Earthfall, Plot Outline
There are twenty planned chapters, five of which are going to be flashbacks. This is actually becoming my standard, I've noticed as "Fulcrum," "Vorticity" and "Aspects of Silver" all have that same technique baked into them. As outlines go, this probably one of my least figured out which honestly fills me with a great deal of trepidation about this.
CH1: Starfall. David wakes, has no memory of how he got where he did or what happened. He is within a “chrysalis” but thinks it is just a coffin or something. His last memory is a brilliant flash. Breaks free from containment, discovers he’s … where? Aboard a bug ship? Should be suitably horrified because giant bugs? Yuck. Fights free, wrecking the vessel as he does. End chapter with him tumbling into hard vacuum with an Eliminator. During this chapter, break up scenes with comm-chatter as the Resistance observe something going on with one of the orbital platforms.
CH1: Starfall. David wakes, has no memory of how he got where he did or what happened. He is within a “chrysalis” but thinks it is just a coffin or something. His last memory is a brilliant flash. Breaks free from containment, discovers he’s … where? Aboard a bug ship? Should be suitably horrified because giant bugs? Yuck. Fights free, wrecking the vessel as he does. End chapter with him tumbling into hard vacuum with an Eliminator. During this chapter, break up scenes with comm-chatter as the Resistance observe something going on with one of the orbital platforms.
CH2: Earthfall. Fury tumbles earthward, fighting with the eliminator. Manifests the sword-and-board for the first time (due to stress) and thoroughly wrecks the eliminator. Impact occurs … in the ocean? That seems most logical. He climbs into the air, confused, disoriented … and shit. He’s naked too. During this chapter, break up scenes with comm-chatter as the Resistance realize there might be a Cat 5 ultrahuman alive.
CH3: Landfall. Fury reaches the coast, has to evade/elude hostile bug aerial forces. Is horrified to discover how much of Earth is under their absolute control. As American, he heads for D.C. and discovers that it is a hole in the ground. Another fight, this time with multiple eliminator-types. Fury has to retreat but is quickly realizing he’s a lot stronger and faster and tougher than he was before. During this chapter, break up scenes with more comm-chatter as the Resistance continue to monitor him and attempt to determine next course of action. Is he a plant? An ‘infiltrator’?
CH4: Home. Hugging the ground, Fury heads for OKC, finds it to be a shattered wreck. Dons first clothes he can find which aren’t great. Tries to figure out what exactly happened - is this real? A fever dream? Has he travelled to the future? A different reality? Heads to Tinker AFB which is an even bigger wreck than OKC. Finds a radio of some sort, reaches out, identifying himself. And the bugs respond, dammit. More comm-chatter during this chapter with Command making the decision to respond.
CH5: FLASHBACK! As a 15-year old, he gains his ‘codename’ of Valor from Guardian himself. Setup the ‘Golden Age’ that existed in Year 15. Introduce Allison, his girlfriend at the time; she should be an instigator who is aware of his capabilities and keeps encouraging him to do stupid shit. This particular rumble should taking place between [Team Vanguard] and the [Defenders], so David encounters Sofía for the first time - she should be in her teens as well and is way out of her depth; she was recruited into the [Defenders] after her “genesis-event” and thought she was mentally prepared for this sort of thing but has found out that she most definitely is not. David talks her down, then lets her go as he concentrates on the more important matters like rescuing civilians; might be interesting if he actually convinces her to assist by dissolving molecular bonds of something to help him get civilians free - this is what convinces him to let her go? Or perhaps he finds her trying to get people out and that’s what convinces him that she’s okay?
CH6: Fight! The bugs responding to his call, descend upon ruins of Tinker. Fury loses his temper and goes full on ballistic on the hostiles. He obliterates the initial bug vanguard, then, once he realizes the extent of the threat, goes aerial with the rest in pursuit. He’s fast - comm-chatter should be like ‘Damn. He just went supersonic. Jesus, he’s fast! - and more maneuverable. Aerial pursuit, with the bugs blasting away at him. He loses the bugs and ends up on Hawaii. And that’s where the Resistance catches up with him.
