Buster's Uncle
AC2 Owner
I can only take credit for what I actually did... CyberGod made those bases- and Network Node (or someone assocated) the alien- I only fiddled with the colors a bit.
[Creation] Beta Lyrae Mod
- Thread starter Darsnan
- Start date
Buster's Uncle
AC2 Owner
vyeh
Emperor
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And here are the Voracious bases in situ. Also note the Empathi Tachyon fighter - its Clean! I'm pretty gol-darn happy about getting the AIs to build a clean unit!
Thank you Buster's Uncle.jpg? How about thank you Darsnan?
That diplo screen looks great.
Congratulations to both of you. (Buster's Uncle does better when he gets Darsnan's feedback.)
The Voracious leaderhead is so awesome, I think I'll try it out as an avatar.
Buster's Uncle
AC2 Owner
See post #57.
I've got the faction over half done. If I had some guidance on the faction color I could have something posted pretty early.
Darsnan
Emperor
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You know what - I have come up absolutely dry on this. So lets run with this one.
D
Darsnan
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Buster's Uncle
AC2 Owner
...D, I was just looking at the last power graph in something you posted, and thinking about what color would fit in best. I've been using a green motif in the alt. Angels bases and logos, based on the green lettering in the background of the leaderhead. Green is right out for the faction color, though- it's already taken two or three times in BL. What I need is to get some sort of black to work.
I believe you're including the New Spartans- for them I wanted Spartan black, but had to settle for a lighter bluish-black because of the legibilty issue. I want to go for greenish-black for the (Node Hackers?), but that would be too much pseudo-black in one game. I think I should revisit the New Spartan faction color. There's a less-compelling reason for them to go blackish...
Very close to having something to post, though.
I believe you're including the New Spartans- for them I wanted Spartan black, but had to settle for a lighter bluish-black because of the legibilty issue. I want to go for greenish-black for the (Node Hackers?), but that would be too much pseudo-black in one game. I think I should revisit the New Spartan faction color. There's a less-compelling reason for them to go blackish...
Very close to having something to post, though.
Buster's Uncle
AC2 Owner
T've posted the alt. Data Angels, The Node Masters, in the alt. factions thread. I believe that makes a complete set.
D, please let me know how it looks for you in-game
D, please let me know how it looks for you in-game
Darsnan
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Darsnan
Emperor
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How the heck did you come up with that color scheme!?! That is very unique! Works quite well IMO.
Still wanna know how you came up with this idea....
D
Buster's Uncle
AC2 Owner
Sexymindworm said Microsoft to me, Psyringe said Nerd to me- and I said Japanese because minority representation is just the right thing to do in portrayals of the future. Also because Japan is, alas, a nation of nerds. It's in the first page of the alt. official thread.How the heck did you come up with that color scheme!?! That is very unique! Works quite well IMO.
Still wanna know how you came up with this idea....
D
As for the colors, see my latest post in More SMAniaC for the shot I worked from. By the time I'd made all the changes I made to switch gender and race, and processed the color of the portrait eenough to look painted, the faint background was gone. Naturally for a hacker faction, I thought of the Matrix numbers-dripping-across-black screen, which wasn't hard to find, and that furnished a color scheme to work with. It was right there in front of me, and I still didn't come up with the faction colors until late, as my posts show.
I take it the bright-green numbers against a black flag, Matrix-style looks pretty good? Or is it just the basenames like that?
Going to be offline during the day tomorrow, so this evening is time to get the New Spartans colors changed, if you can get back to me soon...
Darsnan
Emperor
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It is both. Looks good.
The Hive blue is available. Also the default Angel color is now also available. Other than that I don't know.
D
Buster's Uncle
AC2 Owner
I have the New Spartan file open. I'll have a look and post something shortly.
Buster's Uncle
AC2 Owner
Here- multiple choice; spartansB.pcx is with Data Angels' purplish color, C is a bright cyan, and D is Hive blue.
Let me know which one you like or if I need to try something else...
Let me know which one you like or if I need to try something else...
Buster's Uncle
AC2 Owner
...Probably much better than more blue anyway...
Darsnan
Emperor
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This is the backstory for the Authocthone (the remnants of the original Progenitor settlers on Beta Prime) and how they came to be after the Sentinel invasion of their planet.
