NationStates Jolt Archive

"They like to drag irrationality into things. If it doesn't fit their little pattern, they fight it violently. Completly conservative in all matters. And especially if there's something progressive, they try to wipe it out completly. These guys are not ones to mess with. They aren't brutal, but they are completly efficient." Suddenly, everything extended to infinity, and contracted again.

"Looks like we're back into realspace."

========================

Deep in the bowells of the cruise liner, a man cackled with delight. The faint glow of a blue screen illuminated his face, throwing dense shadows all about.

Ah, the fools. They worked to kill me all these years, too bad their sucess will be their end too.

He typed quickly, manipulating commands into a small and neat program. He'd have only a few seconds to initialize it when he connected, but when he did, he'd be the first to know.

With a final click, he leaned back and smiled. Finished. He slid a cable into an engineering network port in the wall and told the computer to execute.

Emergency engine mass vents began opening, dumping ultrahot matter into the void all around the ship. But the shields were still up, containing the mass within their tight bubbles. And the cruise liner, never outfitted with the armor its original designers had intended it to have, began to dissolve away.

Surface features were melted off, areas were vented, and as more was opened, more engine mass began to leak. But complete destruction was not to be. The shields gave way as the reactor started to vent itself to the void through the emergency slots, screaming its furious way into the abyss.

And in less than a minute, the once mighty ship was charred almost beyond recognition and hurled towards the planet below. Emergency repulsors whined against the pull of gravity and the force of the ejecting reaction mass, now almost completly depleted. It slowed its descent, but for how long?

========================

The rumblings and sirens permeated every part of the ship. "GOOD GODS!" he cried, dropping to the ground and grabbing the disrupter. After several seconds, it became apparent that the door wasn't going to be blasted open, and he grabbed his datapad, linking into the network. "Something bad, let's get out of here! NOW!"

He grabbed Myronia's wrist and slapped the other disrupter into it. Turning, he burst through the door into the hallway, screaming to abandon ship. He checked behind him often, to make sure that Myronia was still behind him as he raced down the corridors.

Myronia followed Daniel, holding the clumsy rifle as best she could.

She didn't know quite what was happening, or what she was supposed to do...but when things rocked like that, there had to be a reason.

There had to be.
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A'Vashael felt the ship tremble beneath her, and correctly guessed that it was time to go.

She teleported to their rooms first, grabbing a single suitcase and everything they had that might possibly protect them and help them survive. It was rather a huge suitcase...and she filled it quickly, by means of both telekinesis and shoving things in.

She slammed it closed less than a minute after she'd arrived, before locating Myronia through her glider and teleporting to her.

"Leaving so soon?" she quipped, although she moved as fast as her mistress.

Daniel's head whipped around, and he nearly ran into several people rushing desperatly in the other direction. "AYE! Where did you come from? Whatever, we've got a reactor problem." Slowing, he ran alongside her. "Looks like some joker vented the reactor mass, unless we leave we're screwed on a planetary level. Now step on it!"

He sprinted on ahead, flipping over a pile of debris. "Hurry, only a few left!"

Both Drow sped up, and both made easy jumps over the debris Daniel had flipped over.

They were not slow, noble and servant though they may have been.

Daniel threw himself into the last remaining lifeboat, noticing that the Drow were easily within a pace of him. Panting and leaning against the wall of the boat, he called out to any survivors who could make it. However, most were blocked by the debris. And despite repeated blasts from his rifle, the pile stood firm.

There were calls from within the boat that there was no more time, and he had to step inside the already over-filled craft as it sealed for launch.

Vanyel felt the shaking, saw Ava'Shiel disappear, realized what was going on, and quickly followed Ava's example. He teleported to his room, grabbed everything he really needed, summoned the energy for a Haste spell, briefly slowed due to the drain, and then accelerated to even greater speeds than before. He would quickly catch up with those that had moved off before he did, and, likely overtake them. He started running for the lifeboats.

Myronia and Ava's craft sped planet-ward, although they couldn't see much of the planet.

Just the multiple explosions as the ship as it exploded, taking passengers and crew with it.

"Lu' xal Elghinn tlu alur ulu dosst quortek taga Dro rin'ov zhahus," Ava murmured softly.

Likely all the memory that could be afforded to the souls lost.

Vanyel made it to a lifeboat in time, but barely, he was nearly caught in the blast as the lifeboat rocketed for the surface.

Daniel looked over at her as she muttered the prayer.

"They say that the dead can hear what we say and see what we do for a short time. And then their consciousnesses fuse with the overmind. I never believed it, but now I wonder. Did the ancients know something we didn't?

Oh well, let's get this bird down. SKIPPER! E-T-A to the L-Z?" A noncommital answer. "Ah well, let's get comfortable everyone, we're coming down soon."

The small craft began plummeting into the atmosphere, far from the site of the raining debris.

Ava looked calm...in perfect control of herself and her surrounding, even if she wasn't. After all...there was no time for panic, and no ability to know how badly any one mistake could impact everyone.

Myronia, for her part, had a look of grim determination.

Of course she had some survival training...but nothing like this. She'd been dependent on people since she'd been born...but now, everyone had to work or die.

And she was determined to stop being dependent...to make it through, and to help others make it through.

That, after all, was the greatest duty of the nobility...the true mark of who was blood, and who was real.

Daniel shifted up towards the bow of the small craft, to the computer skipper controling the descent. He started conversing quietly with the computer

"What type of survival gear do we have?"

"Not enough for this many ya squishy, now sit down before you go through the winshield."

We're computers always like this? "Tell me the truth ya bucket of bolts, do we have a chance?"

"Snowball's in the forge, but better than nothing. Hopefully the Gods will smile on you."

Well, they sure know how to subcontract em, that's the truth. Daniel checked around to make sure none of the people around him had heard anything. "Computer, set us down on that jungle planet, an open beach, near the equator. Near some fresh water if possbile."

"Done. Sit down pinko or you'll know what your insides look like." The computer started signaling for everyone to brace, and it started to enter the atmosphere, skipping a few times before diving in.

