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Post by elizar on Sept 26, 2010 19:05:21 GMT -5
General protocol for Devour Encounter.
Any star-system with Devour on a planet is off limits, no matter what stages of growth the Devour is at. The Spores can still be around, and they cannot be spread. The spores are harmless, something to do with the 'whole' of the life force. As research is forbidden on Devour, there's only theories that the spores can in some way communicate with more developed versions down on the planet.
A system with Dyson Sphere Devour will be contained and lined with attack satellites (How can we be sure they survive?) They'll attack any offspring that will come out of the blast. (Even if they did survive, would they get them all? They won't get them all, see Incident D-B15)
Any attacks on Devour during seedling stage have proved ineffectual. Even for complete planetary bombardments, they come back due to the spores in the atmosphere It's the roots.
Attacks on the Devour during Dyson Sphere stage has proved ineffectual. It seems that it has collected enough metal and created an alloy of unknown mold that can withstand any attacks (What about energy shielding? It has enough power for that. No energy shields have been observed during bombardments.)
Offspring Devours can be killed! Bring the body as proof (Is it harmless? It is harmless, it has not been fertilized.) And anyone on the ship will receive a reward equal to their annual wages.
Mated Devours can be killed. They shall not be killed when in a star system, it can mean it's already beginning to form spores in preparation for entering the atmosphere of a planet. Reward for mated Devour, with proof of location of kill shall be one and half equal to annual wages for everyone on board the ship. If killed inside a star system the crew shall be put in quarantine, and the ship shall be destroyed outside the galactic rim.
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Post by elizar on Sept 26, 2010 20:02:41 GMT -5
Now onto the other end of the Generational Evolution. Where extreme rate of birth coupled with short life span has created the most extreme challenge of survival.
Welcome to Hell.
Planet Hell is circling a Yellow Dwarf inside Terra-defined Habitable Zone. It's biomass is the largest there is when taking in account the size of the planet.
There is no real definition of flora or fauna on the planet. Every living being there has to be able to do few simple things in order to survive. Run, Attack, Dodge, Eat, Reproduce. There is no herbivore on the planet. Everything is attacking everything. There are no apex predators, the largest lifeform on Hell is no larger than a wolf. This comes from that larger animals move slower than the quicker ones.
Because the planet is densely packed, on the ground, in the sea, or in the sky, anything that stays still for long enough will be attacked. The sea seems to be water at first, but it is filled with biological fluids from animals bleeding out when attacked.
Hell animals have extremely advanced digestive system. It can pack on the weight for the sole purpose to reproduce. All lifeforms are hermaphrodite to increase chance of reproduction of species. The speed to reach sexual maturity can be from two hours up to six hours. They give birth to life ones, there is no egg laying as it would just be devoured. The insect sized burrowing species can give birth to up to one hundred offspring, while most species larger than a rat will give birth to up to five offspring. Gestation period is up to two days. Any nutrition goes directly to the fetus if the adult is carrying. Othervise it goes to the adult.
Several if not all of Hell's lifeform lack organs that clean the body. It is believed that due to their hectic life, there is no need to continue living past labor. Several of the animals die in labor to feed their offspring. Most of the others give birth literally on the run to keep their offspring separate from each other.
One other thing to note is that Hell has a very violent weather system. There is around three Hypercanes a year, and when they run over, all but the burrowing species are killed where it goes over, as most of the evolutionary traits are focused on the 'kill or be killed' surivival, and take no heed of natural disasters.
A continent was nearly emptied during a bad Hypercane. It was repopulated back to how it was within half a year.
Where species encountered one hundred years ago on Hell, there are none of them now. Thus no one can point at just one of Hell's species and say they're the perfect example of the short-lifespan species of the Generation Evolution, as the whole planet is the testimony to that.
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Post by elizar on Sept 27, 2010 8:55:47 GMT -5
"So let me get this straight - " I said the man sitting on the other side of the table in the coffee shop. "You say you're part of an organization that's funded by patenting technological advantages that came forth from illegal experiments -"
"Well, when they aren't supposed to exist they have no real rights, so not quite illegal, and you can't call it immoral when they're trying to kill us." The man said.