Many thanx to Buster's Uncle for proof-reading and providing feedback.
Beta Prime, 30,000 years ago
They came over the ridge at sunrise: four wisps of shadow sliding silently into the valley, hot on the trail of their prey.
From the other end of the valley Commander HoorHen watched them through his missile launchers telescope. The weapons onboard computer told him he had a solid lock for a shot, but he had learned to distrust the device: too many times in the last few days it had been proven wrong. Instead HoorHen did what he had been doing since surviving the first days battle: he moved in the opposite direction, back to where his few remaining troops had clustered at the far end of the valley. As he came to their small encampment he looked at what remained of his command: barely enough for a squad anymore, they lay collapsed about the area, exhaustion and defeat evident in their postures. HoorHen purposely sought out his medic who was tending two badly injured comrades: the wounded soldiers had received a direct hit during their last encounter with the enemy. Whatever the weapon was the enemy employed, it left horrible injuries even to those employing resonance shields. To those not employing shields, well they just seemed to cease to exist. HoorHen studied the two injured soldiers while the medic tended them, will we be able to move them?, he asked hopefully.
The medic didnt even bother to turn in responding: instead she seemed to wilt, her rill horns folding in dejection, so they have found us again, she said, the resignation clear in her voice.
Yes, they have found us again, HoorHen agreed. No matter how he had tried to lose the enemy, they had always picked up the scent of his team again, their pursuit relentless. And they would be here soon, can we move them?, he persisted.
One of the soldiers responded, we cannot move at the necessary speed: we would only slow you down.
HoorHen had known this, but he hadnt wanted to leave his soldiers behind. Conflict warbled within him, to the point where his personal resonance field faltered in response.
The other injured soldier sensed this, please leave us your missile launcher. It will give us the best chance.
HoorHen had been contemplating doing just that: the device hadnt been useless, but considering its weight during the prolonged march versus its relative ineffectiveness against the creatures, he was glad at the chance to surrender it. It is yours HoorHen agreed, handing over the launcher and his satchel of missiles.
The soldier grunted in reply, as he and the other injured soldier forced themselves to their feet. HoorHen and the medic assisted them, moving them to locations which oversaw the path that the creatures would presumably come.
HoorHen turned to the rest of his squad, it is time to go. The others, fatigue deeply etched in their faces and their tusks drooping, struggled to their feet and began moving down the trail. HoorHen now realized that his efforts the last few days at losing the enemy had only exhausted his troops. The enemy creatures, whatever they were, had exceptional tracking abilities, and his only hope now seemed to be to reach a nearby settlement, or encounter reinforcements. The latter he had little hope in: since the first days battle his troops hadnt encountered another living Progenitor. And the battlenet, a recently installed network of communications/ observation satellites, had been silent since that first fateful encounter as well. No, this was going to turn into a mad dash for the nearest settlement, a race that he wasnt sure his people would win.
Their primary star had barely moved a quarter the way up its arc when he heard in the distance the first report from his missile launcher, followed by the concussion of its missile. Almost immediately the other soldiers resonance laser opened up, repeatedly firing. A second missile was launched, then a third, and then there was a horrible explosion, followed by a small lull. The resonance laser opened up again, continued sporadically for a few more seconds, then it too stopped. In the following silence he noted the pace of his fellow soldiers pick up: the pursuit was on once again.
The sun had reached its peak when they encountered the field of xenoflora: a week ago on their way out to engage the enemy there had been a vast sprawling hydroponics facility at this location, but of that there remained no trace. In its place the strange golden plants had spread rapidly, covering a vast swath from horizon to horizon. In the distance HoorHen could see their path resume: if they were to continue on the path, HoorHen and his squad would have to traverse the alien moss-covered terrain. However from bitter experience HoorHen and his surviving squad mates also knew the enemy were almost completely invisible to detection in these regions, and were lethally fast. When the lead scout hesitated at entering the xenoflora, HoorHen stepped up, I will lead. He moved forward, and into the xenoflora. While still relatively new to the experience, HoorHen had learned to discern subtle differences in the alien topology: there were obviously several different types of xenoplants, and viewing the field in front of him he was able to choose the easiest path moving forward. He motioned the others to follow him.
