Journal Entry 93
June 1, 2023
Artifacts: 86
Repairs: 86
Kill count: 860
I hate spiders.
TT
Spiders. They're fine when small and outside. They help keep the insect population in check. In fact, the entire animal and insect kingdoms keep each other in check. Is there an insect kingdom, or are they part of the animal kingdom?
Anyway, balance. Since I've been killing the metalheads, I've begun to notice an uprise of spiders and a downfall of rodents. For some reason, the rodents left me alone in the beginning. Now I actively search them out with Tik Tak. He can eat some veggies, but in the end, he is a carnivore. They usually stay on the crop floors.
I think the metalheads keep the spider population in check. Now with almost a third gone, the spiders are going through a population boom. And they're getting bigger.
Tabby said that there are breeding types here in the Temple but they are simply too old to have any more brood. They're hiding down in the lowest levels. They are among the eldest of metalheads, so if hierarchy is a thing for them, the breeders are going to be the main threat against me and Tik Tak.
For now, I can afford the time to wait the eradication of the metalheads for a day or two. Or even a week. The spiders need to be exterminated.
All this ran through my head when I woke around 3 am and felt something skittering on my legs to my back. Too many legs. I screamed. Tik Tak got me with his fangs on my forehead when I woke him up. He crawled over me and got whatever it was as I crawled forward away from my companion.
Twisting my neck, I see the LARGEST spider so far hanging from the sith hound's jaw. The body, legs not included, is as large as my torso. That is it! I am done with spiders!
What will we do, companion?
We are going to exterminate!
Are you going to make the call today?
Thank you for the reminder. First we eat. Stock up on food and supplies. Call. Then hunt.
With that, we trundled forward to the fishing hole. The way it's set up is that it's basically a hole in the metal floor. And it was purposely made like that. The edges are too fine for something to have smashed its way in.
Remember the shield wielding metalhead when I first started talking to Damas? Well, I finally made it work via a battery system. I, just, kill a metalhead, stuff it into a self-sealing box that already has a hose attached. Connect the hose to the center of the shield unit and bam. A working energy shield. Crude work. It works.
Anyway, main reason why I bring this up is because the first time I tried my hand at fishing back on May . . . 4, I think, I brought up a long nose metalhead. It looked to be a hybrid of the laser nose and the saw nose. It jabbed its sharp appendage beneath the collar bone on the left side. Tik Tak slammed into it as the energy beam came out. It glanced over my right eye. After that, I burned my upper boob shut and plastered aloe vera over my eye. The pain was like a white hot knife driving into my eyeball with needles poking the surrounding area.
That happened in the morning. So I was quite the sight for my daily video call. He was drinking something at that moment. Yeah, Damas did a spectacular spit take.
Won't lie, seeing him so concerned for me and asking questions made me feel . . . wanted. It may be wrong, but I will always relish others being so concerned.
I only recently stopped the burn treatment for my eye. It's a bloody miracle that my sight remained the same. Just, not having eyelashes or an eyebrow is weird. And the pinked out skin feels tight.
Shoot! Clenching my fist, I pulled the trigger. Long nose dead. Thanks Tik Tak.
Pay attention companion. Lest you become half blind again.
Sorry. Anyway, main point is, I set up a shielding unit by the fishing hole to prevent such a thing again. And we have four big fish to feast. Three for Tik Tak. One for me.
Quickly gutting the fish, we hustled to the closest kitchen to cook, well, burn, the fish over a slab of thin metal. Can't get too invested in cooking. That's a good way to get ambushed, again.
TT
It's 5 in the morning when we make our way to the comm center. My bag is stuffed full of water, food and eco crystals. I have my switch blade, spear, rifle and handgun. Tik Tak picked up a scent earlier to track down the arachnids.
Tucking Tabby into its outlet, "This is the Lost Temple calling in."
It's a bit of a long shot. Don't know if anyone will pick up at this time. Tik Tak nudged my legs as he stood right behind me. Taking the cue, I bent down a bit, using him like a seat.
I've been burnt, cut, stabbed, bit, clawed, nearly blinded, electrocuted and more bouts of illnesses than I usually get in a year. I am now entering the fourth month down here and it has been absolute hell. The majority I mentioned happened so many times, I don't really mention them anymore unless it has a permanent impact on my health.