"That monsters are real -" I continued before being cut off.
"Before you ask, there are vampires or werewolves, they went extinct few centuries ago." He continued.
"Some other insane organization is producing various mindf***ery machinery, including a coffee machine, -"
"Which will not dispense only coffee, just don't ask it for the Best Drink Ever."
"A magic eight ball, -"
"Yeah, we don't know the reasoning behind that one either."
"And a rubber duck."
"You haven't seen what it can do." The man said in an adamant tone, trying to let me change the subject away from the topic. "Are you interested?"
"It's not like I got anything else to do with my time." I said. I had been friends with a schizophrenic before, and he had some interesting stories about aliens. I often had fascination with so vivid imagination, and this was no different. With my hand in my pocket, ready to press dial to 911, I nodded.
"Sure, as long as you don't lead me to your cardboard box." I finally said.
"Don't worry, and you're not the only one who has thought like that when we talk about these things to them." The man, who had introduced himself as a recruiter for some company, said. He had offered a job after I had aced some personality test. Apparently I was good enough to keep secrets, was not ready to believe in organized religions while ready to believe there was something more than just us on earth. Apparently I had some unique mindset that was useful to them.
Bollocks I chuckled inwardly, left enough to cover my part of the bill with tip, and stood up and walked with him. The place we stopped at was an office building for some company I hadn't heard of before.
"This is where we keep files and such, along with some of the more harmless and less obvious things we've collected over the years." The recruiter said. I hated to know that I had forgotten his name in between his rather insane ramblings. But he dressed properly, and was greeted as a regular staff there. I strained to listen to any low chuckles just to let me know that they were ready to reveal the big joke.
"It's not often that people follow so easily." The recruiter said. "Sometimes they contact me in few weeks. I just got call from someone who I had met two years ago. Needlessly to say, I told him it was just a big joke. We have no need for people who doubt things for so long."
"Why that?" I asked.
"Because if you start over-thinking things in this place, you fall down a deep hole that you can't get out of." He said as using his pass to open up a locked door. It was clearly a staff-only area. I walked in behind him, confident I wouldn't be tossed out.
"So you take things just in stride?" I asked, looking at what appeared to be rather empty staff lounge. On a small table neatly between two sofas was a camera, a coffee cup, a Tupperware container, and a book with a rather empty cover. It looked like one of those old-fashioned books where the title might be on the spine. The camera had a note attached to it which read "Try me." The coffee cup, looked like Starbucks, had "Drink me" written on it with a black marker. A piece of paper marked with "Eat me" was taped on the lid of the Tupperware box, and a note besides the book read "Read me.".
I looked at the camera. I've always loved talking photographs, though I knew I would never be a pro. You needed the right sort of equipment for that. But I knew a good camera where I saw it. It had a dial knob for various modes, though the lens, larger than the camera itself, had the zoom controls and it was there where you set the macro and flash and few other things I hadn't read about already. It was digital, but the general clonkiness and the fact that it had a pro lens on it said that it was pretty old. I couldn't find anything that said who made it, which was too bad because it was one of those I would have wanted to own.
Just for fun, I snapped a picture of the recruiter. He just smiled and chuckled.
"Go ahead, check the image." He said. I turned the knob to the appropriate mode and looked at the picture while he opened up a filing cabinet.
I almost dropped the camera. While I had taken a photograph of him unprepared to smile but still aware of the camera pointed at him, the picture was much more different. He didn't seem at first to be there, until I looked below the table. There he was, cowering in fear with a tinfoil hat on him, holding a walkie-talkie.
"Amazing isn't it?" The recruiter said and put down a folder on the table, displacing the empty coffee cup. He quickly picked it up and turned it upright. I suddenly felt no desire to do as the notes said. He didn't exert any force taking the camera from me and took a look at the picture himself. "So this is how you feel about me? It's certainly much better than most of what I've seen."