HoorHen and his team were just over halfway through the xenoflora when the first hints they were not alone surfaced: in the distance a rustling was heard, as if something large were moving at rapid speed through the alien undergrowth. HoorHen motioned his people forward, urging them to greater speed: they needed to clear the xenoflora field if they were to have any chance at all. They moved up a small hillock and HoorHen chanced a look over his shoulder: in the distance he could just barely make out that which pursued them. Now, instead of the four units which he had spied at sunrise, there were only three, and one of those was obviously injured. However as he watched the unit seemed to be healing itself, as if it were re-growing as it moved! HoorHen cursed himself for staring too long. Just ahead the xenoflora patch ended and their path resumed. They were almost there! HoorHen helped the last of his squad mates up the hillock and started at a trot down the other side, we need to clear the xenoflora now!, he barked, physically pushing the soldier in front of him forward. The rustling behind was getting louder, but just up ahead he could see daylight through the last of the xenoflora! HoorHen began to run faster. The others, sensing his urgency, also picked up their pace. In the near-panic flight one of the soldiers dropped her weapon. Leave it!, HoorHen commanded, and the soldier ran on.
HoorHen cleared the last of the xenoflora and spun around. He started firing his resonance laser back into the xenoflora towards where he thought the alien units were: whether it did any good or not, he wasnt sure. Others of his squad burst through the xenoflora elsewhere and began adding to his fire. Just as he thought they were making a difference the alien weapons opened up: the medic immediately went down, screaming in agony as her body was torn apart by the alien weapons. HoorHen cursed: the medic had carried all of their regeneration equipment, as well as a secondary set of sensor equipment. And HoorHen knew as soon as the aliens were done with the medic, they would turn their weapons on the next person in line the soldier who had dropped her weapon. Scatter!, HoorHen commanded, and the firefight ended as the Progenitors disengaged, the six remaining members running in their own pre-determined directions away from the xenoflora.
The sun was halfway down to the horizon when HoorHen gained the high ground he had spied earlier in the day. He collapsed at the edge of the precipice and pulled out his binoculars. Looking back over the path he had come, he started scanning from side to side, using the binoculars built-in computer to locate the other members of his squad. After several scans he was now only able to locate five members of his squad, one of those being the unarmed soldier who had lost her gear in the xenoflora. So make that four effectives, including himself.
HoorHen took stock of his situation: the five other members of his squad were still dispersing, still moving away in different directions. HoorHen switched scanner modes on his binoculars so that he could track the enemy units: now he saw superimposed on his display the three alien units. HoorHen saw that these units were ignoring the unarmed soldier, and were in hot pursuit of the other three remaining armed soldiers. Even as HoorHen continued to scan, another member of his squad disappeared off his binocular scanner. HoorHen zoomed in on this location: because the enemy unit was outside the xenoflora, he could clearly make it out hovering over the body of his fallen comrade. As HoorHen continued to watch, the alien unit seemed to receive new orders: it pivoted in place, and then started moving, directly towards him!
HoorHen threw down the binoculars they werent going to do him any good anymore. He turned and ran down the precipice, onwards towards the settlement from which his expedition had started out from only a week earlier. He spoke into his commo gear, own way. I repeat: own way. Everyone was now on their own: whether they made it back to Home: Hearth was now solely up to them.
The local star was now starting to set, and HoorHen knew he wouldnt make the settlement before the alien units caught up to him. He had caught glimpses of them in the distance: for the most part they didnt seem to be moving too much faster than he: however in the intermittent patches of xenoflora they gained ground on him. He also noted that all three units were now in pursuit of him.
HoorHen was reaching the end of his energy limits: his personal resonance field had collapsed earlier due to fatigue, and even though he had shed most of his gear, he was still slowing down, and it was only a matter of time before the enemy units overtook him. All that was left was his resonance rifle, and that would not save him against three of the enemy units. HoorHen moved on, but his mind was now shifting focus: he knew that he would not reach the safety of the nearest settlement before the enemy overtook him. Nor did he want to lead the enemy back to his home. As he ran on HoorHen began fumbling with his resonance laser, changing the settings: the weapon was designed around a power source, and while there were safeguards in place to prevent the power source from being overloaded, HoorHen knew how to defeat them and essentially create a bomb out of his rifle: it was a weapon of last resort, a weapon HoorHen knew would leave him defenseless against any survivors of its blast. But under the circumstances HoorHen knew it was the best he could do to protect his home base.