CH7: Introduction of the Resistance personnel and bringing him up to speed. He knows some of the ultrahumans, doesn’t know some of the others. Intro: Maj Steele, who is as far as anyone can tell, the highest-ranking member of the U.S. armed forces still alive (which is a horrifying notion.) He learns that his parents are both presumed dead since they were in D.C. when the bugs stomped on it. Re-intro Allison, though now she’s got metal skin! This tickles his brain slightly but he’s too happy to see her again to think too hard about that. Hint that she does something to ensure that the memory doesn’t fully emerge.
CH8: Might be good idea to be a chapter not from Fury’s POV but rather Steele’s. He’s having a tough time believing that Fury just fell out of the sky and everything is as he states it is. Use Steele POV to firmly establish current situation and how tenuous the human hold on Earth is and how desperate they actually need Fury. Steele is afraid this is a new tactic. He should interact with Scott (who fucking creeps him out) and she states all of her tests indicate he is who he says he is … and that there are indications he’s experienced a second Genesis Event, which should be impossible.
CH9: Fury & Steele interact. David is freaking out, both at this strange new world and the fact that everyone he knows/loves is dead … except Allison who is acting weird as shit. David is also having a hard time adjusting to the fact he’s lost 7 full years. None of this really feels real to him yet. Steele informs him that he’s been drafted - all law enforcement personnel across the nation were nationalized during the crisis and that means he’s now military. He’s given the brevet rank of First Lieutenant based on his previous training and skills and informed that Steele is assembling a team. David meets (again) SGT Quesada who he immediately calls ‘Sofie,’ much to Steele’s surprise who did not know they were acquainted; Quesada will visibly react to Fury who is surprised her last name has changed.
CH10: FLASHBACK! Year 17 and high school graduation. At this point, his dad is Senator Fury (R-OK) and he (David) has been operational as “Valor” for almost two years. He’s got the ‘Heartland Hero’ nickname (which he loathes). He has also been ‘drafted’ into the Oklahoma National Guard due to his abilities and to ensure that he’s covered with his Valor(ous) exploits. His dad drops the reveal that Team Vanguard (which now has official U.N. sanction) is eyeing him for recruitment, but David implies he’s thinking about something else. Allison is still with him and we should again get the feeling that something is off about her but no one calls her on it. It’s like they just forget. “Valor” faces down the [Defenders] again - it is a completely different team with the only recognizable face being Sofía Dominguez who David recognizes again. She gets the drop on him, forcing him to abandon the pursuit in order to hold up something really heavy; they have a brief conversation where he tries to talk her out of this life. Although she departs seemingly unconvinced, his words did have an impact on her.
CH11: Assemble! David and SGT Quesada interact with the Team. David is startled and initially upset to see ‘J.J.’ there, then confused as hell at how different the man has become. There is no training, just on-the-job action and now, they’re taking the fight to the damned bugs. This should be a pure action chapter, with David earning everyone’s respect as he vents his anger at his confusing situation by going full-bore ballistic on the bugs. What is the target? Food. The Resistance badly, badly needs food. Should highlight that this Team is a mess - they have no real discipline and are really just present ‘cause they’re all bricks. This should be a purely action chapter.
CH12: Aftermath of the fight. Quesada POV? If so, highlight her thoughts on David, especially as he treats her like a normal person. At same time, need to show David still having trouble adjusting to his current circumstances, especially in regards to his relationship with Doctor Scott. Maybe have Sofía accidentally eavesdrop on a conversation with the two wherein Scott is brutally honest and states that things are different now. Alternately, have members of the Team wondering what’s going on with him, and Sofía realize that it is only just now hitting David that his parents are truly dead, so he’s grieving. He should interact with Sofía in such a way that calls back to some (thus far) unrevealed history that causes her some mild embarrassment.
CH13: David clashes with Resistance goals (to survive) and wants desperately to take the fight to the bugs. In the course of this, he should learn that MAJ Steele and Allison have been concealing things from him, specifically that it appears he has experienced a second Genesis Event. He vents his fury (heh) to Sofía, who manages to calm him down by remaining rational. A slice of life chapter highlighting the difficulty of the Resistance’s existence.
