Young Writers Society

"Legends speak of a world where the Roman Empire collapsed many years before 1867. As a result, that world fell into a depressive age with no major technological advances. Some say this world doesn't truly exist, yet others claim it's the concept of alternate realities which stem from one common decision."

However, on this Earth, the Roman Empire fell in 1867. An age of darkness and depression never took place, and through those years, science continued to advance. The 21st century is far more advanced than this rumored world's 21st century, and many claim their 2016 would be about the same as our 1903.

Nowadays, our technology has grown so much it's even built within us. Along our body, ports are designed to fit special microchips. When these microchips are plugged into certain limbs, then they give those limbs enhanced strength, or speed, or endurance.

The Corporation has a monopoly on these chips' production, and only the wealthy can purchase them. As a result, some everyday citizens travel the world in search of chips left behind. These people are called "Searchers". Because the Corporation has the right to claim any "illegal" leftover chips so long as a Searcher hasn't yet claimed it. Thus, there's a limited number of chips, so Searchers often fight for them.

The Rules

• No sex or intense language. (Crap is acceptable, but f*** is not)
• Prepare for most discussion to occur over in a Discord server. So it's preferred if you can access Discord, either through your pc or on mobile.
• Listen to me and anything I say.
• I reserve the right to remove ANYONE from this SB should they disrespect any other members. However, hopefully it doesn't come to that.
• Templates will be posted in the near future.

“How many?!” Korro asked over his shoulder, running with his party of four.

“Only two!” Merriweather responded matter-o-factly. Korro glanced down the hall they were running and saw a holographic number pad next to a locked door. He stopped beside it and studied possible patterns which could unlock the gate.

“Hold them off!” He called, and Merri and Gale turned to face the metal bulks of androids which had been chasing them. They each held axes in hand. Merri pulled out a gun from the depths of his pockets, and Gale turned on her electrified knuckles. Gale leaped forward, knuckles extended forward, and Merri fired a spray of energy balls at the guard bots.

Meanwhile, Korro continued at the pad for a long while, trying different combos. Finally, he gave up, and Rius pulled out a small explosive. She gently tossed it at the pad, and the circuit was immediately fried. The door flew open.

Korro tossed Rius a small black microchip. “Take it and get outside!” He said, and she ran out the door without question. Then Korro grabbed his empty hilt, flipping a lever so that unstable beams of energy would shoot out. They took shape into a strange pattern, a symbol of a long-dead language. The texture became like glass, but could cut through diamond. He leapt through Merri's shots and plnuged the blade within one of the guard robots. It malfunctioned, head spinning completely off its head. Still, Korro dragged the blade up through its torso until the top of its body was a V-shape.

Beside him, Gale had grabbed the bot by the arm, ripping the ax out. She pulled the arm behind the android until it stressed, and then she pulled just a bit more, so it came clean off. In the space where an arm once was was now just sparking wires. She made connection with her knuckles, electrifying them and frying the motherboard of the bot.

Down the corridor, more emerged, seemingly out of nowhere. Merri shot at them as the three slowly backed outside. Korro grabbed the door at the ceiling and pulled down, slamming it shut behind him. “Well, that was fun. Now, let's head home-” He turned to see Rius on her knees, hands above her head. In a semi-circle around the party was a huge group of Corporation workers, each aiming a gun at them.

“We will ask once that you hand over the chip. If you refuse, we shall fire, and you won't be walking home,” Shouted the one in the center, decorative badges of no meaning indicating leadership. “We won't be having anymore chip stealing from you.”

Rius looked over to Korro with a shrug of apology. “Give them the chip,” Korro ordered with a sigh.

“What?! We can totally take these guys!” Merriweather said.

“We earned this chip,” added Gale calmly.

“Rius, you heard me. Hand them the chip.” She got up and approached the leader, chip in hand. The group angled their weapons to her, but once the leader had the chip, they all crowded around to see the recovered artifact.

“Huh, that was easier than expected,” said the leader again. “I planned for you to put up a fight.”

“We're strong, not foolish,” said Korro.

