Futuristic Into the Dark

[Lenchan]

Joshua stood up, alert, as the woman again tore herself away from him. Never had one tried to break away so often and so halfheartedly. It was drawing him closer, making him more curious. He knew of this feeling of wanting to escape, but he couldn’t really begin to imagine the torment that want had brought to her. Whenever he wanted something he merely took it. His eyes slid across the other survivors as well. There was much fruit to bare from this harvest, after all. His selfish musings ended abruptly as the woman put her dogtags in her mouth – he’d witnessed a man choke to death on a pair once in a video, but he’d never seen this happen in person. This is not what I had in mind. The misfortune only multiplied as she lifted her handgun to her head in anticipation. He'd never known a soldier to joke about something like taking a life of a comrade, oneself included. She was unshakably serious. He cursed himself for even thinking about taking what you want. He’d meant escape as in removing one’s self from the situation, but he never meant viz. taking one’s own life. Esepcially one so striking in this place where humanity itself rested on the shoulders of those before him. The blue in his eyes reflected in the sun, piercing into hers with uncharacteristic seriousness of his own. After a moment he offered her a warm smile. Misery loves company. It never travels alone. He looked to the sky above them all and sighed heavily, taking in a deep breath, trying to figure the words one needs to hear to pull them from a self-sustaining corner of paranoia. He settled on a proverb of his own; one his uncle used to spit through clenched teeth when he punished Joshua for being brash. The last time he'd heard the words was after he crashed his first plane, cocky and misguided in that premature confidence. Selfish and unconcerned with others. “Без муки нет науки… Бери́сь дру́жно, не бу́дет гру́зно.”He hadn't changed much since then, he supposed, but he'd learned a thing or two along the way.





He lowered his gaze back to the woman, taking a step towards her and raising one of his hands out in offering. He spoke in English, hoping someone would confer with him in attempts to bring her back from the ledge she was wavering on. “These people need your intelligence. Они не враг. They won’t survive without you. They need you. нам всем нужен.”


@TealFyre @anyone else TT^TT

Spoiler

"Hardship is a good teacher. It takes a village to lighten the load" (these are English proverbal meanings, not lit. translation)


"They are not enemies... we all need you"

 

[Maki]

Caitlyn watched in disbelief as the woman, who just had a gun to a younger girls head broke down and started crying in mere seconds. Maybe I was being to harsh... She watched as the girl and th man Joshua exchanged words in a foreign language she recognized to be Russian. Knowing little to none Russian, she merely watched as the two talked, not daring to say a word. Then the girl put the dog tags in her mouth. Caitlyn didn't know that it was a sign of cowardice, and a sign that she was going to kill herself, but when the gun was raised, she got the message.


Finally Joshua spoke English, telling her how the people needed her, and to put the gun down. Caitlyn nodded in agreement with the man. Even though they weren't off on the best of terms, she didn't want another death.

 

[Mystik]

Teal Yunevich

Teal's darkened irises gaze around those who gather around her. For a moment it seems as though their efforts have proven useless. Though her gaze softens, the dog-tags tumbling out of her lips. Though instead of lowering the pistol, she soon aims it in the air, quite close to Joshua's ear. Releasing a deafening shot, she turns and scrambles toward the forest. Run, her brain demanded. She'd brought shame to her name and felt as though she deserved to die alone on this world. As she burst into the bushes that surrounded the clearing the crash created, she looked back briefly. This was for the best, and her mind was never going to be changed.


Her legs carried her for quite some time and vaulted over roots and shrubbery. By the time she finally stops, she'd be a solid mile or so away from the crash site. A grove was formed around her, in the center of it strange, glowing water. Exhausted by this point, drenched in sweat, tears and blood, she tears off the Kevlar vest. Walking toward the pool cautiously, she looks around with an air of self-consciousness. At this moment she was wearing her cargo-pants and military bra (sports bra). She hated not carrying her weapon with her, though it was risky to fully submerge it in the water. As she reached the verge of the pool she hesitated. Her eyes closed and she began slowing her breathing. Without another thought she dove straight into the warm water.

 

[Lenchan]

“Ahhh, Охуеть!” Joshua’s hand instinctively shot up but stalled. Best not to jam his fingers into his ears; he’d be needing those later. He hissed in annoyance as the piercing ring in his ear seemed to transfer through his entire brain and out the other side of his head. He quickly assessed his body, even though he trusted she hadn’t shot him in cold blood. What a pain in the ass, his chuckle was snide. The woman had disappeared into the treeline, completely out of sight. “…безжалостных красивой женщиной…” He shook his head and weighed the pros and cons of running after her. Naturally he wanted to but there was this large, collective thorn in his side and the items he’d brought to aid any survivors weighing him down. At least that’s how he reasoned with himself to not abandon his wits to chase after a dame, intriguing as she may be. He turned to the group hands raised disarming, preparing to pull this figurative thorn out clean. “Well, she’s quite the firecracker. Must’ve run you all rugged abroad your vessel.” The smile returned to his face, unnecessary, but helpful in making the more look even more non-threatening than he already did. “Again, my name is Joshua. Storstandssen. I picked up your ships signal upon entry and thought you may be in need of a helping hand.”


He looked over his shoulder towards the brush. He thought he could make out the spot in the thickness where she’d forced her way through. With the size of this planet, if they didn’t go after her soon, she could be lost forever. He looked back towards the group, Caitlyn and Arthur in particular, and he relayed that very same information. His eyes remained inquisitive, awaiting their response to reveal their nature. He was getting the sense that this bunch was a lot more disorderly than he’d hoped to find.

