Sorry everyone, but I'm going to have to go on hiatus at least until the new year. I'm too swamped with work :s
Mr Donny Member
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"Well make sure he's snapped out of it and send the forms to me once you're done. I have a hospital to run here, I can't be bothered to check on every drone that comes in," the voice came from far away. Or at least it felt like it. Like Kostia's head was in a fishbowl filled with water an the little goldfish was trying to take a detour via his brain. Why don't I feel any pain? he thought to himself. It was as if a tremendous pressure had been placed on his entire body, but it did not hurt. I need to open my eyes. He focused on his eyelids, but they refused to cooperate. A light suddenly shone on his still closed eyes, clearing the blackness and replacing it with the orange-red of his translucent skin. Suddenly, as if someone had heard his thoughts, two fingers pinched his left eyelid and pried it open. A flashlight shone into his exposed iris, forcing it to narrow reflexively. Discomfort surged through the young man's stiff body, causing him to regain a little piece of his senses. He tried moving his head out of the way of the discomfort, but found he could just slightly jerk it to the side. The fingers let go of his eyelid and it happily restored the relative darkness to Konstantin's vision.
"Awake? Can you hear me, sir?" a low rumbling voice echoed above him, this one much clearer than the one before. It appeared the fish bowl had been removed and the fish evicted from its new home. The young scout opened his eyelids as far as he could, which was enough to give him an impression of the man hovering above him. The stranger seemed a little older, with dark brown skin and bright red hair that gave a jarring contrast. "You were sedated sir, please stay calm, it will wear off in a few minutes," the man said and straightened himself. He walked away from Kostia's bed and the scout closed his lids again, trying to gather his thoughts. I'm not... dead? No, can't be dead. That guy looked like a nurse, not some otherwordly deity. Then again how can I know what an otherwordly deity would look like... sensation was returning to his body. He could feel his mouth was dry and his muscles were stiff. There was a pain building up in his eyes, the pain of unfulfilling sleep.
The pressure finally abated and he could open his eyes fully. It took a moment for his vision to focus, but then he could gather his surroundings. Konstantin slowly pushed himself up on his elbows and took in what little view he had. It was a small hospital room, furnished with nothing but a bed, a chair and a large cupboard. A small LED light illuminated the room, set to a cold dim white light, supposedly to help him rest. He noticed his work clothes on the chair - all tattered and bloody. Kostia looked down to realise he was in nothing but a simple blue hospital gown. Irritated, he fell back onto his pillow and rubbed the bridge of his nose with his left hand. I nearly got killed by those mog'romp... I remember Mark's voice... What the hell happened out there? And why am I here, don't they have healing pods? His head was completely clear now, but he could not find the answers he was looking for. The nurse was gone as well, so Kostia decided sleeping would be his best option right now and dozed off.
"Um, sir?" A hand gently shook him out of his nap. Konstantin mumbled something incoherent and refused to wake up fully. "Sir, I'm sorry, but you have to leave. We can't keep you here once the sedative has worn off," the hand shook him again, more firmly. The young scout turned towards the nurse and pushed himself to his elbows. "What? Why? Why am I even here?" he demanded with displeasure in his voice.
"I'm sorry, but we don't have room for you. We've only got a few beds and a lot of people get injured. Not everyone can use a medical pod, either, so we have to treat some people the old-fashioned way, which takes a lot of time. You were healed in a pod, but put here to wait for your sedative to wear off," the nurse explained calmly, with an apologetic smile on his face. Kostia got the impression that this man was an idealist - someone who wanted to help people above all else. Not a practical stance, but he admired people with convictions like that.
"Okay, uh, but... My clothes are kind of ruined," he nodded towards the neat little pile on the chair. I can't leave with a hospital gown, can I?
"We can issue you a new set of clothes. You can keep them if you want, but it will cost you an additional fee," the nurse put a couple of inputs into his PDA. "I'll go fetch them for you," he added and left the room. Konstantin sank back into the sheets, staring blankly at the ceiling. I should have asked for a glass of water, he thought, feeling the dryness of his throat.
The hospital clothes were plain, but at least they were comfortable. Kostia considered keeping them - would save him a shopping trip a few weeks down the line. He unlocked the door to his apartment, stepped inside. It was considerably less dusty than he expected - possibly because he was sent home about halfway into the expedition - but his first action was to crack the window and let fresh air come inside. He needed to do some dusting, but postponed that to tomorrow. Near-death experiences give you perspective on the pointlessness of actions such as cleaning your apartment. It was more like a room, really. He had been assigned a small l-shaped flat, which was just a single room, with a tiny kitchen area in one corner and his bed in another. Thankfully, the bathroom in the third corner had been separated by an opaque glass partition with a sliding door. It had a small coffee table in the middle with a couple of pillows for sitting and little else in terms of furnishing. It's not like a scout needed much luxury when he was away in the jungles most of the time.
Kostia sat on his bed and unrolled the bundle of clothes he had been carrying. His work pants were still in an ok shape - a couple of stitches and a good wash were all they needed. All of his other clothes could at best be used as rags, but the chunks of congealed blood made him decide throwing them away would be a better option. The young man sighed, threw the clothes into the corner and leaned back against the wall. He had left all his personal possessions at camp and needed to wait for his crew to send them to him. Which could take a couple of days still, depending on whether or not they happen upon some pilot going back into the City.
At least he had the tablet on his wall. He got up and put his fingerprint on the sensor. The computer powered on. Kostia entered his password and checked his messages. Lots of spam, but there were messages from Joshua and Anna. He opened the one from Anna first, fearing the scolding Joshua might give.
"Told you to carry a weapon with you, you idiot. We've given Mark your rations as a way of thanking him for saving your life. I'm sure you won't mind. And now I have to work more to make up for your stupidity TT
Don't get yourself killed while we're not there to protect you. See you in a week :)
P.S.: Mark asked me to tell you you're an idiot."