HoorHen placed his weapon in a small clearing with his last proximity grenade: the explosion from the grenade would set off his rifles power source, creating what he hoped would be an explosion large enough to destroy his pursuers. With the last of his strength he hauled himself up a small rise, which gave him a good view of the trail as well as the small clearing with his improvised boobytrap. Collapsing into a heap, HoorHen contemplated his fate: with any luck he would destroy his pursuers. However, if any survived, then he would be completely defenseless, and with his physical energy reserves completely gone, he wouldnt be able to flee: it was all or nothing, and if it failed, then he would soon join his comrades who had already perished.
HoorHen looked back down the trail: it shouldnt be long now. With the break waiting provided, he was able to finally attempt to mentally process all that had transpired over the last month. It had all started so innocently, with what at first had appeared to be a harmless meteor shower. However shortly after that, the first reports had started filtering in of a strange new xenoflora growing rampantly across various regions of the planet. Then came reports of outposts going silent, and of scouts venturing into the xenoflora and never coming back out. His people, not having any experience with warfare in eons, had still put together an expedition and entered the largest of the xenoflora patches en masse, in an attempt to reach the heart of the matter, and perhaps put an end to whatever was generating the strange xenoflora which was now destroying vast swaths of developed regions. However their expedition, once inside the strange xenoflora, had immediately been attacked by a vastly superior force. In the alien environment the strange enemy units were almost completely invisible, and moved at will, unleashing deadly bursts of fire which ripped through the ranks of HoorHens brother and sister Progenitors. What had at first started out as a punitive expedition quickly became a hasty withdrawal, which soon became a complete route. Those that made it out of the xenoflora only did so through sheer luck, or at the expense of their fellow Progenitors who gave their lives in defiant last stands. And now for the better part of a week HoorHen had managed to stay one step ahead of his relentless pursuers. But at every step his resources and personal stamina had dwindled, to the point where now he only had a few tattered rags of a uniform left on his body.
Out of the corner of his eye HoorHen caught shadowy movement: the enemy hadnt followed the trail, but had still managed to find him, just as they always had. He watched from his vantage point as two, then all three rounded into view. HoorHen held himself completely still as the units moved towards the clearing and his improvised ambush. Now up close he could see two of the deadly alien units had damage: at least his brothers and sisters hadnt died completely in vain. HoorHen watched for as long as he dared, then ducked down over the lip of the little ledge he had perched himself on in order to protect himself from the detonation of the proximity grenade and his resonance laser. Almost immediately the grenade went off, followed in quick succession by the explosion of his resonance laser. HoorHen waited a moment for any shrapnel to clear, then peered over the edge of his hiding place: the explosion had worked much as he had hoped: the lead unit was obviously dead, and the second unit had been flipped over by the force of the explosion. However the third one was still alive and active: although injured, it still appeared to be a very lethal fighting machine. HoorHen expected at any moment the strange alien unit would open up with its main weapon and destroy him, however the unit continued to sit idly.
For how long HoorHen sat there staring at the idling enemy unit he didnt know. Finally his curiosity overcame his fear, and he cautiously got up: the alien unit continued to sit as it had, completely oblivious to HoorHen. Perplexed, HoorHen took a few steps towards the enemy unit. Silent, it sat as it had. HoorHen picked up a chunk of rock and threw it at the alien craft: the rock bounced harmlessly off its hull, and still the unit continued to sit passively. HoorHen was now close enough that he could hear the hum of its engine: up close he could now make out a texture to the alien units outer skin, and the outer hull appeared to be all one piece. HoorHen reached out and touched the alien craft: to his dismay it was like he could hear words emanating from the alien fighting machine and entering his head! He instinctively flinched: his hand broke contact with the machine, and the words entering his head immediately ceased. Something else then caught his eye: the edges of the unit seemed to be melting away. As he watched the unit before him seemed to lose its form, as if it were slowly melting away right before his eyes! Within a couple of minutes what had been one of the deadly alien attack vehicles had become little more than a large pile of sand slowly blowing away in the breeze.