Spoiler

c.f. “fuck”


“ruthless beautiful woman”





@Kayzo @Ironrot @Floodwater31

 

[Ironrot]

Arthur held his daughter against his chest. As soon as the second gunshot had gone off, Arthur had dove head long onto Sally. His back was to the others and he slowly twisted his head to see what had happened. Sally was pushing at him a little, like a cat not wanting to be held. She hadn't fully grasped the threat she was under.


When he saw Teal running, he leapt off Sally and checked her body, pulling her to her feet and spinning her around, looking for any sign of blood seeping through her tattered dress. When he found none he grabbed her in a bear hug. His vision was blurred by tears and his breathing was shallow and fast. What monster would point a weapon at a child.


Arthur picked Sally up, holding her against him with one arm. He extended the other to Joshua. He still looked flustered and the fear for his child hadn't quiet left his face.


"I'm Arthur. I can't thank you enough" He wiped the gathering tears from his eyes. And took a deep breath "Where did you say you came from?" Sally was twisting in his arms, trying to see what was going on. Arthur looked outside the ship, following where Teal had fled, wondering if she would come back and what that would mean. This was the first time he had looked outside. Forests, He thought, There might be hope for us yet.

 

[Floodwater31]

Alex stood a little further from the group, shell shocked from the whole experience. He lowered the gun he'd had aimed through the whole time, luckily he hadn't fired. Instead of having it aimed at Teal, it had been trained on Arthur. The idea had been to shoot Arthur, which would make him fall, but he hadn't needed to, seeing that Joshua had intervened, so that's where his interests lie. Good thing too, Teal could put a lot more holes in me than I could her, even if I had real bullets. Wait is she- Why would she? Oh shit! Alex stood horrified as Teal held her gun to her head, there is nothing I can do, if I approach she'll startle and people will die, If I don't she'll kill herself... Alex woke from his daze in time to see Teal halfway through a bush. Why do I always zone out when important stuff happens?

 

[Lenchan]

Joshua nodded to the man quietly and lowered his hands, ignoring his question. “It’s not my place to say this, have no idea what transpired beforehand, but the young lady didn’t act unprovoked, friend. Is it true that you put a hole in our dead friend over there?” Joshua paid no attention to the weight of the implication he was making to the child’s father. Nor did he do much to sugarcoat it. Answers. Quickly. And then if none of these people were interested in searching for the woman, he’d leave the water and take his leave. Let them figure out the rest will probably be for the best either way… He'd already started planning out the best way to track the woman down, but he knew nothing of this unexplored area. The longer they all waited the more impossible the task became for one man. Perhaps he should just let them all go on alone - the army brat, too. The drama unfolding was thick and poignant to his carefree nature. It wasn't a bad idea to disengage...


@Kayzo @Ironrot @Floodwater31

 

[Maki]

Caitlyn jumped in surprise and closed her eyes as she heard the second gunshot. She didn't want to see anyone else die today. After a minute or so, she didn't hear the sound of bodies hitting the ground, but instead the sound of running footsteps. She slowly opened her eyes to notice that the Russian girl was gone, and that Arthur and Sally were still alive. Sighing in relief, Caitlyn walked towards the father and daughter, ignoring Joshua. I should thank him. She thought, making it to the two. "Are you ok?" Caitlyn asked in a worried tone.


@Ironrot

 

[Mystik]

Submerged.

The feeling of the warm water seeping into the pores of Teal's skin couldn't help but cause her to smile. It felt curiously wonderful, like being submerged in her mother's belly once more. The science behind this comfort was that this particular pool was extremely enriched with oxygen and other helpful nutrients. The source of the pool was from a geyser beneath the surface of the planet, one that was extremely enriched with iron, copper, etc. This would be a good spot to set up camp, she thought to herself. After all, it's not as if she could separate herself too far from the other survivors. She needed to ensure that they stayed safe and civilized, even if it was from a distance.


Eventually she peels herself up and out of the pool of enrichment. The glowing water drips down her body slowly, catching in her hair. It causes her hair to ironically glow a soft teal. Set up camp.. Reorganize and take inventory.. Find food. Teal began collecting fallen shrubbery from the grove she was starting to call home. Using a knife from her Weapon Wielding Kit, she cuts vines down as well. Thanks to years of military experience she's able to quickly and effectively erect a wooden tent that would provide her with minor shelter. Next the marine digs a small pit out of the earth with her bare hands. Surrounding it by stones that she had collected earlier, she begins setting up the base for a fire.


This procedure of setting up a camp continues for a few hours. In the morning light sweat again shines on her back and face, the eye that was left unfinished broken. She'd covered it by a leaf tied around her head with a thin vine, creating a druidic eye-patch. By this point she has a fire pit, tent and rack for drying clothes and other fabrics. At this point in her little wooden tent she had laid out all her equipment, taking inventory meticulously.




Current inventory..

• 
  Electronic welder..
  

• Industrial Knife..
  

• Various bolts..
  

• Pistol, five rounds..
  

• Kevlar vest.. Army fatigues..
  

• Dogtags..
  

• Jose's music box.
  

Teal sighs, flopping onto her stomach. She'd exhausted herself for the day, and felt she deserved a nap..

 

[Jarkov Malachai]

Once more the wolf prowls at our door, but crying of it helps us not.

The Female Dredge was still laying in the cool soft sand of the river banks, with the Terrans chowing down on the meal she had brought them. Enjoying the refreshing water running over and past its lower half, tail being dragged along lazily with the current, twisting and turning this way and that to the work of the rivers toll, like a giant snake that decided it would be a great idea to simply chill in the water.


