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doublegoblin · 1 day ago

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Day after Day - A Votv Fic

This is the first chapter of my fan fiction for the game Voices of the Void set in the universe of my audio series The Kel Logs. In this fic I want to go into more depth and explore the first season I produced as that season is pretty short lol. My aim is to still have this be able to stand on it's own as a shorter fic (the chapters themselves will be short I think). So say hello to Kel Greggory Kel and I hope you enjoy!

Day One

It was the dark of night when he first ducked under the gate. The air around him held a chill and caught his breath in cloudy moments before letting it go; the sound of the helicopter still thrumming in his mind. He shifted his weight as he let his bones settle back into place from the strain of flight. With a nod to nobody he gripped the handle of his suitcase and started down the path to his new home. The gravel caught in the wheels and sent the thing bouncing at odd angles. Pausing to rub his wrist he sighed and hoisted the thing up and over his shoulder like a backpack. In this stillness he looked to the stars and smiled. To think he’d be looking into this void and waiting for it to answer him back. He was at both times elated and petrified. What if something breaks? What if he trips and smashes a screen? What if-no.

Yes he was scared. He was terrified. He was paralyzed by the impossible expectations that none but he had placed on himself.

But, this was it.

This was his chance to make a name for himself, to be more than just the weird guy at the back of the classroom. The guy who ate his sandwich “wrong”. The guy who let out odd sounds at inappropriate times. The guy who- enough.

This was the chance Kel Greggory Kel had wanted for so long. The chance that he spent so many sleepless nights to get to. Nights where he was more coffee than human. He was sure he wouldn’t-couldn’t mess up.

Right?

His mind wandered as his feet carried. Something about this path was familiar, not familiar enough however to stop him from catching a rock with his foot. The sudden stop of forward momentum was then converted into downward acceleration; stopped by the cushioning of the jagged white and gray stones on his face, which was then pushed further as his suitcase followed his trajectory. Once the dust had settled and the rocks stopped fleeing from a falling titan he lay there. He laid there while a pit opened inside of him.

Fucking idiot!

You useless moron how can you be this bad at walking!?

Not even ten steps into-

He took a breath and picked himself back up. Through gritted teeth he plucked the clinging pebbles from his flesh and dusted himself off. Despite his best efforts, he felt the dampness on his cheeks as his eyes burned. Gripping his beanie he slid the fabric over his eyes and hid away from the stares of the woodland creatures. Burning hot and acrid emotions caught in his throat as he let out a horrid throaty cacophony. The thoughts were coming back to dig into his soft and smooth mind. Tearing at the most fragile parts. Wanting to worm their way inside. He gripped the fabric tighter and desperate, he heard it tear.

Ten, nine, eight, seven, six

Those sessions had at least left him with one good thing.

Five, four, three

The heat of his cheeks slowly faded and the cold night embraced him once more.

Two, one

Quivering inhale and strained exhale. He lifted his blinders and was thankful at least that his glasses hadn’t broken.

Looking to the moon he took note of the craters and valleys that the naked eye could see; how they dipped and snaked, poxed the lunar facade, and created a face that wasn’t there. He inhaled the now more frigid air and exhaled his woes. Caught on the wind he smiled as he watched them be stolen away. Now burden reduced, his strides came easier and quicker than before. Digging into his pockets he found the folded piece of parchment, her lipstick stain a hint now, and unfolded it. There weren’t many words but that made the ones there more important.

“Don’t die out there.

-Ena”

His eyes traced the delicate swirls of half-hearted cursive and his heart felt lighter. In his solitude he was carried farther than he had anticipated and he gazed upon what would be his new home.

It would be a stretch to call this place a home but it was at least better than being out amongst the towering evergreens. Her walls; sturdy but cold. Her form; boring but functional. Her porch light, flickering as if to wave to him. His footsteps echoed across the lazy hills to his east and west as he crossed over the first bridge it’s wood creaking and groaning in an attempted protest. He paused for a moment to listen to the gurgle and babble of this lifestream. In the din of the evening, caught in what little light could be reflected, he saw the shapes of things darting to a fro under the waves. A silver scale reflecting back into his eyes as the large chased the collections of small. Serenity broken by a nagging sense within him he cast eye glance to the left and to the right. Solitude secured he shuffled his way to the end of this bridge and found himself a sizable bush. The sound of his stream mixed and was lost within the rush of the river.

Relief at last.