Daniel moved back to beside the two Drow. "Nothing to worry about, we'll be fine if this piece of junk knows what it's doing. We're setting down near the equator of the nearby planet. Warm and moist, with thick jungles that hopefully have something edible."

"What of the other survivors?" was Ava's immediate question. The ones in the other life crafts.

What would become of them?

Myronia's question was quite different.

"What of the ship? Couldn't any have survived that remained aboard?"

He leaned in, trying not to disturb the mass of frightened and disheveled people around him.

"Those people in that ship are probably going to wish they'd died if they survived that. It was a seething blob when it hit the atmosphere, breaking up into a lot of pretty small pieces for a craft that scale. Some may have made it, but most survivors will be in boats like this I'd guess.

As for boats like this, they'll probably land where they can and try to make do until we get a rescue ship. Which with the state of things, could be a while. I don't know too much about situations like this, but we're better off assuming we're alone."

Ava nodded. It was practical.

But Myronia shook her head.

"We will see what the situation is...these lifeboats, they can contact the others, no? We will see if it is realistic to gather everyone in one camp."

Ava looked at Myronia. "Ulu dryss'ho riluss wun uss k'lar morfethen less l' mayaren nindel riluss dro'xunen. Nau, alurl ka gaer ph' inlul akhen ghil lu' gaer, ulu naut phor maunech l' thac'zil...ka gaer zhah jalbol nindel udos shlu'ta kl'ae 'zil cahallin harl gaer."

Myronia looked at her servant. "Perhaps so. But perhaps not."

Vanyel had been the last person off. There was no way for anyone else to have made it. He was the only person on his lifeboat, and he was alone, again. He had no idea wether or not Ava or Myronia had survived to escape the ship. He hoped they had, but he wasn't too confident. If they had, it would be wonderful, if not, things would become significantly more difficult. He was following the only other lifeboat he could see towards the planet, and he couldn't tell wether or not they were on board or not...

That other lifeboat entered the atmosphere for the last time and dove towards the equator of the planet. Its airbrake unfurled with the upmost grace, slowing the craft significantly. However, just as its job was almost done, a small piece of debris slammed into the brake, causing the boat to hit the beach rather hard, landing leaned over on its side.

=============================

Daniel extracted himself from the thick pile of people on one wall, now the 'floor', taking care not to step on the Drow. "We're here, let's get out and look around!" He forced the hatch open, climbing out onto the blinding light of the beach.

He staggered for a moment, his eyes not adjusting properly. "Gods, can't see strait out here."

Ava extracted herself, Myronia, and the suitcase she'd managed to pack from the craft, getting them out. Let the rest manage on their own.

"Ava..." Myronia tried to get her servant to let them slow down for everyone else...but no.

"They will be fine. If they stampede us, we will not." With that, she shoved her mistress out of the boat before jumping out herself.

Both Drow moved away, dazzled by the sunlight.

Vanyel realised there were others on the lifeboat about the time they landed on top of him. He had felt the shock as they were hit, and he was pretty near the middle of the pile. He was less than subtle about getting out too, shoving whoever had ended up on top of him until they moved, or he moved them. Once he was loose, he staggered out, and saw the two Drow in the bright sun.

They were waiting for the rest to get out so they could see what exactly they had.

Vanyel approached the two Drow, and waited with them to see who else emerged.

Shading his unusually sensative eyes against the sunlight, he moved towards the shade of the pod, everyone having now debarked. Truth to be told, this escape pod wasn't made for much heavy use. The survival gear was just barely sufficient for the numbers it was rated to hold, and there was easily half again so many on the beach.

Daniel leaned over what they had, sifting through to try to find something specific. Finally, he found a small hyper-beacon. It would send a small distress call to everyone in range tuned to emergency channels.

He called to several shell-shocked passengers. "Hey there, help me fix this baby to the pod power source and nav computer, we'll want the jump charge, and the nav should give better coordinates than 'follow this signal.'"

When the pair was immbile and silent, he shrugged and headed inside with his cargo.

Ava and Myronia had been going through to check on everyone, finding relatively few injuries.

When no one went to help Longstrike, though, they went instead, a pair of shadows leaving behind the rest.

Ava poked her head inside before clambering in. "What do you need done?"

The sudden voices startled Daniel. He whirrled around, nearly dropping his precious cargo. Scrambling for a better hold, he turned back to the open access panel.

"Oh, it's you. Scared the life out of me. Umm... not much, unless you can read this circuitry. The computer is being completly unhelpful, so his voice system is going to be the first to go in the power saving campaign. Ain't that right Mister Smiley?" A small screen to his right flashed violently, a stream of curses emmiting from a small speaker next to it.

Daniel cut a wire, and the speaker went dead. The screen continued to flash though, quite unhappy with this change of events. "If you don't calm down, I'll have to disconnect your personality nodes to keep power draw down. Now shut up and deal." The screen cut turned blue and powered down, the AI retreating into its databanks and sulking.

Myronia would have questioned that they had machines that could talk back...but her brother's glider was almost as bad.

The pair of them made their way over to have a look and eventually Ava nodded.

"It looks complicated, but not too much so."

"I'm trying to hook this beacon up to the pod's power source and get a navigational fix so we can say something worth more than 'follow this signal until you find us.' If one of you could try to get some coordinates off of the nav system over there, I could just put it in here.

Also, could the other of you two come here and give me a hand with finding a power cable? There must be something in here to plug this into..."

OOC EDIT: linkity (http://forums2.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?p=10277601#post10277601) from Civ War thread.

Myronia went to look for their coordinates, while Ava dug through the wires to find a power cable.

"What, exactly, do they look like?"

"Umm... I'm not sure." he replied, his entire arm shoved into the mess of wires. "I'm guessing they're a certain color, and they should be doubled wires with a thick grounder line alongside. Either that, or just a round cable that's much thicker than the others. They should also have plugs so they can be attatched and detatched from the componets easier."

Ava stopped digging so she could take a proper look at it.

"It would help if we had some light..."

Finding what she thought might be one, she plunged her arm in, nimble fingers searching through the wires for one that felt different.

Finding one, she ran her hands along it, trying to find a plug.

