ST26 Dystopia (by Creator)

You never thought you would tell yourself this but.... You kind of did it. The game-making thing actually took off. The little game you made finally became popular , all the sweat and tears were worth it as you finally managed to gain traction on the internet. A small but cult following has formed around it and it has been recieving quite a lot of praise from them. Indeed you never expected to make it so big but alas, here we are (if:(history: where its name contains "Edge")'s length >= 1)[(text-colour:cyan)[//But you already knew that didn't you? Maybe now you will pay more attention to what you do will you not? Here , let me give you a little (text-colour:yellow)[[[suggestion|Me]]]//]] [[...|Further]]

Looking at your computer as you check out the game page of your little project and the comments on it a notification suddenly catches your eye , an email. [[open it| even further]] [[let it be| stop 1]]

Opening it you find inside a message from.... Wait a second Myra? THE Myra? As in the game studio that has put out some of the most legendary triple A titles in history? What could they possibly want? [[read it|keeps going]] [[ignore it |stop 2]]

You decide to ignore it not believing it to be anything important, maybe you missed out. Maybe you saved yourself from a total headache. Who knows? You then go on in the future to fade into obscurity and never make a successeful game ever again. (text-colour:(hsl:180,0.8039,0.5,0.7))[//Not quite satisfactory right? Do you wish you could...//] [[Try again?|Very beginning]]

Opening the mail you find inside a message , or better said a invitaion to join the studio in working on their newest top secret project. (text-colour:red)[(text-style:"underline","shadow","buoy")[(if:(history: where its name contains "stop 2 " or "stop 1")'s length >= 1)["Well, well , well. Would you look at who finally decided to read my mail."]"Hello there young gun, did you ever wish to take your mortal hopes and dreams and make them a reality while minimizing effort? Because we sure hope you do. Our algorithm suggests your wishes allign with our wants, and in such you get the opportunity to join us in making the NEWEST installment in the legendary series you've missed for years. That's right it comes back and it is ready for some action. So how about it , you get to fufill your little dream of being a big game developer and we make a boatload of (text-style:"shudder")[~~MONEY~~]people happy. So come on little feller, we've seen your work , we know what you can do . ''JOIN US'' '']] It would appear there was also a link down below , this is very , (text-colour:cyan)[//very interesting//] prehaps you should click it [[click the link|go more]]

You decide to ignore it not believing it to be anything important, maybe you missed out. Maybe you saved yourself from a total headache. Who knows? You then go on in the future to fade into obscurity and never make a succsseful game ever again. (text-colour:(hsl:180,0.8039,0.5,0.7))[//Hmmm truly , truly unruly are you not? Shall we...//] [[Start over?|Very beginning]]

Clicking the link led you to a paper that requires your personal information to apply for a position. The form reads "Junior Lead Vice Manager" , what kind of position is that? Only some greedy megacorporation with more workers than morals would need positions like this. This makes you think Do you still want to apply for the position? [[yes|order up]] [[no|lie]]

As your hands fly across the keyboard filling out the blank spaces in the form you enter a trance like state and bascially black out. Upon waking up you see that you've not only completed and sent the application but you've also recieved back a response. (text-colour:red)[(text-style:"underline","shadow","buoy")["You have our gratitude for applying, we shall see you tomorrow at the following adress : ▊▊▊▊▊▊▊▊▊ st. Nr ▊▊▊▊▊▊. Sleep tight our little gem."]] Well that's only a bit creepy but it is too late to think of that now I guess you should go to sleep [[slumber|as expected]] (text-style:"subscript","blur","condense","flat")[**f**] (text-colour:black)[[[NO|what?]]]

(text-colour:cyan)[//As if you ever had a choice :)//] [[try again|order up]]

(text-colour:cyan)[//Oh my? Well this is quite unexpected is it not? How did you stumble upon this little page? Curious are we not? Well you found this so I suppose you deserve a reward do you not? Go ahead . Pick one//] [[power|Edge]] [[truth|to be frank]]

You finally go to bed and rest your weary eyes letting the day's events really sink in and realize what this means for you. But before you can truly give it real thought, sleep takes over your eyelids and closes them for the rest of the night. [[...|ACT 2]]

(text-colour:cyan)[//This is your choice? Well so shall it be then . You have the power to go back. Make the most of it//] [[...|Very beginning]]

(text-colour:cyan)[//So that is your wish then? Well let me ask you this How can YOU believe any piece of information I would ever have to tell you... When you dont even believe in yourself. You've strayed far off the path laid out and for what? To question? Let me tell you a piece of knowledge I've aquired over the years... Sometimes...// You just have to believe in going with the flow] Reflect on that and start again when ready (text-style:"smear","condense","tall","sway")[(text-colour:yellow)[Okay?]]

