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 Posted: Sat Jun 29, 2019 4:58 pm
Argent understood Ghost's worry about him going out of the barrier, so every rule and condition Ghost set for him, he took to heart. And it was only because of Aren that he was going in the first place. So while he still didn't trust the elder male, he would do his best. The three of them had gone over their supplies, and Argent was reminded more than once about how the beam weapons they would carry were not toys, and how he needed to be careful with them. He allowed the worried fussing, even if he was tired of hearing it by the third time. But he dutifully agreed that they were not toys, he would respect the weapons, and be careful. He'd listen to Aren, stay close, whatever was being asked of him.
He was glad when they finally departed. He recalled the journey to the downed ship had only taken a few hours before, when the small search party had been rushing to try and get there to search for survivors. Since they weren't in as big of a rush this time, and with Aren's leg, he figured add another hour or 2 to the travel time each way.
As they left, Argent didn't wish to travel in silence, so asked Aren, when they were finally alone. "Are we looking for anything in particular? Or just to see if anything can be salvaged?"
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Posted: Sat Jun 29, 2019 5:12 pm
This time, it had been Aren who had quietly watched and listened for the most part as Ghost briefed his young charge about his first, no, rather second 'official' mission. It was kind of bittersweet in a way, reminding him of himself and a much younger Ghost back when they first knew that the liberation war was dawning upon them. The war that had almost cost him - them - everything. And he truly hoped that whatever danger Mother had sensed on this new homeworld of theirs was nothing of that scale.
They were in no hurry indeed as they left, and they were much slower than the search party had been. It wasn't as Argent thought because of the older ones leg, that was indeed perfectly fine for now, but because Aren took the time to get a very clear lay of the land, something he hadn't yet been able to do much. He too hadn't ventured outside of the shield barrier since first being brought to the Utopia.
"For now we're just going to look for anything that might be of use. I don't have much hopes to be honest, the ships systems have been destroyed in the crash or the following explosion." He winced at the memory of the latter, but quickly caught himself. "But one can never be sure until checked." And he had to see it, his ship. Or what was left of the once pride and joy of his people, the mothership of their fleet. If only to get some sense of closure, to say his goodbyes to the hundreds that had died during the crash, almost all of them in deep stasis for the journey of which they would never be awakened from now.
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Posted: Sat Jun 29, 2019 5:22 pm
Argent followed, just a step behind Aren, and to the side. He sort of remembered the way to the blackbird's crash site. The land hadn't changed much in the last month or so, and he'd often looked out into the distance from inside the dome; climbing trees, or the rocky ridge inside the barrier to see farther.
He listened to Aren. Checking for anything useful was a good idea. Something might have survived, even a single med kit would be something. "All the fires should have long since died, and, if I remember from what I read, anything that would have proven... harmful should have degraded well into safe levels by now." And they had supplies enough to reasonably stay on site for a day or 2 so they could thoroughly search. "Even if all we bring back are scrap metal, we can still put it to use. We are trying to build a colony, after all, right?" He hoped that his words would encourage Aren.
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Posted: Sun Jun 30, 2019 2:09 am
He nodded, although his reply took a moment. "You are right of course, anything that can be used as building material is worth taking back. Although we would need a lot more people and a lot more trips to collect all of it."
There was silence between them for a short while as they made their way to the farthest regions of the shield dome, a few minutes only, as the borders weren't far, and he could already see the glow of the protective force field in front of them.
"Just remember one thing at all times, Argent," he said, his tone unreadable as he extended a hand to the youth to take him through the force field, "the Blackbird isn't just a pile of scrap metal, althouh it probably looks like it. Now, it's a graveyard."
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Posted: Sun Jun 30, 2019 2:27 am
Argent looked up at Aren when the elder extended his hand. He sighed and took it so he could pass the barrier. "A memorial." He said softly. "Perhaps... it should be a memorial... So that no one forgets the struggle and the lives lost." He suggested. A graveyard seemed like something pointless. The dead were dead. A place to keep remains seemed like a waste... it seemed mostly sentimental. But a memorial? One could learn from a memorial. It seemed a better way to honor them.