CH14: Something happens that opens David’s eyes to the extent of Allison’s deception and he confronts her, leading him to learn how she has has been manipulating him forever. When he learns the truth about Allison, he goes ballistic and bugs out. Quesada tries to learn what happened and Allison *poofs* her, effectively teleporting her so she’s in front of David … and falling since she can’t fly. He has to save her. This seems familiar somehow...
CH15: Flashback. Year 22. David has already graduated from OU (two years ago) and, to everyone’s surprise, became an Oklahoma State Trooper. He is the first publicly known ultrahuman with a badge. In this sequence, he’s going after an out-of-control “Redneck.” J.J. is reckless and careless and probably high and, as a result, two children died though he was unaware of it at the time. When David catches up to him, he is briefly surprised to discover that the latest group of [Defenders] under Sofía’s direction are already attempting to apprehend J.J., but are all low-level talents and thus, outmatched. It is only Sofía who is a real threat, but somehow, David ends up having to save her before going after his “nemesis” and unloading a can of whoop-ass on Jones that is unprecedented. He comes close to outright killing him but ultimately holds back … just barely thanks to Sofía who talks him down. She gives him the ‘this isn’t you’ speech and it works fairly well.
CH17: David and Sofía respond to ch14 revelations and acknowledge the growing thing between them? Where the hell are they? Wherever they have been teleported, it is close to Genesis’ “lair” and they enter where they learn the extent of Genesis’ activities. David is horrified and tries to seize the ‘war criminal’ but is again teleported away so Genesis may speak to Sofía alone. The two have a conversation that is briefly interrupted by David (who is again ‘ported away, this time to Australia or something) and Genesis finds her to be the more rational and calm of the two, but then, that is to be expected considering her gift. Control is essential. He explains to her the nature of his current time-locked predicament, knowing she will be able to explain to David, and then, just as David reappears, still pissed off, he (Genesis) vanishes in a flare of brilliant light that sends Sofía to her knees (affects both of them, not just her?) This is a gift to her and her alone … a second Genesis event.
CH18: David and Sofía discuss. Big ass super fight somehow - they reach the Resistance base just in time to repulse a major bug offensive and during this, Sofía displays her new capabilities by enhancing the defenses.
CH19: Flashback.David is captured by Inquisition. Flash forward through his capture and the initial A time-travelling Genesis (from CH17 or so) appears inside the Inquisition lab where he assists the before-mentioned scientist in unlocking David’s full potential (SECOND GENESIS EVENT). Once this is done, Genesis kills the scientist (because he cannot be allowed to intervene further) and then summons his younger self to the lab to “rescue” Valor. As a cosmic entity, he merges with his younger self or something. It should be very Dr. Manhattan like. This chapter should make the present Genesis chapters (17?) actually make sense for a change once it is revealed to the reader that he is timelocked. Hint in this chapter that he (Genesis) has also implanted … something within David & Sofía that, should they procreate as he expects them to, could result in Genesis breaking free of the timelock.
CH20: 1 Year Later. The War goes on. David and Sofía are no longer in the same unit but this is due to her having been promoted to the same rank and because they are romantically involved (albeit, moving slowly.) Sofía is now in command charge of what amounts to S4 (Supply) as she’s using her abilities to significantly enhance the durability of armor and the like. J.J. is now David’s #2 in the assault team and David has become The Face of the Resistance. Now, more than ever, he’s the Superman of this world. They aren’t winning against the bugs but, for the first time, they’re not losing either. There is hope again. Work in a scene with Major Steele and the new primary physician who Steele realizes is Scott (who has altered her appearance.) Her objective remains the same: monitor Fury and ensure he stays alive The major is fine with that because now, more than ever, they need him.
