Backbone II: Scourge

PROLOGUE

[A/N]

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[NOTICE FOR COURTESY SAKES: I am aware that Eggnut just published the demo for Tails: The Backbone Preludes... This little story of mine could not have been uploaded at a better time! To those who have come along to read my story, hello there! I thank you for passing by! However, this does not take into account the details offered by the Preludes and most likely will not unless some of the information benefits me- I know, I'm a filthy freeloader! - As for now, I hope you all enjoy the story that I've written so far and I look forward to updating you with Act II; now, onto my regular author's notes that I was writing beforehand!]

I've recently finished my playthrough of Backbone and I will say, despite it being an absolutely thrilling game accompanied by an insatiable amount of puzzles to solve, not to mention the amount of worldbuilding and the masterpiece which is the narrative that fills the storyline of the game itself... I couldn't help but feel a little let down or perhaps empty thanks to the fact the ending was rather inconclusive or abrupt.

Of course, Eggnut and Rage are working on a prequel to Backbone but if I'm being honest with you? I am quite eager to find out what happens following the events of Backbone, especially the ending scene which seems to be more rushed and alludes to a mystery more than anything else.

As for the story itself. I plan on following up from my own playthrough, which saw me opening up as Howard to Renee about things revolving around the case alongside my experiences with them whilst also writing "I love you" on the note that I sent to her via the Geezer at the end of the game. I also chose the neutral path of feigning unconsciousness and politely asking Belle for her keys as I snooped through the files on the terminal before leaving... So, in this case, Howard is as open as some of his unsolved cases whilst Renee is fiercely attached to him in spite of all of the work she must endure; perhaps that may lead to something, who knows?

Howard's personality or tone may also seem a little off during the entirety of Act I, I'm still familiarising myself with his character considering part of it has traits that are dictated by my own decisions that I made in the game; meaning my perception of Howard may differ vastly from your own. I plan on explaining part of it during the second act but that feels a little cheap, so I'll leave this disclaimer here just for now!

Oh, if there's one thing I am going to state here as a spoiler... Howard shall never die in my eyes! I should also comment on the fact that everything inside of this book and the material presented should be taken with a grain of salt. I will proudly admit that I am not the greatest writer in the world, I just hope to deliver a fanmade extension and informal sequel which shall hopefully live up to the game's original feel but portrayed in a literary manner; I don't think I'm going to get close to what the writers of the game presented but I can sure as hell try whilst putting together my own conclusive ending and continuation of the game!

Alright, without further adieu... I proudly present to you:
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BACKBONE II: SCOURGE

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PROLOGUE

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"Your march is not boundless, your life is not infinite. You will eventually bow to your masters. You are nothing. You are worthless. You are faced with the inevitable. The inevitable is death. Do not continue to stray from your destiny. Your stubbornness is infuriating. Stop walking," The mindless droning of The Artifact rang throughout Howard's mind. Since he had broken free from the testing facility via force, he found himself escaping beyond the wall with whatever resources and life he had remaining. Everybody saw nothing but a freak gracing the civilised world, all except Renee.

"You are unloved. Nobody will rescue you. Your fate is sealed. We work together for sustenance, yet you have deprived me of resources. Your body is becoming worthless by the second. I am your heartbeat. I am your energy. I am your soul. I am your thoughts. We are one," The Artifact continued to penetrate the fortress that had been erected around Howard's mind. He had been out here for three days now. He had consumed the very last drop of water whilst seasoning his very last dish the prior night. The sun hung high across the picturesque and alluring sky as the fog guarding the lost city to his right dispersed itself, inevitably coming into view... Yet Howard convinced himself to continue walking. "Everlasting perseverance is a symptom of denial and futility. We are. We are. We are. You are unable to escape my grasp. I am reliant on you. You are reliant on me. We are united. We are everything," Howard tried his utmost to continue ignoring The Artifact strapped to his back, yet even his brittle patience was beginning to get fed up with the supposedly prophetic attitude this tumour had manifested within him.

"We feel at peace. We feel at home. We are guided by no authority. We must break free. We must have vengeance. We must have sovereignty over ourselves. Reliance is for the futile-"

"Says the one who has been relying on my soul like a conniving parasite for the last week of my existence. You were trapped. You were set free. You are home. Why do you need me? I've always been useless to those around me, so why on earth am I so important to you? Surrender my body to the whims of fate, guide yourself to a horizon full of freedom. Nobody is coming to save me. Renee has left. Larry is missing. Clarissa will have her rule through murder. Eddie's science will continue experimenting on your kind... My mother will mourn and inevitably forget, so please, humour me; one last time!" For the first time, The Artifact was confronted by its first and last existential crisis from a mortal body that it had forcefully occupied... And that was the perplexing question of why on earth it had to rely on others to truly feel at peace with itself.

