For once, Megan and I wrote stories along very similar lines: we both came up with a heist scenario of sorts, though hers was a “plant something” heist and mine was a “steal something” heist. I suppose that’s not altogether unexpected, given our prompt:
- Character: Programmer
- Object: Coat
- Genre/Tone: Action
Neither of us are fans of explosion-heavy shoot-em-ups, so it makes sense that “Action” would send us both to a heist story.
I also couldn’t resist tossing a little sci-fi element in there. I don’t know why, but I always enjoy a story with a touch of the wondrous in it.
Hope you enjoy our stories this week! Please let us know what works, and what might be improved. And if you wrote anything with this exercise yourself, please share it (or a link to it) in the comments!
Ulysses slid down the aluminum roof of the university laboratory. His free hand grasped at anything to slow his descent, but only scraped upon the weather-mottled surface of the metal roof-plates. His other hand gripped the handle of his interface kit and held it against his chest, for whatever protection that might provide.
He had to deliver that interface kit intact. His body mattered rather less, at least to the Agency, but also to all the people the Agency protected against the monstrosity that had been created at this laboratory.
Above him, the bear-like creature burst out of the skylight onto the roof. Its claws gave it ample traction on the metal roof, and its coat of hardened fur and genetically modified joints would protect it even if it fell the five storeys to the ground below. Ulysses had no such protections, but he did see opportunities ahead: the building’s gutters were integrated into the roof and made of the same material. It should hold his weight if he could just catch himself on it. With a breath, he ignored the monster barrelling down the metal slope after him, and timed his descent. He shifted around so that his arm would cross the edge first, giving him a chance, just one. He jammed his fingers into the gutter, felt them mash into the detritus of the surrounding trees as he clamped down on the roof’s edge. His shoulder popped, and hot pain ran up his arm and down his spine. And his fingers loosened, releasing him into thin air.
Worse, his attempt at saving himself had only given the genemodded monster the time to catch up to him. As he slipped free from the roof, five hundred pounds of enraged killing beast launched themselves after him, armor-piercing claws extended toward him, venomous saliva dripping from its four-inch fangs. And there, right in the center of its belly, the access point for the interface. As the creature grasped Ulysses to its chest, he opened his grip on the interface kit. He ignored the burn of the claws sinking into his back, and groped inside the case for the interface plug. Then, plunged it through the prickly coat into the creature’s interface access. He hit the “emergency protect” button, and then sighed in relief as the bear-creature retracted its claws from him.
The monster’s four legs crushed him so tightly against its body that he could barely breathe, and the moment of impact knocked his vision into stars. But after a brief roll, the creature opened its arms and Ulysses stumbled out onto the lawn. Behind them, security guards swarmed out of the building, but he just climbed onto the beast’s back. The creature, now under his control, carried him to safety faster than the guards could chase them. He only hoped the Agency would have enough food to feed the extra asset he was delivering that night.