Deed done he zipped his fly and brushed his hands along the thighs of his pants. He told himself he’d wash his hands when he got to base, but this was always a false promise.

“Alright I really need to get to a bed, I’m beat.” He muttered to himself in a nasally voice.

The rest of the sojourn was without event until at last he stood at the cold iron door and the keypad with her green eye staring out at him. A chuckle escaped his chest upon spying the paper nailed to the side of the wall. With the entry way already unlocked it seemed pointless to have this reminder here, but he knew he wouldn’t be leaving his front door unlocked for his entire stay. Sure there wasn’t a man who’d come by to “collect” but he didn’t much enjoy the idea of waking up sharing a bed with a raccoon or some other woodland creature. His eyes drifting once more, they settled on a jarring yellow and rusted mailbox.

“Who the hell is going to deliver mail out here?” He pondered.

Curiosity overtaking him he lifted the flap, it squealed loud enough to silence all the nocturnal chatter. Blindly with a hand he withdrew his flashlight and with a click brought light back to the metal box for the first time in who knows how long. Minding any spiderwebs he loomed over the opening and strained his eyes on the innards. He was struggling to find a good angle, wherever his light hit appeared to be swallowed whole by an infinite abyss. Now it was a matter of pride. His light waved here and there wildly. If he could at least find the bottom of it!

Nothing.

A shining metal floor.

Unsurprised but yet disappointed he let the flap fall, though neglected a finger which the thing gladly bit. Sharp hot pain for a moment and the poor choice to pull back. Wincing he clutched his hand. The gash was long and shallow, but it cried steadily. The burning pit opening back in his stomach he watched his essence striking her carapace; she drank it in hungrily.

Forcing back the voices he opened the door and froze at the threshold. It was somehow darker on the inside. Though this would be no deterrent.

What if someone is actually in here?

His feet now firmly planted he groped past the threshold along the rough interior wall. Each bump of the jagged concrete grabbed at his flesh but ultimately gave it up without much of a fight. It was not long until his fingers ran over the smooth plastic of a lightswitch. With a loud click the light above his head responded.

By turning off. Plunging him into deeper darkness.

Panic welling inside him he called back the light but remained unmoved. A stray photon must have found it’s way directly to his brain as it was only now he remembered the flashlight he had just been using.

Illumination beyond the meager inches at last.

More confident, he took his first step into the concrete box. This first step however did not land on the floor but instead an orphaned and emptied metal can. Not wanting a repeat of his previous fall he instinctively reached his free hand out and caught himself on the waist high metal piping to his right. His knees inches from a sudden stop. He hung there for a moment or two while his heart found its place back out of his throat. He couldn’t help but let out a disdainful half chuckle. The pounding now back under his ribs where it belonged he lifted to what could be considered some kind of upright posture. Now with cautious steps he passed by what he knew to be lockers, as he moved in incremental bursts he took note of the snickering pipes that rattled above him. It was unclear though if they even contained any liquid at this point. Eventually though, through trial and hesitation, the hallway was illuminated by the glow of the overhead lighting. It was through this enlightenment he understood the extent of the squaller left by a supposed previous resident.

Can and paper more numerous than the tiling they rested on. Stains of several unappealing colors mottled the walls, the floors, and even the ceiling. Dust hung thick in the air; casting a haze. To his left was another set of doors to what he would come to understand as his main working area. He had seen the tapes, listened to the instructors; he had meant to write things down. Straight ahead though was the place he yearned for.

Now able to move amongst the debris his journey to his room was quicker. With a groan and a squeal the rusted doors parted ways and he beheld his ‘luxurious’ accommodation. Well, this was after he recoiled from a sudden shape ahead of him. With a flick of the switch the formless shape was given recognition. A mannequin. Standing just to the side of the portcullis. Directly ahead, another, in his place on the bed. Heading over to it he stared down at the thing, it wore a paper grin. The sound of the wood hitting the floor echoed with a pleasant hollowness. He was not expecting anything to come from it but opening the refrigerator did produce a meager bounty: a burger of some variety, a candy bar, and a perfectly ripe banana. Above in the freezer was a packet of shrimp, something which the microwave to his side was eager to hold. With some trepidation he lifted the lid of the toilet; thankfully cleaner than the base itself. “I understand there needing to be a use of space but, c’mon, not even a wall or something for privacy?” He muttered though questioned who he would need to be hidden away from in his solitude.

