Shattered Souls: The Cyborgs
0
posted09/26/2012 09:07 AM (UTC)by
Avatar
Sekktor
Avatar
About Me

Member Since
09/10/2012 07:25 PM (UTC)
This is my first fan fic. Constructive criticism is welcome.

This is going to be told in first person by Sektor, Cyrax and Smoke.. It'll switch off to each other in later chapters. This fan fic is going to cover their human sides until they're automated.

Chapter One: Sektor.

My name is Sektor. I am son of the Grandmaster, but that doesn't mean I get treated any different from other members of the Lin Kuei. I am still disciplined as harshly as the other members. My clan mates, Cyrax, Smoke, and Sub-Zero do not appreciate the upcoming plan of the Grandmaster- automating their ninjas. I have decided to volunteer first for the project, out of loyalty for my father and the LIn Kuei. He has assured me that many rigorous tests await to see if I am ready for automation, and I am waiting to be tested, which can be at any time. As I await testing, Cyrax comes up to me. "Sektor, why is the Grandmaster doing this? We are capable of so much more human than cyborg. Who knows what they'll do to us? I don't"- I cut him off there. "As I've told you many times Cyrax, you do not understand the Grandmaster's vision for automation. With these new enhancements, we will be more skilled, more stealthy, faster and stronger. These enhancements will make us the most feared warriors in all of Earthrealm." By the time I was finished talking to Cyrax, who then walked away, I was called for testing. I don't know what awaits, but I will try my hardest for the Grandmaster.

End of Chapter One. Cyrax's chapter will be next. Thanks.

~Sekktor.
Avatar
Sekktor
Avatar
About Me

09/23/2012 06:15 PM (UTC)
0
Chapter Two: Cyrax

Cyrax is my codename.

I'm apart of a clan of ninjas based in China- the Lin Kuei.

The Grandmaster wants to automate their ninjas, "to enhance our abilities" I think it's crazy.

The Grandmaster's son, and my clan mate, Sektor, thinks otherwise. He keeps telling me how we'll be faster, stronger, and more stealthy, and skilled. I already am all that. The Grandmaster knows our potential, but he doesn't care.

We will undergo testing to see if we are fit to be automated, but I know he'll do it anyway.

I find Sektor waiting to be tested, and I say to him

"Sektor, why is the Grandmaster doing this? We are capable of so much more human than cyborg. Who knows what they'll do to us? I don't"- then he cuts me off saying-

"As I've told you many times Cyrax, you do not understand the Grandmaster's vision for automation. With these new enhancements, we will be more skilled, more stealthy, faster and stronger."

He keeps telling me this, so I walk away to go train by myself, thinking of how much longer I have to keep my soul, because I know after this automation, I won't have a soul left- I won't have anything left,

End of Chapter Two. Smoke is next.

Avatar
Jerrod
Avatar
About Me
MKO Moderator, Story Writer, Actor
Signature by Pred
09/24/2012 09:05 AM (UTC)
0
Are you kidding me?
First of all, these are not stories. I'd barely even call them chapters for how little information there is. If anything, they're short biographies, similar to Deception.
Second, you need to edit these better. You use some repetitive language (wait, await, awaiting) numerous times, that's a problem that makes your biography sound dull. I would suggest using a thesaurus when you write these.
Third, speaking of repetitive, why the Hell did you copy and paste Sektor's biography and make it Cyrax's? They sound exactly the same, with only minor modifications to change it to Cyrax's perspective. You even have Cyrax repeat what Sektor said to him TWICE in his own biography, why? What was the point of that? We don't need to see the conversation verbatim along with a recap, there's no point to having both.
Fourth, we need to see more of what's going on with these guys, otherwise these are just journal entries. What is Cyrax's motivation? Where is he training? Has he mentioned his disdain for automation to anyone else? We need more than one sentence of Cyrax saying, "I'm already stealthy," when Sektor's saying, "we'll be stealthier" as a retort. Put more emphasis on why Cyrax wants to stay human, or at least keep his soul, or have him ask why he was chosen, or state if he volunteered like Sektor and is now having doubts.
You need to set up a plot, have stakes, engage with readers who already know these stories, and you need to find a way to make your stories stand out, on par with (or better than) the original MK stories.
Looking forward to what you bring to table now, especially since the next one's Smoke; I'm expecting a much better piece of work with all this criticism. smile
Avatar
Zmoke
09/24/2012 07:16 PM (UTC)
0
The idea in itself is nice, Sekksie. I'd suggest not to send the story right away after you think you've written everything necessary but leave it over night to return to it in the next day to fix and add crucial stuff. Continue.
Jerrod Wrote:
Looking forward to what you bring to table now, especially since the next one's Smoke; I'm expecting a much better piece of work with all this criticism. smile
*hi5*
Avatar
Sekktor
Avatar
About Me

09/24/2012 08:15 PM (UTC)
0
Chapter Three: Smoke

Hidden in the shadows of the Living Forest, with my spear ready at my side, I await to attack the enemy. Cyborgs, my former clan mates, want to automate me into one of THEM.