"What do you mean?" I asked, then got a flash in my face.
"This beauty here takes pictures of a subject, but what it will display is what the one who took the picture thinks about the subject at the time."
"Hold on, I never thought you a nut or anything, but -" I backpedaled quickly. It was now that it hit me that things weren't as they seemed to be.
"Like I said, it's not the worst thing I've seen." He said and wrote down something on the file. I took a short glance at what he was writing, and I was happy to learn that his last name was Carter. It seemed he was writing some sort of log of who took picture of whom and what it showed.
Then I realized he had taken a picture of me. He quickly took the camera, but no protests came from Mr. Carter. I quickly turned back to view mode and saw me, being eaten by some monster I had never seen before, but I was totally unaware of anything that was happening. And there was a text bubble above me and my mouth was open. "There is no such thing as monsters." It was something hideous chewing on me. I shivered.
"Okay, you've made your point." I said to him. "So, what's going to happen next?"
"I guess you're ready to believe?" Carter asked smiling wide.
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Post by elizar on Oct 11, 2010 18:17:58 GMT -5
"I think I'm dreaming." Eric said to his two companions as they were camped out on a tall hill. They had been traveling for three days now, trying to reach what the companions called The Bridge.
"Impossible." The more colorful companion answered, Lirien, and his wings lid up in rhythm of his laughter. "There is no such thing as dreams in Faerie. Or do you think the last week has been a whole dream?"
Eric shook his head and reached into his backpack. "Not the first few days." He said. "But this landscape, it's too similar to my other dreams." He picked up a book.
His more human-looking companion, Kender, sat up. "You're pretty connected to Faerie. I would find it plausible if you glimpsed it in your dreams."
"But this particular place, the path we've taken?" Eric said and opened the book. It was as he thought, he knew what stood there, but he couldn't read it. He closed it and opened on the same place, and the text, even though he couldn't read it, was different. "Now then, let me show you." He said and stood up.
He walked a bit in circles before looking over to a small rock. Within a moment a woman came out from behind the rock, dressed quite provocative.
The Fairy and the human both stood up. "Okay." Kender said. "It's a dream. But I'm still me."
"Same here." Lirien said. "Or are we simply some dream versions of you saying that?" He looked at Eric.
Eric groaned as he looked away from Lirien. And the woman disappeared. That caused bigger response than she appearing. "I didn't call her back, and I usually have a good grasp on my dreams once I'm aware of them. We're in Faerie as you say, can there be some kind of beastie that attacks with dreams or sleep?"
Lirien and Kender looked at each other, then Lirien looked up. "What's that?" He asked, pointing at a tall figure approaching the group. It was taller than any of them, grey skinned and appearing emaciated. But the most notable feature of it was the long gangly arms, which seemed to reach to the shins.
"I didn't summon that." Eric said. "But I know what it is."
"Pray tell, what is it then?" Kender asked, drawing his weapon. It shone in brilliant light, and even Kender appeared alarmed at his own weapon.
"It's an alien species. I was reading this book few weeks ago, and this is exactly as I pictured it."
"I know what it is." Lirien said. "You got to wake up. And you got to wake up now."
Eric wondered just what the hell was going on, and then swiveled as fast as he could. Soon enough, he got confused, he began to lose his vision, and soon enough he opened up his eyes again.
He was lying down on the ground at the place where they had gone to sleep two days ago. But something was illuminating it. But Kender was already scrambling to get up, drew his sword and swung it at the source of the light.
"Will-of-the-wisp!" Lirien yelled. "Drive it off, we need to get it away from us."
Eric casted off his sheet and went up. "What the hell did it do to me? What was that Inception shit?"
Kender ran after it for few dozen yards, but returned. "I don't know what Inception thing you were talking about, but it drains your life when keeping you asleep and stuck in a dream. If there is more than one, they share the dream. But it seems that it attacked you first, probably because you're mortal."
"Are we sure this is the one the High King wants?" Lirien asked Kender.
"Positive." Kender said, looking at Eric the whole time. "He figured it out that we were stuck in his own dream. He will be able to bear the Shadow."
