Futuristic Into the Dark

[Alite]

"Well the crash was just as bad to the inside as it was the outside. I wonder what I can find around here". Adalric goes around, grabbing some bandages, and treating the serious cuts and head wounds. "I'm going to need to get wood or something similar to set some bones, but I can't go out now or the monster could easily take down me or the rest of the crew. There were a few splints among the wreckage though, so I should be able to help most". You need to set up a camp. "I already know that, but if I don't treat serious injuries now they will die".

 

[Jarkov Malachai]

Huntress has Returned to feed her wee pups

A shadow from above, a swishing in the air, a change in pressure. These were all the warning signs that the Terrans got before something large, heavy and dead crunched into the ground behind them, the impact splattering a odd orange, pearlescent blood all over the place as well as flinging bits and pieces of flesh in every direction. A dead animal of some kind, almost a third bigger than the Dredge, cross between a polar bear and a preying mantis, lay there, wreaking of burnt flesh, charred blackened meat. Deep gouges covered the entire creature, revealing the soft, tender and moist pink inner flesh of the creature which had yet to be turned to char by the intense heat of which it had been subjected to. It had no eyes, just odd feelers sprouting from its head and rather large nostrils. A hole in its head, from where something had melted its way directly into its brain, grey matter oozed out from said hole, and its expression was one of agony. A tear, from that hole, went all the way down its duel spinal cords, ripping open its back and revealing a broken spine, fractured like it was but tooth picks. Its gut was ripped open as well, all the intestinal organs already eaten and devoured by whatever hunted it.


What killed it of course was readily apparent when the Female Dredge oh so slowly oozed down from the canopy above and lazily licked its talons clean with its long, delicate tongue. There wasn't a speck of blood on it, not a single one. Either it had cleaned all of it off or it simply hadn't gotten any on it during its fight with this thing, and brutal one it was. There was no doubt that the Dredge killed it, the female didn't seem to be a scavenger, the way those grey stormy eyes flashed with pride at her kill and a sort of lust all its own. It had its own motives to feed these little ants of which it had bound itself to or rather, its host had. Personally, the female would have rather killed everyone but its host however it had a feeling that would make its own ticket home oh so... reluctant. As the Dredge oh so casually tears off one of the dead Xeno's legs, cracks it in half and delicately sticks her tongue in to suck out the bone marrow and then nobble on its pliant flesh while thinking about what appeared to be structures, or ruins of some sort that she had saw when flying on the creature, far up to the north hidden in a valley. Then again it might have simply been some rather intriguing rock formations for all she knew. Her vision wasn't that great, she was ashamed to admit... mayhaps she could remedy that?


When the Terrans didn't come near the Dredge and or the food it brought, the female lifted her blood covered muzzle into the air and peered down at them, with a flourish of one of her clawed hands she disdainfully opened her maw and said in a thick, rich voice which came off an alien tongue slowly as if it was poured through honey. "Do partake Little Ones. It is such a shame to waste..." The alien finished with raising a eyebrow at the hand gun one of them toted, the creatures eyes flashed red before going back to that Stormy grey. A warning, or a premonition?


She went back to her own leg of which she had just spied the Dark meat.


[fieldset]

 

[iTrinity]

Sebastian turns his head toward the direction of the Dredge. A lump had slowly pushed its way up into his throat, attempting to push out the anger and emotion that had been building up inside him. Though this was not the time. For a moment he closed his eyes, taking deep breaths. "Islia, Erich. Don't move, stay behind me,". The Doctor moves around the duo to stand as a metaphorical wall between them and the infinitely terrifying creature that rose high above them. "Why are you taking care of us?" He says with an irritated stare. His hazel eyes showed determination and courage, unwavered by the six storm grey ones that pierce him. One of his hands is outstretched toward the Dredge, his other arm bent in a form of bar to keep the other two back.


