems to be gone now... I'd still like to know what it was.[/size]

[size=1]What is this thing? (see attatchment) I pop onto OB and here's this weird thing from Bravenet. It could be just my browser (Safari). It's done wierder things, but I doubt it.[/size]

[size=1]I first started surfing when I was probabaly nine or ten years old. We had an old Macintosh Performa 475 (I actually still have it and boot it up every once in a while to expand a few stories I keep on it) with a 4-8k dial-up modem. It was terrible. We went through AOL, and every single page took a minimum of ten minutes to fully load. Seeing as I was young and impatient, I stopped trying to go on the internet, and stuck to RPing in the chatrooms of AOL. My username was warlord9, and I remember frequenting the Red Dragon Inn. That's where my love of RPing started. That was all I did while we had that computer. A bit later we bought an iMac (accursed machine) and the 56k connection, not mention Earthlink, felt like Mach 3. I didn't do much but check my e-mail and IM a few friends until a friend I had made in highschool introduced me to OB. I signed up as DarkOrderKnight, and am still here three years later. The only thing I usually use the net for is gaming. fAnd even that is just about strictly done on OB. If I had a faster connection, I'd be more open to the prospect of mmorpgs and the like.[/size]

[size=1]I totally forgot I even made this thread until just now. I was going to make another one. I'll give you a critique, Sakura, when I get back from a camping/backpacking/rockclimbing trip. For everyone else, the RPG will either be up on the 16th or 17th depending. Please don't lose interest, I'll be PMing and IMing everyone I can when I get back.[/size]

[quote name='SilentSecurity']Gas prices have gone up $1.00 in my area over the past year. THAT's ******* INSANE, if you ask me. I'm scared to drive to the grocery store knowing how much gas it'll take and how much money it will cost. Call me cheap but hey I've got to draw the line somewhere.[/quote] [size=1]Please, PLEASE, tell me you're joking... It's topped, thus far, in Milwaukee, WI at about $2.70 for regular. And Europe is worse than any area in the US.[/size]

[size=1]I always loved the times that the unknown would send me into adrenaline induced panics. I just love to be scared. I always have, and I always will I suppose. After I saw the movie Congo, the one with the grey, murderous gorillas, I constantly thought that there was one of those things in the closet at the top of the stairs in my house. There was about a five month period where I wouldn't go to sleep until there was someone that was willing to walk me up to my room. That was the only time that I was actually scared beyond enjoyment. All the other bumps and thumps that come with older houses enthrallled me. I couldn't wait to see a ghost or shake hands with a gremlin.[/size]

[size=1][b]Name:[/b] Jared O'Toole [b]Age:[/b] 28 [b]Appearence:[/b] Jared stands at about six foot, two inches with a mop of messy brown hair on his head. His pale green eyes are slightly sunken due to his ability, and constant, around the clock working. He usually had a stubble on his chin and neck, and wears a pair of jeans and a button-up t-shirt. [b]Ability:[/b] [i]Interface-[/i] Jared is able to link directly with any computer system using only his mind. He doesn't even need to be in direct, physical contact. He can break security encryption, which involves sending wave after wave of excess thoughts (data) at a system until it overloads, nearly instantly depending on the level of encryption. He can browse whatever database he wants after the encryption is down, the documentation transfering directly to his mind. This ability comes with a cost. Not only is it limited by distance (about 10 feet), but if he downloads to much information at once to his brain, it will shut down to process it, leaving Jared in a comatose-like state. ??? Thank you to all that signed up. Please believe me that this was extremely difficult. I spent a good two hours last night (and about one this afternoon *points at Revelation*) reading over all the signups and deciding who would work best together. Any hate-filled rants should be directed to my PM box, but expect an equally hateful responce. [b]Kamuro-[/b] Your appearance really clenched a spot for you. It was wonderful to read. Welcome to the Future. [b]Kitty-[/b] I liked the setup of your bio, even if it deviated a bit. But the main reason you got in was your ability. It had pros, cons, and was something I never even considered for use. Welcome to the Future. [b]DeathKnight-[/b] Also your ability. I love it. Welcome. [b]Revelation-[/b] I love the ability, and, in lieu of the completed appearance, Welcome.[/size]

[size=1]This thread if for questions about the RPG. Please ask if you have any questions. Also, seeing as signups aren't closed yet, if you want a critique on your signup, just ask.[/size]

