When Lightning Strikes

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Time: 2238 A.D. Place: Panamerican Federation After 7 days of painfully slow descent, the alien ship is right above New York. All attempts to establish contact have failed. Panic ensues as apocalyptic cults preach the end of the world and all religions are shattered, incapable of coming up with an explanation for what is happening. The great machine, made of what seems to be living metal, extends pipes and tentacles that dig through the ground, and from doors in these appendages giant humanoid creatures emerge. They are completely encased in metal: no one can say for certain if they are living beings, or just war machines. Seven days of darkness Seven nights of ice Then in eerie silence It fell from the sky All our knowledge and all our beliefs Shattered like glass We are not alone We have never been Today they return To reap seeds they've sown Mighty giants whose every step Shatters the earth

Submitted by Dahmers Fridge — Apr 26, 2025

Time: 2238 A.D. Place: Panamerican Federation The giants start walking through the city, crushing everything on their path. United forces from all Earth's major countries try to hold them back, to no avail. Between them, there's an American fighter pilot called Hal Gardner. Colonel Gardner tries to bring his plane close to one of the giants, but, like others before, he's hit by the electrical storm surrounding its body, and forced to an emergency landing. As Hal exits from his plane, he sees the hulking humanoid leaning down to watch him. It's the first time one of the aliens takes notice of any of the humans around it. After scanning him with a column of light from the eyes, the giant grabs Hal with a tractor beam and returns to the spaceship... followed by the rest of the aliens! We've never seen something like this: iron and steel growing as a living thing, eternally When they will move, what will they do? When it begins, can we defend our kin from these machines? From the farthest reaches of the Universe, the Space Gods have come! They will pass judgment: an epic trial that will decide the fate of the entire human race! Signs and prophecies Never prepared humanity for this The end is near The end is near, but we won't shed a single tear We stand together to survive, to survive, no hope is lost! No hope is lost, and no one will be left alone Against all reason, we'll still fight to survive, we'll survive! And now they walk, crashing it all beneath their feet, leaving behind only smoke, dust and blood Sparkles of light, electric might Computer gods ready to strike from above and below Their motives, unknowable by our limited intellect; their thoughts, unthinkable by our lesser mind. And there is just one name for their gargantuan vessel: The Armageddon Machine!

Submitted by Pestilence — Apr 26, 2025

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Time: 2070 A.D. Place: England In an England crushed under the heels of a tyrannical government, a man without a name fights oppression. Politicians call him a terrorist. People call him a hero. He is a man with a dark past; forged and made stronger by those he now seeks vengeance against, people in positions of power that he's sworn to bring down. Donning a mask inspired by the face of an historical figure also deemed a terrorist, he will not stand down until he's freed his people... and had his revenge. Remember, remember, the 5th of November, the Gunpowder Treason and plot; I know of no reason why Gunpowder Treason should ever be forgot. I am the son of fire and I survived a thousand kinds of hell They’ve taken everything, all that I ever cared for, ever had But there’s a last inch of me and that’s my own dignity No force in heaven or hell can ever take it away, 'cause I am free! Your time is over, and so is mine We're at the end of the line Our revolution has just begun But my revenge now is done Revenge is done! There is no flesh and no blood Behind this mask to kill For I’m not a man, not anymore! Ideas are bulletproof You cannot shoot or stab them They will endure, and so will I! People should not be afraid of their own leaders no more It’s leaders that have to learn to be afraid of us all, ‘cause we are free! Guy Fawkes, Guy Fawkes, 'twas his intent to blow up the King and Parliament. Three score barrels of powder below, Poor old England to overthrow Respectfully inspired by "V for Vendetta", by Alan Moore and David Lloyd.

Submitted by Finntroll — Apr 26, 2025

Time: 1945 A.D. Place: Italy War World II is almost over. In Italy, the resistance, with the help of the Allies, is freeing the country from the kneel of Nazi-fascist oppression. The partisan group known as Brigata Fulmine (Lightning Brigade) is about to attack the fortified enemy position on Monte Lancio (near Modena). The attack will be a success, but the man leading it will not make it alive. Staring at the fire pits, in control Pain and Desperation Overlord He’s Alpha and Omega of a tortured world Looking to expand his grim domain Searching for the power to enslave His iron will is all that remains We are the ones, the only hope We stand against his fanatic horde We are the ones whose light will shine when all is dark And we will arise When lightning strikes Born with a heart of stone, only one desire: a universe to mire Sons, spawn of Italy Fight against the dire, feel the righteous ire Join our revolution scream! Destiny awaits me on this peak And there is no fear of death in me I don't care, as long as I'm free As I fall with bullets in the chest I can see the eyes of my best friend "Rest", they say, "for you have done well"