It's been ten minutes now. Don't think anyone is going to, Oh! Someone did answer. Another set of long ears, black cap, white skin with yellow and red splotches. Add a touch of orange armor and we have a monk. "You're not Dune Wolf."
"No. I am a monk of the Golden Order." The voice is familiar, Seem? Seem is the head monk of said order. Either they are not the head just yet, or they're not saying that they are. If it's the second, smart. Don't tell just anyone of your true placement in the first meeting.
"Well, if you'll do me a favor Monk, tell Dune that I won't be able to make my daily call in for some time."
Monk looked at me with a blank look on their face, "Might I inquire why you will be out of contact?"
"This place has been cut off from the rest of the world for a long time and the ecosystem down here built itself. Now that I am getting rid of the metalheads, the crypt spiders are expanding in both population and size." I can make out the Monk's face doing a grimace. The Temple from Jak 3 also has spiders as well, so I can imagine that they know the extent of trouble oversized spiders can be. "They are starting to become a major problem for us, so I am going to be quite busy with the arachnids' eradication."
"I will make ensure Dune Wolf knows about your plans," The Monk made a few hand signs, "May the Precursors have mercy on you."
I nabbed Tabby out of its outlet. The only bits of mercy I had from the damned 'Cursors are Tabby and self-repairing clothes. Everything else was from me.
Wait, since I now know that there are Precursor worshipping monks now, they will definitely want to set a few teams in here to do research and maybe set this place as a new place of worship. Damas mentioned that growing crops was difficult and limited. He is definitely going to want to make use of the crops here.
Pushing myself off of Tik Tak, I looked around the comm center. When I get this place above water, will I be kicked out? Not going to lie, I am starting to think of this place as mine. The spiders and metalheads have been here for far too long. This place is mine! I'm not going to let any long ears kick me out.
Companion?
C'mon Tik Tak. Let's go to the bathroom and get started. Once the spiders have been eliminated, we're going to find a living spot just for you and I. No matter what the long ears will say in the future, this is our home now. We might as well set a up a spot for the future. Let's also not forget to start locking All the doors as we go down the levels. Should've started on that sooner.
Understood companion. I said this before and I will say it again. I Hate using these 'toilets'. It's humiliating!
So you sit at an awkward angle and be able to get rid of your traces for our safety. Such a bad thing.
Tik Tak just growled
TT
June 20, 2023
TOO MANY LEGS!
TOO MANY EYES!
I HATE SPIDERS!
I need bleach for my eyes and mind!
Spider penis, spider coochie, breeding. Nasty.
TT
So, everything went as well as expected. I scoured each bit of the upper 29 floors I stuck to for the last several months. Every single door has been locked tight, so nothing can make its way up. The beasts and machines are confined.
We find rooms with egg sacks. Cut them open and kill the hatchlings. Stab, tear and rip apart the creepy crawlies.
I am now on floor 30. Wanna know what I saw? Two giant spiders, the size of frost spiders from Dragonborn, playing leapfrog. Me eyes! They burn!
Nearly got swarmed. These looked to be a bit smaller than the ones of Spider Cave from Precursor Legacy. Probably teenagers. Tik Tak and I are now covered in webbing, guts and blue blood. My hair is no longer salvageable. It will have to be shorn off. We definitely got bit and stung a few times each. I wanna barf.
The two adults have finally separated. They reared up with a horrible sound and exposed their parts. My stomach is done.
While standing straight up, shooting at the soft undersides, I barfed. It took a lot of self will to not hunch over. They died, so easily compared to their children.
Double checking my gloves, which are absolutely smothered in slime, I pulled two yellow eco crystals out, placed them into the jaws, and shot at them from a distance. The heads exploded. No more spiders. No more, hurk.
And I'm hunching over. My abdomen hurt so much. I hurt everywhere.
I have never been in this much pain before. Come, companion. I recall seeing a room full of showerheads. I want this stuff OFF!
Likewise. Lead the way Tik Tak. The risk of having the abominations of machines and lizards finding us seemed null right now.