[size=1][b]To The Future, And Whatever It May Hold[/b] What if you couldn't remember who you were? What if you woke up one day and had no memeory of who you were, where you were, or what you were? What would you do? ??? The current year is 2025. Twenty to thirty years ago, the U.S. Government and some un-named forces began experimenting in long term genetic enginnering. They would take small children, usually babies and inject nanomachines into their bloodstream. These small machines would produce DNA strands that would, in turn, replace certain strands of the childs DNA. Their first trials ended abruptly when the children experianced complete genetic dissipation (GD- a condition in which the DNA of an individual unravels). The government made an official announcement that it had stopped all experiments and would shun anyone that continued it. ??? They did not stop. They only became more enthralled in their search to better humanity. Over the months that followed their experiments became more frequent. They also got better, more precise. The genetic manipulation began to show signs of working. Some children had enhanced senses. Some, enhanced physical abilities. Others, faint mental power. There was still one major flaw. After a period ot time, completely undeterminable, the subjects lost all memory. For some, it was weeks. Others, days. And still others, years. And not long after that they would experiance the GD syndrome. ??? The test subjects are the perfect weapons. That is what they were originally planned to be used for. After the protests and riots of 2021 all subjects were released from their training facilities and allowed to live as normal citizens. Some, with their obvious enhancements, were shunned and segregated from the communities of the world. Others, with less obvious abilities, blended in and kept their genetic manipulation a secret. But now the memory loss is beginning to set in. Bits and pieces of the specimens lives are beggining to fall away. Their bosses name. Their boyfriends name. Their names. Soon they will lose all memory of their lives, and soon after that... ??? As a countermeasure for this strange side-effect, the government made a serum that reversed it. Once sent into the body it would begin repairing the disconnected neural pathways. Memories would surface almost immediately. After World War III (2020-2023) the majority of the serum was lost. Only the people that produced it know where it is. They have went underground to avoid persecution in connection with the government experiments. ??? This is where you begin. No memory. No past. No present. Only a future. It's in your hands. [center]???[/center] [b]Name:[/b] [b]Age:[/b] (Between 19 and 29 please) [b]Appearence:[/b] [b]Abilities:[/b] i.e. Enhanced Strength, Enhanced Smell/Sight/Hearing/Touch/Taste, Telekinesis, Empathy, Precognition etc... If you do decide to go with a psychic ability make it medium in strength. One ability to a person. [center]???[/center] Your background will unfold as you post. All you will know is that you have an ability that others do not. If you want to lose your memory a little while into the RPG that's perfectly fine.[/size]

[size=1][i]Rio is currently unable to get online. I've been holding out, hoping he'd be able to make a post, but it's time to press on. Sorry man.[/i] ??? In the stasis room computer consoles flickered to life. Pre-set commands shot across the screens at breakneck speeds. [:-begin phase one of reanimation- -nueral-stim begin-:] .... .... .... .... [:-nueral activity at 35% and rising- -deeptissue-stim begin-:] .... .... [:-nueral activity at 100%- -bodily functions at 42% and rising-:] .... .... [:-estimated time until conscious '23:24'-:] ??? The pod opened and Allen fell to the 'softmesh' floor, coughing and spitting out congealed gobs of stasis gel. He curled into a ball and felt the warmed air of the stasis room wash over him. Could they possibly think of a worse way to end stasis? You suddenly come to still in the pod, and have to hit the drain button. The gel gets sucked out, and then the pod snaps open. You fall to the floor because your muscles are atrophied from disuse. [b]Allen-[/b] "...fuck..." Allen attempted to stand and make his way over to the lockers. After two failed attempts, he compromised with a stooped hobble and walked over. It opened with a touch. He quickly grabbed the amino-pep pills designed to help rebuild the bodies muscled, and dry-swallowed them. He sat on the bench and draped a towel over his lap. He could feel the gel in every crevasse of his body. Like a layre of snot. He shuddered and stood up quickly. The room swirled around him and he sat down hard. "Gotta take it slow..." He stood again once the room calmed down, and made his way slowly over to the showers. He peeled off the skintight briefs and turned on the warm water, washing the gel off of him. He looked to the pods as he heard another one drain. This is where the mission begins.[/size]

