whimsicott
prankster
~placeholder for plant-based adventures~
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Futuristic Adventures in Plantworld
- Thread starter whimsicott
- Start date
whimsicott
prankster
He'd made this trek at least a hundred times by this point, but each trip was a little bit different. It wasn't just the little stuff, like the weather- he knew where the precipitation zones were and where to expect heat waves. Sometimes the pollen storms grew to be so severe that entire caravans needed to be shut down and seek shelter, but one of the perks of having a one-man operation was that Orca didn't need to rely on anyone else's misgivings in order to carry on and get the job done.
This time around, though, there was yet another variable he'd yet to account for. As if the predatory jungle and hazardous weather weren't difficult enough, Orca had accepted a delivery job from the laboratory located in the center of Stomato, the advanced settlement carved into a mountain range. Most merchants wouldn't dare make the trek to the mountainous town, as the rocky upward paths wrestled with arboreal forests and falling pinecones had been known to kill unprepared passersby.
Perhaps he'd just been lucky, or perhaps he'd just invested in the proper headgear.
Orca was more concerned with the bizarre package they'd given him, though. The trader particularly enjoyed visiting the lab-settlement due to the valuable pollens and mixtures that they were known to produce. In the more agricultural and artisan towns, they were willing to barter rather desperately for any kind of pharmaceutical. From antibiotics to aphrodisiacs, the Stomato-produced potions and compounds always fetched the highest price of anything the man was able to trade.
In such a case, the danger was irrelevant. Orca was a traveler by nature at any rate- he didn't mind risk, so long as it was properly accounted for.
But the package? How could he account for that? The scientists at the lab had promised that if he just take the large crate to Kalanchoe and left as soon and as fast as possible, they'd have an entire stockpile of medicines for him to collect the next time he stopped by- with only a few stipulations. First, he couldn't make any detours- he was supposed to go directly to Kalanchoe and deliver it to the laboratory there. While the Kalanchoe lab wasn't as advanced as the Stomato one, Orca knew that they were working on more applicable technologies- whereas Stomato produced all sorts of consumables, the Kalanchoans had a massive hospital that overlooked their town. Orca wasn't one for escorts, but it was rather common for caravans to charge top dollar to transport passengers through the jungles and forests to receive life-saving treatment.
He knew that the second requirement be that he not so much as open the package- it contained sensitive materials, he was told, and even exposing it to the air would ruin whatever was inside. Maybe it was some kind of novelty treatment. Still, the bizarre object hummed sometimes, and he could almost hear strange rustling coming from inside. It didn't have a feeding bin the way that some domesticated plant-mutants did, though, so the man wasn't even sure where those sounds were coming from.
Orca paused. He'd been travelling for five days straight through the jungle, but something suddenly felt... off. The overhead canopy was so thick that it was impossible to tell what time of day it was, but one thing was crystal clear- he was not alone.
This time around, though, there was yet another variable he'd yet to account for. As if the predatory jungle and hazardous weather weren't difficult enough, Orca had accepted a delivery job from the laboratory located in the center of Stomato, the advanced settlement carved into a mountain range. Most merchants wouldn't dare make the trek to the mountainous town, as the rocky upward paths wrestled with arboreal forests and falling pinecones had been known to kill unprepared passersby.
Perhaps he'd just been lucky, or perhaps he'd just invested in the proper headgear.
Orca was more concerned with the bizarre package they'd given him, though. The trader particularly enjoyed visiting the lab-settlement due to the valuable pollens and mixtures that they were known to produce. In the more agricultural and artisan towns, they were willing to barter rather desperately for any kind of pharmaceutical. From antibiotics to aphrodisiacs, the Stomato-produced potions and compounds always fetched the highest price of anything the man was able to trade.
In such a case, the danger was irrelevant. Orca was a traveler by nature at any rate- he didn't mind risk, so long as it was properly accounted for.
But the package? How could he account for that? The scientists at the lab had promised that if he just take the large crate to Kalanchoe and left as soon and as fast as possible, they'd have an entire stockpile of medicines for him to collect the next time he stopped by- with only a few stipulations. First, he couldn't make any detours- he was supposed to go directly to Kalanchoe and deliver it to the laboratory there. While the Kalanchoe lab wasn't as advanced as the Stomato one, Orca knew that they were working on more applicable technologies- whereas Stomato produced all sorts of consumables, the Kalanchoans had a massive hospital that overlooked their town. Orca wasn't one for escorts, but it was rather common for caravans to charge top dollar to transport passengers through the jungles and forests to receive life-saving treatment.
