1 Episode Two: Bug Hunt
2 Part Two: Playing God
3 ALEKS
"Bring it down, nice and easy. Don't fuck this up, Ripper," I said to Ripper, in his Bug Fighter."
"Yeah, I got it, Aleks," he replied, but I heard him continue, under his breath, "One of these days…"
I ignored it.
I dropped my ship out of the fighter bay, decending towards the grey surface of the unknown planet, the Anubis and Ripper following me.
"Nice and easy…"
"Hey, this doesn't make any sense," I heard LaRouche say over the comm.
"What is it?"
"I'm not picking up any cities, or technology. But I AM getting massive life form readings. Off the charts. They make Terra Firma look like a god damn dirt ball."
"But I'm not seeing anything down there," I said.
"I'm telling you what I see."
"Indeed."
I tore through the grey, overcast clouds like a demon.
"I see a nice landing spot, a flat, long valley," Said Skorre.
"I see a better one," I said, my eyes going wide, "It looks abandoned. It's very, very old, but maybe something in there is worth for salvage."
"What is it?" Asked David.
"It looks like an outpost or something, its surrounded by a storm wall, three or four bunkers, connected by tunnels, and a few storage sheds. There's a courtyard, and a few landing pads."
"Alright. We set down there," ordered David.
"Got 'cha."
I pulled in first, followed by the Anubis, and finally, Ripper.
Slowly, I stood up, arming my heavy Dracon pistol and opening the airlock, stepping onto this alien world.
LaRouche was out first, though, poking around, taking energy readings.
"Hey, LaRouche!" I called over, " Where's all the monsters?"
"I don't know. This place is dead."
"And it looks like it's been torn apart, too," Said Sara, walking over to one of the bunkers.
A long forgotten skeleton was propped up against the side of the building, clutching some ancient looking pistol.
On closer inspection, more and more of the skeletons could be found, all in various positions.
They all looked the same, short, long arms, short legs, stubby tail, large ears and big heads. Most were hunchbacks.
"Look over here!" Yelled Ripper, waving to us.
I hurried to him.
Bits and pieces of ancient bone were scattered about, a small box of what looked like grenades nearby.
He had blown himself up rather than be killed by…whatever had done this.
"Must've been a hell of a fight," mused David.
"Yeah, killer," I said absently.
"OK, so we see signs of conflict. It couldn't have been a plague, probably not air bombardent," Said LaRouche, "Something tore these creatures apart."
"Yeah, and they must have been nasty little fuckers, too," I said.
"I have never heard of a species that could decimate with these capabilities,"
"What do you mean, Skorre?" Sara asked.
"None of the attacker's skeletons are here. If they were animals, they would have not taken their dead, but I doubt it was a war battle, or there would be laser burns on the dead. They wouldn't be torn apart."
"Interesting point, Skorre," David agreed.
We all stood in silence for a few moments, looking around.
A wind chill shot through the emptied camp, sending a chill up my spine.
"I think we should set up camp," I said.
"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea," said David, " LaRouche, do you think you can set up a command post in the control bunker?"
"Of course."
"Alright, that's what we do, then. Ripper and Skorre, get everything we might need from the Anubis, some weapons and ammo. We don't know if what killed these things is still here."
RIPPER
We dragged a few Dracon rifles and AK's, a case of grenades, out of the armoury. Skorre carried all that crap, I carried ammo for the AK's.
"David ain't payin' me enough for this shit."
"He is not paying you at all."
"You just proved me RIGHT, you Carver!"
We walked in silence to the command bunker, where LaRouche was setting up a control station.
"We have everything we'll need," I said.
"Excellent, LaRouche, have you managed to tap into the central computer?"
"Yes, I'm just translating the log to English now."
We waited a few minutes until the translation was done.
"Alright! I got it. Listen to this," LaRouche said.
The voice that came out of the speakers was not human.
Neither was a picture.
LaROUCHE
If you've seen Star Wars, you probably remember Greedo, the bounty hunter in the Mos Eisly Cantina. The one with the funnel-ears, blotchy green skin, and stubby snout mouth.
Well, this ancient creature looked just like him, more or less.
"Date: 79324224.42, Standard Date of the Fellium Confederacy, Nurnamekal- Istalikamictick-Gezhermaktize-Wanlopus-Collunemis-Tranne, Chief Science Officer on the planet LV-1203-ZH-9114, Biological Research Outpost…" The long dead creature said, in a shrill voice on the ancient tape.