"Do you think we should try to bring back salvageable materials first?" Finding something like communication devices or spare parts to repair equipment, even weapons. It was true that bringing building material back, just the two of them, would be impractical. But crafting material and repairable components would be practical.
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Posted: Sun Jun 30, 2019 3:21 am
Aren just hummed softly at the thought, deciding not to comment on it further for now. That wasn't what he'd intended to get across, but it was all right. He couldn't expect a child so young, one that had never experienced loss before, to understand what he felt upon returning to the Blackbird, the ship that had become the grave of his crew and comrades.
"Yes, we'll look what's still there in general first, and decide what we take home. That will depend on what we find."
Passing the barrier, he let go of Argents hand and took a deep breath, taking in their surrondings for a moment. This part was forest, growing deeper the further they would go from the barrier. He remembered. The Ship itself had created a huge clearing in it's wake as it crashed, destroying a large portion of the forest around it in its wake and the following fires.
He remembered the way they had come, and beyond the safety of their walls his senses were on full alert now, trusting Argent would be the same. Still, there was no reason to be worried for now it seemed. "So, while we walk, what have you observed of this world so far?"
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Posted: Sun Jun 30, 2019 3:42 am
"Observed?" He was caught off guard with the question. "The forest in this direction is fairly dense, though there are areas where the trees thin, perhaps even stopped. It's reasonable to surmise that with the abundance of streams and rivers in the area, there could be lakes or ponds in the breaks in the trees. The blackbird damaged a good portion of the woods deeper in. From the ridge in the dome, it looks like a field, though I know better. In this direction, the forest goes farther then I can see. Had we left the barrier behind the Utopia, the forest reaches to the foothills. As for animals, there are several large aviary type animals that hunt the smaller creatures. I've noted several of them in the forest, but they are easily startled. Not likely to be a threat, and doubtful they could kill someone my size, let alone yours." He shifted the pack he carried a little as he stepped over a large tangle of roots.
"There are lots of small animals, herbivores mostly, that make dens and nests in trees near the dome. Some of them are quite large. Assuming they are prey animals, there are bound to be carnivores in the area, though perhaps still mistrustful of the dome. On occasions I've heard rather loud animal calls, almost a howl, at night. So there would appear to be nocturnal animals hunting in packs. But having not seen them, size and threat is unknown."
He wondered if this was what Aren wanted. Information on the land and animals he had seen. "...By observing the herbivores, I've noted several plants that should be safe to eat outside the dome, though testing would be advisable before attempting to cultivate or consume." He paused a moment and pointed to a thick tangle of vines not far from where they stood. "All the animals I've observed avoid those, the vines with the bright red flowers, and leaves that split in two. Possibly poisonous."
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Posted: Thu Jul 04, 2019 6:23 am
Aren nodded, taking mental note of everything the boy told him. Some of which he was already aware of, but most hadn't been in any of the ships official reports yet. The kid definetely had the makings of a soldier. He just lacked the discipline. But that could be remedied, and he was, after all, still just a child.
"I want you to keep observing." He told Argent as they made their way through the forest. They didn't have smoke or a compass to guide them this time, but Aren remembered the way back well enough, he had made sure of that. "We know nothing about this world, as it was never our intention to come here. So if we want to survive, even make this place our home, we need to learn as much about it as we can."
He studied the boy from the corner of his eyes as he walked, moving through the thick undergrowth with elegant ease. "Do you know the fist and most important rule of combat?"
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Posted: Thu Jul 04, 2019 7:12 am
He was surprised by the request to keep observing, but he nodded. "I will." He supposed this one request from Aren, he would do. But if Ghost ever said otherwise...
"The first rule?" He wasn't actually aware that there were rules other then 'survive,' but he thought about it. He'd read some things on combat before training, and after a moment, spoke again. "Know your enemy." It was the only thing to him that made sense, other then 'don't die.' Things like 'strike first' didn't always seem to be the smartest move, because you could throw yourself into situations you couldn't handle.
