Chapter 2: Mother Earth of Dishonesty
Planet Ragol: Forest: Residential Area
Danielle looked around, surprised at the lack of evidence of an explosion. There were no scorch marks or burns. It was as if nothing had happened. There was a capsule on the ground in front of her, a message recorded on it. "Hm… I wonder if this was left behind by a survivor." She touched a button on it, and the recorded message played.
"Ah, testing, testing? Cough! I'm Rico, Rico Tyrell. I'm a hunter. This capsule is for anyone who has come looking for me. I hope this helps you. I don't know who you are, but you must know that there is something unusual about Ragol. This is important. Pay attention to everything around you if you want to survive."
The RAmarl's heart skipped a beat. Rico was still alive, and was somewhere in this area. Danielle used her storage unit to record the message and started down the path. A gate was in front of her. Beyond that, four strange looking animals were roaming the area. Unsure whether they were hostiles or not, the Ranger drew her Bravace before stepping through. The animals, Boomas, had foot long claws, bear-like faces with a small horn above their nose, purple eyes, and dark brown fur. They turned to her and came forward, looking very hungry.
Danielle aimed at the nearest Booma and pulled the trigger. The Photon bullet burned off its face, and the creature moaned in agony. A second bullet put it out of its misery. The RAmarl quickly pulled the trigger three times, and the second Booma dropped. The last two had closed in and were preparing to shred the Ranger into pieces. She barely dodged the claws, but didn't dodge the teeth. One of the animals bit into her right arm, and made her drop the Bravace. Using her left hand, she punched it in the face. It released her, but continued to press on the attack. Danielle snapped the pistol up and shot the two animals.
There was a growl from behind, and something leapt onto the RAmarl's back. She was thrown to the ground, but she used her right arm to break her fall. That was a mistake. Incredible pain shot up her arm, making her cry out in pain. A Savage Wolf growled at the Ranger, waiting for the right time to pounce. Danielle quickly recovered and sent three bullets into the wolf's face. It howled in pain before collapsing on the ground. Nothing else jumped at her, so she breathed a sigh of relief. Apsaras examined her arm and beeped. "Don't worry. It's just a scratch." The Ranger took out some bandages and wrapped her arm. Truth be told, she was terrified. That Booma had managed to shred through her armor with just its teeth. It frightened her to think about what would have happened if it had bit her hand instead of her arm. There were two other gates in the area, and only one was unlocked.
There was a long pathway, which led to another gate. Through it, a Barbarous Wolf howled, along with the rest of its pack. Danielle put away her Bravace, swapping it for her Vulcans, a pair of mechguns. Two of the four Savage Wolves came at her, snarling and wanting her blood.
"Not today," the Ranger said quietly. The Vulcans released a hail of bullets, turning the wolves into bullet-riddled corpses. The pack leader growled and decided to take matters into its own hands. It charged forward and went for the Ranger's neck. Danielle ducked under it, drew her Agito, and cut into the wolf's neck. The other wolves howled in agony and attacked. Danielle focused on powering up a technique she had learned called Foie. A fireball shot forward from her open hand and engulfed the first wolf, and its brother met the same fate. Even more wolves came at her, and each one was either riddled with bullets or burnt to a crisp. There was another capsule near a gate. The RAmarl jogged over to it and played the message.
"What made the animals become violent all of the sudden? They weren't before. They were very quiet and friendly… There must be some cause. I'll find it. I know I'm a fool. This won't make me any richer. Perhaps that's why I'm exalted by them... Red Ring Rico, ha, ha. But I'm not really the great hunter citizens say I am. They needed a hero. And I just happened to fill that position."
Danielle peered through the gate and saw that there was nothing in the next area. "Well, I guess I'm in luck. No one is home." She stepped through and heard a buzzing sound. There was nothing in sight, until a strange looking nest was lowered in by a group of oversized insects. The Mothmants released the Monest when it was close to the ground and came at the Ranger. She backed away and drew her Vulcans. The insects were relatively easy to kill, but they continued to appear from the Monest. At least, they appeared until she tore it to shreds with the Agito. Two yellow Rag Rappies, which resembled an oversized bird, dropped in and waddled toward her. A single shot from the Vulcans was sufficient to kill them. Two of the gates in the area unlocked, but one led back to where Danielle had started.
She looked around and saw a few buildings off to her right. "Guess I'm near the residential area. But where is everyone? It's like they just vanished into midair."
The Ranger walked through the gate and saw a teleporter just ahead. Right next to it was yet another capsule. Danielle made sure that the area was cleared before playing the capsule's message.