He smiled and closed the message. Well, the crew seemed to taking it quite well. He expected them to be angrier. A bit relieved, he opened Joseph's message.
"That was incredibly stupid. We'll talk more when we get back. I'll make sure your possessions are safe until we can arrange them to be transported back to the City."
It was pretty much what he expected from Joshua, but it still made him dread the day he would have to meet his leader again. Joshua was not the kind to report these sort of incidents to the upper management, but Kostia did not look forward to the lecture he would get about safety and working as a team. He scrolled through the newsfeed, looking for something to distract him from the events of the past 24 hours.
"Awake? Can you hear me, sir?" a low rumbling voice echoed above him, this one much clearer than the one before. It appeared the fish bowl had been removed and the fish evicted from its new home. The young scout opened his eyelids as far as he could, which was enough to give him an impression of the man hovering above him. The stranger seemed a little older, with dark brown skin and bright red hair that gave a jarring contrast. "You were sedated sir, please stay calm, it will wear off in a few minutes," the man said and straightened himself. He walked away from Kostia's bed and the scout closed his lids again, trying to gather his thoughts. I'm not... dead? No, can't be dead. That guy looked like a nurse, not some otherwordly deity. Then again how can I know what an otherwordly deity would look like... sensation was returning to his body. He could feel his mouth was dry and his muscles were stiff. There was a pain building up in his eyes, the pain of unfulfilling sleep.
The pressure finally abated and he could open his eyes fully. It took a moment for his vision to focus, but then he could gather his surroundings. Konstantin slowly pushed himself up on his elbows and took in what little view he had. It was a small hospital room, furnished with nothing but a bed, a chair and a large cupboard. A small LED light illuminated the room, set to a cold dim white light, supposedly to help him rest. He noticed his work clothes on the chair - all tattered and bloody. Kostia looked down to realise he was in nothing but a simple blue hospital gown. Irritated, he fell back onto his pillow and rubbed the bridge of his nose with his left hand. I nearly got killed by those mog'romp... I remember Mark's voice... What the hell happened out there? And why am I here, don't they have healing pods? His head was completely clear now, but he could not find the answers he was looking for. The nurse was gone as well, so Kostia decided sleeping would be his best option right now and dozed off.
"Um, sir?" A hand gently shook him out of his nap. Konstantin mumbled something incoherent and refused to wake up fully. "Sir, I'm sorry, but you have to leave. We can't keep you here once the sedative has worn off," the hand shook him again, more firmly. The young scout turned towards the nurse and pushed himself to his elbows. "What? Why? Why am I even here?" he demanded with displeasure in his voice.
"I'm sorry, but we don't have room for you. We've only got a few beds and a lot of people get injured. Not everyone can use a medical pod, either, so we have to treat some people the old-fashioned way, which takes a lot of time. You were healed in a pod, but put here to wait for your sedative to wear off," the nurse explained calmly, with an apologetic smile on his face. Kostia got the impression that this man was an idealist - someone who wanted to help people above all else. Not a practical stance, but he admired people with convictions like that.
"Okay, uh, but... My clothes are kind of ruined," he nodded towards the neat little pile on the chair. I can't leave with a hospital gown, can I?
"We can issue you a new set of clothes. You can keep them if you want, but it will cost you an additional fee," the nurse put a couple of inputs into his PDA. "I'll go fetch them for you," he added and left the room. Konstantin sank back into the sheets, staring blankly at the ceiling. I should have asked for a glass of water, he thought, feeling the dryness of his throat.
***
The hospital clothes were plain, but at least they were comfortable. Kostia considered keeping them - would save him a shopping trip a few weeks down the line. He unlocked the door to his apartment, stepped inside. It was considerably less dusty than he expected - possibly because he was sent home about halfway into the expedition - but his first action was to crack the window and let fresh air come inside. He needed to do some dusting, but postponed that to tomorrow. Near-death experiences give you perspective on the pointlessness of actions such as cleaning your apartment. It was more like a room, really. He had been assigned a small l-shaped flat, which was just a single room, with a tiny kitchen area in one corner and his bed in another. Thankfully, the bathroom in the third corner had been separated by an opaque glass partition with a sliding door. It had a small coffee table in the middle with a couple of pillows for sitting and little else in terms of furnishing. It's not like a scout needed much luxury when he was away in the jungles most of the time.
Kostia sat on his bed and unrolled the bundle of clothes he had been carrying. His work pants were still in an ok shape - a couple of stitches and a good wash were all they needed. All of his other clothes could at best be used as rags, but the chunks of congealed blood made him decide throwing them away would be a better option. The young man sighed, threw the clothes into the corner and leaned back against the wall. He had left all his personal possessions at camp and needed to wait for his crew to send them to him. Which could take a couple of days still, depending on whether or not they happen upon some pilot going back into the City.
At least he had the tablet on his wall. He got up and put his fingerprint on the sensor. The computer powered on. Kostia entered his password and checked his messages. Lots of spam, but there were messages from Joshua and Anna. He opened the one from Anna first, fearing the scolding Joshua might give.
"Told you to carry a weapon with you, you idiot. We've given Mark your rations as a way of thanking him for saving your life. I'm sure you won't mind. And now I have to work more to make up for your stupidity TT
Don't get yourself killed while we're not there to protect you. See you in a week :)
P.S.: Mark asked me to tell you you're an idiot."
He smiled and closed the message. Well, the crew seemed to taking it quite well. He expected them to be angrier. A bit relieved, he opened Joseph's message.
"That was incredibly stupid. We'll talk more when we get back. I'll make sure your possessions are safe until we can arrange them to be transported back to the City."
