The Children of Earth

[Mosher]

Welcome to IOT, and thank you for joining my IOT.

Your signup looks great! It will be included with the next update.

 

[Ailedhoo]

To subject Harkenthorne Internationa from the Collective Coensus Conclave

The Conclave would be interested in good relations with Harkenthorne Internationa. Your arrival would bring much more potential trading partners for the Corporate Collective, along with your military support in ensuring order is uphold on this planet. As you may or may not aware we are currently in... not so friendly terms with Neureich Germania after they murdered the Alpha Welcoming Committee in what we call the Alpha Welcoming Atrocity. The murder of messengers has entered us into hostile relations with Neureich Germania and hence a necessity of us of the Conclave to improve our security protocol so we may avenge the Alpha Welcoming Committee. If you aid us we in turn will help you, especially with our access to the medical plant Aloe and our research capabilities.

Knowledge is the ultimate wealth for the Corporate Collective: would you agree to a exchange of knowledge between the Harkenthorne and the Free Conclave? We will look forward to potential trades and pacts with your most mighty power.

If you were to express hostility to Germania then that would be a welcomed bonus but it is optional in this most precious of stages for the development of the Conclave. Beginnings are the most delicate of times.

 

[gay_Aleks]

Night. Somewhere around five. Well, actually that's morning. But it does not matter.

What actually mattered was the messenger sent from the Assembly. He had one mission - to deliver a letter from the Assembly to Commander Mikhail Zebarev, who was, coincidentally, the brother of Anthony Zebarev, another explorer. Runs in the family, it seems.

Knock-knock. Grumbling coming from the nearby bedroom - nobody likes being woken up while sleeping in the middle of the night - or, as we established, morning.

"Goddamn it. It's the 22nd Century, couldn't you send it on my computer?!"
"No. That is secretive. You, Commander Zebarev, have the extraordinary honour of leading the first expedition of the Edge. In the name of science and the Edge, you will go to the end of the world."

To the ends of the world? Five in the morning, it seems was the time of the day when everyone goes either crazy or just crazy melodramatic. It seems like they finally are tired of having Mikhail to kick around. Well, such is life.

I took the note from the young guy who was probably about to explode or something. Considering that it was from the Assembly friendly peoples who also sent people to death in cold blood, it might as well be a rigged robot. He left, however, without exploding.

The note wasn't much better.

"You, Mikhail Zebarev, are honoured (Again, "honoured"! They really are sending me off to die.) to lead an expedition to the end of the world (Really, really determined to kill me. They should have asked.), where dangerous creatures and mighty mysteries (Oh, God. They'll never find my corpse.) are all awaiting for you (..and your tasty body, Mr. Commander.)!​

"Six more people (Finally. It seems I am not the sole receiver of the Assembly hate.) with ex-military past on Earth (Ah. I see. They want to guarantee I'm really, actually, dead.) will accompany you. Another person will come right along you. You'll be great friends! (The Assembly, sending friends? I'd rather put myself into the jaws of the rhino beetle myself!)​

"Please, at first chance, somewhere in 7 AM meet them on the city centre​

"Your brother, Anthony (Who also gets all the ladies, the bloody bastard.), had discovered a dense and dark forest (Yes, I have very fond memories of dense and dark forests from Earth. Is it not fun trying to survive in the taiga with only a butter knife?). There might be dangerous creatures that we want you to research. Bring us several bodies (I wonder if my ex-ex-military guys would work. One of the many questions I'll be unable to ask on account of being dead.)in good shape. And pick up several rhombus pictus or whatever that name was.​

"Good luck!"​

He took a deep breath. Dark thoughts have took him. How bad could it be, still? Eight people, one Mikhail Zebarev, six ex-military gals and guys who will go psycho five seconds after they leave, and a meddlesome civilian.

So, very bad.

He went to bed, knowingly that it might be the last time he spends in a relatively warm bed and comfortable mattress...