"I think I may have found one."

Daniel moved towards her, looking at the wire she was holding. "That's the one! And if it isn't, the engineer who made this thing should be shot." He pried open a small panel on the side of the beacon and pulled out the battery cable. "They look like they're compatable, let's try her out. Yank the cord and plug it into this wire here."

Daniel looked over at Myronia stooped over the console, zoning out slightly.

Myronia was working to figure out how to access the information. It was an unfamiliar system, but she thought she should have the coordinates within a few minutes.

Ava unplugged the cord, threading it out and hooking it into the wire indicated.

Vanyel had noticed the others going back into the lifeboat, and decided to follow. He got there right as he heard Ava lamenting the lack of light. He'd already cast several times today, but a simple Light shouldn't render him unconcious, which is why he concentrated, and summoned a light about equal to that of a torch, without the flickering quality... "Is that good enough for your purposes Ava?"

She nodded...but she was pulling the cord out right as the spell was cast.

"I don't think it too necessary anymore, though."

The sudden burst of light stunned Daniel, completly blinding him. "How many people here can summon? Jeeze! Mmk, th beacon is registering power, even if it's a little higher than it's supposed to be." He adjusted a small dial inside the device. "Fixed. Myronia, how's that coordinate stuff coming?"

The Kaymirilian noble frowned slightly before responding. "I think I have the data, but the symbols don't mean anything to me."

Daniel handed the beacon to Ava and went over. "Uhh... umm... hey you. Uhhh, light-guy? Could you come here and help us for a sec? I'm Daniel by the way."

She nodded...but she was pulling the cord out right as the spell was cast.

"I don't think it too necessary anymore, though."

"Well, I'm sure that we're going to have to find something more in here eventually, and this light lasts for quite some time." Vanyel walked oiver to Daniel, feeling rather justified in his previous statement.

Daniel sized up the newcomer. Obviously not Inferno-born, got the wrong build. "Can you read these coordinates? They're in some sort of computer language that I'm not familiar with, and the beacon here is for standard binary."

Daniel sized up the newcomer. Obviously not Inferno-born, got the wrong build. "Can you read these coordinates? They're in some sort of computer language that I'm not familiar with, and the beacon here is for standard binary."

"I can't read that... I'm a Mage, not a Tech."

Ava moved over to see, and squeezed herself past Daniel and Vanyel to sit at her mistress's side.

"Here."

She tapped in a few codes, changing the computer language.

"Is that suitable?"

"Excellent!" His hands flew across the small input panel on the beacon, inputting the coordinates rapidly. When he finished inputting the coordinates, he locked the beacon into transmit, turning to Ava.

"How did you... I thought... wow. I think it's prudent to say we owe you one."

"It was a guess, nothing more. Now, we have to see about setting up some form of shelter for these people."

Ava stood, passing the men, heading back out. Myronia followed her. After all...they had about thirty other people to look after.

Ava went to scope out the nearby jungle, and Myronia went to see what all everyone had that might be useful for survival.

Daniel moved out of the craft, nodding at Vanyel. The light outside was still too bright for his unusually sensative eyes, and he resorted to hanging in the shade of the pod, aiding Myronia in rifling through the stuff they had brought. The pod's air brake, having served its purpose, made a great canopy when tacked down tight.

He continued to work, sifting through the worthless to find the important.

Ava moved through the jungle swiftly, looking for acceptable trees and vines. If they had five people who could do anything, as well as a couple of axes, they should be able to construct shelters.

Otherwise, she was looking at plants for medicinal and edible properties, finding several.

Good. If they aren't too finicky eaters, we should make it. And, of course, there are obviously animals to hunt.
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Myronia knew junk when she saw it...but she could also look at things differently than Daniel could. Daniel was a techie.

She was a noble. Ava would be better at this, but Ava had a different task. Many of the things Daniel discarded, she salvaged.

And, certainly, vice-versa.

Vanyel followed Myronia and Ava to see how he could help.

It had been a long day. They had to move the airbrake under cover of the edge of the forest after the strong wind kept catching it. Supplies were bare-bones at best, pathetic at worst. They would have a lot of difficulty getting clean water, and food was little better.

Hopefully someone would sense that beacon soon... Soon it would be night, and that was something few wanted to see. who knew what would be on this world at night?

All Daniel knew was that he was dirt tired, hungry, and slightly lost. As Myronia continued to sift through the last of the supplies, he excused himself moving inside the pod.

All of the equipment inside still hummed a healthy low murmer. Everything that could be was shut down, and the battery said it could hold out for several weeks if all went well, which it rarely did. He slouched against the wall, attempting to get in contact with the hive mind.

He reached inside, but could not find. Deeper, but again nothing. And deeper still, until he was exhausted, but he could find nothing. Maybe its the stress... yeah! Stress. Daniel struggled up and went back outside, into the dimming sunlight.

Ava had created a device for dragging things, and returned near sunset with fruits.

"Here...these should be edible for almost everyone. There's a freshwater stream about a kilometer to what I can best describe as north, although I'd recommend boiling it first."

"Anything else we need Ava? I mean, we have something that'll work for shelter, and we have food...ish. What else is there to do?"

"We need shelter, but we can work on that starting tomorrow. It looks clear enough that we can sleep on the sand...but I'd suggest that everyone that can keep a watch. No one knows what lives on this planet...especially at night."

"We need shelter, but we can work on that starting tomorrow. It looks clear enough that we can sleep on the sand...but I'd suggest that everyone that can keep a watch. No one knows what lives on this planet...especially at night."

"Well, I guess I can take first with someone else. Anyone gonna volunteer?"

Daniel looked up at Vanyel, trying to decide what to do. He finally decided that it was best to err on the side of safety, he didn't know how able the rest of this group might be.

"I'll take first. We should rotate every four hours if we can. Or if someone on watch gets tired, just rotate out early. Best to err with safety, not risk falling asleep."

Ava nodded. "Best if two or more are on watch at a time. Myronia and I only need four hours of sleep. We can take second."