It was pretty much what he expected from Joshua, but it still made him dread the day he would have to meet his leader again. Joshua was not the kind to report these sort of incidents to the upper management, but Kostia did not look forward to the lecture he would get about safety and working as a team. He scrolled through the newsfeed, looking for something to distract him from the events of the past 24 hours.
Time for Kostia's scouting party to get at least SOME characterization.
Just one more minute. Then another one. And then it will all be over. Konstantin thought to himself, choking slightly on the meaning of the word over. He wanted it to mean "These beasts will be scared away or killed and I will be safe", but in the dark recesses of his mind another interpretation tried desperately to be heard - "Your life will be all over". The young man tried to push it away as far as he could and was mostly successful, although it was less due to his will and control over his thoughts than due to the insane concentrations of adrenaline filling his body. The confrontation was man vs. beast, but in a situation like this the man was often reminded that he too, was a beast. The rational mind was given a strict order to sit down and be quiet while the instinctual sorted this out.
The shocked mog'romp was finally coming back to its senses, shaking off the last remnants of the daze it had been experiencing. It crawled behind Kostia, forcing him to turn and back up towards the wreckage of the Wasp. The alpha grunted sternly and the other mog'romp quickly leapt towards the rubble, cutting off the prey's possible escape. He was completely trapped and needed the cavalry - fast. But for some reason, they would not come. He knew even without looking up that the Hauler crew, for one reason or another, were not coming to perform the daring rescue he had expected. Had they not seen him? No, surely the pilot was competent enough to notice three huge predators corralling a man who was shooting sparks out of his body. Were they afraid? He saw with his own eyes how one of the crew made such a daring escape carrying an injured man. Maybe that was all the courage he had then. The scout made a mental note to have a few words with the Hauler crew, if he ever figured out who they were. And also if he survived. Dying would really hinder his efforts to yell at people for not saving his life.
No more than a minute could have passed since the third beast came to its senses when Kostia noticed the ring around him start tightening. He turned frantically from one animal to the other, trying to look as threatening as possible (which did not come easily given they were each at least double his weight). He hatched a desperate plan. Maybe he could get past one of them and get to the wreckage. That would give him at least some advantage, maybe two or three minutes more if he found a suitable crevasse where the monsters could not reach easily. He turned towards the alpha, taking a step forwards as if ready to fight. The animal lowered its head and growled, seemingly a little insulted at the feistiness of this little morsel. Then, as if frightened by this display, Konstantin made a sharp turn towards the one guarding the downed Wasp and made a run for it. The animal raised its head in shock for a second, before returning to a position of preparation. When the prey got within the right distance, it made a leap.
The man saw huge, yellowed teeth, covered in saliva, coming in at him fast and just dying to get a taste of his flesh. He reacted just in time to veer right and rolled on the ground to avoid the bulk of the animal knocking him over. He got up as quick as he could, but the more agile beast was already at his position, swiping with a paw. For some reason, Konstantin envisioned himself as a hedgehog, spines perked up to scare away a predator. His body interpreted that as a signal to let the voltage it had stored loose. The claws made contact with his right breast and right as they ripped through the fabric of his clothes and schredded the skin and muscle beneath, the mog'romp got a very nasty discharge. The beast fell flat to the ground, temporarily paralyzed, while his opponent stumbled backwards, clutching at his chest. He could see the blood flowing quite clearly, but surprisingly, he felt barely any pain. His body was in full fight or flight mode and pain inhibited both of these options. He quickly gathered himself and once again made a run for the wreckage. Luckily, the mog'romp closest to him froze for a few seconds, possibly reliving the very recent memories that its packmate now had to experience firsthand as well. It took a step back and watched the injured prey with caution, not daring to approach.
The alpha looked at its pathetic excuse of a pack, snarled annoyedly and began making great strides towards the prey. It could see the man was weakened now and would surrender sooner rather than later. To Konstantin's credit though, he had no intention of surrendering. He continued as best as he could, pressing his bleeding chest with his left arm, but he could feel something was wrong. He was losing charge slowly but noticeably enough and his breathing got heavier and heavier. With about ten meters left to go, he turned around to see yet another, larger set of teeth flying at him. He ducked instinctively and tried to cover his head with his arms, but was too slow on both actions. He had managed to lower himself a little bit to avoid the teeth, but a mass of muscle, fur and hatred bashed into him at full speed, knocking the wind out of his lungs and throwing the young scout towards the wreckage he had so desperately tried to reach. The same wreckage also stopped his flight, knocking the lights out of his eyes, too.
The next few minuted were a mixture of consciousness and unconsciousness for Konstantin. His vision was blurry - when it was there at all - and he sometimes managed to put together the situation he was in and that he would be ripped apart by hungry beasts any second now. He heard some noises, but not the ones he had expected. It sounded like a gun being fired, but mog'romp did not use guns. And then he slipped back into unconsciousness for some time, but a familiar voice brought him back. "ours... was... out... happened... Lunos... thanks..." his mind only registered a few words. Mark... Kostia recognized the owner of the voice in a moment of lucidity. He tried to raise his head to look at what was happening, but that was too hard of a task. Is this what dying feels like. Ah, fuck it! He stopped fighting and passed out.
"One of ours, yeah. Don't know what he was doing out here, I just happened upon him while collecting samples," Mark explained to the Wasp pilot. Other pilots were rushing into the scene with an emergency kit.
"Well good to know someone's competent in your team. We'll take him back to the City and throw him into one of those vats, should fix him up in a few hours. Nice aim, by the way," the pilot pointed to the corpse of the mog'romp laying nearby, its head with two holes that were not there originally.
"Yeah, it's my Lunos. Thanks for taking care of him, I don't know if I could have dragged him to the camp in time," Mark responded grimly. Kostia, you fucking idiot... he added mentally.