"Damn, that is one hell of a long name!" Said Aleks.
"…Research on the Vynock-type creature is progressing at a rapid pace. DNA successfully altered, Zeramali test subjects proved idea incubators. Captured Wa'arnek Prisoners Of War easily destroyed in trials. Within all specifications, the Vynock-type should be ready for the front line with the Wa'arnek Federation within 143 Confederate Standard Years."
"That's a lot of years too," Said Skorre.
"Probably not as long as human years, though," I replied.
The alien spoke on, this time in a different setting.
"Vynock-type's have begun forming packs, obeying the Queen with strict, almost…military intelligence. They are attacking the test area barriers, losing great numbers, but the concentrated acidic contents in the blood are weakening the defences. Y'amalai was right, this is getting too dangerous. We are not to play T'asaaamooa with nature."
"This is the last entry," I said.
"Vynock-types have broken free of the test area, and for the past few days have been nesting in the air ducts, maintenance hatches and, in some cases, in the volcanicly carved labyrinth beneath this dead world. The Confederacy has sealed this planet, totally quarenteened. No one will help us now, Keselamaiok has already issued Saiamak pistols, no one knows how long we will last, but, should any one find this data in the future, do not follow in our footsteps! Leave quickly, or you will be soon joining us in Ralaimaque. Do not make the mistakes that we have made, for we are…No! Shoot it! Shoot it! NOOOO!"
He was cut off. In the final seconds, a dark, blurry shape streaked around the room, being shot at with red bolts. It killed every alien on screen, and finally, the Chief Science Officer.
"Let's get out of here," Said Sara, her voice quaking with fear.
"I think that that would be wise. Lets get back to the Anubis, pronto!" Said David.
BEEP
BEEP
BEEP
BEEP
The motion detectors were going off.
I picked the readout box up in my hand.
"Something is coming at us. Fast. Fifty meters."
"How many?" Asked Skorre.
"Unknown. Too many to count. The whole damn box is loaded!"
"Hurry! We need to get out of here, now!" Said David.
"Drop the sit, kid, lets burn!" Yelled Ripper, manically.
"Thirty meters."
"We morph flies, fly back onboard," suggested Aleks.
"Not enough time!" Panted David.
"Ten meters…" I counted down, like a doomsday clock.
"Five…"
2 Part Two: Playing God
3 ALEKS
"Bring it down, nice and easy. Don't fuck this up, Ripper," I said to Ripper, in his Bug Fighter."
"Yeah, I got it, Aleks," he replied, but I heard him continue, under his breath, "One of these days…"
I ignored it.
I dropped my ship out of the fighter bay, decending towards the grey surface of the unknown planet, the Anubis and Ripper following me.
"Nice and easy…"
"Hey, this doesn't make any sense," I heard LaRouche say over the comm.
"What is it?"
"I'm not picking up any cities, or technology. But I AM getting massive life form readings. Off the charts. They make Terra Firma look like a god damn dirt ball."
"But I'm not seeing anything down there," I said.
"I'm telling you what I see."
"Indeed."
I tore through the grey, overcast clouds like a demon.
"I see a nice landing spot, a flat, long valley," Said Skorre.
"I see a better one," I said, my eyes going wide, "It looks abandoned. It's very, very old, but maybe something in there is worth for salvage."
"What is it?" Asked David.
"It looks like an outpost or something, its surrounded by a storm wall, three or four bunkers, connected by tunnels, and a few storage sheds. There's a courtyard, and a few landing pads."
"Alright. We set down there," ordered David.
"Got 'cha."
I pulled in first, followed by the Anubis, and finally, Ripper.
Slowly, I stood up, arming my heavy Dracon pistol and opening the airlock, stepping onto this alien world.
LaRouche was out first, though, poking around, taking energy readings.
"Hey, LaRouche!" I called over, " Where's all the monsters?"
"I don't know. This place is dead."
"And it looks like it's been torn apart, too," Said Sara, walking over to one of the bunkers.
A long forgotten skeleton was propped up against the side of the building, clutching some ancient looking pistol.
On closer inspection, more and more of the skeletons could be found, all in various positions.
They all looked the same, short, long arms, short legs, stubby tail, large ears and big heads. Most were hunchbacks.
"Look over here!" Yelled Ripper, waving to us.
I hurried to him.
Bits and pieces of ancient bone were scattered about, a small box of what looked like grenades nearby.
He had blown himself up rather than be killed by…whatever had done this.
"Must've been a hell of a fight," mused David.