7 AM came. So did I. And so did they. Six people, so obviously ex-military, in sense that their employers were refined space dust as of this moment, not that they have quit the military. With these kinda people, of which I unfortunately am also part of, they first quit life as a whole, and then the Army.

On the furthest right, a woman, although on first glance she looked more like a man who doesn't hold scruples with what his attire is, so long as it's there, was standing. She had a handy shotgun. It looked more akin to an anti-tank gun, if I have to be fair, a relic of unfortunate past. Whatever it might be, it seemed strong, but probably had recoil stronger than either the user or the bullet itself.

"Well, you'd be Natasha "Mosher" Dmitrieva? Heard all kinds of..stories."
"Don't even think about it."
"What?"
"Um. You haven't heard?"
"About what?"
"Oh, for Christ's sake! He never met you before, and you're expecting that?" someone from the group said. The Medic. It seemed so obvious. There was a lot of blood on his coat, for starters.
"I guess you're right, Medvedev. Okay, no sentences containing the words "moshing me" or "mosher" or whatever equivalent. Otherwise, we'll be having.. problems."
"No, look. I am more interested into how the hell you managed to dig out an anti-tank gun. These things aren't used for the last 2 centuries!"
"Oh-ho-ho-ho! He's got you there, Tasha!" the Medic cheerfully said.
"Did.. did he just call my CS-2047 an anti-tank gun?!" she angrily said. "You won't live this expedition to tell the tale, fool!"
"It's okay, I already know that."

Then, I looked over to the Medic. He had a lot of blood around his coat. And he kept sharpening his scalpel, rather menacingly. All he needed to be a crazy scientist from those movies back on Earth was a creepy accent, and perhaps a sporadic mad laughter.

"So.. You must be the Medic. Natasha called you.. "Medvedev"? Is that your real name?"
"No. The absolute honour and excellence to be my real name would be Anatoliy. However, ha-ha, as life might have it, I was quartered in Kazakhstan. Fun place, save for that time when the Chinese attacked. Screaming "Bis(2-chloroethyl) sulfide ON THE HORIIZOON." got me blank looks. "ALSO KNOWN AS MUSTARD GAS!" made everyone run for the nearest house, and since then, the name Medvedev stuck. You know, from chemistry?"
"Yes, I see. What's the deal with Natasha?"
"Oh, don't mind her. Planet's gotten on her nerves."
"It has gotten on everyone's nerves, but we don't wave around guns and all!"

It seems he was going to say something, but suddenly a loud noise of a motor that spent too much time in the garage and neglectful owners have left it to rust interrupted any sensible attempt at talk. Once the dust settled, two figures appeared near the..what was it's name? Skippovich? Goddamn it.

One of the figures was tall. He had oil all over his clothes, and seemed to curse at everyone and everything for a good while. Then, once he settled down, he said

"Oh! You must be Mikhail Zebarev!"
"Finally, someone recognizing me!"
"I am your driver. And translator. Name's Semyon Sergevich."
"Translator of what?"
"Of my brother, the creature currently attempting to seize the attention of you and the world of the majestic beauty that is the MRV-NV-49. Ain't she a beauty?"
"Mobile Recon Vehicle-Navy Variant-49? I spent more time being shot inside it, and I don't like especially places where I get shot at constantly."
"Oh, but it was comfortable, no?"

I was going to answer something around the lines "Yes, but so is the coffin giving you eternal rest, no?!", but then my attention was finally caught by the creature, that according to Semyon, was his brother. Which was strange, as he was his polar opposite - jumping around, fitting through places probably not intended for humans, and generally, being energetic and not sparing his words describing the technical marvel in front of them.