The shocked mog'romp was finally coming back to its senses, shaking off the last remnants of the daze it had been experiencing. It crawled behind Kostia, forcing him to turn and back up towards the wreckage of the Wasp. The alpha grunted sternly and the other mog'romp quickly leapt towards the rubble, cutting off the prey's possible escape. He was completely trapped and needed the cavalry - fast. But for some reason, they would not come. He knew even without looking up that the Hauler crew, for one reason or another, were not coming to perform the daring rescue he had expected. Had they not seen him? No, surely the pilot was competent enough to notice three huge predators corralling a man who was shooting sparks out of his body. Were they afraid? He saw with his own eyes how one of the crew made such a daring escape carrying an injured man. Maybe that was all the courage he had then. The scout made a mental note to have a few words with the Hauler crew, if he ever figured out who they were. And also if he survived. Dying would really hinder his efforts to yell at people for not saving his life.
No more than a minute could have passed since the third beast came to its senses when Kostia noticed the ring around him start tightening. He turned frantically from one animal to the other, trying to look as threatening as possible (which did not come easily given they were each at least double his weight). He hatched a desperate plan. Maybe he could get past one of them and get to the wreckage. That would give him at least some advantage, maybe two or three minutes more if he found a suitable crevasse where the monsters could not reach easily. He turned towards the alpha, taking a step forwards as if ready to fight. The animal lowered its head and growled, seemingly a little insulted at the feistiness of this little morsel. Then, as if frightened by this display, Konstantin made a sharp turn towards the one guarding the downed Wasp and made a run for it. The animal raised its head in shock for a second, before returning to a position of preparation. When the prey got within the right distance, it made a leap.
The man saw huge, yellowed teeth, covered in saliva, coming in at him fast and just dying to get a taste of his flesh. He reacted just in time to veer right and rolled on the ground to avoid the bulk of the animal knocking him over. He got up as quick as he could, but the more agile beast was already at his position, swiping with a paw. For some reason, Konstantin envisioned himself as a hedgehog, spines perked up to scare away a predator. His body interpreted that as a signal to let the voltage it had stored loose. The claws made contact with his right breast and right as they ripped through the fabric of his clothes and schredded the skin and muscle beneath, the mog'romp got a very nasty discharge. The beast fell flat to the ground, temporarily paralyzed, while his opponent stumbled backwards, clutching at his chest. He could see the blood flowing quite clearly, but surprisingly, he felt barely any pain. His body was in full fight or flight mode and pain inhibited both of these options. He quickly gathered himself and once again made a run for the wreckage. Luckily, the mog'romp closest to him froze for a few seconds, possibly reliving the very recent memories that its packmate now had to experience firsthand as well. It took a step back and watched the injured prey with caution, not daring to approach.
The alpha looked at its pathetic excuse of a pack, snarled annoyedly and began making great strides towards the prey. It could see the man was weakened now and would surrender sooner rather than later. To Konstantin's credit though, he had no intention of surrendering. He continued as best as he could, pressing his bleeding chest with his left arm, but he could feel something was wrong. He was losing charge slowly but noticeably enough and his breathing got heavier and heavier. With about ten meters left to go, he turned around to see yet another, larger set of teeth flying at him. He ducked instinctively and tried to cover his head with his arms, but was too slow on both actions. He had managed to lower himself a little bit to avoid the teeth, but a mass of muscle, fur and hatred bashed into him at full speed, knocking the wind out of his lungs and throwing the young scout towards the wreckage he had so desperately tried to reach. The same wreckage also stopped his flight, knocking the lights out of his eyes, too.
The next few minuted were a mixture of consciousness and unconsciousness for Konstantin. His vision was blurry - when it was there at all - and he sometimes managed to put together the situation he was in and that he would be ripped apart by hungry beasts any second now. He heard some noises, but not the ones he had expected. It sounded like a gun being fired, but mog'romp did not use guns. And then he slipped back into unconsciousness for some time, but a familiar voice brought him back. "ours... was... out... happened... Lunos... thanks..." his mind only registered a few words. Mark... Kostia recognized the owner of the voice in a moment of lucidity. He tried to raise his head to look at what was happening, but that was too hard of a task. Is this what dying feels like. Ah, fuck it! He stopped fighting and passed out.
***
"One of ours, yeah. Don't know what he was doing out here, I just happened upon him while collecting samples," Mark explained to the Wasp pilot. Other pilots were rushing into the scene with an emergency kit.
"Well good to know someone's competent in your team. We'll take him back to the City and throw him into one of those vats, should fix him up in a few hours. Nice aim, by the way," the pilot pointed to the corpse of the mog'romp laying nearby, its head with two holes that were not there originally.
"Yeah, it's my Lunos. Thanks for taking care of him, I don't know if I could have dragged him to the camp in time," Mark responded grimly. Kostia, you fucking idiot... he added mentally.
Just posted as one character. Will work on a Cerridwen post later but this will keep some aspects rolling a bit. :)
Thanks :)
@NuttsnBolts No, not really, just saw that our characters were close by and thought why not. Sorry, didn't know you disliked collaborative writing. You don't need to do anything proactive (other than maybe a "well shit, we don't have any way to save this idiot" :D), I can always use an NPC to scare the creatures away.
"Here little Mr. Bug, come here, just laaaaaaaaaaaaaaand on my arm and you can get all of the delicious Earth blood you can-AHA" he exclaimed giddily as the hairs on his forearm bristled and the small bloodsucker stiffened from the voltage running through it. After a second, the insect fell to the ground dead and Kostia's arm returned to its non-electrified state. He shook the arm loosely, as if trying to remove the last bit of static electricity from it. It still felt weird to use his Lunos - he could never shake the feeling that every metal thing he touches will shock him like he had been running around with wool socks on carpet. He shuddered at the thought, then got up from his place at the bonfire and entered the small brown tent that was home to the entire scouting party of four.