Daniel looked up at Vanyel, trying to decide what to do. He finally decided that it was best to err on the side of safety, he didn't know how able the rest of this group might be.

"I'll take first. We should rotate every four hours if we can. Or if someone on watch gets tired, just rotate out early. Best to err with safety, not risk falling asleep."

"Alright then. We better let the others figure this out among them then. Personally a third watch, or an extra person on second would seem like a good bet to me. Things are most dangerous in the early hours of the morning, between 2-3am especially, when the human body is at its least alert."

Myronia looked up from the pile of stuff she had.

"In my experience, the Drow body has no problem with those hours...and it's second watch then, is it not?"

Myronia looked up from the pile of stuff she had.

"In my experience, the Drow body has no problem with those hours...and it's second watch then, is it not?"

"Heh, insert foot in mouth then... I had not considered the two of you in that last statement to tell the truth. It is indeed second watch then."

Ava looked at Myronia and shrugged.

"Rivvils."

She then went to see if they had any decent axes, and finding none, went back into the forest to see what she could find to make some.

Myronia tried to call her back. After all, it was a bad time to go into the jungle alone.

Ava looked at Myronia and shrugged.

"Rivvils."

She then went to see if they had any decent axes, and finding none, went back into the forest to see what she could find to make some.

Myronia tried to call her back. After all, it was a bad time to go into the jungle alone.

Vanyel noticed Ava going, and decided that the rest would be reasonably safe with two competent people around. Ava was significantly less safe than the others of the group. "I'll keep an eye on her ma'am. Y'all just wait here."

"...All right...if you can find her before losing sight of the beach."

If you do, though, shell be irritated...and what in the blue hells is a "yall?"

"...All right...if you can find her before losing sight of the beach."

If you do, though, shell be irritated...and what in the blue hells is a "yall?"

Vanyel moved fast, bringing out another light in case he couldn't find her quickly. He knew it was a risk, and that he'd be advertising his position, but running in the darkness was a death sentence just as surely.

There was the sound of a chunk of wood hitting stone several times, just ahead of him, before the stone finally cracked.

There was the sound of a chunk of wood hitting stone several times, just ahead of him, before the stone finally cracked.

"Ava? 'Sat you?" Van walked closer to where he heard the sounds...

"Yes, although you didn't need to come along. It's safer out on the beach."

"Yes, although you didn't need to come along. It's safer out on the beach."

"That's kinda why I came Ava. It ain't safe out here, and you shouldn't be alone in this here forest like this."

An arrow thudded into a tree by his ear.

"I think I'll be safe enough."

An arrow thudded into a tree by his ear.

"I think I'll be safe enough."

"Holy Crap Ava.... Don't do that. I nearly shot you! All you had to do was say you were good, and I woulda taken your word for it, good lord woman..."

Ava raised an eyebrow, although she doubted he'd be able to see it in the dark.

She knocked a few more pits of rock off the boulder, before picking them up.

"As long as you're here, make yourself useful," she said, giving them to him and dislodging her arrow from the bark of the tree.

She had a few vines around her arms, and carried some fairly thick branches.

"We need axes if we are to build shelter."

Ava raised an eyebrow, although she doubted he'd be able to see it in the dark.

She knocked a few more pits of rock off the boulder, before picking them up.

"As long as you're here, make yourself useful," she said, giving them to him and dislodging her arrow from the bark of the tree.

She had a few vines around her arms, and carried some fairly thick branches.

"We need axes if we are to build shelter."

"You want me to make axes? I dunno how to make an axe..." He took the chunks she handed him anyway, he figured she'd tell him soon enough.

"I'm going to make them...I just needed an extra pair of hands to carry things."

"I'm going to make them...I just needed an extra pair of hands to carry things."

"Oh..." Vanyel wisely shut up after that last brilliant statement...

Ava led him back to the beach, taking the stone from him and beginning to work it.

Ava led him back to the beach, taking the stone from him and beginning to work it.

Vanyel knew he was likely unneeded now, so he went to see how the other two had fared in their absence.

Myronia had made a makeshift needle and was starting to take apart the airbrake.

If they could build a raft, they could use it as a sail, and see if there weren't fish in the sea.

Myronia had made a makeshift needle and was starting to take apart the airbrake.

If they could build a raft, they could use it as a sail, and see if there weren't fish in the sea.

"Myronia, is there anything I can do to help you ma'am?"

"No, actually. I'm okay here."

"No, actually. I'm okay here."
"Alright, have you seen Daniel then? I'm tryin to make m'self useful here..."

"I think he went back into the lifeboat."

"I think he went back into the lifeboat."

"Thank you ma'am." Vanyel headed for the lifeboat.

Daniel was leaning against the side of the life-boat, thinking about random things. If one was being realistic, they'd call him being lazy. But sometimes thinking can give you an idea worth having.

He waved as Vanyel came up. "How was your escapade into the woods? I trust she didn't rough you up too badly, yes?"

Daniel was leaning against the side of the life-boat, thinking about random things. If one was being realistic, they'd call him being lazy. But sometimes thinking can give you an idea worth having.

He waved as Vanyel came up. "How was your escapade into the woods? I trust she didn't rough you up too badly, yes?"

"She almost shot me, that's about it... She's kinda cute when she's feeling aggressive, what do you think?"

"Aye. And her mistress probably isn't that shabby either when so taken. Something about Drow women. It's getting dark soon. Wonder if we'll ever get some help down on this little rock?"

"Aye. And her mistress probably isn't that shabby either when so taken. Something about Drow women. It's getting dark soon. Wonder if we'll ever get some help down on this little rock?"

"Heh. I think it's parta their genetic makeup or something man... Good looking, smart, and dangerous as they are the first two. I honestly think that we're on our oiwn here though... On the upshot, we have enough people here for a viable colony in the short term..."

Ava looked up from her work to call to her Mistress briefly.

"Nind telanth 'zil ka nind talinth udos shlu'ta'naut nym'uer mina."

Myronia looked up from her stitching at her slightly irate servant. "Drill ol zhah ji jivvin. Ori'gato ol tlu."

Ava sighed, going back to working a groove into the stone for a proper axe handle.