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Post by elizar on Oct 14, 2010 9:38:46 GMT -5
Kevin remembered the deaths of his parents, his older and younger brothers, his neighbors, and everyone around him. They had all grown weakened and died in a span on three weeks. He had first raided the fridge, neighbors' fridges, then the store, and survived like that for a month before people looking for survivors found him. He was put in a community that were mostly scientists, ex-army and their dependents. It was called at first Hope, then Green Tower because of what they became later.
Then the plants came. Work went into isolating the crops from foreign seeds and spores which would sprout plants that were quite alien. Soon enough dirt was abandoned for hydroponics, and a number of able people were isolated completely to be the growers. Chicken became the only meat available because of the fact that they had the biggest payoff in meat from feed. Horses were also kept, but for riding as fuel supply came far and between to the Green Tower.
But Kevin was not one of the growers. Nor was he one of the scientists. Nor did he have enough social standing to be learning anything of value in the community of scientists. But the scientists were not the only ones there, but a team of ex-army people who took care to train others in case someone decided to raid the community for the clean food. People who had no access to food barely touched by the spores had worse health, and their vision changed as if they were hallucinating.
Kevin was one of the armed. They were called Protectors. But before he joined up, yet another threat sprung up. Animals that accompanied the plants. First it were just animals that ate the plants, and were used to clear out land from the worse infestations, but only a year later the predators came. Now the Protectors worked on hunting down whatever predators that attempted to come close.
But now, Kevin was in his small alcove that could barely be private. Even for that he lied down next to his girlfriend, Jackie. He would be twenty in couple of months, so there was no surprise in that he was already with one. She was of a more working glass, preparing and cleaning whatever vegetables or chicken that was grown. Despite Kevin's 'dirty' status, his constant exposure to the outdoors, with enough preparation he could have Jackie, though it was heavily encouraged that people should seek others of the same status to prevent contamination.
"So, you're going to what's left of New York." Jackie said to him lying next to him.
"Yeah." Kevin said. "This is my big chance. The Hunters do not come that often here anymore, and they're more of a nuisance than threat. There's someone who has had a breakthrough in cleaning technology. Says that they can kill the spores. We need to know what it is."
"You know, I have to tell you something. I'm late." Jackie said.
Kevin paused for a moment, then realized just what she was saying. "I thought it would happen sooner." He chuckled. "I guess I have to work on the names before we leave. I got not a single clue when we'll be back."
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Post by elizar on Oct 14, 2010 16:37:38 GMT -5
Kevin loaded the caravan as Richard had dictated. There was no real need for vehicles now, fuel was rare in the times of the destroyed earth. So horse-drawn carriages were used. There were barely any oxen or cows left which would have been more convenient than the flighty horses. And the horses weren't even the famous Draft horses of the past.
"Kev, the Cleans have requested you." Richard said as he came up to him.
"The Cleans, seriously?" Kevin asked in bafflement. "I'm pretty dirty, what do they want to do with me?"
"Beats me, but they still requested you." Richard said. "You better get to it before we leave you behind.
"Yes sir." Kevin put down the box he was holding and went inside the main facility. The Cleans were the real growers of the Green Tower. Their lives were about growing food and tending the chickens, and develop methods for more sufficient methods. Kevin was pretty happy about the food he got, but the rumor was that it had been more produce made in the past than now per square mile.
Kevin had to dress down, be cleaned from top to bottom before he would be let into the double room. It felt a bit odd, as the Cleans would be protected by a thick glass, and computers and speakers conveyed the spoken language. Were they turned off, they wouldn't be able to hear each other through the pane of glass.
Kevin got a paper gown on, thankfully covering his shame. He went inside the room.
It was large, and strangely light green on both sides. There were tables on both sides of the glass, along with a projector, a computer console, and headset. He picked it up, and rung a buzz on the table to indicate he had arrived. This room was used for meetings.
An older man walked inside and picked up his headset. "Kevin Green?" He asked. Kevin nodded in confirmation.
