"OUTLAND BIOTIC" - AN MSPAINT CYOA STORY

[Cindy]

It's that hour of the day. The hour of-

...What time is it? What day is it?

It's been so long since you left City 17. The days all start to slur together. It also slurs together because you are a Vortigaunt, and your unique connection to a strange force known as the Vortessence has lent you a nebulous (lmao) sense of omniscience. Tomorrow, today, yesterday, are all the same to you.

Unfortunately, that is not the case for everyone. You happen to live in a rather linear world now, due to some RATHER SIGNIFICANT AND RATHER UNPLEASURABLE CIRCUMSTANCES. Nevertheless, that was then, and this is now. Or is this then and now soon? Is soon then and now is then? How soon is now? No, wait- That was some human song. Morsel or something.

You stand amid the ruins of a battlescarred countryside, strewn across the scars of who-knows-where. You are cold, hungry, and honestly quite irritable given that you've been running from Overwatch for the last week. Don't they have other things to worry about right now?

What will you do?

(I have decided to make the first panel entirely a write-in. Post your answers below.)​

 

['77 East]

Poke through the wasteland for something to grill.

It might be a dead headcrab, it might be toxic waste fodder, it might be a human begging over public radio frequencies for spare guns.
Anything can be tasty with enough seasoning.

 

[Erkor]

find the ration distribution center (go north-east)

 

[Appetite Ruining Kebab]

Poke around in the antlion caves and snack on their infantile. I could really go for some grub right now.

 

[Thood74]

Whatever you do, stay away from error signs. they'll put you in stasis.

 

[Cindy]

Whatever you do, stay away from error signs. they'll put you in stasis.

 

[Sil]

Before heading out, take a small amount of time to kneel in the sand and allow the Vortessence's limited powers to guide you, drawing whatever comes to mind from it

 

[bigdaddyman413]

do what any sane biotic does the moment he gets in the outlands,

avoid rebels, find peace-loving ranchers to help tame xenians

 

[Anthrax_PL]

Find as much alcohol and drink it to see the effects of alcohol on vortiguants, and to see if it effects the vortessense.

 

[boots]

take a sip from the toxic radioactive waste sitting in that barrel to quench your thirst

 

[Cindy]

find the ration distribution center (go north-east)

What? Who's stupid idea was this? Fucking moron. Whatever. You're here now, you might as well try and get a ration. Hopefully Civil Protection didn't booby-trap it when they pulled out of here.

​

You use your vortal energies to channel power into the machine. It whirs to life at your touch...


​

Well, that was fucking stupid.



*** ONE LAST SAVE LOADING LATER ***

Let's try that again, shall we?
​

Poke through the wasteland for something to grill.

It might be a dead headcrab, it might be toxic waste fodder, it might be a human begging over public radio frequencies for spare guns.
Anything can be tasty with enough seasoning.

You look around the wasteland for something to satisfy your hunger. Your stomach (or the anatomical vortigaunt equivalent of one) growls at you (through the Vortessence)

Then, you see it.

This is going to get ugly.

The two foes lock eyes, and lunge into combat! Who can say which one will come out on top of-

BY THE NIHILANTH, IT'S OUTLAND BIOTIC WITH A STEEL CHAIR!!!



*** SEVERAL THRASHINGS LATER ***

You have felled the beast. His corpse is yours to consume.

You pocket the dead headcrab (What pockets? Don't worry about it.) for later, as headcrab is much more delightful when prepared properly. For the time being, you scan the horizon yet again. Overwatch doesn't seem to have caught up with you, and there is no one immediately nearby.

What will you do?



​

A: Look for antlion caves to collect some tasty grub.
B: Look for a means to create a fire and cook your headcrab.
C: Commune with the Vortessence and seek guidance from the collective minds of your people.
D: Take an oh-so-tempting sip of the toxic waste from that barrel...
E: Other (Write-in)

​

 

[Thood74]

E

Forget the headcrab. Break NLR and use a ground pound to absolutely devastate all the manhacks. You aren't leaving without your ration.

 

['77 East]

C: Commune with the Vortessence and seek guidance from the collective minds of your people.

Clearly it's a good idea to talk to your fellow kin, after all, only they know the best herbs and spices to use on the dead best.

 

[Sil]

D

drink

 

[Appetite Ruining Kebab]

I maintain my advocacy for A.

A headcrab will feed one, but the glow-grubs will be what really pleases the Vorti-girls.

 

[boots]

E:

Go script hunting for Zulu boxes and blast them all open with one /me

 

[Anthrax_PL]

D: Take an oh-so-tempting sip of the toxic waste from that barrel...

sip it

siP it

drINk iT

DRINk iT

DRINK IT

DRINK IT

DRINK THE ENTIRE BARREL

BIND ME TO THE VORTESSENCE

I WANT TO BE ONE WITH THE VORTESSENSE

 

[boots]

sip it

siP it

drINk iT

DRINk iT

DRINK IT

DRINK IT

DRINK THE ENTIRE BARREL

BIND ME TO THE VORTESSENCE

DO IT

indeed he is a thirsty boi

 

[Cindy]

haven't forgotten, just haven't had the oomph to update it since i currently have covid.

will update it when i am well again.

 

[Anthrax_PL]

haven't forgotten, just haven't had the oomph to update it since i currently have covid.

will update it when i am well again.

get well soon king

i had to spit in a bucket for 2 days because i couldn't stop salivating