Submitted by Infernal Flame — Apr 26, 2025

Time: 1812 A.D. Place: Russia The battle of Borodino is about to begin between the invading forces of Napoleon's Grande Armée and the Russian army. Prince Pëtr Ivanovič Bagration, Russian general, is the designated leader of the left wing. He doesn't know how gruesome the battle is going to be, and how many lives it's going to claim... his included. But there's one thing he does know: even if they lose this battle, in the end they will win the war. The iron will of the Russian people, their willingness to crash and burn their villages, rather than leave them to the enemy, and the terrible Russian winter are going to be too much, even for a general like Napoleon. It’s 1812 and the Emperor has built The biggest army that the world has ever seen Their guns are loaded, their confidence is high A firm belief that their God is on their side We're Winter Soldiers Don’t know surrender, neither fear We’ll draw ‘em out of here I feel my heart pounding faster in my ears The howling wind My sense of time that is slowing down The land will freeze A sudden rush of adrenaline inside To set us free! As the thunderous roar of the gun Shakes the ground They strike so fast, so hard and they are sure That in the end, our land they will secure They've yet to learn that in the ice and snow To conquer or keep is not the same at all If there is one thing I’ve learned Is that there is no righteous war But we cannot let them take our homes, kill our sons We'd rather burn to the ground Positions we cannot defend We will make sure that their clutches won't hold a thing, only dust!

Submitted by Dahmers Fridge — Apr 26, 2025

Time: 1600 A.D. Place: Japan Torii Mototada is ready to defend the Fushimi Castle from the army of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. He knows that the battle is hopeless: a 2,000 men garrison against a force of more than 40,000. He knows that he has no chance of surviving. But he also knows that a samurai's life does not belong to the samurai: it belongs to his lord. In a letter to his son, Tadamasa, Torii explains that his obligations to the Tokugawa clan are more important to him than his very life. My time has come On this fateful night, I will surrender my life With no regrets in my heart and no fear For such is the way of the warrior: To die with honor and steel Salvation Will never come Salvation Oh son of mine I am sorry to leave you behind But my duty calls, and tonight there's no... The siege begins It won't be long before the end of our song We strike as fast and as hard as we can To breathe our last, to meet a glorious death Oh son of mine I am sorry to leave you behind But my duty calls, and tonight there's no... Salvation! My time has come It won't be long before the end of my song

Submitted by Celtic Frost — Apr 26, 2025

Time: 1191 A.D. Place: The Mediterranean Sea, Near Arsuf Jean-Baptiste de Reims is a Templar. His life revolves around God and the Order. He reaches the shores of Arsuf with his brothers, ready to join the battle against the forces of Saladin. His faith is greater than his fear. Promised to faith and the holy mysteries Obedient to the righteous hierarchy Follow the path of the unicorn tapestries The heritage of our ancestry By this night we anoint our steel For the moon vessel to distill As we are marching towards the sea Our armors scorch our skin Transcend every duality For our souls to be transparent Refuse every idolatry And imitate our masters' ascent I am your knight servant To keep this garden verdant Until the light will be back Thy name is resplendent Thine sorrows are the pendant That glistens bright around my neck Darian: Bow down on our wounded knee And summon the Holy Trinity My beloved brothers We must be one against the enemy

Submitted by Iron_Wraith — Apr 26, 2025

Time: 818 A.D. Place: The North Sea Once again. winter has taken its toll on the village of Hjörvarðr Gunnarson. Once again, it is time to sad, in search tor more fertile rich lands to raid, Hjörvarðr and his companions know that they have an obligation to their people: to come back with enough loot to help survive, feed and clothe them. While on the open sea with their Drakkar, they encounter a storm with furious winds. Lightning strikes their sail, setting the ship on fire. Hjörvarðr looks to the sky, ready to meet his end... and is blinded by a light shining through the clouds. It's the light of flying machine. Lifted in the air by an invisible hand. the son of Gunnar feels his life slipping away... but it's not the end: only the beginning! Son of a land Harsh and covered in ice You must be strong If you want to survive To save our kind From starvation and death Pirates we'll be Warriors until the end Side by side The crows of Odin be my guide Kill or die The only choice you have in life We ride winds of fury The blade is our jury We sail when the dragon Is awake! For some of them We're more monsters than men Ruled by their fear They do not understand Now there's a storm That is coming our way Another fight Against thunder and rain

Submitted by Corpse Defiler — Apr 26, 2025

Time: 2238 A.D. Place: Inside the Armageddon Machine Inside the city in the sky, Hal finally remembers everything. He was born Hjörvarðr Gunnarson. He was taken by the Space Gods in 818 A.D., and transformed. His life energy, his very soul, was bound to the material world, in an endless circle of reincarnation, death and rebirth. Now, for the very first time, he can remember all of his lives. The time spent as freedom tighter in Italy, the love for his son in Japan, the cold Russian winter... and many, many others. He understands what the alien did to him: what he still doesn't know... is why. All my life I’ve known that something was amiss I am conscious now awakened from the sleep I can remember all the loves I've lost through the years I do remember all my fights, the joy and the tears I am a man out of time Tell me why?