"You healed me. Yet I felt the fire that burns inside of you. You want, or at least wanted to kill us,". He stays standing, refusing to move if Erich or Islia try to move him. "Why the sudden change of heart?"





@Jarkov Malachai @Lenchan @PingFire

 

[PingFire]

Erich's body imminently takes over at the sight of the Dredge forcing his eyes shut and his head down. Any movement once from his body ceased with a sharp breath. He remained perfectly still as his brain basically shutdown his body. His breath remains at a slow pace as he once again is shutout.

 

[Jarkov Malachai]

Shy?

The Dredge female, Serai' , as her title as such would have been known amongst her people, sauntered forward, still licking off the juices from the dead animal from her taloned fingers. The creature kept one eye on the gun at all times but other than that, was confident, almost arrogantly so, in its ability to kill all three Terrans before it. Now that it knew its torturers, prison wardens, were dead and mere bumpkins had taken their place, it was quite sure of its level on the pecking order.


She didn't answer Sebastians question, just tossed the leg bone aside, it having been picked so clean it might have been shining ivory, where it sailed spinning through the air and landed with a large splash in the water. It ignored Sebastian and Islia totally and leaned down over Erich. The Alien's hot, spicy breath washed over the Terran who so faithfully decided the fetal position was a GREAT idea to defend himself against this beast. It reached out a talon and prodded him in the side with a forceful push. Like one might a opossum they weren't quite sure was dead. "This... one is too weak..." The Female said in that rich, strangely accented voice.

 

[Floodwater31]

Alex leaned on his makeshift crouch as he continued in the direction he had chosen, he had no idea where the rest of the ship was, though he had found six corpses in his little section which must have broken off during entry (about four rooms). It was mostly submerged, landing in a river and all. It was a miracle he hadn't drowned, when the chunk of ship had shifted and started to sink he'd been submerged, but that was exactly the thing that saved him, the second filing cabinet had slid off allowing him to roll the first off. It was as he tried to get up that he noticed just how much everything hurt, he had bruises all over his body, two especially worrying ones on his left thigh and lower chest. If that wasn't enough he was eighty percent sure his arm was broken, the left one specifically. This had been fixed with two pipes and duck tape, which was also the ingredients in the crutch. The purple bird hadn't fared so well though, it lie dead, but not eaten, beginning to stink, his lime companions didn't seem to care. Now Alex continued on his path towards a random direction he had chosen, a seventh key had mysteriously added itself to his key ring.

 

[PingFire]

Erich is standing and starts to shake his his mental firewall starts to break down as the Dredge prods his sides and stumbles to the side. He flinches and yelps. "P-please.. don't h-hurt me.." He forces out of his mouth, his words a chopping with a tone of fear.

 

[Lenchan]

Josh gave a tentative look down to the display and smiled. Close. Very close. He adjusted himself slightly in the seat, feeling a bit stiff from having driven for so long without stopping, his foot flexed in an uncomfortable position, driving the rover forward. Between the dash and the center console was a space made for holding a second tablet, but instead it had been hollowed out and replaced with a bag of trail mix which Joshua gleefully helped himself to, tossing the assortment into his mouth and washing down their salty flavor with water from the pack beside them. His eyes shifted to the slot next to the steering wheel holstering a .45 caliber glock, loaded with rubber bullets. He’d thought long and hard about the decision to replace the hollow points that’d occupied the casing before, but ultimately he was coming as a savior today, not a warden. The display pinged again alerting him that he was only about an hour from his destination, however it was a pretty plain conclusion to make simply by looking out the window. The tree line was severely damaged from the crash, making his journey annoyingly arduous, straying him from the original path. For the first time he pondered what had caused the ship to crash land and wondered again if he should’ve loaded at least one of the three weapons he’d brought with real bullets. There was still time to change his mind after all...