HoorHen didnt know what to make of this development: the aliens had never shown any mercy whatsoever, only single-mindedness in their pursuit and destruction of any Progenitor resistance. Now that HoorHen had a chance to think about it, the strange xenoflora had to be directly linked to the enemy fighting units as well, and the strange alien growth had targeted many of the Progenitor structures on this world: from the large hydroponics farm which no longer existed, to the mining platforms, to the space borne data-net: it was if these alien creatures were trying to wipe the Progenitors and their structures from the face of the planet! And yet this unit had spared his life: why?
Like a flash it hit HoorHen: the enemy was keying on Progenitor technology! This was why he could never lose the enemy pursuit! They werent tracking him - they were tracking his tech: from the soldiers laser rifles, to his missile launcher, to the medics sensor kits, the aliens had used some sort of tracking mechanism to hunt down all forms of advanced technology, and to eliminate it! And the enemy had spared him only because he had been completely stripped of all his technology!
The revelation had a cleansing effect on HoorHen, as if this new insight had lifted a veil from before his eyes and mind: there was a way for him and his people: perhaps not to beat these aliens, but at least to survive their deadly onslaught. It was a small loophole in how these aliens operated, but it was there, and if he and his people could learn how to exploit it, to adapt to it, then perhaps over time they could learn to bend the strange aliens to their will. This led HoorHens thoughts back to the slowly dissolving pile of sand, and he contemplated his experience touching the strange alien craft: the voices which had leaped into his mind had been completely alien, but they had come unbidden, and unfiltered: if he, who had no latent empathic talent at all could be so close to communicating with the strange alien craft, then someone who did possess the necessary talents ought to be able to find the right language to communicate with them. And through communications, HoorHen thought, comes control.
HoorHen started on a trail back towards his home settlement. It was a new trail, and as the sun set behind him, he thought it appropriate that he take a different path, one that he had not followed before, but one that would lead him to where he and his People needed to go.
Many thanx to Buster's Uncle for proof-reading and providing feedback.
And then there were none
Beta Prime, 30,000 years ago
They came over the ridge at sunrise: four wisps of shadow sliding silently into the valley, hot on the trail of their prey.
From the other end of the valley Commander HoorHen watched them through his missile launchers telescope. The weapons onboard computer told him he had a solid lock for a shot, but he had learned to distrust the device: too many times in the last few days it had been proven wrong. Instead HoorHen did what he had been doing since surviving the first days battle: he moved in the opposite direction, back to where his few remaining troops had clustered at the far end of the valley. As he came to their small encampment he looked at what remained of his command: barely enough for a squad anymore, they lay collapsed about the area, exhaustion and defeat evident in their postures. HoorHen purposely sought out his medic who was tending two badly injured comrades: the wounded soldiers had received a direct hit during their last encounter with the enemy. Whatever the weapon was the enemy employed, it left horrible injuries even to those employing resonance shields. To those not employing shields, well they just seemed to cease to exist. HoorHen studied the two injured soldiers while the medic tended them, will we be able to move them?, he asked hopefully.
The medic didnt even bother to turn in responding: instead she seemed to wilt, her rill horns folding in dejection, so they have found us again, she said, the resignation clear in her voice.
Yes, they have found us again, HoorHen agreed. No matter how he had tried to lose the enemy, they had always picked up the scent of his team again, their pursuit relentless. And they would be here soon, can we move them?, he persisted.
One of the soldiers responded, we cannot move at the necessary speed: we would only slow you down.
HoorHen had known this, but he hadnt wanted to leave his soldiers behind. Conflict warbled within him, to the point where his personal resonance field faltered in response.
The other injured soldier sensed this, please leave us your missile launcher. It will give us the best chance.
HoorHen had been contemplating doing just that: the device hadnt been useless, but considering its weight during the prolonged march versus its relative ineffectiveness against the creatures, he was glad at the chance to surrender it. It is yours HoorHen agreed, handing over the launcher and his satchel of missiles.
The soldier grunted in reply, as he and the other injured soldier forced themselves to their feet. HoorHen and the medic assisted them, moving them to locations which oversaw the path that the creatures would presumably come.