All the kinks from the past few days, the past, god only knows how long, time it spent trapped in a glorified ice box. Unable to move, to breathe, caught frozen both in body, mind and time. She was content for the moment to simply BE.


However, as she was slipping into this state of relative peace, this ragged huntress of man and object of his nightmares… It happened.


A gunshot report echoed throughout the skies, a sound that did not belong in nature for any way shape or form. Granted it was faint, it was faded, but nevertheless it was what it was, and that was all that was needed to trigger the instincts once more.


Muscle, Flesh and tendon tense, become what was seconds before soft, supple and relaxed, now hard as iron, taught as the most heavy of bowstrings and unstable enough that the briefest hint of movement might set it off into a unstoppable domino effect.


Eyes of Grey, gems of the thunderstorm, become eyes of red, jewels of death, Symbols of mans finite nature, his Mortality, his weakness.


One second, not 20 feet away from the three terrans who so eagerly, if warily, ate upon a fresh kill, a creature which had caused them strife and much hardship had vanished to reveal a tortured soul of which only wished to be left in peace and amiable companionship, now was once more returned. They all sensed it, those three. The air trembled with it, become as high strung with tension as the object of said tensions muscles, the object of their well founded fears.


They didn’t need to turn around, they could feel it, taste it in the air, breathe it in as it resonated with every molecule that flowed through the space of which they inhaled the air. Death once more reigned, instinct had gripped their provider of foods mind once more as the memories of gunshots and what said sounds meant to the Dredge, what it had been taught they meant, overrides rational thought


Water explodes up, showering the terrans with little pearlescent droplets as the Dredge vanishes from where it once lay. Jumping up from its resting place with such speed that unless one was looking right at it they not saw it move. But it was, and it did, jump from where it had lain on those soft sands so contentedly. Leaping in the tree tops once more, from branch to branch, trunk to trunk, leaf to leaf, rapidly covering distance to where of which the shot had originated. Men with guns were targets to be eliminated, they meant threats to its own existence, they were threats to its existence.


They would never see it coming.


Approximately an hour or so later.


All was well at crash site alpha, after said little mishaps were… contained and dealt with, their visitor had still not yet left and the survivors gathered around outside to look, admire and stare in awe at something they had never seen in their life times but only in books and ancient tomes written long ago. Trees. Hope filled their fragile and delicate hearts of which most had to much strife and heartbreak in them to be overly strong. Their flesh was tough as was their will but the simple fact of seeing life not in a picture book, not in a muesuem or under heavy guard and or in the private gardens of some Corporate business man, it meant so much.


So much so that none of them saw what had arrived with them, just out in the tree line from the crash. They never felt the unease of which entered the air, or wondered why the birds suddenly disappeared, or why the forest was silent. Joy filled their hearts, to forget the agony of the crash, so they might draw hope from this moment. Alas, twas not to remain so for despair and death had arrived amongst the trees.


Six, blood ruby eyes watched from the cover of the green foliage, their burning depths akin to the hottest forge of the god Hephaestus for its hate of which lay in those eyes provided the most fiercest of fuels. Only one saw them, only one recognized them for what they were, only one knew of what was about to happen. But that one was as helpless as the rest, even more so than most. For how can a four year old little girl tell her elders that she saw a monster in the woods and be believed? Especially when such cries fall on deaf ears, ears of which, wanted to hear not such news so joyous was the occasion that they dare not spoil it for any reason.


But what happens when the little girl cries not wolf for attention? But because she spots the beast prowling and snarling at the gates?

 

[Ironrot]

Arthur bounced Sally on his arm a little.


"We're alright, arn't we?" He asked the little girl. Sally spoke a quiet "yes" into Arthur's ear and he smiled at Caitlyn to confirm. Arthur turned his attention back to the new comer.


"I promise you, that was self defence." Arthur was about to ask the man where he had come from again when Sally hurriedly tugged on his shirt.


"The Monster" She whispered in Arthur's ear. Arthur's heart skipped a beat. He looked out of the gaping hole in the hull.


"Where, Sally?" Arthur asked. Sally pointed into a space in the forest. Arthur wiped his good eye again and peered into the thick foliage. He still couldn't see anything. If the monster was there, surely it would be easy enough to spot.


"Does anyone see something out there?" Arthur asked, pointing to the area which Sally had highlighted. He spot to Joshua from the corner of his mouth, not stopping his search.


"Joshua. Before we crashed, there was something on this ship. Something big enough to tear through the internal walls. I was assuming that it would disappear into the forest to get away from us, but I don't know for sure." He paused for a moment. "Maybe it's not your concern, but it might be a good idea for you to help us find Teal." Arthur wasn't sure if he should have that job, Teal might not react well to finding him in the woods.


"Seriously?" Arthur looked around the survivor's "Has noone seen Sebastian? What about Islia?"

 

[Maki]

Caitlyn smiled back, happy to see that everyone was fine. Just as she was starting to relax, Sally mentioned a monster. A monster? Is that what crashed the ship? She peered out into th forest, and uneasy feeling sweeping over her. Maybe it's just her imagination. She thought, until Arthur confirmed the existence of a monster. "Maybe the monster got them." She mumbled, referring to Sebastion and Islia. "Or maybe they crashed somewhere else."