After about an hour, surely enough, the debris started to unfold before him, littering the ground with gargantuan sheets of metal and felled trees. “What a fucking mess. I doubt there will be much to salvage from this shipwreck.” His mood soured a bit, as he was looking forward to acquiring some new friends, but more particularly the things his new friends had. Equivalent exchange was beginning to seem very unlikely, but he was a generous man after all and he sure as hell didn’t waste fuel and lose sleep to return to Elitnaya completely empty-handed. And then, to top off the cake, the disastrous wreck unfolded before him.


Joshua slowed the rover to a crawl, his hand pressing firmly into the horn; several times in alert so anyone who’d journeyed away from site would think to return. He figured it was the best way to disarm these folk; he was making his presence known.


He parked the rover and exited, leaving the door open briefly, just in case he saw reason to flee. There was an unfortunately large amount of blood and mangled remains in the immediate area. He’d be lucky to even find one survivor at this rate. He cut the ignition, but left the door open, slinging the rifle over his back and changing out the bullets for at least one of the two glocks he’d brought along with him and tucking it into the holster strapped to his leg. The rubber bulleted one, he kept in hand. Lastly he slung a duffle full of water and snack bars over his shoulder and picked up and advance medical kit, with the capabilities of traditional first aid, decontamination, and reconstruction.





“Hello!” He called out, adjusting the heavy pack weighing uncomfortably on his back. He laughed at his own complaint; he’d barely even started the laborious work of search and rescue and already his was tiring from it. “Is anyone alive? Can anyone hear me??” He raised his voice and ventured closer, getting a closer inspection of one of the ruined bodies. Perhaps if none of them were alive, he’d just burn the area without bothering to bury the dead? Tradition stuck hard with him though. He’d at least pay that last respect. He stood and moved further into the ship, looking up tentatively at the circling green birds he’d never seen before. There weren’t too many avian species that he’d come across so they were particularly interesting to him, their green feathers brilliant and shimmering in the sun. He’d be sure to try and get a better look before he left.





@Kayzo @Ironrot @Alite

 

[Lenchan]

The woman turned just in time to get a nice bit of red splatter on her face and shirt. Just what in the hell was it? Just as she was identifying the carcass for what it was, such a strange animal, horrid in life she imagined, but even more terrible in death as its mangled body lay torn, its contents oozing out onto the ground before them. Disgusted and alarmed she wiped blood away - it was still warm, partly because of the freshness of the kill, but also due to the broil the animal cleared endured. Islia’s eyes lifted to greet the awful huntress as she descended upon them and tended her kill, clearly proud of her handiwork. Was this another means of taunting them? Feast your eyes on this nightmare and know that it is yours. Know that you are next?? The female beast paid the group no mind however, ripping a leg form the corpse and making quick work of the flesh on its bones, seeming to savor in the flavor of the charred, raw flesh like it was of a most delicious flavor. It made Islia’s own mouth water to her displeasure and she felt her stomach turn again.


The beast looked up to them now and in an accent that was as beautiful as it was haunting, strange and completely unfamiliar, yet perfectly discerned, she spoke. Little Ones. As if she were endeared by them! If the situation had been less alarming, Islia might’ve laughed at the joke of an utterance. Perhaps we’re too little to be delicious. Care to fatten us up. She bewildered even herself; how was it possible to be thinking such snide remarks at a time like this? There was no way in hell she was becoming fond of the awful thing that brought her to the brink of her very sanity, but perhaps she was conceding to its existence. Whatever the reason, she kept her thoughts to herself and made no moves to admonish or accept the beast’s offering.





Sebastian. She should’ve known him to act in defense first. He moved himself between his crew and the beast. He’d been friends with Erich before the Dawn and had remained so afterwards; his protective nature over his friend didn’t strike her as surprising. Yet time and again, he had done the very same for the entire crew; ...more poignantly he’d done so for her, of who he’d rarely seen or truly conversed with on the Dawn outside of the past week. His compassion extended beyond that which she believed humans of the current era were capable of wielding. She’d never known a man to be so protective. Not even Estorl. Her mind wanted to hang there and critique this peculiarity; to really look it over, rip it apart and find the truth of it, surely hiding behind some false pretense. I killed him, with my bare hands. Truly she knew very little of him as well.