(text-colour:yellow)[(text-style:"smear","condense","tall","sway")[Oh... Hello there. How did you ever end up here? Was it the evil moustache man. Yes he must have sent you. Funny person is he not? Despite his uhm well.... Tendencies. He was once a pure heart too.... like YOU Yes that's correct I can judge you, I DO have the authority after all. Well this is getting a bit convoluted is it not? How about we cut out all the dramatic flare and instead I tell you a story? How about that?]] [[accept|story]] [[deny|such]]

(text-colour:yellow)[(text-style:"smear","condense","tall","sway")[Oh my you really want to? Alright then here goes... There once lived a man, a wonderful man with a wonderful heart , with wonderful abilities to make wonderful experiences for wonderful people. He lived to bring them joy, to see them smile , to watch their eyes sparkle in glee. He was a happy man , and he lived a happy life. Few knew of his talents and his creations , but those few knew of how joyous he was to make them. One day one of their creations really took off, his joy-spreading creation went on to make it to the hands of far more people than usual . So many in fact that you could say it went viral. And they were overjoyed , they were beyond happy to see their work affect so many so deeply , to have them feel , to have made them change their outlooks. That man was you. And me, And everyone else in this wonderful little joining of people who are passionate about making , about CREATING we are a colony , a swarm but instead of making honey we sweeten the world with the machinations of our minds. You see my friend, You have been born with a amazing talent , all of us have . The talent to create. To make. To spread our ideas and let them influence others. This story... It was just an excuse really, a narrative device to get you to see my point. By using your talents to make others happy and make a positive impact You yourself will feel happy in return. So go out. Create. Be happy. For it is what all of us deserve. This is not an end but the very begninning to something I know you can make. Go and never forget... I believe in you.]] [[Begin|Very beginning]]

(text-colour:yellow)[(text-style:"smear","condense","tall","sway")[Oh well... What can I do. Not everyone has the time for my little parables I suppose. This whole situation IS getting kind of silly I suppose is it not? So complicated with so many moving parts... Maybe you should stick to the regular road? The choice is yours. Just... Be careful my friend.]] [[return|Very beginning]]

Waking up to your alarm (which you do not remember setting) you quickly eat breakfast, get changed and do your morning beauty routine before setting off in your steel carriage. You drive to the adress that was specified in the email and when you arrive at it you see this absolutely massive building stretching out so tall into the sky that you could not even set your eyes on it's roof You brace yourself and enter inside. [[walk on in|reception]]

At the reception you are faced with an absolutely massive portait of a man in a chair. Under the painting there is a small golden plaque that reads "▊▊▊▊▊▊▊ , CEO of Myra". It was so massive you couldn't even see his face , almost as if you were never meant to. <style> img{ max_width ; 100%; max_width : 100%; } </style> <img src=https://i.imgur.com/oTXjaNT.png </div> Walking towards it , it just looms more and more over your feeble figure before you finally reach the reception where a sweet and tired young lady greets you (text-colour:(hsl:287,0.5155,0.3804,0.6))["Hello there sir, what can I help you with?"] She asks giving you a warm and kind smile [["Where do I go to get to the office?"|office]] [["Where is the front door so I can leave this distopia?"|bruh]]

(text-colour:(hsl:287,0.5155,0.3804,0.6))["Take that elevator to the right"] She says almost with inkling of a sorry tone as she points you to the metal doors. You walk to the elevator and press the button. The way it felt under your fingers was almost as if you had signed a blood oath and pressed your finger into the contract. As the elevator comes down and opens its aluminium jaws you see a horde of other workers with their heads slumped and laptop bags in their hands. Their eyes hollow save for the spirals they have instead of irises all looking as if they are thinking the same thought , feeling the same emotion. You step in and squeeze between their cluttered bodies. They don't really seem to mind. The jaws slide shut trapping you inside as the box begins moving up the concrete tower You don't even have to press a button to get to the office level, it just knows. Eventually you reach the office floor and the doors open and every one of those workers walk off leaving alone in there to decide; [[Enter|depair]] or [[Run|saviour]]

