Jungle Drums IC
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Jungle Drums IC
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“Nope. Safe distance is about two kilometers, or better three. Conditions like this and unless we can retrace your route here will allow us to make less than 2km/h. ETA for the bombers is currently 105 minutes. So we have barely enough time to get out of Danger Close. Better have the men tighten their tourniquets.”
I replied while gobling down an emergency ration I liberated from one of the dying soldiers.
“Cheer up, no sense fretting about spilled milk. And never look back. The past is a wilderness of horrors.” -
“The past? Sheee-it, kemo sabe, sounds like you’ve got entirely too rose-colored a view o’ the damned present.”
Holding up his ‘link, he said to Alyce and Rhea, “Shoot my nav yer basic route plan an’ I’ll head out now ta scout while y’all pack up.”
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“The present changes so fast to the past that it might as well not exist. Speaking of which, I’ll accompany you as back-up.”
I switched on the RP cloak and got busy melting into the background. -
Alyce & Sian
Friday April 9, 2077; Base Camp above The City, Jungles, AztlanAlyce nods and turns to Rhea, who tells her that everything is already packed and that a small scouting party has already been dispatched to look at the route out of the camp. She is told that it should take less than ten minutes to have everything loaded and ready to move. Rhea pauses in her report then continues. “It seems that the advance party has met no resistance and that the path out of here seems to be smooth and relatively easy, and no entangling undergrowth or awakened plants or animals have shown up yet. I think the best word is “yet”.”
Alyce nods and lets Rhea get about her business. “Well, it seems that the spirit may be an ready to have us leave as we are to leave. Not sure how long that will last, but we can certainly take advantage of it for as long as the spirit allows it. So, ten minutes and we are off.”
She nods as Shrike and Al indicate that they will go out as a second advance party and turns to Sian, who shakes her head and says that she will stay with the main group, in case they need some magic support. She turns back to Al before he takes off and smiles. {color=blue]”Thanks to all of you for finding us here. I appreciate the help. I am so very glad to see you again, Al.”[/color]
324/55
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“Sure toots, always a pleasure,” Al rasped into the hands he had cupped around the cigarette he was lighting.
Even with the statuesque Sian lurking around naked, Al was taking in Alyce: decked out in armor and jungle kit, face black with dust and sweat, still covered in sticky miasma from the blood-dome’s collapse, he couldn’t help thinking that the universe was unjust because she wasn’t the one with her clothes off.
Hell, even looking just the way she did, she put any other woman he’d ever seen to shame.
But saying a word of that would send her brain in all the wrong directions. All the impossible directions.
He dropped the barely-smoked cigarette onto the ground, gave a half-wave/half-salute, and loped off into the brush.
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[Friday April 9, 2077; Escape… , Jungles, Aztlan]
The expedition hot footed it away from the blood soaked city far faster than their legs would normally have carried them…not only did they seem to be able to proceed at speed but the jungle itself seemed to twist itself out of their path, the spirit obviously keen to send them on their way. It was just as well as far sooner than anticipated they heard the scream of jets as the state of the art SK stealth bombers flew nap of the earth, the backwash sending the jungle canopy flying.
They couldn’t see the bunker penetrator munitions followed by fuel air explosive bombs but the ground heaved in response and they certainly felt the wash of superheated air that crashed through the trees and sent the local wildlife in to a frenzy. The political implications of the act would no doubt be felt for a lot longer…if anything could be proved.
Some of the expedition might have spared a thought for the presumed innocents that had just lost their lives to the conflagration… they couldn’t all have been blood soaked maniacs… but perhaps this fate was better then their previous lot at the hand of the crazed priests or the beings they would have summoned…
#41
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Alyce & Sian
Friday April 9, 2077; Base Camp above The City, Jungles, AztlanAlyce nods to Al and watches him disappear into the jungle after Shrike. She feels that she should have said something more to him, but then shakes her head. No, it seems that every time she tries to say something, it goes all wrong and he just pulls farther away from her. Sighing, she turns to tell Rhea to get her people up and moving.
The quickness of their travel through the jungle away from the city is far easier than it was getting there and all seem glad for the respite in fighting, especially since it appears that the spirit here is more interested in seeing them leave than in trying to stopping them. The screaming of the attacking jets shatters any calm in the jungle, letting the expedition know that the SK bombers had arrived on station. The shocks of the bombs could be felt as the ground heaved.
Sian looks back in the direction of the explosions and shakes her head. Perhaps the bombs were the best solution, but she is not convinced, remaining certain that Shrike and his Master had acted far too hastily. The archaeologist in her decries the loss of potential artifacts and the knowledge that could be gained in studying the city and its people. She also feels badly for the innocent people left to die and looking at the expression on Alyce’s face, she know that feeling is shared with the physician. The people that they have brought out are likely to be the only survivors of their civilization. Perhaps they can be saved somewhere. Testing the strength of her ‘link’s connection, Sian sends a message off to her Master, seeking his advice on what to do with the survivors, or, at least, most of them. She has very definite plans for the five prisoners she has in tow. By now, the entire expedition is probably aware of her intentions and the fate of the erstwhile guards, but no one seems to have any issues what is going to happen to them. It is likely that most are feeling that it is better that it happens to the guards than to anyone else.