"Look! Just simply look! It has rubberized super-tinted lineloeum tires!"
"He means that we won't need reserve ones."
"Really?"
"Unless you step on a nuke, no."
"But there's more! So much more! AI that can scan the local areas, using complicated neo-cybernetics and heurestics that are far more advanced than anything else!"
"He means it can identify a deer from a beast that can crawl inside and wear our skulls as a decoration."
"OK, why don't you tell your brother to peter down a bit? We need to get going.."
"Great. First Korea, now here. Again a slave to my brother's craziness. Come on, Dmitriy! Get in the vehicle and try not turning the AI into a malevolent omnicidal psychotic!"
"One mistake! One wrongdoing, and now I am branded as evil and untrustworthy."
"Truth to be told, you were such before. But now, everyone just thinks you're a bit sinister."
"Okay, now! Shut it up and get riding to the Assembly. We have someone to pick up. Or so the note said."

As he was about to take his seat, it grumbled.

"Not again. Again, someone sits on me. Such is my fate as a sniper. Nobody ever sees me."
"Oh, we should probably have told you about him. Mr. Mikhail, meet Mr. Minchev. He is a sniper who never sleeps, and shoots things in the face."
"Eyy.. Hello?"
"Hello."

And that was all. Hopefully, this endless charade was going to end. But one more person remained, and that was the civilian. Houses flew by, so did trees. They soon arrived at the Assembly.

"Ahh..You're here!"
"Meet your newest member!"
"Hi, I'm Sasha Ridzki! Artist of Edge. Assembly members said I should come with you and paint the beautiful surroundings!"

All I and my unfortunate conspirators could do is to stare with an open mouth.

"Oh, why's the long faces?"
"I'm sure you'll like me! I am friendly and I think you are too!"

We nodded along. I was doing the silent calculation every leader should do, or "how much time until blood starts dripping off the walls?". In this case, there'll be no need for dripping, as the walls will be splendidly pained in bloody-red before we even reach our goal. Sigh. They really wanted to be sure, huh.

But an order is an order. Once everyone got ready, they went on. The Edge comes to visit the Edge of the World.

 

[Zappericus]

To: The Collective Coensus Conclave
From: Harkenthorne International

Council,

The corporation is humbled by your interests in seeking a prosperous relationship. however, it is not in the principle of business to lend without sufficient gain.

Harkenthorne is not a charity, and while it is regrettable that such hostilities exist here in the new world, it will not be prosperous nor in the company's best interests if it is to proceed with spending its services without mutual, beneficial profit. therefore, the directorate board and executive staff has brought up a purchase charter regarding the requirements deemed appropriate for the services you seek from us.

- Military support & armed offensive against offending party: Neureich Germania
* Purchase will include all viable military assets at Harkenthorne International's disposal.

For an active conflict against the offending party, Harkenthorne Internation will require the following in sufficient exchange: (3 EconPoints + 2 AgriPoints + 1 MediPoint support-payment from CCC per 5 MiliPoints exchange-contribution from Harkenthorne over the timespan of a ten-year contract period)

We will be expecting to hear from you shortly.

With Regards,
William Harkenthorne, CEO

 

[Calgori]

To: Harkenthorne International
From: Kamigawa Corporation

Welcome to New-Earth,

Our corporation offers our industrial infrastructures for mass-producing military supplies. Just give us a blueprint and you'll see it done. No matter the cost, quantity or complexity.
Also, we have a complete line of military products that is constantly updating.

Kamigawa Corporation,
Going higher for our customers.

 

[Ailedhoo]

To: The Collective Coensus Conclave
From: Harkenthorne International

Council,

The corporation is humbled by your interests in seeking a prosperous relationship. however, it is not in the principle of business to lend without sufficient gain.

Harkenthorne is not a charity, and while it is regrettable that such hostilities exist here in the new world, it will not be prosperous nor in the company's best interests if it is to proceed with spending its services without mutual, beneficial profit. therefore, the directorate board and executive staff has brought up a purchase charter regarding the requirements deemed appropriate for the services you seek from us.

- Military support & armed offensive against offending party: Neureich Germania
* Purchase will include all viable military assets at Harkenthorne International's disposal.