His desire for a warm shower after his displacement was left unfulfilled as neither hot nor cold water sprang forth from the knobs.

“At least there’s the river,” he sighed.

Ignoring the wall of supply crates he felt his stomach drop.

“Where is my…oh for fuck’s sake.” His ears burned as he scolded himself.

Leaving the confines of his abode he made his way back to the path which he had just left. The cold mountain air burned his lungs as he spoke venomous words at himself. In his haste to be away from the spot, he had left his suitcase where he fell. While there was no need to get to it quickly, he punished himself by breaking into a dead sprint. His muscles screamed, his mind raced, and his lung stung; though he saw it through the distorted lens of atonement. Now almost doubling over and evacuating his stomach he grabbed the crimson truck by its long neck and steadied himself with it. Sweat dripping down from his nose fell and mixed with the tears that forced their way from his eyes. All of it then obscured by hot bile.

Wiping his mouth with the back of his arm he slowly limped back. His shame fulfilled he paused near a bend of the river and closed his eyes; letting his trouble be washed away with the current.

A rustle in the grass broke this serenity as he turned sharply on his heels and trained his flashlight on the origination point. Agonizing seconds felt like hours. The beast behind the noise? A humble pinecone rolling down the hill that rested at his feet. Which was then launched back to whence it came with a swift kick. Only to return once more like an animal. Reaching down he lifted the persistent thing and stuck it into his pocket, the sap on his fingers attracting the smallest of particles; nothing that couldn’t be taken away with a swift brush on the pants.

“Off to a great start.” He growled as something caught his attention again.

It was fast. It was bright. It was blue.

Overhead a comet or meteor of some kind screamed across the pin-pricked backdrop. The valley where he stood bathed in a cyan glow.

“Wow.” He said in raptured breathlessness.

With that cosmic moment now passed he made the long trip back and once inside, barely even at the foot of it, he collapsed onto the slab passing as a mattress and was whisked away to the realm of dreams. He slept peacefully through the entire night, or at least he would assume based on the size of the puddle his face was in when the first beams of light brushed his eyes. For him it was as if time had accelerated or skipped in its entirety. In the first hours of dawn the base held an almost holy glow to it, much different than the harsh indifference of the hours prior. With stumbling steps he wandered to the sink and splashed his face with frigid water. Still dripping he made his way now to the main working area of the base.

The center consoles hum mixed with that of the servers just behind a thin brick wall and his steps as he approached the giant window at the head of the room. He lingered there; watching the branches of the trees sway in the lazy morning wind. This would have been the perfect moment to enjoy a hot cup of instant coffee, but alas, he only had water. Running a finger along the glass he saw the sharp outline his finger left and sighed. At least if he couldn’t see out, nothing could theoretically see in. He stared at his reflection caught in the grime and dust. Leaning in for a closer inspection he confirmed that yes, his widow's peak had become more pronounced and he could spy a few more moles along his cheeks and neck. His unkempt hair was placated with a brush back with his hand. With a crooked smile he nodded and turned away from his preening.

In his stupor he had ignored or not realized but with clarity the true scope of mess now crashed into him like a tidal wave. What time there was for exploration and acquainting himself today was going to be subsumed by the more important task at hand, though he had all day to do anything, why rush? The answer was the black mold he saw along many a surface. Finding a discarded rubber band he tied his hair back, grabbed a pair of gloves from the shelf of a table, dunked the sponge which sat near what could be called a small pool, and got to work moving piles of trash into bags and scrubbing until the sun had started to set. It wasn’t by any means great or clean, but it was better, and it was because of his hard work. Bones and muscles now aching he at last sat in the computer chair which was oddly bolted into place and turned his main working computer on.

Thankfully there were only two emails for him to catch up on. One from his supervisor Dr.Lea welcoming him and giving him the brief rundown of his job and the other from his eventual nemesis, Dr.Bao. Eyes defocusing and drifting he shut the machine back off and left to return to his room. Standing in the doorway, hand on switch, he looked at the glow of the machinery and smiled in earnest.

“You got this, what’s the worse that can go wrong?”

Click

The room was plunged into darkness once again and Kel made his way back to the room. Collapsing again onto the mattress he was blessed with a final moment of peace before his work would begin at the crack of dawn the next day.

#votv #voices of the void #kel logs #dr kel #dr kel votv #fanfiction #votv fic #votv fanfiction

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