Heya this is a quick author's note. ' ' is the character thinking. " " is from the game verbatim. bold is for any alien language whether or not I've discovered the meaning of. My tumblr is Paganwanderer072 has this post but also pictures if you're interested.
Chapter One: The World of Perpetual Sundown
The first thing they noticed was a mechanical voice listing off…Systems that were offline. Then came the sensation of laying down on pretty hard ground. This caused brief confusion. Had they not been in a ship? The first thing that greeted their open eyes was a pink sky with white clouds that didn't appear to hold any rain. There was also…particles floating in the air.
They got up slowly and the computer was still informing them what was working and what was damaged. They briefly checked the mining tool they had in hand and caught sight of their ship. Looking a bit beaten but potentially space worthy still. A strange noise sounded to their left and it startled them to face whatever caused it and they saw a small little quadruped bound into a red bush.
They went to the ship and noted that all the propulsion systems were busted and drained of any fuel. A brief panic at the thought it was irreparable but then in their mind the calming knowledge to fix them was present. As they scavenged for materials in the cargo crates they suddenly had the realization that barring the past few minutes…they recalled nothing. This…isn't right. They did not know how they knew it was wrong but the conviction was there. Maybe their head is hollow? Or they are a machine? Looking down they saw their exosuit.
Slim on the legs and a bit bulkier on the torso. They held their breath till it felt they couldn't and inhaled a gasp. So…they needed Oxygen so maybe not a robot? The thought briefly ran through their mind 'what's underneath that?' and the response was a gut-clenching 'That would be death' resounded through their mind. So taking the suit off was out; they shrugged. They were alive now and this was their reality.
So unless hunger or thirst makes that impossible they wouldn't dwell. The first thing they needed was fuel to keep the life support and their tool online, then repairing the Launch thrusters which required four Carite Sheets and that could be constructed from Iron. The Stars were favorable because there was four dark red spirals of Plutonium crystals just off the crash site and their mining beam harvested it with ease.
They started taking note of how the planets flora was. A strange version of arid plants. At least that's what their mind said. No personal memories or even what kind of species they are or even who but by a Nova they know these plants look arid acclimated…Their headache feels worse.
'There's a term for that kind of thinking but of course I don't remember' was all they said in reply to itself. 'Focus' they reminded. Looking for iron was an easy task and making the Carite Sheets was easy to do and then fitting them on the ship took time but was a simple endeavor. Though simplicity meant their mind could wander to the feeling of a gaping hole where 'Memory' was and feeling irritation at the blank they kept drawing. After that repair they fixed their scanner and analysis visor so finding materials would not be looking without a guide.
After charging their equipment they were low on Plutonium and then since they also needed Heridium, Zinc and Thamium9 to power the Pulse Drive besides Carite sheets they set off going north. Cataloguing minerals, Flora and the occasional creature along the way.
The world could be called beautiful. It did not tax their suit because the temperature was 10.1 C which for a planet is not something to complain of. There was minimal radiation and toxicity and for once since they woke up considered themselves lucky. The name of this world was called Viceriasi Abbe. The vegetation was reminiscent of cacti but these were not only much, much taller they were a consistent red and twisted in appearance. Most of the shrubbery was a bright green or red with the occasional baby blue flowers that were quite striking. As time went on and they accumulated iron and plutonium near the ship they noticed that the sol was not lengthening. The Sun stayed on the horizon and appeared to not move making it appear always sunset. Which…probably made it seem even more beautiful.
They kept finding these pillars of stone, that when touched they learned an alien word. It was not their language they knew that. Course that only put the question 'What was the language they knew?' again there is nothing in their mind to explain it. They were also finding blueprints to further improve their equipment but the ship repairs came first. Zinc was easier to find because it was housed in this plant their scanner dubbed "Yargolus Acrantoreum" and it was found fairly plentiful. Along with Titanium which if they ever found a trader if there were traders would sell fairly well. Thamium9 was more of a rare find. The plant that made the compound were few and far between but that didn't deter them. As they roamed they came across a drop pod in an area called "Nimutt Lowlands" they got more space in their suit to carry items and was thankful for it. They continued on.