After the explosions die off, Alyce and Rhea get the expedition moving again. Thanks to the spirit’s aid, they are already ahead of schedule in getting back to the rendezvous site.
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Alyce & Sian
Friday April 9, 2077; Base Camp, Jungles, AztlanThe travel through the jungle, although sped up by the magic of the now-friendly spirit, had been tiring, especially for the injured. Alyce calls a rest camp at the edge of the spirit’s domain. She feels that a day to rest will benefit her wounded and injured. They are still a number of days away from the rendezvous point with the vehicles, but she is in constant contact with her people with the vehicles. The Old One has not yet responded to her request for information and directives.
She walks about the camp, stopping where Shrike, Al, and Sian are camping. Sian has been given some clothes by one of the soldiers, but Alyce knows there are some among her team that would rather have her remain naked. Her sensors let her know that the vampire only has four of her prisoners remaining and she shakes her head at the thought of what has happened to the fifth one, wishing that she could provide a different source of nutrition for the woman.
Approaching the trio, she nods to each of them. “We have reached a part of the jungle that is beyond the area that is controlled by the spirit. The rest of the journey should be relatively easy for us. As such, I feel that we may just be a burden to the three of you, so please feel free to leave us if you need to move faster than my expedition can go.”
326/57
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Al knew what she meant: Dream’s trail was getting colder. They needed to get after him.
And Shrike seemed to have some ideas about how to do that.
He looked at the psycho never-die.
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“Alright. Let’s take a moment and think from the perspective of Dream. He is now solo and has the powers and weaknesses of a vampire.
Speed, strength, ability to transform into a cloud. But every transformation increases the rate at which he depletes his essence. He can’t use those powers while he is subjected to sunlight and even if he manages to reduce his vulnerability to be able to be out and about, he will prefer darkness.In his current state, he has only two nations that will take him in: Azlan and Azamando. Seeing that Azlan is nearer, we can expect him to have that as his immediate destination, moving north.
He can fly up as a cloud into a jetstream and let himself be blown in that direction pretty fast, but I doubt that he’ll risk being blown off course and getting surprised by the early sun.
So he’ll probably have done so only for an hour or two to gain distance from us – if he rised it at all.
After all the power he threw around, he’ll have to feed soon. I don’t know how good his fieldcraft is, but navigating through jungle is best done with a satellite guided GPS – which he won’t have since he had to leave all his gear behind.
His first stop therefore will be a human settlement, large enough to be seen from 5km up, roughly in a radius of 200 km from our starting point.
We have until sunset to identify that settlement and get there.Of course, this hinges on the fact that Dream did not bind any electronics as foci to himself which would transform with him.”
I concluded my analysis, looking at my fellow travellers for ideas and or weakpoints in my theory. -
Alyce & Sian
Friday April 9, 2077; Base Camp, Jungles, AztlanSian nods. “I could try to locate him on the astral plane. As a vampire, he is dual natured and exists on both the material and astral plane, as I do. I can travel the that plane and seek him out. I can travel very fast there and may be able to find him. I have assensed him, and so should be able to recognize his astral presence.” She pauses for a moment then adds, “It would mean that my body is best left here or some arrangements made so that I know where you move it to.”
327/58
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“All sounds good ta me.” Al gestured with his cigarette at Shrike. “Ever’ assumption ya done made is clear an’ present reasonable. Trick is, even if they’s all reasonable, ya string together enough assumptions an’ somethin’ sure ta break down somewhere. Still, as good a line ta go on as any. One more thing for ya ta factor into yer equations,” and here Al gestured toward Sian, “An’ this goes ta yer idear as well. Infection changes a feller in all sorts o’ ways, but it don’t change the knowledge he has. An’ Dreamy’s is in nature and trees an’ shit. He was some sort o’ tree-huggin’ hippie. So when he goes ta ground, reckon you can add one more assumption. To wit, that he’ll do it in the jungle whenever he can. Which’ll also play hell with spottin’ him inna ghost world. Now don’t git me wrong. I’m sold on both yer approaches, an’ I think we should try both. Jist sayin’, we’s still playin’ long shots.”
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Alyce & Sian
Friday April 9, 2077; Base Camp, Jungles, AztlanSian nods. “All correct, Al. But it seems that all we have are assumptions right now. I have sent queries to my Master that he has not answered yet, and I assume the Shrike has done the same. Without some sort of direct guidance we are all just making assumptions. The reality is that if we are going to have me do the astral thing, I should leave soon but you guys need to decide if my physical body stays here.”