Daniel refrained from saying 'Maybe for you humans.' Getting confrontational AND exposing delicate information wasn't something prudent to do.

"Colonizing this place would be a bad idea. There were mostly upper-eschelon No Endorse Clan Leaders onboard that craft. That group is quite inbred enough already, a colony would not help matters. Plus there are too many for our supplies and tools. The Drow appear to be making some, but food, water, and shelter are going to be real problems.

Unfortionatly, you might be right though. No Endorse is apparently in conflict and there's some argument over the next successor. We could be here a long time unless someone else picks up that beacon."

Daniel continued gazing over towards the woods, where many of the people were constructing makeshift shelters in case of storms.

Ava disappeared briefly, returning with her sled-contraption, bearing as much would as she could drag.

It would serve as fire fuel, useful when you were trying to construct tools.

Daniel refrained from saying 'Maybe for you humans.' Getting confrontational AND exposing delicate information wasn't something prudent to do.

"Colonizing this place would be a bad idea. There were mostly upper-eschelon No Endorse Clan Leaders onboard that craft. That group is quite inbred enough already, a colony would not help matters. Plus there are too many for our supplies and tools. The Drow appear to be making some, but food, water, and shelter are going to be real problems.

Unfortionatly, you might be right though. No Endorse is apparently in conflict and there's some argument over the next successor. We could be here a long time unless someone else picks up that beacon."

Daniel continued gazing over towards the woods, where many of the people were constructing makeshift shelters in case of storms.

"Well, pers'nally, I'm not too worried about the dirty inbred cusses here, I'm worried about the other two... Ava and Myronia are more important to this effort than any of the others, trust me..."

Daniel shook his head vigorously. "They are probably going to be the most productive and knowledgable of all this crowd, but we need these numbers to keep strong and to try to make a decent sized camp. Stregnth in numbers, even if most are dumber than a retarted stick with a lobotomy."

Daniel shook his head vigorously. "They are probably going to be the most productive and knowledgable of all this crowd, but we need these numbers to keep strong and to try to make a decent sized camp. Stregnth in numbers, even if most are dumber than a retarted stick with a lobotomy."

"Well, I am a firm believer of quality over quantity. And those two are some of the best quality we have here..."

"Aye." Daniel looked up at the sky, watching the sunset. "Not exactly how I thought I'd be spending my vacation. It's getting dark. We should get the others to bed down soon, tomorrow's going to be a long day.

"Aye." Daniel looked up at the sky, watching the sunset. "Not exactly how I thought I'd be spending my vacation. It's getting dark. We should get the others to bed down soon, tomorrow's going to be a long day.

"Yep, let's be about it..."

Daniel moved over to the pair of Drow, knowing they heard his approach long before he got there. "Hey, can you help me and Vanyel start feeding people and getting them down? Once they're down, you can get some sleep, he and I'll take guard for a few."

Daniel had pulled his disrupter from the pile of supplies, almost empty now. Never can be too careful.

They nodded, moving off to get people started winding down.

Daniel moved over to the pair of Drow, knowing they heard his approach long before he got there. "Hey, can you help me and Vanyel start feeding people and getting them down? Once they're down, you can get some sleep, he and I'll take guard for a few."

Daniel had pulled his disrupter from the pile of supplies, almost empty now. Never can be too careful.

Van followed Daniel over to the two Drow, but he stayed in the background, waiting to see what would be decided.

Daniel watched as the others drifted to sleep one by one. Hmm... four hours... hope not much happens

As the sun finally set, a muggy darkness descended over the area. Daniel began humming an ancient tune to himself, a song sung to calm the nerves and the senses. He and Van were on first watch, something he didn't really relish, but it was better than anyone else doing it.

Ava and Myronia curled up on a couple of the blankets Ava had seen fit to pack and went to sleep. They'd get up in four hours to take their watch.

Daniel watched as the others drifted to sleep one by one. Hmm... four hours... hope not much happens

As the sun finally set, a muggy darkness descended over the area. Daniel began humming an ancient tune to himself, a song sung to calm the nerves and the senses. He and Van were on first watch, something he didn't really relish, but it was better than anyone else doing it.

Vanyel sat in the heat, waiting for either the watch to pass, or for something to happen. Hopefully, it'd be "the watch to pass", something happening would be bad...

Nothing happened. Daniel spent most of the time fidgeting with his disrupter, cleaning it as best he could from the smoke and sand. He regularly got up and made a small circle of the camp, from the sea to the forest. There was nothing, the silence was almost unnerving.

He started whistling again, using pitches normal humans could probably never hit. The tune wound around with the wind and surf, calming the senses. Nothing.

His hands shook occassionally. But it was not fear, it was anticipation. Still nothing. And as the end of the four hours neared, the anticipation began to fall.

"Vanyel." His words hung emptily in the silence. "Van, it's been about four hours. Let's find the Drow."

Nothing happened. Daniel spent most of the time fidgeting with his disrupter, cleaning it as best he could from the smoke and sand. He regularly got up and made a small circle of the camp, from the sea to the forest. There was nothing, the silence was almost unnerving.

He started whistling again, using pitches normal humans could probably never hit. The tune wound around with the wind and surf, calming the senses. Nothing.

His hands shook occassionally. But it was not fear, it was anticipation. Still nothing. And as the end of the four hours neared, the anticipation began to fall.

"Vanyel." His words hung emptily in the silence. "Van, it's been about four hours. Let's find the Drow."

"Alright... I'll getAva, you get Myronia..." Van headed to where the Drow had bedded down, and tried to avoid startling either ofthem...

The Drow were already awake, waiting for the right hour to relieve the other two.

Ava was checking her weapons...Myronia had none, but that shouldn't matter.

Ava looked up as Vanyel approached, able to recognize him as himself by her perception of heat as light.

"You two tired already? All right."

Ava stood, helping her mistress to her feet.

"Then get some sleep."

Daniel moved towards where Myronia slept, aware that she was already up. Handing her the rifle, he stretched his back.