Were you frying bugs with your Lunos again? Anna piped up from the corner of the room where her cot lay, setting her novel aside for a minute. Shocking, Konstantin corrected her, I was shocking bugs. Frying just sounds horrible. Speaking of whiiiiiiiiiich... he turned to the large older man in the center, who was busily milling about an electric stove. There was a large pot on one of the heatplates and a smaller one on the other. The man, whose name was Joseph, turned towards his younger companion with a calm fatherly smile. Settle down, Kostia, food will be ready when it's ready. If you're bored you can go out and help Mark collect samples, he said in a low bass rumble. Konstantin wanted to say something, but could find nothing satisfactorily witty. Instead, he turned on his heels and marched back outside into the heat and humidity of the jungle.
The first thing he saw when he went outside was... Nothing. Or rather, he saw smoke for the brief moment he could keep his eyes open. He started coughing reflexively and felt his eyes fill up with tears. The young man quickly took a few steps to the side and stood rubbing his eyes for a few seconds before his vision started coming back. After a few groggy blinks he had adjusted to the light and could easily identify the culprit of this unpleasant incident - the goddamned bonfire, lit to smoke out the bugs out of the camp (and doing a pretty poor job of it, too) was billowing smoke towards the tent due to a shift in the wind direction. Kostia approached it with red watery eyes, contemplating a fate that would fit such a troublemaker of a fire. Ugh, I wish I could just stomp you out... But Joseph would probably be mad and force me to stand outside as a human bug zapper or something. Stupid fire... he muttered under his breath.
Konstantin's nefarious plan of bonfirecide was interrupted by a sudden realization. There was a sound in the jungle. Well, there were always sounds in the jungle, but this one was not a native sound. It came from the west, maybe northwest and was getting louder. The scout stretched to his full height and listened. It was definitely something man made. And coming closer fast. A... motor? Yes, it was a motor. Sounded like one of those bigger airships, not the little Wasps that would zip around all the time. He trained his eyes on the direction of the sound and sure enough, a speck of metal in the distance was quickly turning into a square and then the square started getting less square and more cube-like until finally Konstantin could see the shape of a Hauler. It was going way above the usual speed for this type of aircraft, which was still way slower than most nimble single-pilot aircraft, passing the camp just a lick to the west of it but still making an eardrum popping noise. The sound started to lessen as both the craft slowed down and got further away. It seemed to have stopped moving forward after a few seconds and the buzz of a hovering Hauler could be heard faintly by the scout, but the machine itself was hidden by the treetops. "It can't be that far away," Kostia thought, "I wonder what the rush is all about?" Then he noticed it - in the direction the Hauler had gone, a small blinking red light. It was just barely visible through cracks in the greenery of the jungle. "Oh..." his voice trailed off as the realisation came to him.
Anna, Joseph, keep the food warm for me, I need to go check this out! he yelled as he ran off roughly in the direction of the flare. It could not have been more than a couple kilometers away, how did he miss it? Kostia cursed himself under his breath as he navigated the treacherous terrain of the jungle as best as he could. Luckily, the area was mostly known to him already and all the adrenaline helped remember quicker and safer paths. It took no longer than ten minutes for him to get there, but by that time most of the fireworks were over. There was a very obvious gap in the treeline that let a little more light than usual find its way to the ground. In the middle of a pile of wood, vines and metal was the culprit of this gap - a downed Wasp. Or rather, what remained of it. The scout diverted his attention skywards, where the cargo door of the Hauler was slowly closing. Odd, the Wasp did not appear to be on fire, why would the rescue opperation be rushed like that. Confused, he stepped forward towards the pile of rubble and then he realised.
There was a very distinct sound, one that he had heard before and probably one of the reasons his team insisted on him carrying a weapon. He lowered his eyes again and saw the trio at the other side of the clearing, two of them still looking cross at the big metal hunk in the sky. The third one, to Kostia's dismay, was looking straight at him. It was as if both of them were slowly hypnotizing eachother. A few moments passed and neither animal nor man made a move. Then the feline turned to its companions and let out a very distinct "trrr" sound to get their attention. The young man could not speak mog'romp, but he kind of got the intention of the message and it spelled MURDER in big block capitals. The other two now also focused on the lonely boy on the ground. What was he supposed to do? He could never outrun them. And climbing a tree was about as useful as diving deeper to avoid a shark. He had only one option and that was head for the Wasp and hope the people in the Hauler above notice him.
He made a run for it, giving all his tired legs could give at this point. The Wasp was closer to him than to the predators, but they were far far faster. With just a few meters to go, he noticed a blur at the corner of his eye. The one that spotted him first decided to call dibs on the prey. Fangs blaring, it went for Kostia with a horrible hunger in its eyes. Instinct kicked in. The scout's eyes turned a beautiful golden colour and all the hairs on his head turned into a spiky mess. He ducked and the mog'romp's fangs missed, but the legs made contact with the man's stomach, forcing an "Oof" sound out of him. In a panic, Kostia focused all of his electricity into his abdomen and released the charge.
The tumble was rough, but luckily, he didn't get injured. Konstantin got up as quickly as he could and saw that his attacker was still dazed, having trouble getting on its feet. The other two stopped at a respectable distance - hungry, but afraid to approach further. He knew they were persistent and he also knew he could not keep his Lunos charged forever. Right now he focused on gathering as much energy as possible, hoping to scare them off if another attack was incoming. His hope of surviving lay in the Hauler above. He wanted to look up or shout for help, but something in the way the alpha beast looked at him gave him the impression that it would be an admission to the fact that he knew and the animal could guess. The fact was, if help did not come soon, Konstantin was as good as dead.