But the creature didn’t seem affected by his valor in the slightest, ignoring him completely and sauntering over to Erich. Islia felt her muscles tense in a strange gesture of preparation. Was she planning to defend him? Her body answered yes, of course, jerking in place as the female beast extended a sharp talon out and prodded the poor man. A fresh waves of chills surged down her spine as Erich begged for safety. She swallowed hard, trying to calm her heart and clear her head. Making a stupid move now could end them all.





@Jarkov Malachai @iTrinity @PingFire

 

[Ironrot]

"Nurse," Arthur had never been introduced to Caitlyn, "Glad you're alive."


He turned his head to see her properly, revealing his red, bloodstained eye. "I can't see so well in my left eye and my head hurts like hell."


Arthur lay back to rest his neck, letting his head roll to the side. He caught a view of Caitlyn's leg.


"You're hurt?"

Spoiler

Arthur is suffering Hyphema in his left eye. Blood is filling the space in-front of his pupil and iris. Its caused by trauma. Google at your own risk.

 

[iTrinity]

-

Sebastian would place his hand upon the chitin that reaches over him and to his friend. He shudders. This was the first time he had truly felt the creature when it was in its full form. "I'd prefer that you don't poke fun at the weakest of our group,". Sebastian looks to the bird that the Dredge had brought them. "We'll eat your food. Thank you, we're all very hungry,". He reaches his arm back to gently grasp Islia's wrist, starting to pace around the Dredge and to the meat she had left them. "Islia, clean what you can.. I'll start a fire,". He would lead her right in front of the dead animal, staying by her side for a moment. He gently leans down to her, stopping his eye level right at her own. A whisper escapes his lips, "We're going to starve if we don't accept this.. She's eating it, so it must not be poisonous.. Well, that's of course if she doesn't have a special tolerance to.. Something,".





The Doctor kneels down, beginning to collect twigs and dead leaves that occasionally litter the forest floor. He starts assembling them in a tent formation, allowing the perfect amount of gaps between twigs for air to flow through and give life to the flame that would be there shortly. Next he fills the center of the 'tent' with the decaying leaves, clearing his throat with a nervous gulp. "Er, Miss.. Alien, lady.. I remember you could create some fire.. Mind lighting this for me?" He smiles at her halfheartedly, hoping to get her to leave Erich.


@Lenchan @Jarkov Malachai @PingFire

 

[Maki]

"Don't worry about my leg, it isn't bad." She said, inspecting his body more. Caitlyn frowned at the sight of his eye. Hyphena. She learned about this, but has never actually treated it. "As for you, just keep laying down. Do you know of any injuries I don't?" She asked, taking the bandages from Sally.

 

[Jarkov Malachai]

Explosive Blood?! Are you shitting me?!

The Dredge froze when Sebastian placed his hand upon her armored Chitin, it felt slick from one way but extremely rough the other way, much like grass did save this was more spiky and sharp than mere grass. Where the hand was placed, the plates heated up exponentially and they… Shivered, that’s the only way to describe it, the plate flared up upon the axis they were connected to the Dredge and rippled from the point of contact.


The Alien swiveled its head around slowly to watch Sebastian, something unreadable in its eyes as the man more or less rebukes her and then goes off to lead his female away.


“Hmmm.” It rumbled, tilting its head to the side as if contemplating something before snorting and going back to poking Erich. When that didn’t do anything, the Alien moved closer, those pearlescent white fangs inches away from the poor Terrans face, triangular holes in its muzzle flaring. “Why are you still alive?” It muttered more to itself than to Erich though he couldn’t have helped but heard it. It broke off from English to a more rough and ancient dialect as the creature studied him as if he were the freak out of the bunch.