 

[Lenchan]

Joshua eyes narrowed. Surely he’d misheard the man. But the false blanket he tried to throw over himself was snatched away by the woman medic’s reaction, not to mention how easily all these people believed the words of a clearly imaginative little girl. “Pardon me? A monster? Surely the girl is just shaken up from being at gun point.” He offered a tentative smile, but the fear stealing the tint out of their skin to color their eyes was jarring. His eyes settled on the ship again and the other dead bodies that lay about. He did think it strange that there were so many apart from the actual wreck, but he hadn’t had the chance to inquire about anything, really. Maybe this was a ploy? Maybe this entire crew was sick in more ways than one…


Just to be on the safe side, he scanned the treeline and pulled the rifle off of his shoulder. He wasn’t quite ready to hand it over to a man who just killed someone, more out of self-interest than a sense of righteousness. He understood that, in self-defense and defense of the one’s you cared for meant making hard decisions. And he loved himself. Honestly, who ever said this decision was hard? He didn’t find it to be at all. Still he held the rilfe at the ready, prepared to pass it along in favor of the handgun at his side. “товарищ”He called out tentatively, doubtful the woman was still within earshot. “Tы слышишь меня?? Нам нужна помощь!”





@Kayzo

Spoiler

"Comrade....Can you hear me?? We could use some help!"

 

[wizard nibblers]

Now, the first gunshot was a little bothersome, as Rule was still deep in unconsciousness after that nasty crash. It wasn’t until the second rung out that her brain reluctantly began to rouse her and begin to take in her surroundings. She began by recounting the events that occurred- from watching Tau run ahead into the ship and when her brother managed to store her in an open chute before takeoff, to her working her way through the tube until hitting the cargo hold, and meandering the small tunnels to the garbage, where she sat, rummaged, and found a new crayon- jazzberry jam- for her collection. Somewhere around the time that she was licking the nearly-empty discarded tube of mayonnaise was when she started hearing the ominous sounds from the ship, and from there it was sort of a blur. The gravity felt weird, and there was the bit where she hit the ceiling... And that does sure seem like a lot of light trying to break through over there... But she thought that might be something to worry about after sitting up.


The sitting up in question did happen, after a lot of denial about being conscious in the first place, waiting until the pounding subsided, trying to sit up, enduring immediate deep regret, and then waiting until the dizziness subsided before finally achieving success. Of course there was also the matter of having her eyes adjust, and while she was waiting for that to happen, she remembered the matter of the strange light. It became more apparent that it was coming from a hole in the ship, which certainly wasn’t good, considering they should have been in space. Brushing her hair aside and the trash (which must have padded her fall) off her lap, she went to peer out the hole, coming face to face with some form of greenery. Well now. That certainly isn’t something one would often see right outside in the black, endless void of the open universe. Was it a false alarm? Could they be back on Earth? She clamored over the pile to a hole in the ceiling, scampering out to find a person-sized opening through which she could escape. As an afterthought, she went back and grabbed the near empty tube of mayonnaise as a snack for later, before returning to her escape. {gained [1] almost empty 15 fl oz tube of mayonnaise; perhaps 2 oz of mayo left}


The lightweight gravity made standing even more dizzying combined with her aching body and what may or may not be some sort of concussion. Dwarfed by the looming flora, she weaved through the tall grass and spiraling vines to hoist herself onto a higher tree root just outside the hole to get a better view of her surroundings. She concluded that this was most certainly not Earth, due to the odd, luminescent markings on most of the life, and the even-more-than-usual overwhelming size of... just about everything. She reached in her pocket to allow Frank (who, thankfully, was still intact) to see everything as well. A seasoned adventurer, she knew he would be able to fully appreciate the view. And appreciate he did, as his glossy, painted eyes seemed to glimmer with intrigue in the sunlight. As she returned Frank to his traveler’s suite in her inner left breast pocket, she noticed voices not too far away, where the commotion may have been coming from earlier. She also noticed the tops of heads peeking over the wreckage, and realized that they could have probably seen her. She hoped that was a good thing.

 

[Pretzel Heart]

τ

It was the strangest thing, filtering into Tau’s vision. Somewhere, neurons hooked to her cerebral cortex plinked like harmonics on a violin, notifying her that the strange phenomenon, encompassing both a mental-visual structure and, yes, a pleasant feeling of warmth, was “light.” But it was light unlike any she had experienced in such a long time that the awakening membranes of her consciousness were surprised that her language functions could even recall such a term. For this light wasn’t snaking it’s way from a flickering street lamp in dying hues of twilight reds, nor shaded by a greenhouse effect that had made stars little more than theories in all the places she had lived since birth.


This light was pure.


Free.


The feeling was so nice and foreign to her that, even though awareness of the fact she was lying half-conscious on the edge of a deep sleep had occurred to her, she felt it better to remain comatose, enjoying the rawness of the connection. The thing that she had fought for for so long...and yet here it was, waiting within her the entire time...


Then, as if to remind her why such sentimental feelings were only distractions pumped out by corporations, a sound rang out, causing her eyes to flick open automatically.


It was a gunshot.


While a younger version of herself, growing up with the neighborhood street urchins might have played with fireworks and not known the difference in sound, gunshots were very much a real thing in Tau’s line of work.


At least, her old line of work.


A line of work that hadn’t done her much good when it had all, literally, gone up in flames.


Sitting upright, Tau was instantly aware of a few more things, such as the burning fire in her temples and a coolness settling around her shoulders. And the fact that the light hadn’t been a mere hallucination of her brain. It was coming from above, filtered by trees of an impossible height...