@NuttsnBolts
Were you frying bugs with your Lunos again? Anna piped up from the corner of the room where her cot lay, setting her novel aside for a minute. Shocking, Konstantin corrected her, I was shocking bugs. Frying just sounds horrible. Speaking of whiiiiiiiiiich... he turned to the large older man in the center, who was busily milling about an electric stove. There was a large pot on one of the heatplates and a smaller one on the other. The man, whose name was Joseph, turned towards his younger companion with a calm fatherly smile. Settle down, Kostia, food will be ready when it's ready. If you're bored you can go out and help Mark collect samples, he said in a low bass rumble. Konstantin wanted to say something, but could find nothing satisfactorily witty. Instead, he turned on his heels and marched back outside into the heat and humidity of the jungle.
The first thing he saw when he went outside was... Nothing. Or rather, he saw smoke for the brief moment he could keep his eyes open. He started coughing reflexively and felt his eyes fill up with tears. The young man quickly took a few steps to the side and stood rubbing his eyes for a few seconds before his vision started coming back. After a few groggy blinks he had adjusted to the light and could easily identify the culprit of this unpleasant incident - the goddamned bonfire, lit to smoke out the bugs out of the camp (and doing a pretty poor job of it, too) was billowing smoke towards the tent due to a shift in the wind direction. Kostia approached it with red watery eyes, contemplating a fate that would fit such a troublemaker of a fire. Ugh, I wish I could just stomp you out... But Joseph would probably be mad and force me to stand outside as a human bug zapper or something. Stupid fire... he muttered under his breath.
Konstantin's nefarious plan of bonfirecide was interrupted by a sudden realization. There was a sound in the jungle. Well, there were always sounds in the jungle, but this one was not a native sound. It came from the west, maybe northwest and was getting louder. The scout stretched to his full height and listened. It was definitely something man made. And coming closer fast. A... motor? Yes, it was a motor. Sounded like one of those bigger airships, not the little Wasps that would zip around all the time. He trained his eyes on the direction of the sound and sure enough, a speck of metal in the distance was quickly turning into a square and then the square started getting less square and more cube-like until finally Konstantin could see the shape of a Hauler. It was going way above the usual speed for this type of aircraft, which was still way slower than most nimble single-pilot aircraft, passing the camp just a lick to the west of it but still making an eardrum popping noise. The sound started to lessen as both the craft slowed down and got further away. It seemed to have stopped moving forward after a few seconds and the buzz of a hovering Hauler could be heard faintly by the scout, but the machine itself was hidden by the treetops. "It can't be that far away," Kostia thought, "I wonder what the rush is all about?" Then he noticed it - in the direction the Hauler had gone, a small blinking red light. It was just barely visible through cracks in the greenery of the jungle. "Oh..." his voice trailed off as the realisation came to him.
Anna, Joseph, keep the food warm for me, I need to go check this out! he yelled as he ran off roughly in the direction of the flare. It could not have been more than a couple kilometers away, how did he miss it? Kostia cursed himself under his breath as he navigated the treacherous terrain of the jungle as best as he could. Luckily, the area was mostly known to him already and all the adrenaline helped remember quicker and safer paths. It took no longer than ten minutes for him to get there, but by that time most of the fireworks were over. There was a very obvious gap in the treeline that let a little more light than usual find its way to the ground. In the middle of a pile of wood, vines and metal was the culprit of this gap - a downed Wasp. Or rather, what remained of it. The scout diverted his attention skywards, where the cargo door of the Hauler was slowly closing. Odd, the Wasp did not appear to be on fire, why would the rescue opperation be rushed like that. Confused, he stepped forward towards the pile of rubble and then he realised.
There was a very distinct sound, one that he had heard before and probably one of the reasons his team insisted on him carrying a weapon. He lowered his eyes again and saw the trio at the other side of the clearing, two of them still looking cross at the big metal hunk in the sky. The third one, to Kostia's dismay, was looking straight at him. It was as if both of them were slowly hypnotizing eachother. A few moments passed and neither animal nor man made a move. Then the feline turned to its companions and let out a very distinct "trrr" sound to get their attention. The young man could not speak mog'romp, but he kind of got the intention of the message and it spelled MURDER in big block capitals. The other two now also focused on the lonely boy on the ground. What was he supposed to do? He could never outrun them. And climbing a tree was about as useful as diving deeper to avoid a shark. He had only one option and that was head for the Wasp and hope the people in the Hauler above notice him.
He made a run for it, giving all his tired legs could give at this point. The Wasp was closer to him than to the predators, but they were far far faster. With just a few meters to go, he noticed a blur at the corner of his eye. The one that spotted him first decided to call dibs on the prey. Fangs blaring, it went for Kostia with a horrible hunger in its eyes. Instinct kicked in. The scout's eyes turned a beautiful golden colour and all the hairs on his head turned into a spiky mess. He ducked and the mog'romp's fangs missed, but the legs made contact with the man's stomach, forcing an "Oof" sound out of him. In a panic, Kostia focused all of his electricity into his abdomen and released the charge.
The tumble was rough, but luckily, he didn't get injured. Konstantin got up as quickly as he could and saw that his attacker was still dazed, having trouble getting on its feet. The other two stopped at a respectable distance - hungry, but afraid to approach further. He knew they were persistent and he also knew he could not keep his Lunos charged forever. Right now he focused on gathering as much energy as possible, hoping to scare them off if another attack was incoming. His hope of surviving lay in the Hauler above. He wanted to look up or shout for help, but something in the way the alpha beast looked at him gave him the impression that it would be an admission to the fact that he knew and the animal could guess. The fact was, if help did not come soon, Konstantin was as good as dead.
@NuttsnBolts
“You know I'm not going to rape you, right?”
“...I had my doubts.”
@BrokenPromise this made me laugh a little more than it should have :D
Writing up my first IC this evening, once I get some other stuff sorted out.
“...I had my doubts.”
@BrokenPromise this made me laugh a little more than it should have :D
Writing up my first IC this evening, once I get some other stuff sorted out.
