Undercurrent

Official Blog of Undercurrent IF

[undercurrent-if]

Undercurrent

Undercurrent is a sci-fi, mystery, surfing interactive fiction story that dives into the deepest parts of our minds. The game is rated 17+ for mature content.

Synopsis:

You return to the Cove after six years, older, quieter, and carrying a special kind of grief. Once a competitive surf prodigy, you vanished after the death of someone close to you, someone who died in these waters.

But the ocean hasn’t forgotten you. Neither has the Cove.

Now, in this small town, teetering between real and tech, strange phenomena ripple through the waters. Surfboards pulse with forgotten data. Tides shift too suddenly. Whispers drift through the mist. And your old board—silent for years—begins humming with signals that shouldn’t exist.

As you retrace old steps, you’ll uncover hidden secrets, rekindle, or avoid fractured relationships, and confront the truth of what happened the night everything changed. Someone—or something—knows you’re back. And the waves are calling for you.

Choose how you navigate the past:

Will you pursue the mystery beneath the sea, even if it means unraveling yourself?

Will you ride the tide toward truth, or let it pull you under?

Will you reconnect with the person you once loved—before they became someone else?

Because in the Cove, nothing stays buried forever. Not love. Not guilt. Not the dead.

Features:

Customize your Surfer's gender, sexuality, and more!

Romance one of four characters! Or romance the one that never made it out of the Cove.

Hone your surfing skills! Do you prefer the natural way, or will you let tech help you?

Uncover the mystery that is under the Cove.

Dynamic environment and choices!

Multiple endings!

Characters

Wren - Past friend or something more? F (22)

Wren always seemed a little too aware of things no one else noticed.

You remember Wren barefoot on the cliff’s edge, the salt spray catching in her hair, her eyes blazing with something fierce, something breakable all at once. She turned toward you, grinning like she knew a secret you hadn't earned yet, and said in a jovial voice: "One day, we’ll go so far out the waves can’t find us. Promise me you’ll come too." You never answered. You thought you had forever. "You used to be my anchor. Now you're the mystery pulling me under."

Ash Vega - M/F (29)

Runs a small surf repair and outfitting shop that's struggling to survive under the corporate tech expansions. Ash’s hands were steady even when the world wasn’t. You remember them pressing a hand over yours, guiding you to fix a cracked fin on your first board. "It’s not broken. Just needs someone who won’t give up on it." You didn’t realize until later that they weren't talking about the board at all. "You left. I stayed. Don’t expect it to be easy between us."

Kye Onari - M/F (26)

Kye came to the Cove, riding the strange waves without fear — and might know more about the ocean's changing patterns than they admit. You remember Kye laughing, reckless and wild, as they dove straight into a rip current like they could outrun death itself. "If you’re not scared, it’s not worth it." You stood frozen on the sand that day — and Kye never looked back. "You think you can keep secrets from the ocean? You're adorable."

Imani Reyes - F (30)

A researcher specializing in tech-oceanic anomalies. The first time you saw Imani, she was kneeling on the rocks, studying a tide pool like it was a portal to another world. She didn’t notice you watching until she said, softly: "Everything leaves traces if you know where to look." When your eyes met, you felt like you were the one being studied. "You make me want to believe in things I shouldn't."

Cassian "Cass" Rook - M (31)

Act like nothing matters, but every scar says otherwise. Cass stood alone by the firepit, one foot grinding lazy circles into the sand, a cigarette burning low between two fingers. He stared up at the stars — half the constellations smothered by the haze of the city beyond the cliffs — and let out a hollow laugh. "Doesn’t matter how good it feels out here. Everything good still finds a way to leave." He said it like a joke, but he didn’t smile. Neither did you. "I’m not here to be your hero. I’m barely here to save myself."

DEMO JUNE 1ST

@interact-if

[gorrus]

[maureen2musings]

phlyimages

[lewerta]

Find your wave.

Photo by Jeremiah Klein

[letsbelonelytogetherr]

— Lina A.

[omneco]

[imyselfamthesun]

[undercurrent-if]

Hello! How are you doing author?

Will we be able to see MC's family in this story? Can you share more about them if they exist.