The Heridium was a square outcropping of rock that was a dark blue and was packed with the element. After finding a beacon, empty shelters and more Knowledge Stones they decide to head back to the ship to repair the pulse drive. This took longer to fix but since 'day' never truly ends they had all the light to work with. They had to charge their life support several times and that was the only real marker of time passing for them. After that repair they felt the itch to get in and take off but they decided to check a nearby cave and was rewarded by the amount of Plutonium there.
Taking off was an easy affair and they started to scan the ground for any other signs of life. Surely they were not the only ones here? The little bots that roamed around were disturbing to them and one had attacked them after they found a rich area of plutonium. Which hurt, and contributed to a decrease in mood. They obtained Iron from destroying it and fled when others started to fly in…annoying. A huge metal plaque stood stark against a mountainside and curiosity was piqued. They landed their ship nearby in case the statue proved dangerous. Their mind supplied it was Korvax 'how they knew, none can say.' After touching the knowledge stones around it they approached the plaque. What they encountered was not pleasant.
"I feel faint, as if my mind is being invaded. Pustules on my skin grow, bubble and pop-and I feel countless tiny stabbing from each gaping hole. Suddenly metal spiders, run up my shoulder and into my visor. Can this be real? This CANNOT be real. I start to scream." They waited it out. Firing their weapon would harm them. Taking off the suit is instant death. Something…felt pleased and as suddenly as it happened they were gone. They also got more understanding in Korvax. It was a while before the trembling stopped.
The last goal they wished to do on this world before departure would be cataloging the fauna here. It was this objective that took the longest time. Sols passed. In the meanwhile they found out that some shelters had beacons that could show you places of interest. The first they tried was an outpost to sell material for they had collected a good portion. The first being they encountered was Korvax…which looked robotic in a way they felt 'they' were not. Their name was Oslobn and they were running low on energy it seemed. They gave some extra Thamium9 they were going to sell and Oslobn bounced right back and seemed very grateful. Their reward was blueprints for a hyper drive, which required more technical items to be made. The Dynamic Resonator had to be bought. Thankfully their surplus of Heridium, Zinc, Platinum, and Titanium gave them more than enough. They also were able to afford a new multi tool that had more slots for upgrades. As Sols passed they learned that this planet had a huge amount of gold readily available and that is when the Units started to flow to them. They traversed caves, mountains, deserts, fields, even continents away trying to complete the bestiary.
They learned more Korvax both the language and the race as there were ruins that housed remnants of the beings past. The sol where they found the last species was balmy for the planet. They had been there for a while. 16 sols? Maybe a few more? They had bought a new ship, one that was quicker, and had a bit more space. It was…surprisingly hard to abandon their old ship. The one constant in their life besides themselves and the ground which they stood on. After the transaction and transference of materials to the new ship, they found themselves by their old ship with their hand on the bow. The name had changed and read "Anturli." Their eyes felt the burn of tears but they had already stayed plenty here. With a deep breath they turned around and took off into the horizon.
There was no reason to stay and this system had four other decent sized planets to discover. As they braced themselves to go into space their eyes caught a shape of a monolith…unlike the others they have seen. Before they changed their mind they landed next to it and approached. It was shaped like an octahedron. The pedestal identified it as "Legacy of Iglessusc-Wiar" They approached the monolith and the words of the Korvax resounded in their mind. "Past ine dead. Futekumskyviump impossible. I see a strange vision. Blue light pours from the monolith as if a curtain has been dropped within. I hear a gentle hubbub of voices, and catch a familiar smell on the breeze. I cannot remember my home, but I know that this is a doorway that leads there. I ache for a past I cannot remember. Every inch of my soul wants to make the leap back. I look to the skies, and the infinity beyond. Can I truly abandon my journey, when it's only just begun?" They resist the temptation which the monolith approves. They try to ingrain the faint memory if only as a placeholder for their old ones. This however gave them a resolve they did not have till now. Perhaps they know nothing of themselves and how their mind works at times, but a journey always allows the possibility of finding 'them', of finding who they were, the memories and those things were NOT here. With that thought in heart they hopped into their ship and pointed the bow toward the stars.