Submitted by Corpse Grinder — Apr 26, 2025

Time: 2238 A.D. Place: Inside the Armageddon Machine The strange chair starts to move. The shining aliens move towards him, but Hal is not afraid. Their warm presence is strangely reassuring, more than it is terrifying. A telepathic link is established. Hal feels his whole being burning. and finally understands the purpose of his plight. He is under examination... He is under trial, and it's not just his fate that hangs in the balance, but that of humanity as a whole. The Space Gods are, in fact, the oldest race of the universe, and the, self-appointed Guardians of the Stars. In order to protect the peaceful development of the galactic community, they keep under close watch every planet inhabited by intelligent life forms. They do this by transforming a single being into an immortal living recorder of historical events. Then, if and when they have developed so much that they're about to discover a technology to travel great distances through the stars, thus becoming a potential threat to the universe, the Space Gods come back. Examining the memories of all lives lived by the subject through their unique point of view, they decide if their race can be allowed to grow further and leave its home planet, or if it is too dangerous and must to be confined. or destroyed. So, through Hal's eyes, the aliens re-live the story of the human race, its nobility and its wickedness, its best and its worst. Ultimately, the Space Gods see the great potential of humanity, its willingness to improve and grow despite all its flaws, and decide that it can be spared and allowed to discover hyperspace travel, which they know is going to happen soon. Having reached their verdict, the Space Gods are about to leave. But before doing so. they revert all the damage caused by their arrival. In the space of a few minutes. every broken bridge is fixed, every collapsed building is rebuilt, and everyone who was supposed to be injured, even dead, reappears in perfect health. Some people would say that I’m gifted While others would think I am cursed ‘Cause all of my lives end in violence But every time I am reborn My soul was bound to this plane forever By the strongest chain that cannot be severed Like a guinea pig for a force beyond our wildest dreams I have crossed the ages but I never held my memories I am a warrior coming from the past But I’m living for today And now I understand The final part I have to play My endless flight Will shape a destiny for all of mankind For every wight My endless flight Will carry me to prove that we got the right and we're no blight Gods of thunder descending on Earth I will show you we're worth Inside their temple of metal While fires burn my whole being I face the ghosts of my fears I see the point in their game Re-live all deaths I have suffered It's not to test our boldness And feel the worst man can give It is to see where we aim Will we end up destroying All the good that we build? Are we ready to change, or are we bound to repeat? Through my eyes now they see That despite all our flaws There will always be those who will strive on and on To make a better world I'm tired and empty... and yet, somehow relieved I feel their decision is fair They've seen potential in humanity So... thus, I am finally free They're returning all to the state it was Before their machines landed on the Earth Guardians of the stars they have deemed that our history Can follow on, 'till we solve their big mystery I am a warrior coming from the past But I’m living for today And now I understand The final part I have to play Gods of thunder descended on Earth I have proven we're worth

Submitted by VladTheImpaler666 — Apr 26, 2025

Time: 2238 A.D. Place: Panamerican Federation The Armageddon Machine leaves Earth, opens a rift into Hyperspace... and disappears. Hal stands in the middle of the rebuilt city of New York and, before his memories of past lives and all that he's been through start to fade, knows that he still has a past to play... in different places. In different lives. Their march is done Their march is done And the judgment is over We stood together to survive, we survived No one was lost! No one was lost In our fight for tomorrow Against all reason, we were spared, left alive We survive!

Submitted by Corpse Defiler — Apr 26, 2025

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Time: 2411 A.D. Place: Mars orbit All is ready: the first of a new generation of Earth starships just left the Space Yard orbiting around Mars and it's about to make its first jump. The engine revs up, and in the blink of an eye the E.F.S. Drakkar disappears from sight. The Drakkar is the first E. F. starship with aliens in its crew. Humans were finally admitted to the officers-exchange program in place between some of the most important races of the galactic community. Command of the ship has been given to Captain Youssef Jamil Hassan, renown for being one of the most skilled diplomats, as well as a master strategist, in the whole Federation. His mission is to bring aid to a most troubled region of the galaxy, where strange incidents and epidemics are putting entire planets at risk. He knows that he has been trusted with a great responsibility, as the first human Captain to guide such a crucial humanitarian mission; but as much as he feels the burden, he also revels in the pride and excitement for what is expecting him beyond the stars. Now, if only he could understand why in the world he, a man of middle-eastern descent, felt the irresistible need to christen his new ship with the name of a Viking vessel... Oh well. The universe is a place of mysteries. Here in the future A united humanity Travels the galaxy to seek New races and cultures To discover new ways to be What an adventure to live! Our Starship goes Where no one has gone before Where empires fall Or new ones are born! Open a New Frontier Carry hope, carry aid to the planets in fear Open a New Frontier Carry hope, carry aid to the forgotten worlds Strange is the crew Made of humans and aliens alike Ready to serve or to fight All dedicated To the noblest ideals of all Duty and justice’s their call Respectfully inspired by Gene Roddenberry's "Star Trek"

Submitted by Celtic Frost — Apr 26, 2025