For an active conflict against the offending party, Harkenthorne Internation will require the following in sufficient exchange: (3 EconPoints + 2 AgriPoints + 1 MediPoint support-payment from CCC per 5 MiliPoints exchange-contribution from Harkenthorne over the timespan of a ten-year contract period)

We will be expecting to hear from you shortly.

With Regards,
William Harkenthorne, CEO

To subject Harkenthorne International from the Collective Coensus Conclave

The Conclave Council has reviewed your reply. We were... interested how you focused on the military side of our deals. We at this time require moral assistance in the form of denouncing the offending party, while having trade relations established so we can commence increased industrialization. We expected no charity but we did expect at least a denouncement of the murderers of traders and diplomats that is Neureich Germania. Still we are patient and prepared in the next session of years to review your offer of military services for payment. Your support and aggression against Neureich Germania would be most welcomed: hence in the next coming year we will accept your offer.

Yourself William Harkenthorne will a interesting figure to consult as a trading partner to the Collective. We are prepared to offer you access to the medical plant Aloe and other services for your military supplies but will need to consult a review before committing to either simple arms access or accept your price to join our confrontation with a security threat. The latter will be the most likely desire of the Council.

Overall our protocol will be to keep your offer on the table but to first wait till we have received a update regarding the security force we have set to acquire the lone survivor of the Alpha Welcoming Atrocity. When we acquire this survivor will be complete a assessment of our current strength, including our own weapons developments, then we will give you a conclusive answer to your offer. In the mean time we will accept to grand you the medical and agricultural requests from you as a means beginning the new term of activities. Trading agricultural goods may increase our farming industrialization on this planet as we seek a effort to meet demands. A army cannot march on a empty stomach so your offer will be regarded as a benefit to both our entities.

The long term gain from both a military corporate entity and the knowledge bounded Corporate Collective can only be grand. Our long term commitments will aid. Your offer will likely be accepted in the review process but we must also have opportunity to check on which areas of security protocol we are... in need of the more urgent assistance. When we have reviewed we will able to focus on what we need mostly from your military industrial complex. We look forward to conduct trading operations with not just a potential trade partner but (as judged by your offer against Germania) a war time ally.

The Conclave Council has spoken. We are as a entity committed to see fruitful relations between both our corporate collectives.

The CCC will green light the deal after the update.

 

[Decamper]

Hopefully this is all okay.

MitsuBo Heavy Industries
Also known as MBHI, Mitsu-B, Mitsubishi-Boeing

Spoiler claims :

Country of Origin
- Being the love child of two multinational corporations, MBHI is comprised of individuals and practices from across the old world, though it still bears some traces of its American/Japanese heritage.

Government: Corporate Commitee
Mitsu-B Heavy Industries is nominally run by the currently presiding President Pallav Doshi, his actions are mostly controlled by the largely unchanging board of directors.

• MBHI Corporate: The primary administration and management arm of MBHI, Corporate has taken the roles of a standard government bureaucracy, though there are numerous difficulties in this adaption.
  
• MBHI Production: As one of the two main purposes of the MBHI orbital station was for aerospace industrial production, the factory managers, specialists and workers play a large role in the political sphere.
  
• MBHI R&D: The second purpose of the MBHI orbital station was for research and development, utilizing advance labs too take advantage of the zero-g environment. Research was not constricted to only aerospace development, with the station essentially fielding a fully staffed research university, offering grants to promising scientists and researchers.
  
• MBHI Private Security: While the armed security of MBHI is only a small and lightly armed in-house private security team, they are the only ones with fire power in the new colony, and therefore its commander does hold some sway in political matters.
  
• Non-Specialist Employees: Those who worked on the orbital station, or bought their way on in the last few months as earth burned, the non-specialists find themselves taking on the lion’s share of manual labour in the new colony. They number far fewer than the corporate, production and R&D branches, despite being responsible for the daily operations that keep the colony alive.