HoorHen turned to the rest of his squad, it is time to go. The others, fatigue deeply etched in their faces and their tusks drooping, struggled to their feet and began moving down the trail. HoorHen now realized that his efforts the last few days at losing the enemy had only exhausted his troops. The enemy creatures, whatever they were, had exceptional tracking abilities, and his only hope now seemed to be to reach a nearby settlement, or encounter reinforcements. The latter he had little hope in: since the first days battle his troops hadnt encountered another living Progenitor. And the battlenet, a recently installed network of communications/ observation satellites, had been silent since that first fateful encounter as well. No, this was going to turn into a mad dash for the nearest settlement, a race that he wasnt sure his people would win.
Their primary star had barely moved a quarter the way up its arc when he heard in the distance the first report from his missile launcher, followed by the concussion of its missile. Almost immediately the other soldiers resonance laser opened up, repeatedly firing. A second missile was launched, then a third, and then there was a horrible explosion, followed by a small lull. The resonance laser opened up again, continued sporadically for a few more seconds, then it too stopped. In the following silence he noted the pace of his fellow soldiers pick up: the pursuit was on once again.
The sun had reached its peak when they encountered the field of xenoflora: a week ago on their way out to engage the enemy there had been a vast sprawling hydroponics facility at this location, but of that there remained no trace. In its place the strange golden plants had spread rapidly, covering a vast swath from horizon to horizon. In the distance HoorHen could see their path resume: if they were to continue on the path, HoorHen and his squad would have to traverse the alien moss-covered terrain. However from bitter experience HoorHen and his surviving squad mates also knew the enemy were almost completely invisible to detection in these regions, and were lethally fast. When the lead scout hesitated at entering the xenoflora, HoorHen stepped up, I will lead. He moved forward, and into the xenoflora. While still relatively new to the experience, HoorHen had learned to discern subtle differences in the alien topology: there were obviously several different types of xenoplants, and viewing the field in front of him he was able to choose the easiest path moving forward. He motioned the others to follow him.
HoorHen and his team were just over halfway through the xenoflora when the first hints they were not alone surfaced: in the distance a rustling was heard, as if something large were moving at rapid speed through the alien undergrowth. HoorHen motioned his people forward, urging them to greater speed: they needed to clear the xenoflora field if they were to have any chance at all. They moved up a small hillock and HoorHen chanced a look over his shoulder: in the distance he could just barely make out that which pursued them. Now, instead of the four units which he had spied at sunrise, there were only three, and one of those was obviously injured. However as he watched the unit seemed to be healing itself, as if it were re-growing as it moved! HoorHen cursed himself for staring too long. Just ahead the xenoflora patch ended and their path resumed. They were almost there! HoorHen helped the last of his squad mates up the hillock and started at a trot down the other side, we need to clear the xenoflora now!, he barked, physically pushing the soldier in front of him forward. The rustling behind was getting louder, but just up ahead he could see daylight through the last of the xenoflora! HoorHen began to run faster. The others, sensing his urgency, also picked up their pace. In the near-panic flight one of the soldiers dropped her weapon. Leave it!, HoorHen commanded, and the soldier ran on.
HoorHen cleared the last of the xenoflora and spun around. He started firing his resonance laser back into the xenoflora towards where he thought the alien units were: whether it did any good or not, he wasnt sure. Others of his squad burst through the xenoflora elsewhere and began adding to his fire. Just as he thought they were making a difference the alien weapons opened up: the medic immediately went down, screaming in agony as her body was torn apart by the alien weapons. HoorHen cursed: the medic had carried all of their regeneration equipment, as well as a secondary set of sensor equipment. And HoorHen knew as soon as the aliens were done with the medic, they would turn their weapons on the next person in line the soldier who had dropped her weapon. Scatter!, HoorHen commanded, and the firefight ended as the Progenitors disengaged, the six remaining members running in their own pre-determined directions away from the xenoflora.
The sun was halfway down to the horizon when HoorHen gained the high ground he had spied earlier in the day. He collapsed at the edge of the precipice and pulled out his binoculars. Looking back over the path he had come, he started scanning from side to side, using the binoculars built-in computer to locate the other members of his squad. After several scans he was now only able to locate five members of his squad, one of those being the unarmed soldier who had lost her gear in the xenoflora. So make that four effectives, including himself.