When Sebastian asked her to start a fire, the Dredge, without looking raised one arm, jabbed another’s sharp talon into its soft, supple flesh underneath the armored chitin and gouged a small hole. It then withdrew said talon, dripping with a blue, crystalized, shifting substance that must be its blood and flung it at the makeshift fire pit.


The Crystalized blood hits the leaves, kindling and the like and reacts violently, broiling and bubbling, emitting a small scream almost before Bursting into ferocious, consuming white hot fire that nearly burns Islia’s eyebrows off. The flame cools down to a more tolerable cherry red orange. The wound the Dredge inflicted upon itself was already almost healed as it continued to circle around Erich like well… like a predator did a wounded prey creature.

 

[Floodwater31]

Alex slowly approached the clearing, holding his crutch in his hand. The crutch wasn't necessary, it relieved pressure on his thigh which in turn relieved pain, but he was going for stealth at the moment. Earlier Alex had heard a car horn, he was aware of no vehicle like this on the ship, which meant someone was fucking with a terminal they'd brought back online, or they weren't from the Last Dawn. Eventually there was more sound, "Hello!". No answer from Alex, for all he knew the man was a looter, Like I'm one to talk... By now Alex had gotten close enough to see the man and his rifle, and his rover... another man could be waiting inside, I'd leave a man with the car. Alex kept watching but not much more happened, looks like I'll have to talk to him to learn more, why couldn't I find someone from my own ship, It's like I'm allergic to them or something. Alex knelt down and took his sheath knife, sheath and all, from his belt. He set to taping it to his left arm, so it would be hidden under his jacket among his splint, a little trick he'd seen kill a buddy of his. If things go south we'll see how it works, he stood began to lean heavily on his crutch, and put on his friendliest face as he hobbled into the crash site. "Over here! I'm alive!"

 

[PingFire]

Erich freezes as the Dredge moved around him. His eye lids open, showing no emotion as he stares at the monster. His brain finally snapping, he doesn't speak a word as he stares the beast in her stormy gray eyes. "What do you want?" He asks in a flat and calm voice.


@Jarkov Malachai

 

[Lenchan]

Islia let herself be led over to the dead heap of flesh, her eyes cutting daggers into the back of the beast. It wasn’t till Sebastian addressed her that she pulled them away to meet his. How could he be concerned about food while that thing loomed over Erich? Perhaps he was simply accepting the futility of any action they tried to take against the creature. He left Islia’s side to tend to his own task and her eyes betrayed her, revealing her malcontent with his decision as they cut daggers into him as well. All daggers. Soft, squishy daggers. She wanted to materialize them and drive them into her own heart. She was the one allowing herself to be dragged along in helpless fervor, but what was there to do? She expelled her frustration silently, bending before the dead thing, removing the sodor from her pocket and skillfully cutting away at the flesh with its laser, stacking them upon one another. She did best to submerse herself in the task at hand, but it wasn’t a difficult one. She’d spent the past two years of her life before boarding the Dawn preparing every meal this was. Every one that was fortunate enough to involve meat. She’d almost lost herself in her work, skinning the hunks of flesh, reveling in the brilliance of the color of what she assumed was the creature’s blood. Its color wasn’t quite red upon further inspection. Like the other life on this planet, it had a strange luminescent property to it. How curious. She let herself ponder its brilliance as it coated her skin and clothes. Almost. But Sebastian’s voice broke the spell. He was addressing the beast, asking her for flame and she obliged, tearing into her own flesh. The splatter of blood erupted into a searing flame that would most likely render his efforts into ash, but Islia’s eyes had found the beast again. Her blood was beginning to boil once more, watching the sick humor of the thing as she toyed with the resolve of the weakened man. She inhaled deeply and let out an audible sigh, biting back her words and settling on different ones. Her eyes remain locked on the beast, waiting for her to look back. “Forgive my interrupting – what fun you seem to being having – but is there a particular cut of this spoil that our champion would claim for her own?” Her voice was even and unaffected, revealing nothing of the emotion brewing beneath. If anything they seemed neutral and sincere.