"Tag, you're it. I hope you don't have to use it, but if you do, make it count. She won't shoot but twenty yards, but if you hit, you'll know it. No recoil, so don't be afraid of that. Too quiet out there" He pointed to the woods. "No sound at all."

Daniel started to move away, looking for a comfortable hollow to lay up in. He eventually found one very near to the camp, dropping to sleep almost immediatly.

"Ava, you're up on watch..." Vanyel knew she'd get up, so he headed off to sleep, setting a minor Alarm before he went.

The two Drow went on watch, keeping quiet, keeping aware.

Drow eyes see better than human eyes, in the dark, and Drow ears hear better than human ears.

If there was anything wrong, they'd know it long before the humans would have.

A dark shape moved through the woods. It had been watching the area for some time, observing the movements of this new herd of beings from the sky.

Its brain could not comprehend these new beings. It could not comprehend their strange nest they had placed on the beach. But it was hungry, and these beings were ripe for eating.

It wove its way deep into the woods, but not so deep as to interfere with his larger neighbor's turf, and then far down the coast. It decided to swim along the shoreline to sneak up on its prey.

Finally, it reached the shore near the pod. It sprinted at the Drow at top speed, its four long legs making it a blurr to the eye. Powerful jaws gaped, its claws ripe for tearing.

Food. Kill. Eat.

Duck, dodge, weave in between the dunes. It was silent but fast, coming closer at a speed unimaginable, foam spewing from its mouth.

Myronia stood, frozen. This was new, and her reaction was predictable...watch your death come toward you.

"Ava..."

The other Drow already had an arrow nocked and a target point selected. She released the arrow, sending it straight at the beast.

More arrows sang through the air as she shot at it again.

Myronia had meanwhile dodged out of its path and regained her ability to act, shooting at the beast with the disrupter.

Van couldn't help but notice the silent alarm going off in the back of his head... "Daniel, wake up... There's something out there..."

The beast felt an arrow pierce its right front thigh. Detecting more arrows singing through the air, it rolled to the right. The disrupter beam soared over its back, startling it into an all-out sprint to cover. Pausing in a low point, it tore the arrow out with its teeth and continued on. This time circling around, it attacked from another angle, bearing down on the hurler of sharpened sticks.

==================================

Daniel awoke to see a huge furred shape tear over his hollow, bearing down on Ava. "DAMN! AVA! INCOMING!" He clambered up, sprinting for the pile of supplies. Maybe he could find the other disrupter before it was too late.

Ava nocked another arrow with the cool collectedness she always seemed to have.

As the beast charged at her, she aimed for the spot right between its eyes, and let the arrow fly.

The arrow should reach the beast before its momentum allowed it to move...and if it didn't...three more arrows came following it, one aimed at each eye and the other headed for the center of the chest.

She'd have sent another, but as she reached back, she found that she was out of arrows.

"Shu," she muttered under her breath, watching to see what happened.

Myronia, meanwhile, tracked the beast with her disruptor, preparing to fire it again.

The beast felt like its head had exploded. Two more shots took out its eyes, plunging deep into the brain. This sudden and sharp pain caused it to stumble, the final arrow whizzing over its head.

But blind and injured it may be, its blood was up. It would kill anything it could touch, a killing machine switched into overdrive.

It continued on what it thought was the same direction it had been heading, smelling the scent of strange creatures, hearing their now awakened screams. The sensation drove it into insanity, it charged headlong down the beach, missing Ava by several feet.

Hearing her utter something, it made as if to curve around and strike from another angle. However, it could not see the lifeboat looming in front of it. It his the craft at full run, rocking the craft and denting the hull slightly.

The animal fell back for a moment, stunned, bare inches from the pile of supplies.

Daniel abruptly stopped, several yards from it, holding as still as he possibly could. You've... got... to.. be.. kidding... me!

Ava wasn't put off by the raging killing machine...if she didn't act...now...someone would die.

She pulled her knife -- her only remaining weapon -- from her boot, running and then jumping, landing on the creature's side as she plunged the knife down into its throat.

Blood. The creature felt its warm, sticky feelign all over its front. It felt its head dripping, its throat torn. There was nothing left for it. A strange calm tried to enter its head. It swatted at its opponet with claws still built for tearing, but the damage was done. Knocking its opponet off was almost worthless now, a move done soley by primative instinct.

As it stood towering over its killer, the red stream became a torrent. As it poised for a killing blow, it started to relax, sinking down to the ground, the last ragged breath signaling its end.



Daniel rushed over to Ava, seeing if she was hurt.

Ava scuttled backwards as the creature started to sink.

Blood covered her...hair, hands, clothing...but none of the blood was her own.

Myronia had rushed over as well, and was speaking to her in a rush of Drow.

Ava, for once, had had her calm shaken. She was trembling slightly, and her breath came a little raggedly.

"Vrine'winith...I'm fine. I...have axes to make."

She rose, almost as though from a dream, heading back to continue working with her axes.

Vanyel finally reached them after the creature was dead... "What the hell isthat thing? Some kind of mammalian predator analog? I mean... Geeze..."

Myronia started pulling the arrows from the beast.

"Obviously, it is one of the native predators of this place...although it attacked from the water...so I would suppose there's something even less pleasant in the forest. We need to get the carcass out of here before whatever it is that lives in there smells blood and comes to investigate."

Daniel waylayed Ava. "Woah there. Sit down for a second. Catch your breath. That was quite traumatic, take it easy. I'll help finish the middle night watch with Myronia, and Vanyel can help her with the last part of the night watch.

Hang here, I'll get you something to drink." There was a large crowd gathered around now, no one remained sleeping. "Someone grab some water, everyone else to bed. On the beach this time."

This screams shock all over. Shock right now, but it could get to PTSD if she keeps pushing....

Ava paused, straightening and focusing.

"I am fine. Get back to sleep. Myronia is right...the beast must be moved, but we can accomplish that."

There it was...the same unshakable cold...the same perfect poise, covered in blood as she was.

"Aside from that...the dawn is near."

Ava paused, straightening and focusing.

"I am fine. Get back to sleep. Myronia is right...the beast must be moved, but we can accomplish that."