Hi! I'm doing pretty good. Thank you for asking! How are you? :)

You will see your Surfer's family! Currently, I only have your mom and dad, a younger sibling named Ketta, and a sibling that you'll get to choose the gender of and if they're older or younger than you.

Your last name is Nyro.

Marra Nyro is your mother. She's alive, but unfortunately, her mind isn't what it used to be. She lives in the flooded sector, believing the waves have corrupted The Cove, especially Surfer.

She is very stubborn, spiritual, and intuitive. She will always love her kid, though.

"I've been writing her letters she never answered."

Rafe Nyro is your father. Also alive and very protective of the people he cares about. He used to be a legendary Wave-Runner (alternative from surfer) -- part of the first-gen of urban surfers who created some of the moves Surfer uses now. He taught you most, if all, of what you know about wave-riding.

He is stoic, dry-witted, and older. His eyes miss nothing, and he's always one step ahead, it seems. Has a now complicated relationship with Surfer due to them leaving after Wren's disappearance.

"The sea don't care if you're ready. It just comes. Same with the truth. Ride it or drown -- your call. Just remember I taught you to stand."

Ketta Nyro is your younger sibling. Unfortunately, they are missing. They went missing when you were 12, and they were 10. They were reckless, bold, and funny.

Their disappearance is the reason you kept going back to surfing.

"I taught Ketta everything they knew. Perhaps too much."

Tairn Nyro is your other sibling, whether younger or older, is up to you. They are a high-ranking enforcer in one of the local surf "gangs". They are charismatic, successful, and harsh. They blame Surfer for Ketta's disappearance and for the family name going under.

"We used to be inseparable... at least before The Break."

[poetryforall]

[mournfulroses]

Nikos Kazantzakis, from a letter featured in The Selected Letters of Nikos Kazantzakis

[undercurrent-if]

Snippet from the prologue 👀

It's early. Artificially early. The Cove's sky glows in its permanent golden hour, soft light washing over the perfect sand in a loop like the universe got stuck on the prettiest setting. I'm perched on the rail of the dock, my board resting against my knee, neural band already buzzing faintly along the curve of my neck.

[troyesfoixsete21]

Free spirit …

[aestheteasteria]

seeking, yearning, reaching hands

[undercurrent-if]

Surfboards

Hi! In Undercurrent, you will the choice to choose your own personal surfboard with their own personal skills and default appearance. There are three to choose from as early as in Chapter One. As the story continues, you'll get to customize your surfboard, possibly switch it out with another, and further enhance your own if you choose to keep it.

Surfboards:

Driftboard: They're sleek and responsive, hovering over water and terrain using grav-tech and syncs to your neural signals. This board is ideal for fluid movement, fast turns, and riders who are intuned with who they are.

Vortexrider: Engineered for control freaks, adjusting to any surface with hydrofoils and neural syncing. Great for technical runs and riders who play smart. Calculated, smooth, and deadly accurate.

Shredder: Fast, loud, and a little unstable. The Shredder is built for wild rides, hard turns, and hacked systems. The Shredder is perfect for risk takers and adrenaline junkies.

Appearance:

The Driftboard: Long and smooth with a liquid-metal sheen trimmed in soft, color-shifting neon that pulses subtly with mood. Clean lines, slightly curved tip, and an embedded interface near the tail.

The Vortexrider: Flat, sharp edges with a low-profile deck. It has deployable foils underneath and subtle glowing lines along the sides. Matte-black with a utilitarian finish, looking more military than anything else.

The Shredder: Chunky and aggressive, with modular parts that jut out like armor plating. Neon tubing snakes across the surface in electric pink, blue, and green, and some panels look jury-rigged. It's a Frankenstein type of board.

[undercurrent-if]

Hey author!

What do the ROs look like? What are their physical descriptions?

Hey there! :)

Wren:

She had sunlight-copper hair, thick curls always glinting with saltwater. Her eyes were amber-gold, full of life, always watching the horizon. Lean and wiry, like she's made of motion. Her skin was warm brown, with freckles across her shoulders and nose.

Cassian:

He has olive-toned skin, with light scarring across his forearms and knuckles. His black hair is kept short on the sides with a slight wave on top, damp from the sea. His eyes are steel-grey, soft around the edges. He's broad-shouldered, strong arms, built like a grounded swimmer than a surfer.