@Jarkov Malachai @iTrinity @PingFire

 

[Jarkov Malachai]

Backbone? Azahara likes

At the little Terrans sudden growth of balls, nerves, loss of sense or mayhaps all three and his demand, the Dredge's Storm grey eyes flash violet and brings its shifting mass of coils closer and closer to the man. It stalked about him in a perfect circle, occasionally poking him had been all it was seemingly content to do but showing a bit of force and life only seemed to intrigue the Huntress to play a little bit further. One delicate, high heeled foot in front of the other, hips swaying, padded feet splaying in the soft earth with their wicked talons tearing great furrows into the moist dirt she walked. All the while it toyed with her newfound toys the rest of her mind was churning and bubbling in the plan for which it had created, but first the seeds must be sown.


The only female Terran obviously didn't like the Dredge and the Dredge knew it, but it counted her as of little consequence as she moved like a blind 85 year old. No sense of deeper confidence in her body, her mind mayhaps but even that seemed to have betrayed her as the rift of which had been already sown by the Dredge's arrival was still in place. Oh goody goody.


When said female asked of what prized cut she would wish from the spoils the Dredge simply replied with its usual grace and decorum. "Little One, I have already had my fill but Dessert... as I believe it is called. I think I shall have this one." And with that the Dredge's four arms shot out from behind Erich and gripped him into a tight embrace, pulling the Human into her chest where the Dredge then lowered her head and opened her mouth. Trailing that long tongue across his cheek oh so slowly all the while glancing at the other two from shadowed eyes in amusement. Oh it was indeed having fun with this. Nuzzling the man, scraping those dangerously sharp, serrated fangs against Erichs neck the Dredge rumbled. "Though mayhaps I may wish to... wait for the Dessert to come into its own, to grow and therefore be an even riper selection... Oh the decisions." It drawled in that exotic, lazy voice which caused shivers to run up ones spine.

 

[Lenchan]

Joshua kicked a bit of the scrap heap about, enjoying the clang as it skidded about. Still no one’d answered so he was beginning to believe that everyone was indeed dead. How unfortunate. “I was really looking forward to the company of things that speak. Now…” He’d keep on his search for survivors, but he may as well look for useful tools, as it seemed a more likely find. Just as he was beginning to disparage about his little rescue crusade, a voice rang out behind him. He startled and clutched the gun in his hand tighter, before disarming and jogging over to the source, the things on his person jostling about and making the movement uncomfortable. Upon taking in the man, intimidation and caution rose up in him. He slowed his jog to a stop about 35 yards away, careful not to get to close before assessing the likelihood of villainy.





“Friend! Am I glad to see you alive!” He lifted the hand with the gun, letting it dangle on his index finger. “Sorry to look so menacing. I haven’t had the pleasure of encountering another person in quite some time. You’ll forgive me if I’m a little suspicious.” He lowered it and put it in the holster on the opposite leg, remaining far enough away from the man to feel confident in redrawing it before he could close the distance. “My name is Joshua. Joshua Storstandssen. I am also from Earth, and didn’t think the next intelligent life I’d be seeing would be my own.” He chuckled, in a further attempt to disarm the man and looked him over. “Are you badly injured? Are there anymore survivors??”





@Floodwater31

 

[Lenchan]

Islia stood and set her jaw, her provocation showing more than she’d intended. “Perhaps you might care to entertain this foolish, small one exactly what it is that keeps you from tearing us apart and going about your own? Surely you must have more directive than mindless entertainment. You don’t strike me as one so trivial.” What exactly was it she was thinking by provoking the beast? Like hell she cared. This ordeal was growing beyond her resolve and there was nothing pumping the breaks within her. Foolish pride would get you killed, but to deny even the basic decencies to herself was to be as good as dead already. Clearly the creature had some bone to pick and her guess was even if it took up qualm with her, it would keep Sebastian and Erich alive… for now. Dying to get them closer to the truth, so that they might survive at the end of it… That sounded much better than continuing on playing helpless pet. This game was old and she was ready for resolution, however it came.