CH6: Fight! The bugs responding to his call, descend upon ruins of Tinker. Fury loses his temper and goes full on ballistic on the hostiles. He obliterates the initial bug vanguard, then, once he realizes the extent of the threat, goes aerial with the rest in pursuit. He’s fast - comm-chatter should be like ‘Damn. He just went supersonic. Jesus, he’s fast! - and more maneuverable. Aerial pursuit, with the bugs blasting away at him. He loses the bugs and ends up on Hawaii. And that’s where the Resistance catches up with him.
CH7: Introduction of the Resistance personnel and bringing him up to speed. He knows some of the ultrahumans, doesn’t know some of the others. Intro: Maj Steele, who is as far as anyone can tell, the highest-ranking member of the U.S. armed forces still alive (which is a horrifying notion.) He learns that his parents are both presumed dead since they were in D.C. when the bugs stomped on it. Re-intro Allison, though now she’s got metal skin! This tickles his brain slightly but he’s too happy to see her again to think too hard about that. Hint that she does something to ensure that the memory doesn’t fully emerge.
CH8: Might be good idea to be a chapter not from Fury’s POV but rather Steele’s. He’s having a tough time believing that Fury just fell out of the sky and everything is as he states it is. Use Steele POV to firmly establish current situation and how tenuous the human hold on Earth is and how desperate they actually need Fury. Steele is afraid this is a new tactic. He should interact with Scott (who fucking creeps him out) and she states all of her tests indicate he is who he says he is … and that there are indications he’s experienced a second Genesis Event, which should be impossible.
CH9: Fury & Steele interact. David is freaking out, both at this strange new world and the fact that everyone he knows/loves is dead … except Allison who is acting weird as shit. David is also having a hard time adjusting to the fact he’s lost 7 full years. None of this really feels real to him yet. Steele informs him that he’s been drafted - all law enforcement personnel across the nation were nationalized during the crisis and that means he’s now military. He’s given the brevet rank of First Lieutenant based on his previous training and skills and informed that Steele is assembling a team. David meets (again) SGT Quesada who he immediately calls ‘Sofie,’ much to Steele’s surprise who did not know they were acquainted; Quesada will visibly react to Fury who is surprised her last name has changed.
CH10: FLASHBACK! Year 17 and high school graduation. At this point, his dad is Senator Fury (R-OK) and he (David) has been operational as “Valor” for almost two years. He’s got the ‘Heartland Hero’ nickname (which he loathes). He has also been ‘drafted’ into the Oklahoma National Guard due to his abilities and to ensure that he’s covered with his Valor(ous) exploits. His dad drops the reveal that Team Vanguard (which now has official U.N. sanction) is eyeing him for recruitment, but David implies he’s thinking about something else. Allison is still with him and we should again get the feeling that something is off about her but no one calls her on it. It’s like they just forget. “Valor” faces down the [Defenders] again - it is a completely different team with the only recognizable face being Sofía Dominguez who David recognizes again. She gets the drop on him, forcing him to abandon the pursuit in order to hold up something really heavy; they have a brief conversation where he tries to talk her out of this life. Although she departs seemingly unconvinced, his words did have an impact on her.
CH11: Assemble! David and SGT Quesada interact with the Team. David is startled and initially upset to see ‘J.J.’ there, then confused as hell at how different the man has become. There is no training, just on-the-job action and now, they’re taking the fight to the damned bugs. This should be a pure action chapter, with David earning everyone’s respect as he vents his anger at his confusing situation by going full-bore ballistic on the bugs. What is the target? Food. The Resistance badly, badly needs food. Should highlight that this Team is a mess - they have no real discipline and are really just present ‘cause they’re all bricks. This should be a purely action chapter.
CH12: Aftermath of the fight. Quesada POV? If so, highlight her thoughts on David, especially as he treats her like a normal person. At same time, need to show David still having trouble adjusting to his current circumstances, especially in regards to his relationship with Doctor Scott. Maybe have Sofía accidentally eavesdrop on a conversation with the two wherein Scott is brutally honest and states that things are different now. Alternately, have members of the Team wondering what’s going on with him, and Sofía realize that it is only just now hitting David that his parents are truly dead, so he’s grieving. He should interact with Sofía in such a way that calls back to some (thus far) unrevealed history that causes her some mild embarrassment.