Equipment

• Highly specialized industrial production and research equipment, though primarily specialized for aerospace technology.
• Highly automated facilities. Most daily operations are run by robots and computers. Small drones are plentiful, though of little use outside of man-made compounds.

Sliders

• Industry: 20 – Mitsu-B Heavy Industries lives up to its name, its automated factories were top of the line when the old world ended.
• Agriculture: 3 – The corporate goal had nothing at all to do with agriculture, and any skill is simply a byproduct of related research, production capabilities, or knowledge from the few refugees who managed to gain access to the orbital station.
• Cultural: 2 – MBHI is a massive conglomerate, and is corporate through and through. Culture was not on the business plan.
• Military: 2 – While well trained, the private security force is very small and lightly armed.
• Medical: 5 – Medical facilities are painfully average, though assisted somewhat by a number of medical experts from the university.
• Scientific: 15 – the orbital station’s labs were highly advanced, and scientists and students were part of a private research university housed on the station.[/B]
• Luxuries: 3 – MBHI was not focused on luxuries, and the orbital station was foremost a workplace, and not home to many permanent residents.
• Economic: 15 – MBHI was the largest aerospace conglomerate in the old world, and while earth currencies may not be worth much, the business expertise of the Corporate branch is still top-notch.
• Population: 3 – The MBHI orbital station was largely automated, and held few permanent residents.

Unique Technology

• Automated Replicator Factories – the MBHI orbital station contained some of the most advanced factories from the old world, which have been reconstructed on the new planet’s surface. Fully automated, the factories require no floor level workers, and only a handful of technicians incase self-repairing functions malfunction. Utilising molecular level assemblers, the factories can use the most basic of natural resources to produce highly advanced materials.
• Schematics, prototypes, and prefabs – MBHI was primarily an aerospace developer and producer, and so has a massive database of prototypes and prefabs for both planet-atmosphere and space based craft.

Military
The private security branch of MBHI is very small and primarily equipped with only small arms. They are well trained and professional, and are individually well experienced, but the unit as a whole has rarely seen combat together.

Traits
Positive:

• Old World Corporate Structure – Once the leading force in the aerospace industry, MBHI has extensive experience of the corporate and financial world, and therefore has substantial administrative and economic expertise.
• Industrial Powerhouse – The MBHI orbital station was for the most part a massive factory, and so the same goes for the newly founded colony.
• Competitive Researchers – The orbital station housed an advanced R&D department, including a fully outfitted in-house research university, all of which was geared towards beating the competition in innovative new designs and technology.

Negative:

• Overly Specialised – MBHI is mostly comprised of highly educated experts, for the most part specializing in management, technology, or research. This leaves only a comparatively small number of average employees to do the grunt work of farming or maintaining basic utilities and infrastructure.
• Corporate Culture – The culture is white-washed, utilitarian prefabs. Buildings are identical, art is bought in bulk, and uniforms range in less than a dozen colours. The only unifying culture is the lack of culture.
• Unprepared – The orbital station was not prepared for the new world, and so lacks many basic capabilities of a fledgling colony.

 

[gay_Aleks]

Silence. This is the word that could be used to describe the atmosphere that was ruling over the Skippovich. Although, I'd use something more dramatic: a bloody honest-to-God graveyard, with skeletons and zombies and the occasional swamp gas. But that'd be too dramatic. So let's go with "really, really silent".

The reason was, first, the civilian lady in the back compartment who was doing art. Painting or something. Much inspiration, but apparently - much silence was required. Of course, someone might say that this is the most incompatible squad in the history of whatsoever, and that if this is an assassin squad, they probably lie silent until the victim takes his life. Then, they throw him out for the beasts to feast upon his shambling remains, as he rolls out like a ragdoll on the road.

"I've witnessed Siberian midnights louder than this coffin on wheels." said Mr. Minchev
"Hey, it might be a coffin, but it's a comfortable coffin! You get drinks, food and warm lounging. How many coffins do you think have this kind of luxuries?" said Semyon
"Virtually all of them, when you think about it."