@Jarkov Malachai

 

[Ironrot]

"Don't worry about my leg, it isn't bad." She said, inspecting his body more. Caitlyn frowned at the sight of his eye. Hyphena. She learned about this, but has never actually treated it. "As for you, just keep laying down. Do you know of any injuries I don't?" She asked, taking the bandages from Sally.

Arthur looked up at the ceiling.


"No, no, no, we have to get out there. All the food we have is on the floor. We need to start..." Arthur tried to push himself into a sitting position, but a sharp pain in his sides forced him back into a lying position. He inhaled sharply through gritted teeth. "Maybe my ribs" he admitted, pointing to his left side.


During Arthur's shift, Sally had stumbled a short distance away. Now she was standing back, wide eyed with her hands over her mouth.


"Daddy," She spoke through her hands, "I hurt your ribs."


"You hurt my ribs?" Arthur looked up at Sally, an amused expression on his face.


"I kicked you because you wouldn't wake up." Sally shrunk down a little.


"Koneko, come here." He beckoned his child, "The ship did this." Arthur noticed, that while he was talking, Sally wasn't making eye contact with him. Then he realized that she was staring at his left eye. He closed it, and gave her a smile. Sally perked up a little. "You didn't do any of this? Okay? It was the ship"


Arthur turned to Caitlyn. "Look, all I need is a pain killer to get me on my feet." Arthur said, half hoping, half lying.

 

[Maki]

"I have painkillers, and I'll give you them, but you can only do simple task. I don't want you hurting yourself more." Caitlyn said, placing a hand on his ribs and gently felt around, trying to see if he broke any, and how many. "Besides, I'm sure your daughter doesn't need a dad who can't do anything." Picking up the painkillers, she took a couple out, and held them out to Arthur. Making him work didn't seem like a great idea, but she needed all of the help she could get


@Ironrot

 

[Floodwater31]

It was obvious by the man's, Joshua's, tone and posture that he didn't want Alex to approach, so he instead sat on a piece of what he assumed was an air duct. "Hello, I'm Alex, Alex Samson. Save your supplies, I'll heal naturally, the other people I've found weren't as lucky as me, you might find someone who needs it more". It seemed Joshua was tense too, either because he had picked up of Alex's mistrust, or he himself feared Alex would pull a gun. Either way, it meant that they'd both dance around each other until one of them decided the other was no threat and dropped the charade. "To be honest you're the first living soul I've met since the crash, I came down in the reference room over there", Alex indicated a vague direction, "and there's nothing but birds and corpses there. To tell you the truth I was beginning to think no survived". Alex had mentioned the reference room on purpose, to a salvager the blueprints and manuals would be invaluable, saving lots of time trying to figure out whether something is broken or just had a strange way of operating, assuming they couldn't bring a terminal back online.

 

[iTrinity]

Sebastian stumbles back a bit from his crouched position after the Dredge uses its own blood to ignite the fire he had begun to set up. As the white flame died down, Sebastian noticed a part of his shoe had melted. The shoe was made from a black canvas that could only be described as "retro styling" (Think a pair of converse or vans for modern day relation). "Thank you," He says sincerely, surprised she would harm herself to help the creatures she viewed as tiny.


His hand slips into his jacket as he removes a surgical knife, examining it for damage. Parts of it were chipped from extensive use while they were aboard The Last Dawn. It had seen use on food, wood and unfortunately bone and flesh. Next his eyes moved to the flesh he was preparing to cook. It didn't look to be poisonous, its pink, fleshy appearance reminding him of the chicken that used to be sold on Earth. He grabbed a hunk of the meat Islia had burnt off with slight hesitance. Raising it up to his nose, he sniffs it curiously. This scene would easily remind one of a neanderthal first discovering flame, though to a doctor, the insides of alien life were just as interesting. The meat didn't smell rotten, nor did it appear bruised or infected. To him, it just seemed like the standard layout of an avian. With a slow sigh out his nose to expel the smell of death, he slips the surgical knife into the meat and begins to long process of cooking the mystery meat.