(text-colour:(hsl:287,0.5155,0.3804,0.6))["Ummmm...Right where you came through sir"] You give her a thumbs up and stroll away happily going on to leave the giant monolith of sadness and capitalist greed and then donating to charity or something (text-colour:cyan)[//"Really? Just..."//] [[Start over|ACT 2]]

You step forward and as your vision adjust to the dubious foggy lights your pupils widen as you gaze upon the absolute horror you stumbled on. Rows upon rows of cubicals all tightly packed in grids The cubicals spread out to what seemed like infinity. The room was impossibly tall long and wide. You could not even catch a glimpse of the end. It looked as if you had stepped foot into a non-euclidean space. <style> img{ max_width ; 100%; max_width : 100%; } </style> <img src=https://i.imgur.com/HZGsD3j.png </div> But before you could even really process the feling a man stepped up to you. He was shrouded in shadow despite the lights, All you could make out were a bowtie and a tophat (does this man even know what century we're in?). He takes your hand , twirls you around and speaks in a deep yet somewhat charsimatic voice that could sell water to the ocean (text-colour:red)[(text-style:"underline","shadow","buoy")[Oh me oh my , it is so good to finally see you in person my talented gem. Welcome to the Myra officespace the place where you will make our newest best-seller. I am the floor manager and I shall be showing you around]] He takes your hand and drags you around the office (text-colour:red)[(text-style:"underline","shadow","buoy")[Here's the walkway there's the cubicals tour over, Come on now to your little space.]] He not so gently then shoves you into a cubical with a piece of paper in front (text-colour:red)[(text-style:"underline","shadow","buoy")[Okay so your job is to make the plot for our newest installment in the beloved game franchise "Legend of wizard tower XVII" . In that paper you have all the limitations we set upon the story, other than that you have FREE REIGN]] [[Open it|ridiculous]]

Feeling an immense pressure you run off scared for you free will pressing the button to go back to the first floor. Once you are there you bolt right through the front door and away you go. (text-colour:cyan)[//You got so far , do you not wish to see it through?//] [[Let's try that again|ACT 2]]

Opening the paper a wall of text floods your vision, rules upon rules of how to write characters and how the story needs to be. "-No killing main characters -If a somewhat important character dies you must bring him back by the end of the game -No heavy subjects such as abuse , manipulation , politics etc." And the list went on and on You were basically forced to write the same story that was told a million times before You realize this is madness so you complain about it to the floor manager who turns around with a wide grin and replies: (text-colour:red)[(text-style:"underline","shadow","buoy")[Oh we know, we know. But what can you do , it's what sells you know?]] (text-colour:red)[(text-style:"underline","shadow","buoy")[So come on now , will you get to work or what? I don't have all day]] [[Get to work|sad]] [[Refuse|Fight]]

You comply and get to work. Before you know it you write a already written plot with already written tension and already written conclusions. It dosen't take long before you lose all your ideas and just comply to whatever ther higher-ups ask for. You fall into a similar state to those workers you saw in the elevator. You become utterlly mindless... (text-colour:yellow)[(text-style:"smear","condense","tall","sway")[You have failed me. I am sorry for you... I won't give you a second chance. Take it from the beginning... Restart]]

You slam your fists on the desk and all the stuff goes flying as you state your disapproval of this system of work. You try to speak of free speech and creativity but your voice gets quickly cut out by an angry floor manager (text-colour:red)[(text-style:"underline","shadow","buoy")[OH PLEASE, STOP THAT BLABERRING. We are here to make MONEY not people happy. WHAT SELLS , SELLS GOT IT? If you think games should be created so freely and without money as the first priority then you SHOULD HAVE NOT joined us. It's about IDEAS , we need them to be POPULAR. (text-style:"shudder")[WHAT, YOU THINK IDEAS SPREAD BECAUSE THEY'RE GOOD? **NO** ,THEY SPREAD BECAUSE PEOPLE **LIKE THEM**]]] He becomes unstable in his form as he gets angry. A terrbile rumbling and growling can be heard from the neighbouring cubicals as the other workers stand up. All the while the floor manager keeps rambling on before he arrives at one final conclusion (text-colour:red)[(text-style:"underline","shadow","buoy")[IF YOU CANNOT COMPLY THEN YOU ARE (text-style:"shudder")[**FIRED**]]] As he says that you instinctively jump out your office space and run out as a horde of mindless employees give chase [[Run to the right|Whatever]] [[Run to the left|Mhm]]

