This short story, published on September 24, 2023, depicts a haunting, slow-moving train journey across a vast, flat Nebraska. It follows Shay—leaning from her wagon, brushing away dust, watching the endless horizon where sky and earth blur into one. It’s vivid, contemplative, and atmospheric—invoking a post-apocalyptic or post-collapse setting .
Origins of the Scorched Nebraska Idea
1. From Short Story to Worldbuilding Foundation
The short story introduces a tone and imagery—desolation, decay, the endurance of technology—that seem to lay the emotional and thematic groundwork for the broader Scorched Nebraska universe. Though just a fragment, it’s rich with sensory detail: dust, corrosion, suffocation, a horizon that wraps around the train .
2. Evolution into a Game (or Interactive Narrative)
This narrative seed appears to have sprouted into a larger, interactive world. Sources describe Scorched Nebraska as “a unique blend of post-apocalyptic survival, interactive storytelling, and player‑driven world‑building,” where “players’ choices and contributions directly shape the evolving narrative” . The imagery from the short story likely influenced or inspired the aesthetic and narrative direction of that world.
3. Progression from Story to Gameplay Elements
The developed universe features complex lore and factions such as:
ARGO‑9, a gigantic, rolling AI war machine worshiped as a “machine‑god” by the Ferrymen . Vegas, an autonomous, fortified city governed by an AI, serving as a hub for knowledge and communication . Vaultborn Engineers, a faction devoted to rebuilding through rigorous R&D, peer review, and advanced cybernetic and AI technologies .
These expansions suggest the short story served more as an atmospheric prologue or thematic spark that the author later built into a rich, interactive world.
Summary: How the Game Idea Emerged
Stage
Description
Short story (Sept 24, 2023)
Shay’s train journey across a scorched Nebraska—visual, atmospheric, evocative
Game/world expansion
Transforms into an interactive, evolving universe—player choices shape narrative, with futuristic factions, AI-powered cities, and lore
If you’re curious how that short story directly influenced specific game mechanics or narrative arcs—or want a deeper dive into the lore and its development path—just let me know!
Moab Chronicles. 