"Wow... bodies of dead animals... We hunters sometimes use firearms, but this... They were killed by firearms that are much stronger than ours!"
"What is she talking about? There are no bodies here." Danielle shook her head, confused by everything that was happening. "Come on, Apsaras. I think this teleporter leads to the area around the Central Dome. Maybe we'll get lucky and find someone." The Mag bobbed up and down, as if nodding. The RAmarl stepped into the teleporter and vanished.
Planet Ragol: Forest: Central Dome
Rain fell on Danielle's armor and skin. She had to admit it felt pleasant, refreshing even. It had been a long time since she felt the rain. There were two gates, one in front of her and one to the right. Only the one in front of her was unlocked, and there was a capsule on the ground near it. The RAmarl crouched down near it and played the message.
"A disaster occurred. Things were shaking, then something broke through the surface. And then it exploded in the Central Dome! I don't know what to say… For 7 years, we've tried to adjust and improve the environment. What was it? Was it related to the accidents we've had recently?"
Danielle brushed her bangs out of her face as she stood up. Now she was even more confused. If something exploded in the Central Dome, then why was it still here? The enormous structure bore no signs of destruction or an explosion. Through the unlocked gate, a pair of Savage Wolves woke up and attack. The RAmarl took out her Laser, a powerful rifle, and took careful aim at the animals. Two yellow bullets pierced the hide of one of the wolves, while the other took a single bullet to the neck. A few meters away, a Gobooma dug itself out of the ground and roared. Behind Danielle, a Gigobooma, a purpled furred and much nastier version of the Booma, came at the Ranger. She drew the Agito, dashed forward, and cut into the monster's flesh. It collapsed to the ground without a sound. The Gobooma was close enough to slash at her, and it did just that.
Apsaras warned her of the attack, and Danielle dodged the claw in the nick of time. She brought her leg around and slammed it against the monster's face. Bones broke, and it clutched at its face in pain. The Gobooma stumbled away from the Ranger and fell into a pool of water. Two Rag Rappies dropped in and attempted to peck the Ranger to death. She easily avoided them and struck back by sending lightning bolts at the birds.
"Zonde. Works like a charm every time," Danielle chuckled. The gate to her left unlocked as soon as the birds fell. There was a pathway with a capsule in it, along with two Boomas. They roared in anger at the intruder, but their anger turned to pain as they were struck with Zonde. Danielle took her Vulcans in hand and waited to make sure no more surprises popped out. Further down the path, two Savage Wolves slept. They didn't notice the RAmarl as she went over to the capsule.
"Pioneer 1 may have damaged the ecological system of Ragol before we were aware of it. So, the native creatures tried to remove the invaders. That's one supposition. But what about the explosion!? I need more information. I have to go do some research."
The wolves woke up as soon as the message finished. Danielle snapped up one of her Vulcans and pulled the trigger. The bullets overcame the Savage Wolves, but the Vulcan's Photon charge had run dry. Very bad, since two Goboomas and a Gigobooma were coming her way. Danielle used the last of the second Vulcan's energy before swapping them for Agito. The last surviving Gobooma cried for its fallen brothers and took on the RAmarl in a suicidal rage. The Agito carved into its flesh and struck the creature's heart in one swift move.
Danielle felt the ground shake. "Oh, boy…" A giant animal with muscular arms had just dropped in and started for the Ranger. There was no way she was going to take that thing on in close range combat, so she slowly backed up while firing the Laser at the Hildebear. The Hildebear leaped into the air and landed right in front of Danielle. It drew back its arm and hit the girl with a punch that very nearly broke her ribs. Apsaras dodged out of the way as its master slammed against the wall.
"Okay. This has got to end," Danielle panted. She discovered that she had dropped her Laser, and it happened to be right in front of the Hildebear when it stepped on the rifle. The RAmarl took out her last working long-range weapon, the Bravace, and shot the Hildebear in its apish face. A bullet went into the animals open mouth, and it died instantly. Danielle rubbed her ribs where she had been hit as she walked over to the remains of her rifle.
There was little left of the rifle but metal pieces. "So, that leaves me with the Vulcans, a Bravace, and the Agito. I really need to buy some more weapons before I go on a mission," she muttered. The thought of the Vulcans reminded her that she needed to replace the Photon charges. With a flick of her wrist, she drew her Vulcans. Danielle pressed a key on the panel on her arm and her inventory showed. She skimmed through and found out that there was only one charge left for her weapons, and that was for her Bravace. Apsaras peered over her shoulder and let out a small beep. Its master sighed and took out the Agito.