Or maybe not. They can talk, after all! Or at least, utter words. It wasn't easy, but it happens, apparently.

SCREE. A sound of electricity and organic screams pierced th- Okay, that doctor is insane. Legit insane. I won't use pretty words.

He tried to turn a sausage alive. That's strange. The point of a sausage is to be dead. It shouldn't be alive. Why would you even want that?

"What the hell is wrong with you, Medvedev?"
"Boredom. And lack of alien specimens. All I have this sausage, which, actually might be a bit alien. That farmer didn't really tell me where it came from."
"It had a strange taste. Strange meat, really."
"We can't presume the worst, can we..?"
"Our food supplier has a basement full of.. strange meat?"
"Does that mean we can resurrect the critter required for this strange meat, and let it breed?"
"I believe the critter is already breeding plentifully."
"Please..?"
"Absolutely not."

That was strange. Did he just want to pulverize human skin with 20 V so that he could resurrect it? God, I hope there won't be any major injuries.

All of a sudden, a loud CLANK sound, yes, clank, lo and God, I heard the sound exactly as I transcribe it here in my very mind.

"What was that!"
"Oh, well, it might seem we have some roadkill on our frontshield!"

And indeed, some sort of a furry beast was splattered on the front window. Anatoliy, with all of his unfortunate enthusiasm brought up a bunch of tools which definitely aren't used for first-aid, and more like a butcher's tools. A dissection most likely was about to follow.

But it seemed that it was not dead. Things in this place have a disheartening desire not to die properly. It was also a jumper - using it's two feet, it was about to lurch at poor Medvedev. While he was a very, very, very mad scientist, he was also our only Medic. And he was mad. I have no idea why they always go mad.

Whatever, I took out my lil' .44 Magnum to shoot the creature before his body turns into the bloodiest sausage this part of the planet, when suddenly, a sound, as if someone just fired a hugeass canon broke apart all my thoughts. Then, blood splatters. Maybe an organ or two. Some skin: too.

"Well, that reminds me of the times in Kazakhstan with the-"
"Shush, Medvedev. Nobody wants to hear how you survived an accidental nuclear discharge from actual, wow, no-way nuclear artillery!" Natasha cut him off
"But the ra-"
"No, your colon didn't suddenly get congested ever since. You'd be dead if that were the case. Besides, radiation would empty your colon, one way or another!"
"Eyy. Good shot there. But.. Next time, could you be so nice not to fire it right next to my ear?" I said.
"Buh-huh! Saved your life right there, now you're complaining? This beastie could rip your throat off!"
"I was going to shoot it with this beautiful .44 Magnum!"
"Hah, this lil' thingy? I bet it can't penetrate even a leather armour!"

Suddenly, a face came out of the rover. It was the arty-pansy lady. Sasha Ridzki. Strange, but now that I look at it, she's rather pretty. Like a shiny diamond that someone covered with dirt. I guess you shouldn't base off your conceptions for people while you're really angry and annoyed and paranoid your government is trying to kill you.

"Friends! Friends. Um, don't fight? Killing each other would mean you'd die horribly. We don't want that, do we?" she said.

Miraculously, instead of shooting down everything nearby in the worst possible shootout, everyone put down their guns. They felt guilty or something, or perhaps had some nefarious plans.

"Err.. Could you now pose a bit? To show the blood splatter and the heroes of the Edge defeating the creatures that are plaguing this planet?"

