Lost in Dreams (Amy)

[ericthered]

Originally Posted by Anaya

"In hindsight, I should have taken more from the pod. But I was in a daze at the time. I just wanted to get far away from that awful scene. I might try making a solo trip later, to see whether I can find it again."

"If you can remember where it is, that's a good idea. We should try to find it sooner rather than later: someone else could find it first."

"It sounds like we have similar stories. I'm from nowhere; And wanted to be somewhere. Perhaps I'd have been better off staying where I was..."

Amy: "We'll make it out of here, I think. A month from now we'll be glad to be out, but a year from now we'll be fondly telling stories about it."

The foraging proceeded smoothly. Amy gathered anything that seemed like it might be edible; Along with the roots that had been their sole success so far. Then, with a shock, she spotted a familiar sight. Her guard instantly went up. She pointed James towards the possible predator.

"There! Those are the vines I saw before. They certainly look ominous. Let's keep our distance, just in case."

Amy picks up a stick and throws it at a vine. It takes two attempts, but then the vine suddenly curls up around the stick with tremendous speed and force.



"Wow. Glad you saw that."


"I wonder if its good to eat?"

[Anaya]

Amy flinched as the vine sprang into action. She could easily imagine herself being crushed by it. This forest could be full of such natural death traps. So when James suggested trying to eat it, Amy was incredulous.

"I really wouldn't recommend risking it. That thing is faster and stronger than either of us. Let's give it a wide berth.

I'm beginning to wonder whether enemy soldiers are really the biggest threat around here..."

[ericthered]

Corp. James looks at the vine curled around the stick.

"Maybe. Its not a comparison I really want to make. On the other side, guns. But the forest -- I know what a gun looks like. We only know what THAT specific vine looks like. There could be others."

"We should get the others here. Show them what to look out for."

You hear a bunch of crackling and snapping farther out in the forest.

Corp James: "What's that? Another vine? or a pod landing?"

[Anaya]

"Yes, every piece of flora and fauna is a potential danger. Our ignorance turns this place into a minefield."

Amy, of course, was the most ignorant of all. She didn't even know basic facts about this universe; Let alone the details of one obscure planet. She was playing everything by ear. So when the sound of snapping wood echoed through the forest, Amy could only gather more information.

"I don't know. Let's keep listening for a minute. That'll narrow things down."

If the noise was a pod, then it would fade after the initial impact. If, on the other hand, it kept going, then maybe something was moving through the forest. Amy was anxious to know whether said something was moving towards her.

[ericthered]

"Keep your eyes out. The more we learn, the safer we are."


The two women listen for several seconds.

You hear the creak of a hatch opening. And voices, though you're not sure what they are saying.

[Anaya]

The noise turned out to be another pod. Amy kept listening and watching in tense anticipation. She tried to find some sign of whether the newcomers were friend or foe; Even though James was much more likely to figure that out. Amy silently hoped for the best. She had no grudge against any of these mercenary companies. The thought of fighting any of them horrified her.

If no clues presented themselves, she'd whisper to James.

"Should we head back and warn the others?"

[ericthered]

She keeps listening... they must be getting out. No idea what company they're with.



James: "They'll never be more vulnerable than now. You go back and warn the others. I'll see if I can lay eye on them. I'm stealthier than you are."

[Anaya]

"...All right. Stay safe."

Amy reluctantly obeyed. She didn't like the idea of leaving James behind. But she recognised her own shortcomings. If the goal was to sneakily scout the other team, then Amy would be a liability. She'd just have to put her faith in the trained soldier. Staying low, she headed back to camp.

[ericthered]

She makes it back.

Gurman thinks for a little bit, then asks "Did she want help?"

Talc wonders what outfit it will be, looking at the incomplete list on the display.

Amy has a bunch of vegetation to test that they dug up, but no one mentions it.

Corporal James comes back a few tense minutes after Amy.

"I laid eyes on them. They're from the Rectifiers."

Gurman and Talc seem to recognize the name, and its not good news.

"They've got a Kelipod, a human, and some small six-legged bug creature with a sky blue shell, about the size of Talc."


Gurman: "You didn't shoot?"


James: "We have limited shots. And I didn't have backup. If we want to shoot them, lets do it with two guns."


Talc quickly starts looking things up.

"The 'Bug' is a Zorchid. Climbing is a 10. Strength is a 3, so one above me. Speed is also a 3, its slow like me. Echolocation is a 5-- you'll be evenly matched, Corporal. But its doesn't like the cold... I don't know if the nights here count. "

"We've covered humans before, of course."

"Does anyone need a refresher on Kelipods?"

[Anaya]

The relief of James' safe return was quickly replaced by dread of the news she brought. The newcomers were apparently enemies. A fight seemed inevitable. Amy wondered whether that was really the case. But she wasn't willing to risk getting shot while attempting diplomacy.

She listened as the team shared details of their counterparts. This universe was so wonderfully diverse, that people needed a classification system to remind themselves of all the different species. What a tragedy that said system was used to assess the best methods of murdering people.

"I'd welcome a review of Kelipods."