[size=1]I started smoking. EDIT- Actually, that would go under the "Stupid" catagory. The meanest thing I've ever done was introduce a good, upstanding, straight A student to Marijuana. Now he's a heroin addict, and homeless.[/size]

[QUOTE=Hells Angel][B][FONT=Comic Sans MS][COLOR=DarkOrange]...punks... ...metalheads... ...goths... ...preppies... Actually, don't call me a punk. That's only what I would be called by those who label...[/COLOR][/FONT][COLOR=DarkOrange][/COLOR][/B] Punk isnt a fashion statement, and plus we shouldnt be judging people that is just so WRONG! :mad:[/QUOTE] [size=1]o_O I'm certainly glad there wasn't any labeling there.[/size] [quote name='Hells Angel][B][FONT=Comic Sans MS][COLOR=DarkOrange]Punk is about having a bond with the music you listen to, music that makes a statement.[/COLOR][/FONT][COLOR=DarkOrange][/COLOR'][/B][/quote] [size=1]All music makes a statement. Whether you agree with it or not is up to you, but all music put out some kind of message. Punk isn't special in that regard. I'm pretty sure there's some kind of music forum around here... Could be wrong though...[/size]

[QUOTE=Rasetsutaisho]i had really strong faith in god... and i still do. evere scince i moved out of my moms house i've been buddhist...[/QUOTE] [size=1]Not to piss you off or anything, but you realize that you're contradicting yourself here, right? Being a Buddhist doesn't exactly allow for belief in a God. Unless you're being very lax with your followings and, forgive the term, 'semi-buddhist' it seems you might be a little confused. [url=http://www.ship.edu/~cgboeree/buddhaintro.html]Buddhism Basics[/url] for everyone to refer to. I was baptized Christian. I was never taken to church. I was never made to read the bible or pray before bed. In fact, in my entire life, I've heard more "Jesus Christ" from my mother than anyone else. And she always said it when she was angry. Four years ago I dropped my 'religon' and became an anthiest. As Rasetsutausho said, I prefer to rely on myself. I've never felt the spiritual need. I've never felt any sort of binding to God, or any number of other gods. I believe in myself, and that's good enough for me.[/size]

[quote name='Kamuro][SIZE=1']Well, I'd hate to bring this up, but a person loving another person and being persecuted for it isn't anything new. Maybe this time it was taken to an extreme and that's why more people took notice to it, but otherwise we should all be use to it by now. I'm not saying it's right, not at all, but after reading it I wasn't at all surprised. In our own country we're just now coming to terms with allowing homosexuals to marry, some of us anyway. We've made great strides in this area yet other places have yet to come to the same conclusions. Democracy and freedom obviously aren't a worldwide ideal, despite George Bush's aspirations. The freedoms we've come to know, and some of us abuse, aren't available to people such as this. What we believe to be wrong, they believe to be justice, and they veiw our practices just the same. However wrong it is, who are we to judge? America's history is far from perfect, and what they're doing now is what we've done in the past, so maybe a little compassion is in order.[/SIZE][/quote] [size=1]Precisely. Well said in every single word.[/size]

[size=1]Hi there. I know I'm not in the RPG or anything, but Erriku asked me to drop in and tell everyone she's having problems getting on OB. That's why her absence has been so prolonged. No need to reply to this.[/size]

[size=1][b]Name:[/b] Ryan Schezar [b]Age:[/b] Around 1,750 years of age. [b]Alignment:[/b] Evil [b]Biography:[/b] Ryan tumbled through Earth and purgatory before landing in one of the most remote portions of Hell. His body long since burned away in the maelstrom of Heavenly foces, his soul was a mere shattered remenant of prior glory. He stood and was forced to take corporeal form, exhausting the remainder of his energy. Somewhere from the direction of the palace, Lucifer screamed in fury. Ryan hunkered down against the winds of hate and the suffocating waves of pain. This was his existance from now on. He was to remain here, with his mind, and slowly go insane over the couse of infinity. The Fallen angel tried to pull his tattered wings over himself for protection, but they seared and ripped with even the slightest touch. Laughter echoed in his mind. [i]You've failed, Ryan... All the chances in the three worlds, and you failed. Damned to spend the rest of time here in this forsaken pit of agony.[/i] Ryan looked around, hoping to see some source of the voice, but found nothing. Not even another fallen soul. He was losing his mind. [i]But don't lose hope, my friend. It's not solely your fault. Your downfall was not your work alone. Several helped you on the road to destruction.[/i] He crawled into a ball, and began weeping. The tears cutting streamlets of moisture on a cracking face. [i]I can help you. But you must open yourself to me.[/i] No... This was his fault. This was his punishment... He deserved this... [b]Weapons:[/b] Claws [b]Abilities:[/b] An insane amount of strength that is pulled from pure insanity. [b]Physical Description:[/b] Ryan stands at about 6' 3", but is now often stooped and slumping. His skin is the color of the moon, and almost as cold. His face is always cocked at an odd angle, giving him a perpetual questioning gaze. Ryans eyes glow a deep orange, and his hair has gone completely white. He has long features that go almost to the point of being gaunt. He wears pieces of scavanged metal armor that make up a patchwork mail or sorts.[/size]