"Joy. I get stuck with a sword, and I'm not exactly a master with one of these. I should have brought some Telepipes." A gate to her left opened when Danielle approached it, and she spotted a large pillar. The symbols on it looked familiar, but the Ranger could not remember where she had seen them before. In my dreams, she realized. I have seen this symbols in my dreams. Danielle touched the monument with her hand, and jumped when it suddenly began to glow. She spotted a capsule on the ground and decided to hear what Rico had to say.
"I heard that this tall column was built to commemorate the immigration of Pioneer 1. But... it may just be me, but it doesn't look very new. And these patterns... aren't they characters?"
Danielle stared uncertainly at the monument. "What does it mean? Why were these characters in my dreams?" she asked no one in particular. The Ranger turned away and continued her search for a way into the Central Dome. Back in the area where Danielle had killed the Hildebear, there were three gates. One lead to a dead end, one led back to where she had started, and the last one led to the Central Dome. Once again, there was a capsule by the gate.
"Tactics are important, but strategy is vital. You have to think about how you can put yourself into an advantageous situation. Look, learn, analyze and judge. Think carefully."
Danielle thought for a moment. She was down to a pistol and a katana. It would be a good idea to heed Rico's words. After all, Rangers were the ones who used strategy the most, since they didn't excel in techniques or close-range combat. In the next area, a laser fence blocked access to the warp that lead to the Central Dome's entrance. There was a single Rag Rappy sitting by the fence's controls, but Danielle knew that there were more enemies hiding in the forest surrounding her.
The RAmarl took out her Bravace and shot the Rappy, scaring it off. All of a sudden, an army of animals attacked. Savage Wolves and Barbarous Wolves leapt out of the forest, eager to kill the young Ranger. She quickly put away the Bravace and used the Agito to take out two Savage Wolves before they could bite her. Danielle reversed the katana and impaled a Barbarous Wolf straight through the skull without looking, but thankfully, she did not see its corpse. The last wolf snarled and bared its teeth. The young girl brought her left hand up and called down a lightning bolt from nowhere. The wolf was electrocuted instantly, its skin blackening in less than a second.
The ground shook as another Hildebear landed in the area. This time, Danielle was prepared. As soon as it landed, a Zonde struck the Hildebear in the chest. It twitched, paralyzed by the lightning. Danielle dashed up and slashed at its torso as fast as possible. Its hide was tough, but not that tough. Two Boomas and a single Gobooma dug themselves out, eager for a fight. After them came three Gigoboomas. Once they fell, the area became quiet. Danielle deactivated the laser fence and stepped into the warp. That was when the fight of her life began. Every animal that she had encountered wanted a piece of her.
The Ranger took her Bravace in one hand and Agito in the other. She was careful not to waste any bullets as she jammed the pistol in a Gobooma's gut and pulled the trigger. She spun around and broke the jaw of another Gobooma with her fist. Danielle utilized everything she had learned during her training to fight back the waves of animals. The only animal that wasn't there trying to kill her was the Hildebear. It'll show up, she thought grimly. The last animal, a Rag Rappy, fell beneath her katana, and the gate unlocked.
A Hildebear was skulking around the Central Dome's entrance. Danielle thought that this area would be easy to clear, that is, until she met the Hildebear's friend. The Hildebear that dropped in was blue instead of red. That was when the Ranger realized it was a Hildeblue, a rare subspecies of the Hildebear. It saw its brethren's corpse and cried out in sadness. The Hildeblue froze Danielle with its breath and started for her. Apsaras saw that its master was in trouble and used Anti, one of the techniques that Mags could somehow master. The RAmarl leaped over the incoming fist and slashed at the giant ape's wrist. It grasped at the injury and tried to stop the bleeding. Danielle used the last of her technique power she could muster and sent a Foie blast straight into the creature's ugly face.
The door to the inside of the Central Dome was before her. Danielle grasped the small crack in the doors and struggled to pull them apart. After a few minutes of trying, she gave up. The doors seemed to be shortened out, and there was no way she could bypass them. Danielle looked around for another way to get in.
"Think," she told herself. "The doors can be opened, but I alone don't have the strength." Apsaras floated over to the door and beeped. It turned to her and boosted her strength. "I know what you're thinking, buddy, and I agree with your idea." With her strength increased by Shifta, she was able to pull the doors apart within a few minutes. Danielle took out a flashlight and turned it on. There was nothing in the room but a ventilation shaft leading deeper into the Dome and a pair of security doors. Despaired by her findings, she turned to leave when the doors leading outside slammed shut tightly.