[center][h1][color=f7941d]Z[/color][/h1] [/center]
[center][i]'Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.' - George Santayana[/i]
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Z was running through a jungle. It was dark, the trees dripped with rains that smelt like copper and the ground squelched beneath their bare clawed feet. They look up into the canopy - a thousand eyes stare back, reflecting red in the guttering flame of the torch that they hold lofted above their head. Underfoot the ground gives way to bog, still they press on. The bog gives way to a mangrove swamp, still they press on. The water closes above their head - everything turns to black.

The waves crash on the shore as they all pour from the landing craft into the noon sun. As they thrash their way through the water, the alien next to Z turns to them and smiles a wide, gleeful smile. Suddenly the smile is gone - there is a hole where it used to be. Suddenly the air is filled with bullets and fire. The alien blinks twice before crashing down into the surf, its three black legs folding beneath it gracelessly. Z turns back towards the beach and begins to charge forward, firing into the tree line.

They are all here, all their siblings - they are whole. Z looks up with up through nine hundred pairs of eyes at the Holy Ones. They shine with a golden light as the purple sky around them crackles with red lightning. They surge forward to meet the Gods...

And then Z wakes up.
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[color=ed1c24]
"This is your Captain speaking, I want everybody in the commons room immediately. Come or be absent, but don't be late. I'm locking the door after five minutes."[/color]

The crackle of the intercom rang out in the warm animal darkness of Z's quarters and brought them out of past. They rolled onto their side and tried to curl up into a ball to escape reality. But it was already fading. They wanted to go back, they wanted to return to... gone. They lay there in the darkness willing sleep back, knowing it was better than anything that would be found outside the confines of the small lonely nest they had constructed for themselves. The nest smelt of Zeruuli, it smelt like family, but Z knew there was no family here - they were alone.

For moment it smelled like sleep would return, but then the tannoy buzzed again with a monotone voice. It was so annoying.

[color=8A2BE2]"All hands, prepare for phase jump." [/color]

The ship lurched and Z's eyes snapped open, glowing orange with a dim sickly light from deep inside. They were awake now. The heap of filthy rags that was piled up onto their bunk fell apart as they emerged. From the top of the pile, they selected one particularly stained and tattered piece and began to pluck at it with their long clawed fingers. Closer inspection would reveal it to be a standard issue grey penal jumpsuit, but this one was so unwashed and dirty it was hard to tell. The necked had been ripped open wide to allow the Zeruuli to wriggle their impressive bulk inside. Similarly the sleeves had been torn off at the shoulders to exposed the great slabs of scared and tattooed muscle that Z called arms. 

The automatic motion sensing lighting did not turn on as they stood, Z had destroyed that long ago. The only light in the room came from a single cracked viewing screen that sat on the floor in the corner, facing the bed at an angle. It was tuned to static - the volume was turned up.

From the flicking and shifting light the screen emitted some of the the darkened room could be seen. Much of the walls, floor and ceiling were hidden beneath a layer of mucus like slime that clung to it in a thick globs and patches. It was Zeruuli bile - the substance that formed the species reproductive cocoons, and also came to coat their nests when they were left in one place long enough. Heaps of trash adorned the floor, rotting food, empty bottles and smashed glass. None of this disturbed the leathern soles of Z's feet as they made their away to the door and slunk out into the corridor outside.

They lumbered along beneath the blinking lights, claws clacking on the metal grilled floors towards the central common room where they normally ate. When the door hissed open they were surprised to see it so empty - normally they were the last to arrive for breakfast, but there was only the captain, the pilot and Riggs. They were equally surprised when they realised that the table was not laid for eating.

[color=f7941d]"No food..."[/color] They said in a low hiss, and looked from side to side before remembering that it wasn't actually time for food yet. Warily they stepped into the common room and sprawled their bulk down on the floor in the corner closest to the Pilot. They did not mind the pilot. The captain was alright too, but they made them do work. Riggs they regarded with a hostile unblinking stare. They did not like Riggs, that one's mind moved to fast for Z.