HoorHen took stock of his situation: the five other members of his squad were still dispersing, still moving away in different directions. HoorHen switched scanner modes on his binoculars so that he could track the enemy units: now he saw superimposed on his display the three alien units. HoorHen saw that these units were ignoring the unarmed soldier, and were in hot pursuit of the other three remaining armed soldiers. Even as HoorHen continued to scan, another member of his squad disappeared off his binocular scanner. HoorHen zoomed in on this location: because the enemy unit was outside the xenoflora, he could clearly make it out hovering over the body of his fallen comrade. As HoorHen continued to watch, the alien unit seemed to receive new orders: it pivoted in place, and then started moving, directly towards him!
HoorHen threw down the binoculars they werent going to do him any good anymore. He turned and ran down the precipice, onwards towards the settlement from which his expedition had started out from only a week earlier. He spoke into his commo gear, own way. I repeat: own way. Everyone was now on their own: whether they made it back to Home: Hearth was now solely up to them.
The local star was now starting to set, and HoorHen knew he wouldnt make the settlement before the alien units caught up to him. He had caught glimpses of them in the distance: for the most part they didnt seem to be moving too much faster than he: however in the intermittent patches of xenoflora they gained ground on him. He also noted that all three units were now in pursuit of him.
HoorHen was reaching the end of his energy limits: his personal resonance field had collapsed earlier due to fatigue, and even though he had shed most of his gear, he was still slowing down, and it was only a matter of time before the enemy units overtook him. All that was left was his resonance rifle, and that would not save him against three of the enemy units. HoorHen moved on, but his mind was now shifting focus: he knew that he would not reach the safety of the nearest settlement before the enemy overtook him. Nor did he want to lead the enemy back to his home. As he ran on HoorHen began fumbling with his resonance laser, changing the settings: the weapon was designed around a power source, and while there were safeguards in place to prevent the power source from being overloaded, HoorHen knew how to defeat them and essentially create a bomb out of his rifle: it was a weapon of last resort, a weapon HoorHen knew would leave him defenseless against any survivors of its blast. But under the circumstances HoorHen knew it was the best he could do to protect his home base.
HoorHen placed his weapon in a small clearing with his last proximity grenade: the explosion from the grenade would set off his rifles power source, creating what he hoped would be an explosion large enough to destroy his pursuers. With the last of his strength he hauled himself up a small rise, which gave him a good view of the trail as well as the small clearing with his improvised boobytrap. Collapsing into a heap, HoorHen contemplated his fate: with any luck he would destroy his pursuers. However, if any survived, then he would be completely defenseless, and with his physical energy reserves completely gone, he wouldnt be able to flee: it was all or nothing, and if it failed, then he would soon join his comrades who had already perished.
HoorHen looked back down the trail: it shouldnt be long now. With the break waiting provided, he was able to finally attempt to mentally process all that had transpired over the last month. It had all started so innocently, with what at first had appeared to be a harmless meteor shower. However shortly after that, the first reports had started filtering in of a strange new xenoflora growing rampantly across various regions of the planet. Then came reports of outposts going silent, and of scouts venturing into the xenoflora and never coming back out. His people, not having any experience with warfare in eons, had still put together an expedition and entered the largest of the xenoflora patches en masse, in an attempt to reach the heart of the matter, and perhaps put an end to whatever was generating the strange xenoflora which was now destroying vast swaths of developed regions. However their expedition, once inside the strange xenoflora, had immediately been attacked by a vastly superior force. In the alien environment the strange enemy units were almost completely invisible, and moved at will, unleashing deadly bursts of fire which ripped through the ranks of HoorHens brother and sister Progenitors. What had at first started out as a punitive expedition quickly became a hasty withdrawal, which soon became a complete route. Those that made it out of the xenoflora only did so through sheer luck, or at the expense of their fellow Progenitors who gave their lives in defiant last stands. And now for the better part of a week HoorHen had managed to stay one step ahead of his relentless pursuers. But at every step his resources and personal stamina had dwindled, to the point where now he only had a few tattered rags of a uniform left on his body.
Out of the corner of his eye HoorHen caught shadowy movement: the enemy hadnt followed the trail, but had still managed to find him, just as they always had. He watched from his vantage point as two, then all three rounded into view. HoorHen held himself completely still as the units moved towards the clearing and his improvised ambush. Now up close he could see two of the deadly alien units had damage: at least his brothers and sisters hadnt died completely in vain. HoorHen watched for as long as he dared, then ducked down over the lip of the little ledge he had perched himself on in order to protect himself from the detonation of the proximity grenade and his resonance laser. Almost immediately the grenade went off, followed in quick succession by the explosion of his resonance laser. HoorHen waited a moment for any shrapnel to clear, then peered over the edge of his hiding place: the explosion had worked much as he had hoped: the lead unit was obviously dead, and the second unit had been flipped over by the force of the explosion. However the third one was still alive and active: although injured, it still appeared to be a very lethal fighting machine. HoorHen expected at any moment the strange alien unit would open up with its main weapon and destroy him, however the unit continued to sit idly.