[size=1]OOC: We still have two people lacking. Please hurry. I'm anxious, as I hope you all are, to continue. ??? The silence spiraled into infinity. Corridors that once were the site of structure shattering explosions were placid. There is no sound in space. Nothing can make a noise in a vacume. But not all sounds are heard. Some are felt. When a person dies, their soul is torn from its corporeal prison. It makes a spiritual vibration that chills you to the bone. All things make this 'noise'. Most are so small that you cannot feel it. It is a mere whisper on the breeze of thought. But somethings... [i]...die...[/i] ...somethings that aren't supposed to be... Abominations... They shake the very foundation of the spirit. They rattle your soul, until you can feel it in every step you take. Every breath you draw feels like your last. The air around you smells of death. The lights you see are mere shadows of a grace that has abandoned that place. They know nothing but pain. They are from a place where blood nutures, and death is the only nature known. There is nothing but pain. Horrible, horrible pain... Some are called ghosts, the beings that slip from a place of torment, into our world. They hate us at the most basic level. Not for the beauty we have. Not for the love we hold. Not for the world we yearn to save. But because we can choose. We have the choice. They know only death. Only the unblinking control that is hate. We can choose. And that is our power... [i]...die...[/i] Abominations know nothing of placidity. The screens on the Event Horizon sprung to life. Air began pumping into the breached corridors. Holes sealed themselves. The life support systems booted up and began their all too familiar task of making the ship habitable. They do what they do best... They... [i]...kill.[/i][/size]

[size=1]*points at self* Virgin. With that out of the way, I've never found it particularly weird to still be a virgin at almost 19 years of age. I've never loved anyone enough to have sex with them. I guess I'm one of those guys that can't go around screwing every girl I 'like'. It seems unethical to me. I will definitely need to love the person I have sex with for the first time. I could really care less if they've been around the block once, or a dozen, times before if I love them. I don't have plans to lose my virginity soon. If it happens, it happens. But there's more important things out there.[/size]

[size=1][i]Players[/i] shawnz (David Castle) Ceres (Alexis LeMone) RioLaskand (Dane Kenny) Baron Samedi (Steven Howard) Raiha (Lanni Byer) Freier Geist (Jayseon Taylor) Corey (Allen Chubbs) ?If you want to moan at me about not getting in, go ahead. It was hard to choose and mostly came down to grammar and substance. With that said, as always, have at it. ??? [b]Black Horizon[/b] Allen watched his crew enter his ship. The Bladerunner had been his ever since he had started with the Deep Space Rescue Federation. The crew looked composed and ready. If the information he had been provided with was at all true, they weren't ready in the slightest... Allen saluted his commander after they were all in, and entered the ship, making his way to the gravity pouches as orders dictated. They'd be lifting off in a little under half an hour, and the entire crew had to be in stasis by then. The ships corridors were constructed to be bright, but not blindingly so. The walls, floor, and ceiling gave off a calming white glow. Every fifty feet or so there was a control panel on the wall. A single touch would bring up the ships menu, and from there you could access any subsystem you could want. A blue line on the floor illuminated the path to the grav pouches. Allen knew the way by heart, and walked with eyes straight forward. The doors to the stasis bay opened as he got to them, and he walked in. The eyes of every crew member looked at him. Some were already ready for stasis, stripped to skin-tight undergarments. Others were just beginning to take off their clothing, seemingly a little shy. [b]Allen-[/b] "We lift off in less than twenty-five minutes. I want each and every one of you in your pouches in ten." He looked from crew member to crew member, meeting each gaze. "When the ion drive fires, the ship will be hitting about 50 gees. That's enough force to liquify your skull. I suggest you hurry." Allen strode over to his locker and began to strip. Some of his crew looked like they had never been in space before. This wasn't exactly a run-of-the-mill first time mission. Everyone here was the best at what they did, even if it meant bringing in some first time flyers. Within five minutes he had taken off all articles but a pair of briefs. The floor was warm under his feet. When they awoke two months from now, the floor would be cold. He wasn't looking forward to it. Allen stood by his pouch as the rest of the crew finished filing into theirs. After everyone was in stasis, he entered his own pouch. The chamber closed around him, sealing his body in a pill-shaped plas-steel pod. Allen punched the 'initiate' button, and a green gel began rising into the chamber. He inhaled a last breath and held it as the gel covered his head. It felt like jello. The electrical impulses from the computer surged through the gel, slowing his body to a state of near-death, and putting him in perfect stasis, and completely invulnerable to the immense force of the engines.[/size]