"My name is Doctor Trevor Light." The man said. "You've grown up here most of your life, right?"
"Ever since I was five-six." Kevin answered. "But not in here."
"Yes, your education and a job as a Protector. You're doing a pretty good job. I've heard you managed to capture a life Hunter."
"It wasn't a one-man job." Kevin admitted.
"A humble man!" Trevor laughed. "This is what I was looking for. I got a special assignment for you. This trade deal is going to fall through. I have no idea why New York thinks they can do things cleaner than us, but it does not matter.
"What matters is that you can go pretty incognito. No one will really notice you. You're young enough to not appear beaten. Most of the guards are like that."
"You want me to steal something?" Kevin asked, quirking his eyebrow.
"Steal? No no." Trevor smiled. "I just need you to go to my colleague in New York. He has some data he wants to share with me. Whatever it is, it has him scared."
"Scared?" Kevin put his hands to the glass. "Is this some political game or something?" There was barely any coherency of politics at the moment, most of the communities in America few and far between. But there were the Washington Team, people naming themselves after a ruined city that was uninhabitable. But they wanted control over the communities and bring everyone under the same rule, as it was in the old past. Kevin was not that happy about the idea, but he knew that he was in the minority. People older than him were usually jumping on the idea of a real government, keeping something that they knew from the past, before the plague.
"No politics." Trevor shook his head, not coming to the glass. "He won't talk about it on the ham, even on encrypted channels." He looked over to the computer. "He want's to give me some data."
"How will he recognize me. If he's that paranoid he's not going to tell you over the channel any code words and that." Kevin said.
"Smart too." Trevor said. "And you're right. We went to Grad School together. There's this inside joke we shared with each other." He pointed to the computer. "There's a DVD inside."
Kevin knew how to eject the disk. He didn't know that much about computers, but he knew what the keyboard and CD was. The DVD was blank.
"I just burned it from my position. There aught to be some jewel cases by the computer." Trevor continued. "Show this to him, let him check the data when you're in the room with him."
"The other Protectors will be curious as of why I came here." Kevin said.
"I know, I've prepared another story." Trevor said. "You remember the contributions you all were asked to make?"
"Of course, the only time I really got to see a skinny mag." Kevin chuckled, then froze. Trevor had taken his headset off and was motioning someone to come. A woman came, visibly pregnant.
"This is Ramona." Trevor said as he put on his headset again. "I know it is kinda taboo for Cleans to go this far into the bottom for samples, but we need the genetic diversity."
"I'm already going to be a father." Kevin said. "With Jessica."
"Congratulations." Trevor said. "But this one will be born in two months. This is the reason you came here."
"This is sick." Kevin said. It looked like Ramona couldn't hear him, but she could see his reaction, which was not good. "Aren't you supposed to be able to ask permission and that?"
"Yes." Trevor said. "But this has been in planning for a while now."
Kevin thought. Ramona was seven months into the pregnancy. That meant that Trevor was right, this wasn't some hasty decision. And Kevin had been chosen some time ago.
"Okay, I get it." Kevin said.
"You would have been a great researcher." Trevor said. "You should go before the caravan leaves. I wouldn't want you to catch up to them in the middle of the night."
Kevin nodded, put the DVD into the jewel case and left without saying another word. A Great researcher he says, I cannot even control my own movements. He thought to himself as he went into the changing room.
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Post by Evangeline on Oct 14, 2010 16:54:29 GMT -5
Not a nice situation for Kevin, I see. Talk about "awkward".
The way you've set up the premise is quite sound, btw. It has a nice cumulative effect.
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Post by elizar on Oct 14, 2010 17:04:42 GMT -5
I still suffer from the INFODUMP illness. I think it's terminal. The Green Tower community is pretty classist. Kev, an orphan, is pretty low-rung, and Trevor even notices that if someone had even taken a glance at him he would have been much more. And those hallucinatory side effects is just a rumor made to make the community look good. In other words, I want to have side effects, but I can't really figure out what. I don't even know in what State the Green Tower should be at.
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