K O N S T A N T I N V I N O G R A D O V
Male ● Twenty Four ● ScoutP E R S O N A L I T Y
Konstantin (or Kostia) is a stubborn and determined young man, who sees anything other than achieving his goals as a failure. If anyone tries to stop him, Kostia is prone to violent outbursts, although these are more often than not followed by guilt and repeated apologies once he calms down. Having lived all his life with the thought that he will most likely die soon after his 19th birthday has left him searching for purpose on this new planet, as he never thought he would live to see Awilix. This causes Konstantin a fair bit of anxiety.
Being young and having little experience, it is no surprise that Konstantin's worldview is somewhat naive, with a lot of black and white and too few shades of gray. This is why he approaches new acquaintances with openness and energy, but might also judge them too quickly and make enemies where others would just let sleeping dogs lie. Believing most people to be good, he is quick to strike up conversation and might annoy those less passionate about the great weather we're having.
Being young and having little experience, it is no surprise that Konstantin's worldview is somewhat naive, with a lot of black and white and too few shades of gray. This is why he approaches new acquaintances with openness and energy, but might also judge them too quickly and make enemies where others would just let sleeping dogs lie. Believing most people to be good, he is quick to strike up conversation and might annoy those less passionate about the great weather we're having.
A P P E A R A N C E
Konstantin is a young man with an unimpressive physique. While he stands at a fairly average 178 cm, his body has very little in the way of fat or muscle, giving a sinewy, even malnourished look. This is even more pronounced by his almost ghost-white skin colour. Konstanin's face is elongated and just as thin as the rest of him, with very prominent cheekbones and chin, but a small and round nose, which sits awkwardly out of place in all the jagged edges of his profile. His hair is medium length, which he refuses to part in any way, leading to a lot of hair in eyes (which are a warm brown colour) situations. While originaly dark blonde, the stress of cryosleep has given his hair a grayish-yellow colour.
Aside from his work clothes, Konstantin's wardrobe consists of fairly simple apparel - jeans, t-shirts, jumpers, sweaters. Aside from a few pieces of clothing, most are pretty drab - shades of gray, brown, white and black.
Aside from his work clothes, Konstantin's wardrobe consists of fairly simple apparel - jeans, t-shirts, jumpers, sweaters. Aside from a few pieces of clothing, most are pretty drab - shades of gray, brown, white and black.
B A C K G R O U N D / H I S T O R Y
Before boarding the Noah II, Konstantin was a young man with little direction in his life. He finished school, but had no time nor desire to study anything which might increase his chances of going into space. He dreamed of getting a degree, becoming a teacher and settling down somewhere in the suburbs like in those old shows. Of course, with the impact of Lunosity's Comet just a few months away, his dream sounded about as useful as spending his last few months on the couch at his parents' house watching TV. Which he briefly considered as a sort of plan B, although it did not take him more than a day to discard such defeatist thoughts. He was just beginning the best part of his life and he would figure out a way to get on that vessel or face orbital annihilation knowing he did all he could.
The problem was that all of the people to continue humanity's journey were already picked and being prepared for the journey. The solution came unexpectedly - Konstantin won the lottery of a lifetime. His prize? A place among those chosen to board the Noah II. Even with advanced medicine, young people died all the time - car accidents, muggings gone sour, heck, even suicides, as grim as the reality might be. So with 100 million passengers, naturally quite a few never made it to the Noah. This, of course, presented an opportunity to those doomed to see the Earth's destruction from the planet's surface. A lot of these free spaces were handed out to the highest bidder or to the next person of the list of scientists and engineers that would be needed on the new planet. Some, however, went into public "lotteries". You did not have to buy a ticket to participate, a person was drawn at random from all inhabitants. And Konstantin got his ticket just three weeks before launch. So he said a quick goodbye to his parents and the few friends he had that were not also coming and boarded the Noah II.
His awakening from cryosleep was rough and his first days on Awilix even rougher. On Earth, he did not know what he wanted to do, but at least he had a choice. Here he was assigned to a scouting party and tasked with examining a part of the planet just south of Landing. And that was it. Being productive was nice, but he felt like he could be so much more than just a scout.
The problem was that all of the people to continue humanity's journey were already picked and being prepared for the journey. The solution came unexpectedly - Konstantin won the lottery of a lifetime. His prize? A place among those chosen to board the Noah II. Even with advanced medicine, young people died all the time - car accidents, muggings gone sour, heck, even suicides, as grim as the reality might be. So with 100 million passengers, naturally quite a few never made it to the Noah. This, of course, presented an opportunity to those doomed to see the Earth's destruction from the planet's surface. A lot of these free spaces were handed out to the highest bidder or to the next person of the list of scientists and engineers that would be needed on the new planet. Some, however, went into public "lotteries". You did not have to buy a ticket to participate, a person was drawn at random from all inhabitants. And Konstantin got his ticket just three weeks before launch. So he said a quick goodbye to his parents and the few friends he had that were not also coming and boarded the Noah II.
His awakening from cryosleep was rough and his first days on Awilix even rougher. On Earth, he did not know what he wanted to do, but at least he had a choice. Here he was assigned to a scouting party and tasked with examining a part of the planet just south of Landing. And that was it. Being productive was nice, but he felt like he could be so much more than just a scout.
L U N O S A B I L I T I E S
High Voltage
» C A P A B I L I T I E S
» D R A W B A C K S
» C A P A B I L I T I E S
Konstantin's body can generate electricity, which he can distribute and discharge through any part of his body. This can be used to shock wildlife as well as humans, power-up electronics or fry them. The amount he can generate varies with physical condition, but it is never more than to stun an adult human for a few minutes.
» D R A W B A C K S
His powers use up a large amount of energy, meaning he has to eat a lot between uses to replenish it. Discharging a large amount all at once or using it several times without rest puts Konstantin at risk of passing out.