CH13: David clashes with Resistance goals (to survive) and wants desperately to take the fight to the bugs. In the course of this, he should learn that MAJ Steele and Allison have been concealing things from him, specifically that it appears he has experienced a second Genesis Event. He vents his fury (heh) to Sofía, who manages to calm him down by remaining rational. A slice of life chapter highlighting the difficulty of the Resistance’s existence.
CH14: Something happens that opens David’s eyes to the extent of Allison’s deception and he confronts her, leading him to learn how she has has been manipulating him forever. When he learns the truth about Allison, he goes ballistic and bugs out. Quesada tries to learn what happened and Allison *poofs* her, effectively teleporting her so she’s in front of David … and falling since she can’t fly. He has to save her. This seems familiar somehow...
CH15: Flashback. Year 22. David has already graduated from OU (two years ago) and, to everyone’s surprise, became an Oklahoma State Trooper. He is the first publicly known ultrahuman with a badge. In this sequence, he’s going after an out-of-control “Redneck.” J.J. is reckless and careless and probably high and, as a result, two children died though he was unaware of it at the time. When David catches up to him, he is briefly surprised to discover that the latest group of [Defenders] under Sofía’s direction are already attempting to apprehend J.J., but are all low-level talents and thus, outmatched. It is only Sofía who is a real threat, but somehow, David ends up having to save her before going after his “nemesis” and unloading a can of whoop-ass on Jones that is unprecedented. He comes close to outright killing him but ultimately holds back … just barely thanks to Sofía who talks him down. She gives him the ‘this isn’t you’ speech and it works fairly well.
CH17: David and Sofía respond to ch14 revelations and acknowledge the growing thing between them? Where the hell are they? Wherever they have been teleported, it is close to Genesis’ “lair” and they enter where they learn the extent of Genesis’ activities. David is horrified and tries to seize the ‘war criminal’ but is again teleported away so Genesis may speak to Sofía alone. The two have a conversation that is briefly interrupted by David (who is again ‘ported away, this time to Australia or something) and Genesis finds her to be the more rational and calm of the two, but then, that is to be expected considering her gift. Control is essential. He explains to her the nature of his current time-locked predicament, knowing she will be able to explain to David, and then, just as David reappears, still pissed off, he (Genesis) vanishes in a flare of brilliant light that sends Sofía to her knees (affects both of them, not just her?) This is a gift to her and her alone … a second Genesis event.
CH18: David and Sofía discuss. Big ass super fight somehow - they reach the Resistance base just in time to repulse a major bug offensive and during this, Sofía displays her new capabilities by enhancing the defenses.
CH19: Flashback.David is captured by Inquisition. Flash forward through his capture and the initial A time-travelling Genesis (from CH17 or so) appears inside the Inquisition lab where he assists the before-mentioned scientist in unlocking David’s full potential (SECOND GENESIS EVENT). Once this is done, Genesis kills the scientist (because he cannot be allowed to intervene further) and then summons his younger self to the lab to “rescue” Valor. As a cosmic entity, he merges with his younger self or something. It should be very Dr. Manhattan like. This chapter should make the present Genesis chapters (17?) actually make sense for a change once it is revealed to the reader that he is timelocked. Hint in this chapter that he (Genesis) has also implanted … something within David & Sofía that, should they procreate as he expects them to, could result in Genesis breaking free of the timelock.
CH20: 1 Year Later. The War goes on. David and Sofía are no longer in the same unit but this is due to her having been promoted to the same rank and because they are romantically involved (albeit, moving slowly.) Sofía is now in command charge of what amounts to S4 (Supply) as she’s using her abilities to significantly enhance the durability of armor and the like. J.J. is now David’s #2 in the assault team and David has become The Face of the Resistance. Now, more than ever, he’s the Superman of this world. They aren’t winning against the bugs but, for the first time, they’re not losing either. There is hope again. Work in a scene with Major Steele and the new primary physician who Steele realizes is Scott (who has altered her appearance.) Her objective remains the same: monitor Fury and ensure he stays alive The major is fine with that because now, more than ever, they need him.
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