Finally her groggy head zoomed through the events of the past weeks, landing her on some random kid’s spaceship in a desperate attempt to flee the wrecked Earth into the unknown future. Luckily Alphy, despite her familial ties, had also made it onboard. Tau had never quite gotten the full story on that, only assuming that Alphy, being a logical being such as herself, had finally gotten it in her brain that there was no point remaining on a dying planet. She was glad for it, though. Not that Tau was one to get depressed, but the haunting uncertainty of your life’s work adding up to plumes of smog and screaming infants had put a strange twist on her mood and a heavy weight on her shoulders.


Wait.


Rolling said shoulders, partly just to check if they were safely in their sockets, Tau realized that the weight of the world wasn’t just in her imagination. There was something.........


It must be the gravity on this planet. It’s less than Earth’s.


Well, at least her brain seemed to be functioning at its normal, excellent pace. But this planet...


Ah, right. While she had tucked away near the cargo hold treating herself to the rare use of her violin (a treat because even an idiot could see that the ship’s power resources were running out, and only a selfish asshole would take from that supply for something as meaningless as a violin solo...though, Tau could also argue, there was nothing more important than a violin solo in such a time), suddenly there had been a power outage, manly screaming, not-so-manly screaming, and a feeling of sinking into an abyss.





Shit my violin!


Frantically Tau jumped to her feet...perhaps a bit too frantically as her head instantly reminded her. She would have to be more cautious about this gravity issue until her body properly adjusted, especially as she had been conked out for who knew how long.


Casting about, she was relieved to see the violin and bow not twenty yards from where she had fallen. Lucky. Oh so lucky, she realized as the situation came into full view of her mind’s eye. The ship had crash landed and somehow, though she hadn’t the faintest idea how, she had sustained no major injuries and had fallen in such a position that she was almost in the appearance of sleep. Back against the plushy forest floor, head facing the fresh dappled light, and legs neatly propped up on a---


As Tau had made a single step to retrieve her precious instrument, she realized something that made her freeze.


At first the shock was enough to almost make her laugh, until she recognized what had cushioned her fall was, in fact, a corpse.


Licking her lips nervously, Tau wasn’t really sure how to respond. Anyone could see that the young man was no longer living. But just to make sure, she pressed a cool finger where she thought his pulse might be. Nothing.


Putting her hands into her jacket pockets (and feeling the familiar coils of her laptop and violin chargers), she turned her back to him, unsure of what else to do or think. Logically speaking, it was likely that this man had somehow sacrificed his life to cushion her fall. Who he was, she could not say, having made it a point to be as antisocial as possible while trying to figure out what best to make of her life. Why he had been anywhere near her, she also could not say. All she could say was that she was very thankful to be alive and functioning. And that her violin seemed to be as well...


Until Tau actually reached the spot where said violin lay.


With a deep, shaky breath, she bent down to pick it up.


It can still be played, it can still be played...


She repeated over and over to herself, hoping that it was true. Unlike herself, the instrument hadn’t quite been as lucky in the plummet. Some of the strings had been snapped, and there were several major dents and nicks in even the fine, high-quality gloss that the body had been constructed of. Worst of all, the bow had been hit in such a way that it was nearly snapped in half.


“Shhiiit!”


Was all she could ultimately say, being unable to contain her disappointment. And then she realized how much more heartbroken she felt over a human tool than a human life, and checked herself. But that man was dead. He could have lived a useless, meaningless life for all Tau knew. Hell, he could have been one of the corporate bastards who, through a long series of causes and effects, had broken her violin. Said violin, on the other hand, was her future.


With another sigh she reached into her inside jacket pocket, checking on her laptop. She hadn’t used it in some time, after all, there was no point in hacking a ship that was already trying to save her life, and no Internet in the voids of space. By some miracle even greater than her own safety, the laptop remained unscathed, save for a large impression on its lid.


But what use was a laptop and all the programming skills in the world on a foreign planet? Holding the two instruments, one in each hand, Tau’s eyes kept sliding back to the violin again and again.


And then she smiled.


Just like that, the uncertainty of the past few days vanished, as she knew what she had to do. There was no purpose for her old self, so she’d just have to invent a new one. She had always been very partial to that violin, and finally she had an excuse to dedicate the rest of her life to it. Hell, she could be a proper connoisseur. She imagined herself in a tailcoat under a line of lights. Someone would have to build those lights, of course, create that stage. Fill it. Damn it all, she should be jumping for joy! After all, her goal had been to help save the Earth, now she seemed to be on a planet that didn’t need saving, so she could do whatever the Hell she wanted.


“And finally I can have real food,” she mused, subconsciously putting a finger to her lips as she did whenever in deep thought. She was all for noodles, but if she never tasted spaghetti again in her life, it would be too soon.


Walking back over to the dead man to pick up the headphones that had been yanked off her head in the fall, another thought entered her mind.


“Crap I should really go find Alphy.”


Remembering that her friend was almost always to be found in the ship’s garbage hold, Tau made a mental note of where that might have ended up, judging by what she could gain from the wreckage. As she surveyed, a random thought as to what the site may look like, if left undisturbed for a few decades, passed through her mind. She imagined moss covering the cracks, undiscovered acids eating craters and holes into the once touted alloys.


Somehow the thought was comforting, though she couldn’t place why.


Slipping her laptop back into her pocket and keeping a firm grip on her violin, Tau finally took off, leaving the dead man to lay in the creeping shadows of the forest alongside the abandoned hull of the once mighty ship.