For how long HoorHen sat there staring at the idling enemy unit he didnt know. Finally his curiosity overcame his fear, and he cautiously got up: the alien unit continued to sit as it had, completely oblivious to HoorHen. Perplexed, HoorHen took a few steps towards the enemy unit. Silent, it sat as it had. HoorHen picked up a chunk of rock and threw it at the alien craft: the rock bounced harmlessly off its hull, and still the unit continued to sit passively. HoorHen was now close enough that he could hear the hum of its engine: up close he could now make out a texture to the alien units outer skin, and the outer hull appeared to be all one piece. HoorHen reached out and touched the alien craft: to his dismay it was like he could hear words emanating from the alien fighting machine and entering his head! He instinctively flinched: his hand broke contact with the machine, and the words entering his head immediately ceased. Something else then caught his eye: the edges of the unit seemed to be melting away. As he watched the unit before him seemed to lose its form, as if it were slowly melting away right before his eyes! Within a couple of minutes what had been one of the deadly alien attack vehicles had become little more than a large pile of sand slowly blowing away in the breeze.
HoorHen didnt know what to make of this development: the aliens had never shown any mercy whatsoever, only single-mindedness in their pursuit and destruction of any Progenitor resistance. Now that HoorHen had a chance to think about it, the strange xenoflora had to be directly linked to the enemy fighting units as well, and the strange alien growth had targeted many of the Progenitor structures on this world: from the large hydroponics farm which no longer existed, to the mining platforms, to the space borne data-net: it was if these alien creatures were trying to wipe the Progenitors and their structures from the face of the planet! And yet this unit had spared his life: why?
Like a flash it hit HoorHen: the enemy was keying on Progenitor technology! This was why he could never lose the enemy pursuit! They werent tracking him - they were tracking his tech: from the soldiers laser rifles, to his missile launcher, to the medics sensor kits, the aliens had used some sort of tracking mechanism to hunt down all forms of advanced technology, and to eliminate it! And the enemy had spared him only because he had been completely stripped of all his technology!
The revelation had a cleansing effect on HoorHen, as if this new insight had lifted a veil from before his eyes and mind: there was a way for him and his people: perhaps not to beat these aliens, but at least to survive their deadly onslaught. It was a small loophole in how these aliens operated, but it was there, and if he and his people could learn how to exploit it, to adapt to it, then perhaps over time they could learn to bend the strange aliens to their will. This led HoorHens thoughts back to the slowly dissolving pile of sand, and he contemplated his experience touching the strange alien craft: the voices which had leaped into his mind had been completely alien, but they had come unbidden, and unfiltered: if he, who had no latent empathic talent at all could be so close to communicating with the strange alien craft, then someone who did possess the necessary talents ought to be able to find the right language to communicate with them. And through communications, HoorHen thought, comes control.
HoorHen started on a trail back towards his home settlement. It was a new trail, and as the sun set behind him, he thought it appropriate that he take a different path, one that he had not followed before, but one that would lead him to where he and his People needed to go.
Buster's Uncle
AC2 Owner
Mr. Darsnan, sir- I have three other graphics-related things I'd like to attend to first today, having finally wrapped up the Factions stage of this project at least for now- but have you had any thoughts I should know about your graphics wish-list for the final release?
wgabrie's stuff is excellent, so I'd suggest we move on any other things you have in mind before I even think about trying to improve on his work. Any thoughts I might ought to have percolating in my subconcious for a while until it's time to do somthing about them? I never know when good ideas will come to me in the middle of the night or something...
wgabrie's stuff is excellent, so I'd suggest we move on any other things you have in mind before I even think about trying to improve on his work. Any thoughts I might ought to have percolating in my subconcious for a while until it's time to do somthing about them? I never know when good ideas will come to me in the middle of the night or something...