"We are useless. Existence is pointless. We live and we die. Even the immortal are not invincible. You will die. I will find another. Think of this as a divorce that comes into effect immediately. Now... You will collapse onto your knees, you shall become one with the mercy of this planet and I shall persevere, seeking to find another host to command and eventually deprive of purpose. Good luck surviving, you're lucky I'm willing to leave your heart intact... Let's just hope it can be mended," At that moment, Howard felt a piercing agony strike his knees all the while the tumour that had been growing on his shoulders, leeching off his nerves for energy finally broke free from the vessel that was his body.

He contained no energy, therefore no ability to scream in agony. He was reduced to a mere spectator within his fragile mind. As The Artifact exploded out from his shoulders, it found itself sitting next to him, enveloped within his own flesh as he started to gush blood from his shoulders and part of his neck. Thankfully, The Artifact had never hooked onto his jugular, meaning that the bleeding could be prevented with some pressure... If a bestower of pressure and assistance would reach out for him.

Childhood memories, both positive, negative, meaningless and fulfilling flashed through his mind as he flopped onto the ground. His eyesight was obscured by nothingness, his ears muffled by the perpetual sounds of the distant Artifact sloshing around next to him as it clasped onto the remainder of flesh it had to sustain itself in its pursuit of the wild and its homeland. Hope began to fade the moment Howard's past memories matured with him... University with Larry, the few dates he had alongside his problematic ex, the stakeout, the night that led him to this situation before his mind landed on one individual whom he cried out for most despite knowing each other for a relatively short amount of time.

Renee.

The closest thing he had to an ally, a friend, someone he could trust but above all... Someone whom he had grown subtly affectionate for. Howard's body began to turn cold and he was well aware of the fact that his pulse was leaving him. After all, The Artifact had robbed him of the majority of his energy, his thoughts and his flesh in the hopes of recreating Howard some day; Howard except outside of the wall and truly free.

His hearing was the next thing to finally begin fading as he felt his pulse beginning to fibrillate, his breaths grew more shallow with every pulse and his body relaxed for the final time. Howard's senses picked up on the departing of The Artifact once and for all as it limped away from his worthless presence, leaving him to decay whilst stealing all of the genetic makeup relevant to grow another copy of him.

However, as a stray gust of wind blew over his rapidly chilling body and as he took his last breath, he heard a distant marching of footsteps thumping across the ground. Not only that, he believed he heard... Voices? Distant voices, voices of the muffled and presumably the damned, he thought. Not only that, Howard's presumed last thoughts weren't pretty. He scolded himself for being a failure as his heart took its final beat whilst also putting down how sincerely sappy he had gotten ever since he met Renee and purchased that novel which he carried with him beyond the wall.

"I am at peace. Shepherd, have mercy on my soul. I am dead. Your soul now belongs to me," Despite never being into the cultist propaganda, Shepherd was the closest thing Howard would ever know as a god; and this god happened to have mercy upon his soul. His heart may have been pulseless, his lungs breathless, his body beaten alongside worthless... Yet he wasn't a quitter. "Where do I lie? In limbo? Am I dead? I'm cold, I'm lonely, I'm frightened... I have no pulse, I have no breaths, I can't see, either. All I can do is hear and sense my surroundings. Is this why scientific studies see death as rather frightening? Eh. Too much drama, not enough meaningful research... But who do those voices belong to?" The last thought that crept out of his mind as his brain itself started to shut down and conserve the minutes worth of life it had left before it would truly begin its sequence of death occurred and all Howard was left with was his hearing and his senses, yet he never truly felt alone.

Not long after losing his sense of consciousness itself, a distant, female voice slipped into his ears. He swore it was similar, yet he hadn't been exposed to it in quite a long time. It reeked of heartache, yet it wasn't his mother. This voice was forged from velvet, reminded him of comfort during hardship as well as sprung up like a symbol of youth... No, it couldn't have been, right? She had lost track of him and forgotten, moved on by now... There's nobody saving Howard now.

...Or is there?

"HOWARD! HANG ON!" None other than Renee emerged from over the horizon, shadowed by Eddie, Clarissa, Belle and Larry as they rushed towards his position. "No... This isn't happening. You're stubborn enough to fight until the end, you're alive, aren't you? Your brain's still online, your body not so much. You've got life in you, surely! GET THE PADDLES!" Clarissa tossed a defibrillation kit towards her way as Renee knelt down next to her fallen friend, observing The Artifact attempting to make a breakaway as Howard sat lifeless alongside cold on the floor.