 

[Floodwater31]

Alex sat down, I'm not helping anyone, maybe I should just go back and drop a filing cabinet on myself, eat the purple thing in till I die... Drop the gun off in the Rover, hell, hot wire the rover. Do I really want to leave Joshua as the 'Hero', that sounds like a combination for disaster, I'm being hard on him. You're being realistic! breath... in.. out.. You're not insane, insanity is grounds for recycling. I can't be recycled, I'm not with Star anymore... I need some sleep, it's been what? Forty eight hours, unless you count all that time I was unconscious, which doesn't count... does it? Alex picked up his crutch and wondered into the treeline. After picking a suitably comfortable tree to lean on he began to close his eyes, with my luck all hell will break loose while I'm gone...

 

[Lenchan]

When the beast’s aura changed Islia felt the air around her ignite into flames. Somehow she managed to keep all of her emotions in check. They still raged within her; her muscles coiling in preparation, her heartrate accelerating, her skin littering with goosebumps despite being far from cold – the typical signs of anxiety and fear. A small smile touched her lips as her eyes kept the flames entangled in them. How could she smile in the face of death? She had a mind to thank the beast. More than any other situation in her life where she’d felt fear, this series of experiences had made her more comfortable with reveling in it as a power rather than a weakness. She’d always willed herself to think it so, but now she actually felt it. The proof was in how unaffected she remained as the beast launched itself into the air and showered her with water. It saturated everything around her, extinguishing the flame and soaking the meat she’d left untouched before her. Ah, food. She’d finally recalled it being placed before her, presumably by Sebastian. She dared a glance over in his direction, taking the meat up into her hand and placing it between her lips, biting into the flesh and tearing a piece of it away before slowly letting her gaze roam elsewhere.


Though it was mostly lukewarm, the flavor was still rich and savory. It tasted nothing like the foul on Earth, but she could absolutely get used to it. She lowered her hands from her mouth, swallowing the mash and smiled again, watching the water flow. “Thank you Sebastian.”





@iTrinity

 

[iTrinity]

[media]

​

[/media]




Sebastian stands without answering her. He left the remaining steaks of avian for Erich and Islia. His stomach begged for food, the tantalizing scent of the meat drifting into his nose. Though the Doctor ignored these pleas. His figure that had been torn to shreds by this point seemed more of a shell than anything else at this point. Scars that had been forced to form over his wounds showed easily in the daylight, the pale indents running around his body like paint upon canvas. The hazel eyes that would have provided hope now only bring a sense of loss and despair. His legs, now injured by the burns inflicted by his close proximity to the white flame the blood from the Dredge has caused shake as he begins walking toward the top of the smaller waterfall. The air around him was fresh, though no feeling of enlightenment came to him as he continued his journey. His mind was screaming for him to stop moving. The injuries he had begun to re-open were causing a mind-numbing pain. This is the last time, The young man thought to himself.


At last he reached the top of the massive waterfall. Up at this altitude, the birds flew around him. They wanted to stop him from what they seemed to know he was bound to do. His footsteps grew heavy as if he'd been chained like a prisoner. In a way, he was a prisoner. A prisoner to the memories and events that have caused him torment and loss. A prisoner to the responsibility he failed to keep. A prisoner to the broken promise of safety to those the Dredge had killed.


He reached the edge. Sebastian stood next to the waterfall, pausing a moment as he gazed at the sun that rose above the treeline.


It's over.. I'm coming, Amy.




@Lenchan

 

[Lenchan]

The young man didn’t bother to acknowledge her and Islia couldn’t hate him for it. What was there to say? You’re welcome, asshole? She was responsible for the relationships she built with people and they were never strong. They couldn’t be, as there was always a twelve foot pole keeping everyone at a distance. Close enough to keep eye, but far enough to keep her from the pains of being affected by the woes of mortal men. Her eyes watched Sebastian as he walked away from her, the weight of everything so apparent she could almost make out its outline digging into his battered shoulders. The woes of mortality. She’d simply thought he was going to Erich’s side, always putting others before himself. Idiot. Be selfish for a change. Think of yourself. Still, his selflessness - or so she thought it was - caused her stomach to turn again, so starkly different from her own self-preservationist attitude, and she placed the rest of the meat down with the others. But the man continued on, past Erich, past everything, so much so she almost lost sight of him. Her better mind told her to let him go, but she was learning her better mind was a darkness she’d took comfort in for too long. Or perhaps not long enough…


She pushed herself up off the wet, ashed ground and limped after him, slow and deliberate at the demand of her broken appendage. Islia winched and sighed softly in frustration at her foot, but ignored its plea for her to stop, her urge to catch up to the man driving her forward. Finally his back came into view, stilled at the edge of the rockbed, staring out into the vastness before him, spray from the wall of water soaking into his pants and coating his skin. Islia swallowed hard, frozen in place. She watched him silently without a sound for longer than the situation permitted. It was not fear for the man that kept her still, but something more complex. Be selfish, the words echoed as she stared into his back, the outline of worries weighted in full view now; palpable. If this was his desire, who was she to stop him? Who was she to argue that he deserved to live? To reason that the torment that hung over him was worth more than the nothingness of death. More than she remembered, the nothingness had reached out to her, beckoning with open arms, daring her to let it claim all of the worries and pain and suffering, all of the curiosity and happiness and pleasure; all of it, as its own. Give yourself to me and be free. Be nothing. Be free.