W E A P O N S
None
K O N S T A N T I N V I N O G R A D O V
Male ● 24 ● ScoutP E R S O N A L I T Y
Konstantin (or Kostia) is a stubborn and determined young man, who sees anything other than achieving his goals as a failure. If anyone tries to stop him, Kostia is prone to violent outbursts, although these are more often than not followed by guilt and repeated apologies once he calms down. Having lived all his life with the thought that he will most likely die soon after his 19th birthday has left him searching for purpose on this new planet, as he never thought he would live to see Awilix. This causes Konstantin a fair bit of anxiety.
Being young and having little experience, it is no surprise that Konstantin's worldview is somewhat naive, with a lot of black and white and too few shades of gray. This is why he approaches new acquaintances with openness and energy, but might also judge them too quickly and make enemies where others would just let sleeping dogs lie. Believing most people to be good, he is quick to strike up conversation and might annoy those less passionate about the great weather we're having.
Being young and having little experience, it is no surprise that Konstantin's worldview is somewhat naive, with a lot of black and white and too few shades of gray. This is why he approaches new acquaintances with openness and energy, but might also judge them too quickly and make enemies where others would just let sleeping dogs lie. Believing most people to be good, he is quick to strike up conversation and might annoy those less passionate about the great weather we're having.
A P P E A R A N C E
Konstantin is a young man with an unimpressive physique. While he stands at a fairly average 178 cm, his body has very little in the way of fat or muscle, giving a sinewy, even malnourished look. This is even more pronounced by his almost ghost-white skin colour. Konstanin's face is elongated and just as thin as the rest of him, with very prominent cheekbones and chin, but a small and round nose, which sits awkwardly out of place in all the jagged edges of his profile. His hair is medium length, which he refuses to part in any way, leading to a lot of hair in eyes situations. While originaly dark blonde, the stress of cryosleep has given his hair a grayish-yellow colour.
Aside from his work clothes, Konstantin's wardrobe consists of fairly simple apparel - jeans, t-shirts, jumpers, sweaters. Aside from a few pieces of clothing, most are pretty drab - shades of gray, brown, white and black.
Aside from his work clothes, Konstantin's wardrobe consists of fairly simple apparel - jeans, t-shirts, jumpers, sweaters. Aside from a few pieces of clothing, most are pretty drab - shades of gray, brown, white and black.
B A C K G R O U N D / H I S T O R Y
Before boarding the Noah II, Konstantin was a young man with little direction in his life. He finished school, but had no time nor desire to study anything which might increase his chances of going into space. He dreamed of getting a degree, becoming a teacher and settling down somewhere in the suburbs like in those old shows. Of course, with the impact of Lunosity's Comet just a few months away, his dream sounded about as useful as spending his last few months on the couch at his parents' house watching TV. Which he briefly considered as a sort of plan B, although it did not take him more than a day to discard such defeatist thoughts. He was just beginning the best part of his life and he would figure out a way to get on that vessel or face orbital annihilation knowing he did all he could.
The problem was that all of the people to continue humanity's journey were already picked and being prepared for the journey. The solution came unexpectedly - Konstantin won the lottery of a lifetime. His prize? A place among those chosen to board the Noah II. Even with advanced medicine, young people died all the time - car accidents, muggings gone sour, heck, even suicides, as grim as the reality might be. So with 100 million passengers, naturally quite a few never made it to the Noah. This, of course, presented an opportunity to those doomed to see the Earth's destruction from the planet's surface. A lot of these free spaces were handed out to the highest bidder or to the next person of the list of scientists and engineers that would be needed on the new planet. Some, however, went into public "lotteries". You did not have to buy a ticket to participate, a person was drawn at random from all inhabitants. And Konstantin got his ticket just three weeks before launch. So he said a quick goodbye to his parents and the few friends he had that were not also coming and boarded the Noah II.
His awakening from cryosleep was rough and his first days on Awilix even rougher. On Earth, he did not know what he wanted to do, but at least he had a choice. Here he was assigned to a scouting party and tasked with examining a part of the planet just south of Landing. And that was it. Being productive was nice, but he felt like he could be so much more than just a scout.
The problem was that all of the people to continue humanity's journey were already picked and being prepared for the journey. The solution came unexpectedly - Konstantin won the lottery of a lifetime. His prize? A place among those chosen to board the Noah II. Even with advanced medicine, young people died all the time - car accidents, muggings gone sour, heck, even suicides, as grim as the reality might be. So with 100 million passengers, naturally quite a few never made it to the Noah. This, of course, presented an opportunity to those doomed to see the Earth's destruction from the planet's surface. A lot of these free spaces were handed out to the highest bidder or to the next person of the list of scientists and engineers that would be needed on the new planet. Some, however, went into public "lotteries". You did not have to buy a ticket to participate, a person was drawn at random from all inhabitants. And Konstantin got his ticket just three weeks before launch. So he said a quick goodbye to his parents and the few friends he had that were not also coming and boarded the Noah II.
His awakening from cryosleep was rough and his first days on Awilix even rougher. On Earth, he did not know what he wanted to do, but at least he had a choice. Here he was assigned to a scouting party and tasked with examining a part of the planet just south of Landing. And that was it. Being productive was nice, but he felt like he could be so much more than just a scout.
L U N O S A B I L I T I E S
High Voltage
» C A P A B I L I T I E S
» D R A W B A C K S
» C A P A B I L I T I E S
Konstantin's body can generate elextricity, which he can distribute and discharge through any part of his body. This can be used to shock wildlife as well as humans, power-up electronics or fry them. The amount he can generate varies with physical condition, but it is never more than to stun an adult human for a few minutes.
» D R A W B A C K S
His powers use up a large amount of energy, meaning he has to eat a lot between uses to replenish it. Discharging a large amount all at once or using it several times without rest puts Konstantin at risk of passing out.
W E A P O N S
None
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