There it was...the same unshakable cold...the same perfect poise, covered in blood as she was.

"Aside from that...the dawn is near."

"Ava, let me help you gt cleaned up..." Van ,made a vague motion, and the blood on her clothing began to simply disappear, one foot at a time.

Daniel was quite surprised by her quick recovery.

I'll have to watch this one.

"Note to self, don't make Drow mad." He muttered. He called out to the group. "Everyone still awake, let's get this carcass into the sea and then hit the hay." The creature proved to weigh quite a bit, far too much for one person, but many hands made it light work. It was not too long until it was a good distance towards the sea.

"What are you doing?" called out Myronia, taking charge for a moment.

"There are so many uses that can be put to to just throw away...and besides, if you just toss it out to sea, it'll be washed back up by the high tide."

Meanwhile, Ava nodded to Vanyel. It was good to not have to be covered in blood.

"What are you doing?" called out Myronia, taking charge for a moment.

"There are so many uses that can be put to to just throw away...and besides, if you just toss it out to sea, it'll be washed back up by the high tide."

Meanwhile, Ava nodded to Vanyel. It was good to not have to be covered in blood.

"You're welcome ma'am."

"What are you doing?" called out Myronia, taking charge for a moment.

"There are so many uses that can be put to to just throw away...and besides, if you just toss it out to sea, it'll be washed back up by the high tide."

"Yeah," he called back. "But it reeks to high heaven. Everything within a good radius will smell its blood if we try to use it unless deal with it in the surf. If we intend to use anything, then we need to extract the parts here, wash em, bury em in the sand to dry, and send the rest of it to the fish."

"All right. Is there a large knife or machete handy?"

Myronia wasn't joking. She intended to carve it up.

Ava went to join her. "We can probably use most of it...just need to get rid of the pelt and the entrails. Other things can be used for fish bait, if I can ever get axes made and we can make a raft, and then there are other uses for bone, sinew, and especially teeth and claws."

"Hold guys! Let's let them get what they need. Myronia, Ava's the one with the knife. I didn't bring one, and odds aren't good that the lifeboat's survival gear has one."

Ava held up her five-inch knife, offering it to her mistress.

Myronia sighed. "This is going to take a lot of work. We should get this down wind of the camp before we begin."

Ava held up her five-inch knife, offering it to her mistress.

Myronia sighed. "This is going to take a lot of work. We should get this down wind of the camp before we begin."

"I'm sure I've got something that can help... Lemme check my notes as to what I've been able to do before, and I'll see what we can pull off."

It took very little time to get the creature downwind of the camp. In the growing light of dawn, they could start to see it better. Larger than a man, its legs were long and its sholders broad. Razor claws and teeth, this was obviously a powerful creature.

However, the most disconcerting part was its gaunt look. Its ribs were quite visible, suggesting that it was starving. Daniel examined a huge claw, feeling the thin skin of the legs. "This one was hungry. I never want to see one that's had enough nutrition."

Myronia bent down, lifting up the creature's chin and slicing through the flesh.

"That will make it all the easier to skin...not that it's ever an easy job, with a beast this big."

"I think this would be easier than using that tiny knife..." Vanyel held up a relatively large dagger that he had not been holding moments ago.

Ava had cleaned what arrows she had gathered, and was standing guard.

"Then you can join her in butchering the beast."

Ava had cleaned what arrows she had gathered, and was standing guard.

"Then you can join her in butchering the beast."

"Fine." He hefted the dgger, and set about skinning the creature. He wasn't very good at it, but he could handle it.

"Cut in long straight lines, along where the skin is naturally thinner and weaker," directed Myronia.

Where she knew this, Vanyel probably didn't want to know.

Daniel examined the creature as they cut it apart.

"You said it came from the sea? That doesn't make any sense. This looks like a completly land animal, look at its build. Why should it attack from the sea? It's made for the forest."

Myronia finished slitting the animal open, releasing a stream of steaming entrails. She wrinkled her nose before looking at Daniel to explain.

"Maybe there's another, better-fed relative that lives in this particular forest...but that has no claim to the sea."

Daniel wrinkeld his nose in kind. "Wow that's some strong stuff! Yeah, I'd thought of that. Anyways, we'll need to keep a better watch around our camp from now on, doubly so if you're right. These things are a real threat, especially if that was a relatively weak one."

"That's why I want to get the axes made. Then we can chop down trees and make a more suitable shelter."

Ava stil held her bow with arrow nocked, but held groundward.

"We'd almost need a palisade to hold these things out. Maybe we could include the lifeboat in it too, like a Keep or something."

Daniel eyed the bow uneasily. "Where'd you learn to make one of those?"

"This? This, I had. But they aren't too hard to make. Part of the reason we're saving the sinew."

"We can make more of them? Great! Could you teach me how to use one?"

He still occasionally glanced at the nocked arrow, wondering why she didn't just put it up. She seems paranoid.

Ava nodded.

"I can. And I apologize if this seems pointless and upsets you...but it takes a full second to draw, nock, and aim...and less than half a second to aim, pull back, and release. Time is something that cannot be wasted."

Myronia, meanwhile, had carried the entrails to the cliff edge and tossed them off.

Daniel nodded at the remark, watching Myronia toss a pile of organs out to sea. "Ah, not so pointless anymore. While you were in the woods dod you see a good location for a camp? Or is this going to be the best we can get?"

"Best to be in the open if we're to be rescued...aside from that, I didn't see the marks of any large predators on the beach. I saw enough the the forest to make me wary."

"Beach it is then. Better to see approaching threats that way too." The sun was completly up by now, and they had almost finished with the creature.

"I'll grab a group and start trying to get some trees and see what we can fasion from them. It won't be pretty, but it'll be better than nothing."

"My axe is only halfway completed. We lack even a small hatchet otherwise, do we not?"

Daniel thought for a moment, feeling quite silly at overlooking such a cruicial point. "Well then... ah... we can get a crew working to rectify that problem, yes? Let's have, say... half a dozen working on axes and have someone rifling through the lifeboat's survival kit to see if there's a pair of chain saws or something. There should be at least one, they're cheap and light."



ooc: not the type of chainsaw with gasoline. The survival one.