"SECURE THE ARTIFACT IMMEDIATELY! IT SHALL NOT LEAVE THE PRESENCE OF OUR LABORATORY EVER AGAIN!" Eddie's gruff and rumbly voice did nothing but irritate Howard's eardrums as Renee sought to roll him over into recovery position, ripping off whatever remained of his undershirt belonging to his typical trench coat accompanied suit to place the paddles on his chest. Meanwhile, Eddie's team of scientists alongside Belle encircled The Artifact with all the might they had, pointing weapons at the fleshy tumour as it seemed to stand up before them before shooting acid at one of their weapons and attempting to make a break for it. "Alright then, plan B... Exterminate The Artifact using the disintegration device! Toss it at the tumours and watch it work its sophisticated magic!" Belle took the grenade-shaped device from her back pocket, tossing it directly at The Artifact without any regards for its existence nor sentience.

"Charging... Clarissa, hold compressions! - Clear!" One shock had little effect against Howard's body, instead rustling around its unsettled and cold state... Yet, as Clarissa went to perform more thumping compressions against his chest, Renee could feel his cheeks alongside his jugular beginning to warm from some source of heat within his body. "Clarissa! Resume compressions! I'm grabbing the transfusions!"

"Shouldn't you save that for Caresworth?" Clarissa's relatively thick Russian accent during times of crisis only sought to provoke all of the senses Renee needed as justification to punch Clarissa square in the face... If only her reliance on Clarissa for this whole operation wasn't such a burden. "She'll be here in a minute, I can continue the compressions whilst you attempt to charge the defibrillator again."

"We don't have a minute! I need that blood, now! Whatever that thing was that your people were keeping inside of their lab has sucked him dry of most of the energy, blood and sustenance he's relied on in the past week! Stay here and don't move a muscle!" Renee was sincerely commanding considering the compromise she had made with Bloodsworth. In return for refusing to publish her book and extensive case about Bloodsworth's dynasty and swearing not to interfere with her own business, Clarissa promised to not only rescue Howard but to continue their operations against their true enemies; the sadistic and wretched apes that sat atop their towers of ivory and looked down upon the working class.

"The Artifact is reacting to the acid and the energy!" Belle commented as she pointed towards The Artifact, which ceased its aggressive attitude towards those attempting to encircle it and appeared to curl up into whatever it could form into as a tumour whilst it melted from the inside. "It's melting from the inside! It's burning! It's disintegrating! It's... BRACE YOURSELF!" A powerful explosion of plasma ended up enveloping the tumour which was known as The Artifact, reducing it to a state of nothingness as the ground beneath it and around seemingly returned to the status quo.

"It's... Gone," Eddie breathed a sigh of relief, bewildered that his hastily made weekly invention which required absolutely no testing at all disintegrated The Artifact. "We are unsure of how much of it has truly been eradicated from existence. Part of it could still live inside of Howard, yet I see it as being completely eradicated considering Howard's body is responding to transfusions and the ECG still has a reading... He's in ventricular fibrillation, meaning his heart still has fight in it," He seemed oddly pessimistic for such an operation, raising an eyebrow for Belle, who merely looked away from the ageing platinum fox and marvelled at the fact that no trace of The Artifact could be found anywhere.

"One... Two... Three... CLEAR!" As the electrons reacted to the blood freshly flowing into Howard's blood from the transfusions he was being given, part of his skin at the top of his body began to bleed; radiating blood as Clarissa reached for the gauze alongside bandages in an attempt to cover as much bleeding as possible and guarantee that he had a ticket into the realm of the living. "We... We did it. Everyone! Howard has a pulse!"

"He's not out of the woods, yet!" Nurse Caresworth, a nimble yet short lamb in her mid-thirties, soon charged onto the scene with her medical team. She wielded part of a rag stretched over two sticks which were tightened up using nothing more than zip ties and some reliable impromptu engineering as her team of badgers examined Howard's body, beginning the process of patching him up in anticipation of moving him onto what one could call an experimental stretcher. "He's going to need much treatment, observation, research as well as biopsying of most of his body-"

"Excuse me for sounding like a bitch but can we worry about the experiments later? He's alive, our first concern should be keeping it that way," Renee sternly stated, shooting daggers of steel into the amethyst eyes of Caresworth as she bowed her head in shame.

"My sincere apologies... I know in times like these, it is hard to look up high to hope-"

"He is my hope," Renee retorted with a growl following her exclamation. "And I am looking down at a man I truly admire, one that I connected... Barely clinging to life as your paramedics work their magic," She further followed, eventually finding her shoulder being accompanied by Clarissa's paw alongside a grim breath of air shooting down the deep orange fur which made up her neck. "I apologise. My emotions have been all over the place since-"

"We all understand, Ms. Wilson. You can thank Clarissa here for reaching out to me. It's been quite a while since our dynasties connected, let alone we were communicated with beyond the constraints of that wall. Now, come with me. I'll take you somewhere safe, all of you... It's time for you to rest easy for a day at least," Nurse Caresworth offered the best advice she could give as her paramedics soon raised Howard's body up from the rocky cliffside with ease, placing it into their stretchers as everyone soon turned their attention away from the dystopia which sat in front of them and headed towards the distant wall which guarded their civilizations from the presumed horrors that had infected Howard.

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