He knew that the second requirement be that he not so much as open the package- it contained sensitive materials, he was told, and even exposing it to the air would ruin whatever was inside. Maybe it was some kind of novelty treatment. Still, the bizarre object hummed sometimes, and he could almost hear strange rustling coming from inside. It didn't have a feeding bin the way that some domesticated plant-mutants did, though, so the man wasn't even sure where those sounds were coming from.
Orca paused. He'd been travelling for five days straight through the jungle, but something suddenly felt... off. The overhead canopy was so thick that it was impossible to tell what time of day it was, but one thing was crystal clear- he was not alone.
CaptainAddy00
Did I fall asleep again?
The package was indeed an odd one. It consisted of a very well packaged crate, sealed over with metal and imprinted with the laboratories' logo: Stoma Technologies. It was this that flashed up on a holographic screen held by the leader of a group of men and woman huddled together within the jungle.
The woman's eyes were pale beneath the goggles she wore but sharp, cunning. She directed the group she worked with with gestures and simple pointed directions. Left. Ambush. Climb and wait. Some shimmied up the thick and vine like trees. She didn't know what was inside the crate but she'd find out soon. She and her merry group of men had been tracking it for some time, just waiting for the perfect oppurtunity. The Stomato and Kalanchoe settlements had been sending shipments similar to these under private eyes and behind closed doors, a secret they protected by hiring only the best merchants and paying them very handsomely to ensure the package wouldn't get lost. They suspected whatever it was - medicine, new chemical recipes, maybe a cure to be rid of the plants - was going to sell for a hefty price and they were going to be the owners for it. If it was a new recipe for a miracle drug, everyone was going to have to come to them.
This man, Orca - they'd hacked into the rudimentary system to find his name - was quite the famous loner. Safety in numbers was something they all adhered to around here except for the few, most of which died or disappeared into thin air. Something like a cruel smirk lifted the corners of her lips and she pointed forward, making a signal with her hands.
Part of the men rushed forward, a rustling within the thickness of the foliage. It was a part of the jungle she loved. Too thick to see anything, including bandits or raiders. A perfect opportunity for an ambush. A man threw a few beads into the air. Attracted to the programmed body signature, they flew towards the body and they simply had to follow, a tracker programmed within the beads as well. Their presence might already have been given away but they were discrete enough it was almost impossible to determine their exact location. The beads dropped down around the man when it found him and spat out a thick cloud of smoke that allowed her men to set up, guns and electric rifles pointing out from the bushes.
No, they didn't want to harm the package but they had no problem bringing harm to Orca.
"Give it up," her voice rang out.
The woman's eyes were pale beneath the goggles she wore but sharp, cunning. She directed the group she worked with with gestures and simple pointed directions. Left. Ambush. Climb and wait. Some shimmied up the thick and vine like trees. She didn't know what was inside the crate but she'd find out soon. She and her merry group of men had been tracking it for some time, just waiting for the perfect oppurtunity. The Stomato and Kalanchoe settlements had been sending shipments similar to these under private eyes and behind closed doors, a secret they protected by hiring only the best merchants and paying them very handsomely to ensure the package wouldn't get lost. They suspected whatever it was - medicine, new chemical recipes, maybe a cure to be rid of the plants - was going to sell for a hefty price and they were going to be the owners for it. If it was a new recipe for a miracle drug, everyone was going to have to come to them.
This man, Orca - they'd hacked into the rudimentary system to find his name - was quite the famous loner. Safety in numbers was something they all adhered to around here except for the few, most of which died or disappeared into thin air. Something like a cruel smirk lifted the corners of her lips and she pointed forward, making a signal with her hands.
Part of the men rushed forward, a rustling within the thickness of the foliage. It was a part of the jungle she loved. Too thick to see anything, including bandits or raiders. A perfect opportunity for an ambush. A man threw a few beads into the air. Attracted to the programmed body signature, they flew towards the body and they simply had to follow, a tracker programmed within the beads as well. Their presence might already have been given away but they were discrete enough it was almost impossible to determine their exact location. The beads dropped down around the man when it found him and spat out a thick cloud of smoke that allowed her men to set up, guns and electric rifles pointing out from the bushes.
No, they didn't want to harm the package but they had no problem bringing harm to Orca.
"Give it up," her voice rang out.
