Being Steel - What if..? part 1

Being Steel was an interactive gamer/story/adventure, being written right here on the Steem-blockchain. The fun part was that at the end of every episode, I gave the player's a choice on how the story could continue. Every time, the option that got the most votes, was how I continued the story.

The game has finished, this was the final post, and as promised there, I would like to write a bit and tell what would have happened if another option(s) was chosen.

It all started here, in episode 1:

This is it. I've reached the point where I can't go any further. Here, at this desolate harbor, I'm caught between the life I'm escaping and the blurry sea with the ships sailing off in the distance. This is it, and I have nowhere to go.

The options in episode 1 were simple: stay along the quayside (which was chosen) or jump into the ocean. If the jump would have been chosen, the story would very likely have been drastically different. I had in mind that the main character (Steel) would be picked up by somebody on a boat, or raft, or maybe even some big fish, all depending on the words I'd receive. Adventures would be made in far-away lands and islands... But none of that happened: Steel could continue along the harbor and found himself in a muddy Episode 2:

All too quickly the landscape changed and the sandy beach had turned into a swampland. An odor of decay emerged from the area which couldn't decide whether it was land or water. Rats scurried between the reeds. Neither I nor my shoes were prepared for this quagmire.

A voice called out, giving the players the option to answer (which was chosen) or to scurry away. If scurrying away would have been chosen (if I remember correctly - it's been awhile!) that would have led to some hole, or pit, or underground cavern, the hideout of whomever was calling Steel at that moment. It wasn't to be...

The players answered the voice and in Episode 3 that turned out to be a gang of rather silly Vampires:

"We can help you, stranger. Do you feel hungry? Can we feed on y... Can we feed you?"

The vampires were afraid of being in a Dwarf's territory so they had to act quickly. Things turned rather funny around this episode, as the vampires were actually freaks in a travelling freakshow, led by Morgan Freedom - the Dwarf they were so afraid of. It may technically not be 100% correct, but it was a fun plot twist, and I think the players like this one, as things got rather funny and bizarre from here on, with ever more awesome and hilarious word-suggestions.

The players had the choice of asking more about that Dwarf or to become a meal for the vampires. If the players would have wante'd to become supper, the freak-show plotline would probably have been non-existent, and the player, along with Steel, found themselves in a Vampire's lair, possibly becoming one of them and terrorizing the 'hood as a silly vampire. Sounds fun as well, eh?

Anyhow, it was on to Episode 4 where the travelling Freak-show showed up, along with the Jester - finally a love-interest for the main character!

The row of carts had come to a halt. Out of them came a weird lot: the vampires, a few giants and a couple of dwarves, a cyclops, a centaur. A mummy and a werewolf and a crazy variety of humanoids, some close to mankind, some otherworldy, but none of them seemed hostile or aggressive. Out of the last carriage floated a jester. I fell in love with her immediately.

The choice was simple: do you join the circus or not: in other words: are you a freak or aren't you? I let the layers choose their freak-power if they chose the first option.
@elainetheinsane: "Yeah, of course I'm a freak! I am the reincarnation of a hawk. Talking about it makes people believe that I'm nuts!"
@fraenk: "Yeah, of course I'm a freak! I am... am... mhmh... I am... hm... Steel, I'm called Steel for a reason... I have literal balls of steel!"
@niko3d: "Yeah, of course I'm a freak! I am a human hedgehog. Wait until you see what happens when I sneeze!"
@veryspider: "...'course im a freak ! i am a .... a.... human resource specialist. very rare, but there you go. it's true. our kind is uniquely able to terminate people from employments...... !!!"

So, a freak it was! If the other option would have been chosen, then Steel would have set off alone, and probably have arrived in a small village (the precursor of what would become the flea-market) - the troll-drama and the love interest mere passing plotlines.

So, Steel was accepted in the Freak-show in Episode 5 as a Human Hedgehog:

And with that, all the freaks rejoiced and roared and celebrated - I was their newest member and they hailed me amongst them as if I was their long lost brother, the prodigal son returned home. Just before they smothered me in their arms, the dwarf, Morgan Freedom whispered: "Just don't get anyone pregnant, ok kid?"

But! He received a warning from his love, the Jester: "Escape," she whispered, "escape, while you still can." and, apparently, I gave the players more than 2 options for the first time in the story:

OPTION 1: ...romantically whisper back: "I will never leave, now that I've found you, love of my life."
OPTION 2: ...smugly mutter back: "Hey, the party's only started, why would I leave already, hon?"
OPTION 3: ...cowardly get on my feet and escape, just like the Jester advised.
OPTION 4: ...passionately kiss her.

And this divided the opinions!

Option 1 (be a romantic sweettalker) got one vote - this would have had the Jester and Steel escape romantically from the freak-show (and probably be chased by them to try to get 'em back!).

Option 2 (be a smug macho-man) got two votes, and would have resulted in Steel being slapped in the face and the Jester ditching him, and the love-story down the drain. Steel probably would have left the circus in later episodes as well.

Option 3 (be a coward and leave) got no votes - this would have made Steel lost in the swamps, in the middle of the night - with the warning of the Jester being very real and the complete Freak-show becoming a major threat to Steel, rather than becoming his 'new family', or just the Troll being the threat.

Option 4 (be a passionate lover) got two votes. I thought of this option at the last instance (I almost had pushed 'POST' and added this as an afterthought. I had no idea what I would write if this was chosen. Of course, it was chosen!

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The what if's of episodes 6-13 will are to be continued in part 2! I hope you found this fun - I don't know if the best story-lines were or were not followed, but it is fun to see what plot-twists and developments could have occured and what crazy stories could also have been here.

The options were there, the choices were yours!
'Till the next part!