It is amazing the power one yields when they say "could you please pose?". Perhaps it tingled the little strings in the brains of certain people "my face and body will forever be memorised by the painter's brush". Or maybe "hey, look, I'm part of art!". Who knows, but the seven rowdy ex-military types who used to be bickering posed. Despite the fact if an on-looker came he'd probably laugh, because of the simply comical positions they had - Medvedev had made a seriously mad face as he was using a scalpel to identify the organs that remained, Natasha was making a face roughly in the type of "I killed this beast. I could kill you too.". Dmitriy, the engineer was fixing a tire that didn't need that. In the back, Semyon was on the driver's seat, smoking a cigarette and trying to be cool driver. A bush on the left was no one but the mighty Mr. Minchev, looking for... something. And me? I was holstering up the .44 Magnum up to my face, desperately hoping that I don't pull the trigger and blow up my face. Something that was well-reflected in the painting.

After the first sketches were done, we packed it up. Quietly, Sasha did her work in the back and we went on.

 

[gay_Aleks]

(OCC: Hope you don't mind this blatant double-post which isn't even that good.)

"Hey. Look over there."
"Is that a crater?"
"No, that must be the Ring."
"Looks denser than my brother Anthony described." said Mikhail.

Indeed, the forest was like a black spot in the distance, one that slowly grew as they got closer. It was dark, dense. And most importantly.

It was pine. Rather strange. One would expect a jungle. Filled with sounds of it's various inhabitants. Dangerous. Instead, there was silence, however, not the silence of a cemetery. No, it was the tense silence that hangs as a beast realises that it has fallen in a trap and any excessive moment might lead to premature death.

"I presume you can't drive through the trees."
"Depends. Do ya wanna go back home or not?"
"Sigh. OK, people! Gather up. Who wants to go with me on a daring adventure to find a road through?"
Of course, there would be silence.
"Nobody?"
"Well, what about exploring the rich specimens?"
"Oh, for God's sake, Medvedev. Your body will never be found. Unless, of course, I come with you.."
"That settles it! Medvedev, Natasha, come with me."
"Wait, why are you assuming leadership?"
"Didn't you get the memo?"
"I thought we're going to get court-martial'd."
"That would be exceedingly merciful from the Assembly. Oh, no. Well, basically, I am your commander, and theoretically should do our mission.."
"..which is?"
"Collect information about the planet. Survive. Don't die."
"That is lovingly vague. I've seen political platforms more clear."
"In other words, send us to die."
"Possibly. But imagine.. The heroes of the Edge, returning from the edge of the worl-"
"We're not even close to the equator! The only edge is your head, and it's blunt!"
"Eyy, guys. Let's not forget why we went out. You believe you were chosen to be killed. Instead, think of it as fate. As if only she can determine such a combination of people to be put in this kind of events. Instead of bickering, be cooperating! Don't fear yourselves and each other..fear the world."
"What my brother Dmitriy meant, is that due to insane luck, you'll either die here or live for a bit longer and then die. Again."
"That was a nice speech. Come on, let's go! If we hurry, maybe there won't be a second one!"

With much grumbling and noise, the three of us went into the forest.

"They'll never return, right brother?"
"Absolutely."
"I can still hear you!"

Man. That is one dark forest. Like, really dark. It is as if the sun went into hiding after the police came to arrest it for treason against the Almighty Darkness. It even has an effect on me, as I am getting more paranoid. Ha-ha, if I bite off their throats and then feed myself with their blood, and then stalk the forest, looking for unfortunate victims?

Then, I realised that blood is a poor nutrition source, and skin is too lofty. And human meat? Heard that thing tastes like chicken. After spending 3 months in the taiga, chicken is ruined for me. And so is everyone's face when they say "tastes like chicken". Maybe that's why I'm constantly sent on suicidal missions.

Because I'm a goddamned psychotic.

Weird. Why did I just think all of that? That forest really seems to get on my senses. Might be related to that mushroom I recently stepped on. Had funny smell.

"Hey, Mikhail. Are you seeing what I'm seeing?"
"I am seeing my face and all I see is a murderous psychopath."
"...So you aren't seeing a cavalcade of Cossacks on yellow elephants that explode in mushroom clouds as soon as they reach the skies?"
"No. No I am not. Are you considering how tasty human skin is?"
"I am only wondering why the Cossacks are screaming in Yiddish."