Islia limped up next to the man and quietly stared out at the canopy of trees with him. There was nothing she felt compelled to say, she just let her body be there next to his, in company in his loneliness. She wondered how easy would the thought of suicide be for someone who believed in the afterlife? A place where suffering was over, where family waited with open arms and warm, knowing smiles. It sounded so nice, she couldn’t imagine making it this long in the world if she believed any of it for a second. She had tried, desperately, but faith was not something easily faked. To her it was suffering or nothing. Her body ached and swayed, giving a little, reasoning: Nothing doesn’t sound so bad. It could be nice, too, to not exist. There was no one to care for her when she was gone, and there would be nothing of her to care about the feeling of nothingness. She reached out to her side, probing until her fingers found Sebastian’s.


Without hesitation, they latched onto his and squeezed, pulling a sigh from her chest. Her eyes slipped closed and she waited. The beauty of the new planet where the others would thrive or die: not a bad final view – much better than the sight of one’s approaching dive into nonexistence. She wouldn’t care if he pulled away. It would be a perfect circle if she was rejected now. In life and in death, then. The thought of her unknown parents tried to broach its way further into her consciousness; every thought did. Her body was desperately trying to pull her back but she just let all thoughts slide across the surface of her mind in succession, disinterested. She wanted the selfishness of feeling human touch as a final memory, too, and so she took it.





@iTrinity

 

[iTrinity]

"I'm tired," The two words manage to slip through his throat and dribble from his lips. At her touch, a tingle of hope trickles up his arm, scattering itself like electricity across his body. It was strange. Just a tiny misstep away from death, yet he suddenly felt compelled to back away. Perhaps it was due to the swarm of purple birds that now erupted around the waterfall like ashes from a volcano. They did not attack them, though they kept a solid circle of flight around the two. Of course, they would be unable to stop either of them if they truly desired what lied beyond them. The wings upon these birds fluttered like a whisper through the wind, a beautiful array of glowing purple swirling around them. It was truly a magnificent sight both from the outside and in.


Sebastian turns his beaten frame to face the Cobalt-haired woman for perhaps the last time. His eyes trace down her shoulder, running the length of her arm, then stopping where their fingers were woven about one another. "I wish I could have done more," He spoke with an adrift tone. "You know, if it wasn't obvious," Sebastian's voice shook as he spoke to the woman before him. Moisture had started to gather on his cheeks. "I really cared for you. But the longer I stay by you, I simply keep making shitty decisions that put you in the way of death,". The looming figure of the man swayed, "I lost my Sister.. I've lost everything.. Now I've lost you too.. What do I have left? A crazy kid with a box?" He can't help but stifle a sad chuckle.


Now his heart was beating harder as it came time to make his decision. Adrenaline began spiking the blood that was driving hard in and out of his body. Did he want to take that step? That step into nothingness? That step Into the Dark?




@Lenchan

 

[Lenchan]

The small laugh escaped Islia’s nose as her lips trembled and spread into a smile. She could feel those hazel eyes gazing at her, but she wasn’t certain she was ready to look back. There it was, proof that someone did in fact care, but what did it matter now? They were both preparing to step into their respectively nothings or somethings – who could really know. She hoped for his sake, there was at least something waiting for him. A man with such a kind, full heart should have a moment of sun. Shouldn’t that be enough for you to make him live?? She shook her head and allowed her eyes to steal another glance of the world. Her fingers stayed intertwined with his, not ready to lose the warmth of another person. She sensed his words were meant to be deeper, to carry more personal meaning, but she resisted the urge to be tempted by falsehood created in her mind. Seeking reassurance for resting her misgivings, “I know you care; you care for everyone, Sebastian. And everyone cares for you. Even with nothing in your hands, there are hands around you, wanting to give, and to take from you. Because even with nothing, you have so much to give. Perhaps that is your curse.”


Islia’s eyes trailed down to the treetops below and the river running between them. She imagination couldn’t help but watch her limp body float along, carried away to decompose in peace at the end of wherever it lead. Now, I’ve lost you too. She could feel the uncertainty creeping back into her head. She’d been so assured, so ready for it to end, but now the fear of absence and of nothing that had kept her alive in her loneliness was stirring up within again, winning over her racing heart. She shook her head and closed her eyes once more, taking in a ragged breath and letting it out in a huff. Once her emotions felt under hers to control, she reopened her eyes and looked at the man. The sight of him was a lot to take in, even in his turmoil and suffering he looked so overwhelming human she couldn’t help but want him to live and experience the joys of humanity again. They existed somewhere and therefore they could still be his. Sighing again, she pulled her eyes away and asked the question that had been scratching at her. Perhaps, if anyone, this man could give her faith. “Sebastian, what do you believe will happen to you once you die? Will y ou be reunited with your family and the precious things you’ve lost in life?”


@iTrinity

 

[iTrinity]

Sebastian grins and leans his head down a tad. "That's the big question, isn't it?". He shakes his head, "I'm afraid I can provide no comfort there, Izz. I refuse to believe in an afterlife, especially an afterlife that is dominated by a God selfish enough to kill billions of his.." The doctor says his next word with a sour tone, "'children' with the power of the Earth he put them on,". His heart beat slowed. "I can only hope that what lies beyond this life is another. If I had to believe in something, I'd believe that I embody a new life. Perhaps it's a life of a human, perhaps it's the life of one of the dammed birds,". The man's fingers begin slipping away from his cobalt-haired companion's. "I can only hope that if there is an afterlife, I won't see you in it,". He starts walking back toward the edge, slapping at the purple birds that try to keep him caged in his misery.





"Promise me that I'm not going to see you, if there is an afterlife,". Sebastian turns himself around so he faces her. Opening up his arms, he began leaning backward.





"This is Sebastian, signing off,". He then vanishes in a mere instant from where he stood, plunging down toward the rapid river.