Myronia was rubbing her hands together, trying to futilely get the blood off them before she started working again.

"Do you think they know how to make axes? They're pampered human nobility. They sit around all day ordering light sugar dishes and exotic alchoholic beverages. Never worked a day in their lives. In Kaymiril, if something bad happens, you go from noble to nothing. So we learn how to live without what we have."

"Heh, I started with nothing. I used Magick to get by. This planet is paradise compared to the Badlands of Tarsonis... I think that we could make a pallisade if we tried hard enough. For one, levitation makes moving things infinitely easier, for two, simply summoning a Wall of Stone, while difficult, and, since I lack the necessary focus, is liable to take many days, is a pretty decent solution."

Ava shook her head.

"The environment lacks enough stone. It's all sand and forest...and the rock there is chips away too easily. The wood is almost harder than the rock."

"Hang on a tic, I'll be back."

Daniel jogged over to the pile of supplies, now starting to take on a semi-organized shape. Sifting through several boxes of supplies and other items, he found what he was looking for and started headed back to the group.

He arrived back at the group with the chain saw coiled over his sholder. "Here we go. This is going to need a lot of effort to get anything done, but at least it's better than nothing. Something we can put those nobles up to, eh?"

The taskmasters doing the unskilled labor and the underdogs doing all the management. I love irony.

"Well, if it gets them started on something."

Myronia had gone back to trying to skin the beast.

"Well then... I guess Wall of Stone is out then, beautiful... I guess I'll just have to help you making the axes, cutting the trees, and setting things up then..." He didn't even realise what he'd let slip...

Daniel organized several small groups of people together, a job he actually relished. Several tried to protest, claiming noble authority.

He answered those with a laugh. "So you think that that thing those Drow killed will care whether or not you're a noble? Those two can take care of themselves and try to better the group. You're free to strike out on your own, but if you're here, you work for the group."

Very few kept arguing after that. Four people were in charge of the chain saw, rotating on and off in pairs. Another two went around, looking for suitable trees. Finally, four were in charge of preparing an area for the logs and preparing them for placement, pending something they could use to strip the branches and bark.

All in all it was an efficient system, so long as the chain saw kept together, and it wasn't long before the first tree was felled.

Heh, these people that once lorded over me so severely now work for me. So ironic, I love it. I must not fall to their fate though. He pitched in whever necessary, and few hitches arose.

"Well then... I guess Wall of Stone is out then, beautiful... I guess I'll just have to help you making the axes, cutting the trees, and setting things up then..." He didn't even realise what he'd let slip...
...and Ava ignored it.

"Then you should get back to work, instead of standing around talking."

...and Ava ignored it.

"Then you should get back to work, instead of standing around talking."

"Right..." Van got back to work butchering the beast. About halway through the job, his dagger disappeared on him...

Ava sighed and gave him an arrow.

"See if you can't pull its teeth...just the ones that might be good spear points."

Ava sighed and gave him an arrow.

"See if you can't pull its teeth...just the ones that might be good spear points."

Vanyel proceeded to ignore the arrow, using a little carefully applied acid to destroy the jaws, hopefully without damaging the teeth.

He was less than successful, the only teeth saved were the ones thickest coated by the remains of the beast's previous meals.

Acid and enamel.

Don't mix.

He was less than successful, the only teeth saved were the ones thickest coated by the remains of the beast's previous meals.

Acid and enamel.

Don't mix.

Conveniently for Van, the most massive tusks were coated in a thick quantity of plaque. He had lost almost all of the smaller teeth, but the largest were the ones best suited for making spears with anyway.

Except they curve, where the shorter ones don't.

Daniel made his way back over to the others, making sure everything was going alright. The harsh smell of acid made him pause, blinking several times before beginning.

"We've already felled a few. Not much, but enough to show that it's going to be quite a bit of work to get a true palisade going. How's this coming along?"

"Well, I lost most of the jaw, but, I managed to save the largest ones. And, with a little modification, I can make them effective for stabbing, or jabbing, or poking, or what have ye...." Vanyel gestured with the large teeth he was holding, and brandished a second dagger, once again appearing from nowhere...

Ava surpressed a sigh, not really trusting that this human mage knew what he was doing.

Myronia, meanwhile, started carefully pulling sinew out from the cat's muscles.

Ava was right to worry. Van had survived the Badlands of Tarsonins, yes, but he'd done it by using Magick for everything, weapons, tools, food. He had no idea how to truly deal with this, but using a spell to shape the teeth might help...

Ava saw Vanyel gathering up for a spell, and she snapped her arrow back into the quiver, and spun the bow, flicking the tooth he was holding up into the air.

"Never..." she opened her hand, letting the tooth drop into it.

"EVER do that again. Why don't you do something less potentially destructive...like spearing a piece of its meat, cooking it, and seeing if it's any good to eat."

Daniel just stood back and watched, not wanting to get involved in such an argument. He liked the sound of fire, but not enough for Vanyel to start one.

"I'll... I'll get a fire started with some of the excess stuff we have from the cutting. We might have a problem keeping this meat good though. Any thoughts?"

Myronia looked over her shoulder.

"IF it's any good, then we can smoke it until it's completely dry."

Ava saw Vanyel gathering up for a spell, and she snapped her arrow back into the quiver, and spun the bow, flicking the tooth he was holding up into the air.

"Never..." she opened her hand, letting the tooth drop into it.

"EVER do that again. Why don't you do something less potentially destructive...like spearing a piece of its meat, cooking it, and seeing if it's any good to eat."

"Wouldn't that require me to make a fire though?"

"You don't know me well, do you? Don't worry Ava, I won't burn down the forest. So long as the sand isn't flamable that is."

He trotted off back towards where stacks of loose wood had been growing. It didn't take long, soon there was a nice, small blaze going. It was rank, but quite hot. He had found a stone from somewhere and had it placed in the fire, so it would protect whatever was placed on it.

He left two in charge of it, keeping it alive and well, returning to the group. "We'll need to wait for it to make some good coals. Then we can stick stuff in there."