You take a sharp right at the first opportunity you get and so you reach a lounge through which you burst in. You quickly notice however that all the exits are blocked by the mindless husks. In desperation you jump up into a vent and barely get to fully get in as they come and try to drag you out. Looking forward you see a hatch leading into another room. [[Crawl on|All the same]]

You dash to the left as soon as you get the chance and book it forward. You gallop on until you see a ornate wooden door. Bracing yourself you speed up and put your shoulder forward preparing to bash it. [[Run on|All the same]]

After the chase and desperate escape attempt you break through the entrance in this other room. As you gather your bearings you notice you seem to be in some kind of ornate waiting room. The walls were green with some kind of ornate royal symbol in a darker shade that give off a fancy vibe. The lower sides of the wall were lined with some kind of dark hardwood carved into intricate patterns. You step further and a slower pace upon not hearing any more of the growling. [[walk|door]]

As you walk on you get to an absolutely HUGE door. It was so tall it put a medium sized house to shame. It had to be about 35 meters tall. You stand uterlly impressed by it's sheer grandeur. And as you stare at it a voice comes from behind. (text-colour:cyan)[//Please , do come in.//] [[Enter|him]]

The massive door opens on it's own before you letting you see into the room behind it. It looked like some sort of study, bearing the same green and dark brown color scheme as the room before it but now with walls of books , decorative stones and a fireplace crackling and radiating off warmth. You stepped forwards towards the desk but quickly stopped as you saw **HIM**. Even if you did not get to see his face you knew who this was. The stance , the attitude , I mean he is wearing the same God damn clothes as in the painting. It was the CEO of Myra. He opened his mouth and out came a warm and soothing tone. (text-colour:cyan)[//Hello there . Took you long enough to get here//] [[Walk up to him|ending it]]

(text-colour:cyan)[//I'm so glad you could make it to this little meeting. May I know why you rejected the offer we made you? Was it the seller? Because if so I have many more floor managers and they are all more than willing to be the ones to sell you on it. No that was not it... It was the offer itsself was it not? Now let met tell you something my dear diamond in the rough. You may think we limit creativity but through limitations creativity is born , and yes we may take it a bit far in some sense , "tyranical" some may say , but really we just want to push your boundaries and see how far in that noggin can we dig. Excuse my improper language but that is just the way it is we dont want much , simply the minds of the consumers. We do not want the why we want the HOW and the WHAT//] He keeps rambling on and on and on He spoke words about how "control is bliss" "giving up is truthful" and "creativity is just a burden" Those lies Those utter fantasies he spewed out from below that twirled moutache and that mouth made you want to... [[Stand up and walk off|ENDING 1]] (text-colour:#570505)[(text-style:"rumble")[[[**PUNCH HIM**|ENDING 2]]]]

You stand up so violently you half of his little trinkets off the desk and send them cluttering down on the carpeted floor. You turn on your heel and walk off as his ramblings turn desparate for you , buit your brain just phases them out as you step away. As you stroll through the building all the workers seem to be passive once more, paying you no mind. You walk to the elevator and take it back to the first floor where you wave to the receptionist as you pass her by and go back home to contemplate on what happened. In the end you decide the best way of processing what just happens was by doing what you do best Making a game about it. [[THE END|the end]]

Before he can spew any more heresies out his wretched mouth you sock him clean in the jaw leaving him laying down in a deep slumber. Now that he is not talking so much he ain't so bad. You turn 180 and walk off to get home and clear your mind of all that happened. As you stroll through the building all the workers seem to be passive once more, paying you no mind. You walk to the elevator and take it back to the first floor where you wave to the receptionist as you pass her by and go back home to contemplate on what happened. In the end you decide the best way of processing what just happens was by doing what you do best Making a game about it. [[THE END|the end]]

(text-colour:yellow)[(text-style:"smear","condense","tall","sway")[You seem to have reached the end. Im glad to see it. To see you reached this end. You stood you ground and I am proud of you for that. As a reward I shall leave you with two gifts First: A hint d2hlbiB0aGUgc2xlZXAgY29tZXMgcmVtZW1iZXIgdG8gbG9vayB1bmRlciB0aGUgc2l4dGg= And second: A chance to try again After all... Experience breedscreativity]] [[Go again?|Very beginning]]

SENICA THING 2026 Entry Title: ''Dystopia'' Author: ''//by Creator//'' /18 years, Romania/ Experience: ''no publishing history'' [[Play->Very beginning]]