Upon the Dredge picking up his friend, he can't help but feel his heart start beating harder. He wanted to act. Every muscle inside him demanded to take off and pry Erich from the Alien's grasp, though he knew that nothing could be done, even if he gave his own life. A sudden gear had just clicked in Sebastian's head. This single realization drove the once selfless man to realize that his selflessness would soon become futile. Even if he gave his own life for someone else's, they would still inevitably perish. At least, to the Dredge. "Careful with him," Sebastian says calmly, looking over his shoulder at the red beast, "He's just a pup. Perhaps not in age, but in the mind he is. He's family to me, a little brother of sorts. I'd prefer not to lose him now,". His hand trembles on the hold of the knife that he dangles over the fire, the slab of avian still dangling from the tip of it. It sizzled and crackled as the moisture in the meat was pried from its warm home and dripped into the flame.


When Islia speaks, the Doctor slowly looks at her. "Don't," He says in a hushed tone, despite guessing the Dredge could hear him. "We do not need to provoke a creature who is feeding us, and for the moment, sparing our lives,". He raises his free hand up to gently place on her shoulder, "Relax, Izz. We'll have lunch soon and everything will be fine," He chuckles, looking at her profile with concern, "Even Erich. And if he's going to make it, you sure as hell are too,".


@Lenchan @Jarkov Malachai @PingFire

 

[Lenchan]

Joshua watched carefully as the man, Alex, seated himself and began reporting his account. Heal naturally? Very interesting... His eyes slide tentatively over in the direction Alex waved towards in dismissal before fixing back on him. From the sounds of it, he’d be the only survivor found and by the looks of it they weren’t going to be the best of buds right off the bat. Probably not at all, Joshua mused. The first impressions he was getting from the man was not one he particularly wanted to invite back to Elitnaya. But at least the man had survived. He’d consider some more what to do with the information.


Chuckling, he took a few steps forward and to the side of the man, circling him a bit and attempting to appear as non-threatening as one wielding several guns could. He looked at the ship behind Alex and sighed. “My friend, it appears we’re in a bit of an impasse. However, if there are, by some miracle, any other survivors, I wonder if they have your curious fortune to heal themselves...” Joshua returned his eyes to the man, narrowing them and smirking “How unfortunate our first meeting starts in such abrasion. How shall I bring myself to trust you aren’t a danger to my health? And you, I? I think it impossible, knowing so little about one another. However…” He pulled the pack off his back and retrieved a water and a few bars from it. He gave the items each an easy toss to the man. “If there are other survivors I’m sure we’d both like to find them. Else I wouldn’t have bothered myself with coming in the first place. What say you to calling a break in this gridlock of ours and helping my search?”


@Floodwater31

 

[Lenchan]

Islia shrugged her shoulder roughly knocking Sebastian’s hand away. Though the motion itself was harsh and clearly dismissing her face looked perfectly plain, its usual placid coolness in place. Albeit she wasn't particularly upset with the man, she didn’t even bother to look in Sebastian’s direction; her eyes remained fixed on the beast. Still, the man had managed to actually cool her significantly. She'd regret being so frigid one of these numbered days and if the chance happens to present itself, she might even apologize for her nature. Counterfactuals mattered not however - a useless waste of energy. Her breath started to even and slow. Thanks Sebastian, she tired the words out in her head then dismissed them along with their target. “I simply want to know who exactly it is I am indebted to for allowing me the pleasures of another day of breath. I’d hope you know more than I about your origin. Surely you at least have a name.”





@iTrinity @Jarkov Malachai