"Yeah, killer," I said absently.
"OK, so we see signs of conflict. It couldn't have been a plague, probably not air bombardent," Said LaRouche, "Something tore these creatures apart."
"Yeah, and they must have been nasty little fuckers, too," I said.
"I have never heard of a species that could decimate with these capabilities,"
"What do you mean, Skorre?" Sara asked.
"None of the attacker's skeletons are here. If they were animals, they would have not taken their dead, but I doubt it was a war battle, or there would be laser burns on the dead. They wouldn't be torn apart."
"Interesting point, Skorre," David agreed.
We all stood in silence for a few moments, looking around.
A wind chill shot through the emptied camp, sending a chill up my spine.
"I think we should set up camp," I said.
"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea," said David, " LaRouche, do you think you can set up a command post in the control bunker?"
"Of course."
"Alright, that's what we do, then. Ripper and Skorre, get everything we might need from the Anubis, some weapons and ammo. We don't know if what killed these things is still here."
RIPPER
We dragged a few Dracon rifles and AK's, a case of grenades, out of the armoury. Skorre carried all that crap, I carried ammo for the AK's.
"David ain't payin' me enough for this shit."
"He is not paying you at all."
"You just proved me RIGHT, you Carver!"
We walked in silence to the command bunker, where LaRouche was setting up a control station.
"We have everything we'll need," I said.
"Excellent, LaRouche, have you managed to tap into the central computer?"
"Yes, I'm just translating the log to English now."
We waited a few minutes until the translation was done.
"Alright! I got it. Listen to this," LaRouche said.
The voice that came out of the speakers was not human.
Neither was a picture.
LaROUCHE
If you've seen Star Wars, you probably remember Greedo, the bounty hunter in the Mos Eisly Cantina. The one with the funnel-ears, blotchy green skin, and stubby snout mouth.
Well, this ancient creature looked just like him, more or less.
"Date: 79324224.42, Standard Date of the Fellium Confederacy, Nurnamekal- Istalikamictick-Gezhermaktize-Wanlopus-Collunemis-Tranne, Chief Science Officer on the planet LV-1203-ZH-9114, Biological Research Outpost…" The long dead creature said, in a shrill voice on the ancient tape.
"Damn, that is one hell of a long name!" Said Aleks.
"…Research on the Vynock-type creature is progressing at a rapid pace. DNA successfully altered, Zeramali test subjects proved idea incubators. Captured Wa'arnek Prisoners Of War easily destroyed in trials. Within all specifications, the Vynock-type should be ready for the front line with the Wa'arnek Federation within 143 Confederate Standard Years."
"That's a lot of years too," Said Skorre.
"Probably not as long as human years, though," I replied.
The alien spoke on, this time in a different setting.
"Vynock-type's have begun forming packs, obeying the Queen with strict, almost…military intelligence. They are attacking the test area barriers, losing great numbers, but the concentrated acidic contents in the blood are weakening the defences. Y'amalai was right, this is getting too dangerous. We are not to play T'asaaamooa with nature."
"This is the last entry," I said.
"Vynock-types have broken free of the test area, and for the past few days have been nesting in the air ducts, maintenance hatches and, in some cases, in the volcanicly carved labyrinth beneath this dead world. The Confederacy has sealed this planet, totally quarenteened. No one will help us now, Keselamaiok has already issued Saiamak pistols, no one knows how long we will last, but, should any one find this data in the future, do not follow in our footsteps! Leave quickly, or you will be soon joining us in Ralaimaque. Do not make the mistakes that we have made, for we are…No! Shoot it! Shoot it! NOOOO!"
He was cut off. In the final seconds, a dark, blurry shape streaked around the room, being shot at with red bolts. It killed every alien on screen, and finally, the Chief Science Officer.
"Let's get out of here," Said Sara, her voice quaking with fear.
"I think that that would be wise. Lets get back to the Anubis, pronto!" Said David.
BEEP
BEEP
BEEP
BEEP
The motion detectors were going off.
I picked the readout box up in my hand.
"Something is coming at us. Fast. Fifty meters."
"How many?" Asked Skorre.
"Unknown. Too many to count. The whole damn box is loaded!"
"Hurry! We need to get out of here, now!" Said David.
"Drop the sit, kid, lets burn!" Yelled Ripper, manically.
"Thirty meters."
"We morph flies, fly back onboard," suggested Aleks.
"Not enough time!" Panted David.
"Ten meters…" I counted down, like a doomsday clock.
"Five…"