The head shrugged. “Fair enough. We'll be on our way now.” He nodded to Korro and spun around, leading his group in a tight cluster around him. When they were a noticeable distance away, Korro nodded to Rius. She pulled out a remote, flipped a switch, and pressed a button. The Corporation workers freaked out as their “chip” began to beep, and then they were engulfed in the hot flames of a fiery explosion.

Rius winked at the party, pulling out a second chip, which was obviously the real one.



“That was easy,” Korro said, leaning back casually in his chair and resting his elbows on the back of it.

“Would have been easier if you had told us your plan,” Merriweather muttered under his breath.

Korro shrugged. “Pish posh, Merri. We got the chip. That's all that matters.”

Merriweather turned to Rius accusingly, raising a pointed finger. “Why did you keep it a secret?”

Rius looked at him innocently. “I figured you'd shoot your mouth off against the Corporation workers and blow the whole thing.”

Merriweather leapt out of his seat, just as the cyborg waitress from the Alliance bar they rested at came over and handed Korro a slip of paper. “Say that to my face!” Merri shouted.

“She just did,” Gale spoke, sipping her ale.

By now, Rius had also arisen, and both were reaching for their weapons. The stand-off was interrupted by Korro whistling, clearly impressed. They all turned to see him reading the note. He slowly spun it around to show them the contents.

Inside was the image of a microchip with a red strip on the end. It had the logo of the Corporation, but that specific design for the logo had long been scrapped, switched for the more favorable snake made of wires.

“Red strip... Strength chip?” Merriweather asked.

Gale pointed to the port spacing on the end of the chip. “No, look at this spacing. It's older, as is the logo. Is this..?”

Rius stared at it in awe, eyes wide. “An intelligence chip.”

Korro glanced at the note in the margin. “According to this, the head of the Alliance offered us 50 grand if we get this to him, and a raise. He also gave the coordinates of it, and says another party also received the offer.”

“Only 50? We could get at least 80 if we sold it on the black market.”

Korro smiled, a glint in his eyes. “Of course we'll get the chip, but nothing says we need to give it to the boss.”

Merri frowned. "But the boss gave us the location. If he discovers that we found it and didn't sell it to him, who's to say that he'll trust us? He'll have no reason to give us coordinates again. I want the money just like the rest of you, but is an extra 30 grand worth the withdrawal of the boss' support?"

"Pipe down," Korro commanded, glancing around. "There could be any number of people who would tell the boss what we're planning in a heartbeat to garner favor. You have a point, but we'll take a vote." Merriweather nodded, but his eyes were sullen. "All in favor of selling the chip elsewhere say aye."

"Aye; there's no reason the boss needs to know," said Gale.

Rius glanced around the table. "Merri has a point," she began, "but I have to agree with Korro, so aye."

Korro looked Merri directly in the eye. "Then it's settled."

"I suppose it is," Merri ground out.

"Now there's one last question that needs to be answered," Gale drawled, tapping the tabletop with a finger. "Will we auction it off or will we sell it at a flat rate?"

"A flat rate is simpler, and it garners less attention," Korro supplied.

"But auctions often sell chips for more than they're really worth," Rius countered.

"More people would know about an auction," Gale said, tipping back the rest of her ale. "And we all know how much trouble that can cause."

"I say we sell it at a flat rate and wipe our hands of it. We don't want the boss catching wind of an auction," Merri surmised.

"Flat rate it is," Korro announced. "We'll put it on the net tomorrow."

"In the meantime," said Gale, "We should start planning our next search."

The other three nodded. "Let's get out of here first," Gale suggested. "We need to plan in private."

The four stood to leave, each throwing money on the table to pay for their drinks. "We'll go to my place," Korro decided.

"No, we won't," Gale challenged. "First of all, your place is disgusting, and second of all, the walls are thin there. We'll go to Rius'. She keeps her place clean and she doesn't have any neighbors."

Korro looked like he wanted to strangle Gale, but he retained his composure. "Very well. We'll go to Rius'"

Rius nodded. "Let's get going. My place is the farthest from here, so we should hurry if we want to make it there before dusk."