@Lenchan @Jarkov Malachai

 

[Lenchan]

Islia’s muscles tensed as Sebastian released her hand. A chill spread from her limp fingers as it fell back to her side, sending a fresh wave of goosebumps along the length of her arm. A new self? She vowed she’d be less abrasive in this new version. She’d be happy. Loved. Have a family to embrace and love in return. A nice idea to latch on to in the face of the end... But did it have to be? What was to stop her from being that now? Oh right, she mused darkly, I’m gonna jump off this cliff or become fodder for a psychotic bitch alien... I can only hope that… I won’t see you in it. Her head snapped up, her eyes sharp, she’d made her decision. There was no turning back from it now.





“This is Sebastian, signing off…” As he took the plunge back, Islia was quicker, having anticipated his resolve. She gripped his forearm and held tight to it, digging her nails into his flesh. Her body was pulled along by his weight and they both went over the side. In an attempt to keep them both from falling to death’s door, her hands reached for purchase along the wall of rock, tearing and breaking with every failed try. Finally she caught hold of a branch and gripped it tightly, screaming out in pain as the collective weight pulled her shoulder from its socket. Her hand, slick with the water that’d collected on Sebastian’s skin from the waterfall, slid down his forearm to his elbow, her nails cutting four fresh slits into his skin. Later on she’d probably curse herself for giving him the new scars, but for now she cursed them both for putting her body through such strife. She pulled hard on the arm of the dislocated shoulder, wrapping it around the branch and wincing as rocks and branches torn into her flesh. The other clutching on to the man trembled weakily. She looked down just to see how far they were from the ground. Closer, haha, - she winced in pain but endured - but still too far for comfort.





@iTrinity

 

[Jarkov Malachai]

Alex of Troy, the New Trojan Horse

Closing his eyes was perhaps the worst thing Alex could have done. That split second was all it took, that one almost irrelevant second of time was enough time for it to make its move. He would have never heard it, never seen it till it was to late to do anything about it. As soon as Alex had stepped from the safety of the pack and into its domain, he had sealed his fate.


Maybe he was able to feel its presence the moment it made itself known. In the raised hair on the lengths of his arms and on the back of his neck, the cold trickle which ran down a mans spine, the throb of humankinds long suppressed instincts, but it would matter not for this.


If he had opened his eyes he would have gotten a face full of the one known and feared as the Dredge, hunter of all who walked amongst the Stars. A sudden weight floors the Terran to the ground, drives his back into the loamy soil as he experienced what Sebastian felt a day ago. The Pain, the fire then the ice, the strength then the weakness, the ecstasy then the fear, save for one faint difference. There was no all knowing presence in Alex’s mind. Something did touch the brief edges of his conscience for a second and tinkered with something but it soon left his deeper sanctum of which his soul resided in alone.


When he was able to open his eyes, he would see the Six bloodlust filled eyes of a monster, of a demon, of one who wished him dead and all his kind. This he knew with a frightening certainty, as if this knowledge had somehow been given to him. Another more subtle command rang in the depths of his head.


FIND THE ONE WITH THE GUN

 

[Mystik]

Still alive..

Hours had past since the last time anything was mentioned of Teal. In her hands she now held a rather fine looking spear that she had crafted together through the use of her battery powered welder and vines. It was roughly six feet long, at the end of it a stone arrow head that was sliced perfectly by the welder. Teal nodded. It wasn't her best but it would serve its purpose. Strapping the spear to her back through the use of vine, Teal flips her industrial knife around in her palm as she approaches a smaller tree that stood in the ever growing and ever looming forest. Teal had noticed the purple birds that soared through the canopy. Some had occasionally landed in the smaller trees to groom themselves. Birds do that, right? Well, these ones do. When Teal reaches the tree she rolls her shoulders back. Hopefully I haven't torn anything.. With this she breaks out into a full sprint at the tree. In a beautifully executed maneuver the girl had managed to sling herself higher up the tree and wrap her arms and legs around it. This is when the knife came in handy. Teal shanked the blade deep into the soft bark of the trunk she clutched onto for dear life, using the knife as leverage to pull herself further up into the tree.


Finally she had gotten high enough. A thick branch was just beneath her, in a place she already seen the purple avians grooming themselves. With a gulp she landed upon it, her feet positioned in an extremely well trained and balanced stance. Easily she remained crouched on the branch, her figure being distorted by the shadow and clothing she was wearing. This is when she waited. Calmly and without any perception of time she zoned out, only responding to movement.


A streak of purple rushed by her for a mere second. However within this second her irises dilated, allowing more information to flood her optical nerve. She identified the position, speed and size of her target with an amazing amount of speed. Her entire back rippled with her muscles tensing, the spear flying from her back and directly into the side of the avian that had dared to cross her path. It squawked loudly and fell into the bush some distance away from her camp. Teal grunted, "Я мог бы сделать лучше..". She wasn't satisfied with her work, even if it was incredible she had even managed to hit her target in the first place. The marine slid down the tree and approached her prey. It had been killed instantly. With ease. Though the girl took notice of how meaty the creature appeared. This could keep her fed for a while. Teal yanked the spear from the bird, again strapping it to her back. Next she grabbed each leg of the bird and dragged it back toward her camp with a look of determination.


After Teal had cooked her prey she sat next to the pool of water that glimmered in the center of the grove that she called home. She dipped her legs in the water and sighed again with a note of pleasure. The water felt fantastic against her aching muscles. Without sparing another second she hounded her meal of alien meat, eating it with a look of glee as she twirled her legs around in the water.