Argent climbed over part of a fallen tree, and a disturbing thought occurred to him: If Ghost was ever too busy for him, then he could actually learn a lot from Aren. He didn't want that! He didn't want to spend a lot of time with this guy! But then again, he wasn't completely intolerable. He still didn't know him that well though.
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Posted: Sat Jun 05, 2021 2:31 pm
Aren hummed, satisfied. "Exactly." The kid was a quick learner apparently, he could see that. There was definetely potential, maybe even more so than he had initially thought. Good.
"Always know what you are facing. And if you don't know, find out as soon as you can. Don't jump head first into a fight. You will likely loose."
They managed to move through the undergrowth rather quickly, so far there was no sign of anything that could potentially be dangerous. However, from what the boy had observed it would be too early to dismiss larger animals, possibly predators, in the area.
"Always look for a weakpoint or an opening first. Run if you must. It's always better to run and return with a good strategy if you can than to get yourself killed. You understand that, don't you?"
He could see the first scraps of metal in the distance between the trees now. They weren't far.
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Posted: Sat Jun 05, 2021 3:00 pm
Argent was trying to decide if he was being praised or lectured as Aren spoke. It felt like both. But he still listened to Aren. Know what you are facing? "We will need more scouting and survey missions for us to even begin to know what we are facing out here." It would be foolish to believe they were safe. Overhead, Argent caught sight of one of the large birds he had seen from the dome. "Local fauna are returning." Which could make recovery and salvaging more difficult.
"Fighting without a plan is planning to die, basically?" He glanced at Aren, then back to the trees. "I have no intentions of throwing my life away." Though he knew he often ran head first into a problem. "I understand." Or he thought he did. "I'll do my best to assess situations quickly and act accordingly." It wouldn't do any good to tell Aren not to worry about him.
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Posted: Sat Jun 05, 2021 3:47 pm
"You're a quick learner." That was definetely praise, but he had no issue speaking such if the kid deserved it. Well, hopefully Argent wouldn't have to prove he could act on what he'd learned too soon.
"We're here. Let's look for the command module first and see if we can at least get the scanners to work. Finding life signs will be easier that way. If there are any. If it won't work, the seed chambers won't we far and we can look the old fashioned way."
He didn't expect to find any survivors, not after a month. If any adults had survived, they would be gone by now. The seeds however ... it was unlikely, but possible. But if that was a negative, they might at least find some useful components. Not that he expected to find any working tech at all.
Aren didn't say anything else as they made their way through the wreckage towards the command module. He didn't think he had to. it was still eeriely quiet, a grave indeed, he thought, brows furrowed, still, always on high alert. It wasn't easy to find, with how huge the blackbird was compared to the utopia, and broken apart on entry the ships parts were scattered everywhere, to search through all of them on their own would take days.
And it was worse than he had hoped. There was not much more than scrap metal and a few spare parts that he could spot on the way, the command module itself being burned beyond recognition. The explosion had really done a number on it, suffice to say, seeing it it was difficult to grasp how he had survived.
"We need to get inside, see if any of the seeds made it ... it's unlikely, but the tech is beyond repair."
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Posted: Sat Jun 05, 2021 5:03 pm
Wait... what? How should he respond to that? Argent looked at Aren like the man had 2 heads for a moment before murmuring "Thanks." He was quiet the rest of the walk until they reached the large wreckage site. Honestly, he was surprised the damage to the surrounding land had been so minimal, given how large The Blackbird had to have been.
"The command module. Alright." He had no way of knowing what that would look like, so he simply followed Aren inside. Even in such a disastrous state, Argent could tell the ship had been impressive. As they moved, he could hear the occasional groan of metal. The wreckage was still unstable, shifting, and settling. He wondered what sort of data the ship's computer had stored. Was it different from what the Utopia had? His head snapped up as there was a loud groan of metal, but nothing collapsed. Yet.