Imani:

She has intense dark brown eyes, shimmering with microdust. Her skin is deep mahogany, with gold undertones. She wears her hair in black locs, often pulled into high knots or left flowing down her back. She's tall, sculpted, commanding, yet she's soft.

Kye:

Lean and energetic. Has golden tan skin, often peeling from sun exposure. Has a couple of scars from reckless rides. They have electric blue eyes, with faint glow mods, when they're linked up with their neural link. Their hair is bleached blond(e), often with one side shaved or styled wildly.

Ash:

They have ash-grey hair, short and choppy (female), or flowing down their back (male), always clean cut. They have olive skin, with subtle body mods as in glowing ink and fingertips nodes. They are slim and graceful with one pale grey eye while the other is replaced with a silver cybernetic eye that adjusts to the light.

Thank you! :)

[undercurrent-if]

The Cove

The Cove is - was - your home. A synthetic coastline city built into one of the border islands. It was created as a testing site for TideLock Corp, but underneath? It's a haven only very few know about.

The sand isn't real. Engineered to look like sand, but it's too soft, too perfect. Your footprints never leave dust behind, only a digital shimmer. The waves are only as real as you are. The more emotionally charged your ride is, the brighter your trail. Coded from bioluminescent algae.

There's a small shack on the beach, half-café, half board repair station. The locals call it The Boardroom.

But that's only what's on the surface.

What most don't know is that the Cove goes a lot deeper than it looks. 200 meters down. No one's ever made it that far before, not even the Corp's drones. The water is colder, darker. Your implants buzz when you go near. Your board stutters. The algae won't follow you here.

It's said to be a memory grid, where memories from the past linger. Sometimes, when surfers wipe out near here, they swear they remember things that aren't their own.

The Undertow isn't just a current. It's something much more. Something alive. A low hum echoes in your neural link whenever you surf too close. Wren used to call it "The Cove's second pulse."

[undercurrent-if]

How would the ROs react if mc showed up with a pet that surfed with them?

Presumably this is post-romanced ROs

Hey there! :)

Wren:

She lights up the moment you walk onto the beach with the pet, as if this is possibly the best gift you've ever given her. She immediately drops her board and rushes over. "No way!" she exclaims, scooping the pet from your arms into hers.

She's grinning so wide it hurts to look at her. "You're telling me I get you and a sidekick? Today really is my birthday."

Wren would immediately insist the pet needs their own custom gear and a small tiny matching board. She's full of excitement and plans before you're even in the water.

Ash:

Ash smiles the moment they spot you, and it only widens when they see the pet in your hands. "You never stop surprising me," they say, voice warm. They reach a hand out to towards the pet.

"Looks like we'll need to make some room on the board for this little guy," they joke softly, already pulling your gear out of the makeshift shed next to you. All this pet is is an extension of you, and because of that, they'll be protective of it.

Kye:

Kye crosses their arms and raises an eyebrow, their mouth twitching at the corners like they're trying not to laugh. "You gonna teach it tricks too, or just how to wipe out with style?" They quip.

But there's no real bite in their voice—just a rough sort of fondness that they're terrible at hiding. When you set the pet down on the sand, Kye leans down, offering a hand with a gentleness you didn't know they had.

"Guess if you're keeping it around... it’s gotta be tough."

They nudge your shoulder. "Just like you."

Imani:

She blinks at first, taking a second to process the sight before her before a soft smile curls her lips. "Trust you to make even surfing a family event," she says warmly.

Letting the pet come to her on its own, she would kneel patiently, her smile never leaving her lips. "You're sweet, Surfer," she says without looking up. "This is where you and this little guy belong."

Cassian:

Cass is completely off guard when he sees you approach with a pet. He gives you a tight-lipped smile, meeting you halfway.

"I thought you were kidding when you said you were going to bring your pet?" He questions, his eyes briefly glancing down before going back to yours. Depending on your response, he sighs.

"I suppose it's not the worst idea... better company than some people," he teases, deadpan and low. You both start moving to gather your gear, Cass right beside you when he mutters, "Especially if it's yours."

Thank you so much!