*Twig snapping* I look and see about 4 of them walking towards me, probably patrolling the area. They have no idea what's coming to them. "HEY!" I yell to get their attention. "Target: Smoke. Capture him for automation."

I chuck my spear at one of them, and it gets lodged in one of their chest with a thud. As I'm pulling him toward me, the spear snaps in half as the cyborg is almost towards me.

It gets up, and plunges his hand into my abdomen. As I'm laying there, my life pouring out of my body, a sudden jolt hits me, and I realize I've been dreaming, waking up in a cold sweat. It is the early morning, by the looks of the sky outside.

My longtime friend, Sub-Zero, sees the look of worry on my face. "Smoke! Are you alright, friend?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just had a pretty fucked up dream though."

"What was it about?" He asks me, concerned.

"I had a dream that cyborgs were hunting me, wanting to turn me into one of them. Maybe this whole automation thing the Grandmaster is planning to do has messed my mind up."

"Maybe a day of training will cheer you up?" A smile forms on his face as he puts his mask on.

"Let's go!" I say, enthusiastically.

We make our way to the Foundry to train.

"Want to spar, Smoke?" Sub-Zero asks.

"You're going down!" I proclaim.

I chuck my spear at him, but he dives out of the way, getting my spear stuck in the Foundry's thick concrete walls.

He slides towards me, a trail of ice behind him, but I counter it- kicking him in the face, when he's down I pick him up and slam him hard on the ground.

"You wanted to spar, and you're not even trying. So come on!" I scream at him.

He sweeps me off my feet, and I fall down hard. As I struggle to get up, he tries to headbutt me, but I get him with a hard karate chop to the neck. He falls down so hard I thought I had knocked him out.

"You okay?" I ask, anxious.

"Yeah..." He says, out of breath, standing up now.

We continue to spar, and after a few hours we go back to the temple, bruised, cut up, and tired.

"What a sparring day that was!" Sub-Zero says to me.


"So what's gonna happen with this automation thing? Are we even going to be able to think on our own? Or will we be pawns like in chess, waiting for our next orders from the Grandmaster" I say, angrily.

"Smoke, I don't know what's going to happen. Let's just be happy we're not the first ones to be automated."

End of Chapter Three. Sektor will be next.
Avatar
Jerrod
Avatar
About Me
MKO Moderator, Story Writer, Actor
Signature by Pred
09/26/2012 09:07 AM (UTC)
0
Much better quality, though given everything I wrote, I was hoping to wait a little longer before seeing an update. Perhaps that's a plus for making these so short, so let's break this down.
For starters, you bring up the Living Forest in Smoke's dream. Not a bad choice, given he's associated with it, but now you are committing to a specific time that all this is happening, and that's after MK2, but before MK3. Why? Because as far as we know, Smoke's not been to Outworld until after the second tournament, and at that point, he and Sub-Zero were already on the run, with Smoke getting captured. You have to keep time in mind when writing stories that don't take place during tournaments, as users like me pay attention to chronology and details like that. You could establish that Smoke's been to the Living Forest before going with Kuai Liang to rectify this.
*Twig snapping*... That's something you'd see written in a script, not a story. You need to be consistent with the style you've chosen, so in this case, you'd have to write that Smoke heard a twig snap and turned to that direction (or something like that).
Since the first part's a dream, I won't question why Smoke's trying to get the Cyborgs' attention, but I will state that you should choose your actions (verbs) carefully. Chuck a spear? That sounds kind of lame, no? Why not throw or hurl? Chuck sounds like a pretty weak action (ie, chucked the garbage out), and isn't very good at describing how Smoke's spear is typically used.
Smoke just awoke from a dream... Is he in his room, or is he in Sub-Zero's? Do they share a room (wink)? I'm asking because given the immediacy of Sub-Zero seeing Smoke's reaction to waking up, I have to think that Sub-Zero was watching Smoke sleep... And with that in mind, again, timing. Which Sub-Zero is this, Bi-Han or Kuai Liang? It might be better to use their real names, since they are familiar with each other, and not on any mission at the moment.
A Foundry? I know that there have been Foundry/Armory levels in the games, but the practicality of training/sparring in a weapon factory's a little questionable. This is an opinion though, some would probably disagree.
The battle description's okay, again, using "chuck" and, well, I thought it was too short. The start's not very descriptive, though you picked it up a little (when it comes to fight scenes, the more details, the better). This makes fights sound a lot better and make more sense. This a personal opinion though, others may not agree
Smoke's automation question's "asked" not simply "said."
The ending's a little anti-climactic. Ending just on dialogue in a calm moment's not very interesting, may as well have Smoke narrate the last word. Again, that's my personal style and opinion.
Better than your other two "chapters" just needs a little more work.
Pages: 1
Discord
Twitch
Twitter
YouTube
Facebook
Privacy Policy
© 1998-2025 Shadow Knight Media, LLC. All rights reserved. Mortal Kombat, the dragon logo and all character names are trademarks and copyright of Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.