Preface: A short story I've been working on. I've never finished one of these, so to get through it all was nice. Don't know if I'll do any more in the future, at least not the near future. Plan to do a Flood history project this year, something on The New Flood, so I won't have the time to write a story. Anyway, I hope you enjoy. If you find the font annoying, just disable my coup and then don't whine to me about it. [u]The Death of a Floodian[/u] Kadgar strolled down the dirtied streets, under the glorious green and grey sky of The Flood. It was one of the nicer skies the forum had had in weeks, as he could finally see shades of the sun passing through the cloud. It wasn't as though Kadgar hated seeing a sunny sky, or white fluffy clouds, but he had grown accustomed to the moss covered brick buildings, grey sky, and air that smelled of O-zone. The atmosphere of The Flood no longer prevented him from communicating in a way that he felt comfortable in, and he had been doing so throughout the past week. Kadgar saw a group of fellow Floodians gathering for a conversation, and he felt the urge to join in their conversation. The first one spoke, and it was as if the entire Flood would never be able to fully clean itself of the slimy stupidity that ruptured from this member's mouth. Kadgar knew that he had to at least try, and so he quickly blasted a fiery blast of sarcasm and insults at the moron who had decided to open his mouth. It was at this moment that Kadgar felt himself sharply tugged upwards away from the world beneath him. Startled, he looked around himself and tried to find what was pulling at him. He could see nothing around him other than the blur of buildings, then clouds, and then the first blue sky he had seen in years as he continued to rocket upward. For a quick moment, he felt as though he passed through an invisible membrane, and then he stopped. Kadgar found himself floating in what he could only compare to purgatory. He could see nothing but white in all directions, and if not for the other people he could see, he would have been completely disoriented. The people seemed to be coming and going at a somewhat constant rate, and what appeared to be a similar fashion to how he had arrived there. There was little time to muse on this, however, as a booming voice from behind him drowned out his thoughts. "You have been terminated for your statement on September 12, 2010, at 3:45. Your term of punishment is permanent, but you can ask for a repeal from the officer who banned you. Thank you." This voice had come from a intensely bright, floating sphere. Kadgar could see that it was the center of this plain, and that it was redistributing other people, in a manner similar to how he had been. The voice again started to make the computerized sound it used for a voice, "Would you like to leave now?" "Um I don't know, what is this Yes, I think I woul-" Then, as quickly as he had come there, he was expelled. Flying through the clouds, sky, and past the sun once again, Kadgar found himself situated on the city limit outside of The Flood. He was between the forum and the many groups that outlined it There was no a clear, yellow ring around The Flood forum, one which he had not noticed before. Kadgar did not know what him being "terminated" meant, but he did knew someone in The Flood could tell him, so he strolled in without impediment. Kadgar saw the conversation that he had just been so rudely stolen from, and thought that one of those gentlemen would know what was going on. He strolled up to them, taking glimpses around him, to see if anything would happen again. Nothing happened, and by the time had calmed down, he was at the group of Floodians. He opened his mouth to speak, and again saw himself flying from the ground and up to the realm of that damned floating orb. This time, the voice began to speak the moment he arrived. "You have been terminated for your statement on September 12, 2010, at 3:45. Your term of punishment is permanent, but you can ask for a repeal from the officer who banned you. Thank you." "Yes, yes, you've already told me. What exactly, does this mean, though, I've never had this happen to me before." This disembodied speakbox went into his robotic explanation of these confusing events. "You have been terminated for your statement on September 12, 2009, at 3:45. Your term of punishment is permanent, but you can ask for a repeal from the officer who banned you. You may no longer post in the public areas, but can traverse them freely, though none will see you. You may use all other features of Bungie as you wish, but interacting in a public area is not allowed." "Wait, did you say September 12? That was 3 months ago!" "Yes, your statements have only recently been uncovered, so you are only recently being punished. Are you ready to go now?" "No I'm not ready to go. So, for what I said back then, the standard punishment is a permanent termination?" "No, but we found other statements that build a compelling case showing a series of escalation, and so you have been banned. Are you ready to go now?" "No, I'm not ready to go! This is retarded, but you said I could appeal this, right?" "That is correct, are you ready to go now?" "Yes, I'm ready to go. Happy now?" By the time Kadgar finished his sentence, he was again standing on the outskirts of The Flood. This time however, he noticed the members that had started to appear from nowhere outside the forum. However, these members weren't flying downward, like he had, they simply appeared out of mid-air. Many of them, in fact seemed to be constantly changing their appearance. Some simply walked from the groups and changed their appearance before right before they got into the forum. [Edited on 04.26.2010 1:23 PM PDT]