"Alright." This was probably really hard on Aren, and Argent wasn't sure what to say. "... We are resilient... even the seeds. You never know. Hope is important to hold onto." Even in a dire situation, hope could still pull you through. So maybe he just didn't want Aren to give up before they had seen with their own eyes.
The path down to the stasis chamber was a tangled mess of debris. Argent didn't even want to think about the number of genomes who had been here. If there was no power, they were gone. He had to focus on finding seed pods. It would take some time and a lot of careful maneuvering.
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Posted: Sun Jun 06, 2021 3:42 am
Aren just hummed in agreement, too focused on the road ahead to bother with an unneccessary reply. It was kind of sweet though, did the kid try to cheer him up? Maybe he wasn't that bad after all. Time would tell, seeing what kind of adult he'd grow up to be.
And Argent was right of course, they were a resilient species, were made to be. He had just proven that a month ago, and while the seeds technically were not, they were well protected. However improbable it was that one had survived, it was not impossible. And even one ... if there was just one ... they had to find it. They could survive without mother for a while but not forever, and they would never come to life.
But they were in luck, and by the time the first hour had passed inside the wreckage, they found the first. Another shortly after, by when he actually had hopes now that there might be more.
While the explosion had destroyed the central chambers completely, these had been spared by being lucky enough to be blown out of the center parts by the first, smaller explosions the meteorite shower had caused when they were still in space. There could be others.
However, they had searched most of the possible places by the fourth hour, and there was only one place left to look.
"I'm going to check this part out alone." He told the boy, handing the two seedpods they had found to him. "It's not safe, if we both go even more so, the added weight could send the whole thing crashing, or worse." Besides, he was the one who knew the ship inside and out, even in this sorry state he had a way better chance to get in and out of this part safely.
"Take the seeds and head out, I'll be with you in a few minutes. And be careful." It would not take long, and he might not find anything, but there could be another, and he had to make sure.
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Posted: Sun Jun 06, 2021 9:52 am
Argent wasn't aware of how long they had been searching. When they found the first seed pod, he became focused on the search. Once they had a second, he was... proud? Not only had he been right (which he wasn't sure he would be earlier) but they had found TWO so far. Would it be inappropriate to say 'I told you so' to Aren? Probably.
Aren's voice pulled him out of his thoughts. The older genome was going to check something alone? He was about to say it would be better if he went. After all, Argent was smaller and lighter then Aren. He opened his mouth to say so... but...
He had no idea where to look. Aren knew the ship. He had also agreed to follow orders. "Sir." He acknowledged, taking the seeds. "If you don't return in 6 hours, I'll return to Utopia." He was sure he could get someone's attention to let him in. Ghost would probably be keeping an eye out anyways he was sure. And he knew the animals around the dome were not threatening. Out here were the unknowns.
Once he had Aren's approval and input, he headed back out. The ship was hard to navigate while he was carrying the seeds. But he made it and set himself up in a position where he felt safe and could see a wide area of the forest. He was on alert as he waited.
Some time had passed without incident, but Argent didn't relax. In fact, he began to feel... watched. Silver eyes scanned the forest and his hand went to the beam saber he carried. It was a good thing too. Suddenly, from the trees, a huge beast came charging at him. It was fast and reached him almost before he pulled the beam saber out.
"AREN!" he shouted, just barely able to deflect the beast's claws. His saber didn't even scratch the thick plates on it's massive paws. The beast reared back, and was easily twice Argent's height. He would have run, but not only was the thing much faster then he was, if he turned his back, it would kill him before he drew his next breath. Then there were the seeds. He couldn't abandon them.
Argent's eyes scanned the beast. There were large gaps in the plating around it's throat and jaw. The problem was, it was so tall, Argent couldn't strike it there. There was a gap in the plating at the elbow. He shifted his grip and the beast swung at him again. Argent managed to get the blade between the plates, but the wicked claws still caught his face. He felt blood running down his face, and the force of the blow almost knocked him back. He couldn't see from his right eye now. The blow Argent delt caused the beast to rear back with a pained roar.
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