"Oh, no. They finally have snapped. One moment, and now they'll start shooting each other. There must be a logical explanation for that. Surely..but of course! Mushrooms!" thought Medvedev.

"Hey, hey hey! Purest extract perfume from human skin! Reveals the mysteries of the unknown!"

They turned to him, and while they were still bedazzled, he sprayed the antidote into their faces.

"What the hell are you thinking, Medvedev?!"
"Um, saving your lives from murdering each other. Brutally, considering the firepower you two have. It'd be nice if you avoid stepping on mushrooms. Seems like they have...curious effects."
"So, you mean I am not a psychotic cannibal looking for victims?"
"And there are yellow elephants being rode by Cossacks yelling in Yiddish?"
"Absolutely not."

Ahem. Well, that was odd. As odd as an accidental drug trip triggered by an alien mushroom can be, which in this case - a lot.

If there's any good thing about this forest, it's that it's cool. In comparison to the burning, scorching land that is the hills they just left behind, the forest was like a cool drink in midst of a hot July day. In other words, very, very well-placed and rather enjoyable. If only it wasn't also populated with terrifying creatures that had an excellent arsenal of teeth, nails, talons and other weapons Nature gave to it's folk to defend itself from foreign intruders like the humans. Sadly, that wasn't the case. Animals jumped around, more like flickering shadows that don't have much to do with the material of the living and closer to the shades that the ancients thought to inhabit Styx.

However, sometimes, only for a brief moment, sometimes the thingies just stopped. And stared at the three unfortunate explorers. Perhaps those were the worst. It seemed as if perhaps there's a glint of sentience in them. Maybe they'd get up and say "Hello, humans! Are thy of worth?". Sadly, this turned out to be a tactic - a look that made other critters thinking it'll be merciful only brought death. Which nearly happened to Mikhail, as he was shocked how.. human the eyes one of the beasts were? It had the normal, as far as one could use this word here, build for something created here. An abomination, or perhaps a piece of art that the mad scientist that is Nature created once more.

It was an inane combination, really. A kangaroo, and perhaps a beaver. It hopped around with insane speed. It paused.

"Hey, look at that!"
"What?!"
"That's a kangaroo."
"No, that's a beaver. Look at it's tail."
"HISSSS!"

That's when it jumped...and then, it exploded in a bloody mess. As if propelled by an unknown force, Mikhail blew over his gun. It's what you do in this kinda situations, you know? Even if you're in a dense forest filled with alien creatures on a hostile planet, you gotta have some style. Otherwise, all is lost.

"From where I come, we don't stand around gawking about creatures."

With that scene over, they went on. Unfortunately, slowly it was getting dark. Darker, actually, as it was rather dark already.

"We have to make camp. In this friendly place."
"Hey, look over there. A.. cave? Or a hole?"
"Well, it could serve as a good place to spend the night."
"And never awake again?"
"No. I hope I'll awake tomorrow."

Indeed, in the near distance a pitch black hole could be seen. It seemed.. strange. It wasn't natural. It seemed dug out.

"Oh...So the reports were true."
"What reports, Medvedev?"
"Something about tunnels. Holes in the grounds from which thousands of insects crawl out. I discarded them as foolish delusions..but this is interesting development."
"When a scientist says "interesting development", my skin crawls"
"Thank you for your vote of trust in human science! Enjoy your baths."

They entered the hole. It was dank. Fortunately, it wasn't a tunnel. Unfortunately, it was inhabited. Eggs were laid. Several young rhino beetles were found and shot.

"So, a dank hole underground filled with eggs. Great. If I awake tomorrow intact, next time we go to Bogoslovka, I'll spend a week or so in the church, cuz I sure do have some debts to pay to God."


TBC.

 

[Mosher]

Just to let you all know the update is coming; I work the remainder of this weekend, but I have Monday through Wednsday off that will be dedicated to completing the update.