[size=1][i]?ding?[/i] Corey jerked awake. He'd fallen asleep about twenty minutes after takeoff. The seat belt light had turned on. The woman next to him was buckling her belt and stowing her briefcase under her seat. Corey quickly buckled his own, and gripped his bag. Something felt wrong. [b]Intercom-[/b] "This is your captain speaking. We'll be encountering some turbulence. It should last no more than ten minutes or so. Thank you and have a good flight." The words were in French, but his MP3 player quickly translated for him. No sooner did the woman's voice on his MP3 fade than the plane hit a patch of dead air. A few screams rang through the cabin. Corey gripped the armrests, white knuckled and barely breathing. One of the overhead compartments opened sending pieces of carry-on luggage flying. Another scream. Corey quickly brought up some music and turned the volume all the way up. Thirty minutes later, he let go of his armrests and took out his earbuds. His hands ached and the cabin smelled of fresh vomit. More than a few had lost their last meal in the drastic amount of turbulence. Never in his life had his stomach felt less like a rock. [b]Corey-[/b] "Fuck..." He wished that he could just slip into the bathroom and take a few hits out of his pipe. It would make things... More tolerable. The woman to his right looked at him. [b]Woman-[/b] "Want a few valiums?" Corey looked over at her questioningly. "I know it's illegal to share perscription drugs, but I don't think anyone will say anything." He took the pills with thanks and downed them with the remainder of the whiskey the woman offered him. She flagged down the stuardess for another whiskey and downed it as soon as it hit her tray-table. [b]Corey-[/b] "Thanks. Thanks a lot." She smiled at him, still slightly green in the face. [b]Woman-[/b] "Not a problem. Visiting family in Paris?" Corey looked at her. [b]Corey-[/b] "Yeah... More or less." His fathers face flashed through his head. She nodded. [b]Woman-[/b] "I used to be like you." [b]Corey-[/b] "Huh?" She gave him a knowing smile. [b]Woman-[/b] "I ran away once too." Without another word, she tilted her seat back and closed her eyes. Corey gaped for a minute before looking out the window and wondering how much longer the flight would be. ??? The plane landed as smoothly as it had taken off and without a hint of the in-flight trouble. Corey stood shakily, legs aching from not being moved. The woman gave him another smile, and walked down the aisle toward the hatch. He slung his backpack over his shoulder and walked out of the plane and into yet another monotonously bustling terminal. Three in less than 24 hours... [b]Corey-[/b] "It's gotta be a record..." He strode over to the bathroom, the colon-crunching effects of adrenaline creeping out of his body. The stall was meticulously clean. Ten minutes later he got out and walked over to the sink. After washing his hands, he glanced up into the mirror. A gaunt face with sunken eyes and pale skin greeted him. He jumped in spite of himself. That couldn't be him. One day of horrible events had turned him into a shadow of his previous self. "God..." He ran a hand over his face and felt the five o'clock shadow that had crept up his neck during the day. It only served to further the look of a walking-dead. He pulled out his MP3 player and cued up the locator. It pointed, more or less, east. He pulled on his backpack and went out to find an exit.[/size]