328/59
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“Stays here? Thought we’d already been through the no-one-left-behind stuff. We ain’t leavin’ ya here. Anyhoo, anything yer gon’ do all ghost-style, it won’t take hardly no time. Hell, way I understand it, ya take more’n a few hours yer soul suffocates or some shit. Beside which, we won’t know what direction ta go in afore ya bird-dog him for us. So you jist git on with it, an’ we’ll be right here.”
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Alyce & Sian
Friday April 9, 2077; Base Camp, Jungles, AztlanSian smiles and nods. “Suffocation is a good word for what happens, yes. I will go now.”
Her body slumps as she leaves it to venture onto the astral plane in search of Dream. She is hoping to find signs of the new vampire as he retreats and goes to ground.
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[Friday April 9, 2077; Escape… , Jungles, Aztlan]
As they debated their next course of action Alyce finally received the long awaited missive from the Choir. The Old One himself, in one of his human guises, made matrix contact. Whatever camera was pointing at him also showed a tearful Petal in the background and two of the other members of the Choir…
> You have done as well as you could child, although it is regrettable that Dream has eluded us. Regrettable also the precipitous actions of Saeder-Krupp Prime in their bombing of the site, Aztlan investigators are on their way to the location now and it would be unfortunate if they located your expedition. Come home and we will try to decide how best to proceed. Our sight is clouded and untrustworthy and the Pattern is unclear and it seems best to withdraw and regroup else we risk making further errors, the cost is too high. Until it is clear how the foe are able to manipulate the Pattern without us being able to detect their meddling we must be cautious. We are not going to give up for that too would be folly given the stakes but for now we will pause…
#42
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Alyce & Sian
Friday April 9, 2077; Escape, Jungles, AztlanSian’s journey on the astral plane yields no useful results, even though she spends a good bit of time looking for any trace of Dream. She returns to her body after a few hours of, unfortunately, useless searching. She blinks a couple of times as she regains full use of her body and looks about at the others, a grimace on her face. “Sorry, no luck. He has either managed to hide his presence or I am just looking in the wrong places. I found several small villages in the jungles, but there was no indication that he had been to any of them. I am sorry to have failed. I suppose that we can actually take some good news from this in that I have eliminated several directions he could have gone, leaving us with fewer choices to make.”
Alyce shakes her head. “I have just heard from The Old One. He indicates that the SK bombing has caused a great disturbance within the Aztlan government and that they are sending investigators to the site. He advises us to make as quick a departure from the area as possible. He says that the choir will continue its search for Dream, but he recommends that we head for home as soon as possible. I suppose that each of you will need to confer with your own people to determine your course of action, but I am of the opinion that we should heed the advice of the Choir on this.”
Sian nods to Alyce and uses a borrowed ‘link to send a message to her Master, requesting his advice on what she should do. The answer is quick to come back that she should return home as soon as practical. She looks around the group and nods. “My Master agrees with what The Old One says. I am to return home at my earliest convenience. However, he has left me with the option of following my own instincts. What do the rest of you say?”
330/61
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“Suits me – I really could use a bit of luxurious decadence for a few weeks. A bit of sun on Crete would hit the spot.
Alright, seems like my analysis was a miss. Maybe the bastard found another underground city close by. Wiser heads can try to crack that conundrum. For the moment lets focus on getting to an area where a VTOL can pick us up.”
I replied, feeling pretty tired all of a sudden. What a waste of time. But then, that was a resource I had all too much off, so on balance it was ok… -
Alyce & Sian
Friday April 9, 2077; Escape, Jungles, AztlanAlyce has been quiet as Sian and Shrike talk about leaving, but then decides there is nothing to lose by saying what she needs to, although she does turn to face Al for a moment before she does. “I think that I have another purpose and it is here. At least for a while.” She motions with an arm back to where most of the people are sitting, waiting for someone to tell them what to do. “it is those people, you see? We have nearly a hundred people that we rescued from that city and now they have no home. I know of several ruin sites that might be good for them to settle in. Some are far away from civilization and these people could take up residence and make a life for themselves. The city would not be underground, but it might be normal enough to them that they could live there and have a chance to survive. I also owe Caroline a chance to see some awakened creatures. I think that I will come as far as the vehicle rendezvous point, where I will have some supplies waiting for me and then go back into the jungle with these people. Rhea will take the team survivors back to London and work out the terms of reparations to the families of those men and women who died.”
Sian nods as she looks about at the others. “I did note a large clearing not too far from here in………………” She looks around and points. “………in that direction. It should be suitable for a VTOL. Would you have room for others or should I make my own arrangements?”
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Al responded to Alyce’s speech.
“Well, I got exactly nowhere else to be. Reckon I can ride shotgun on yer little rescue effort fer a spell. I ain’t no damned aid worker though, so I ain’t diggin’ no wells nor playin’ big brother ta no orphans nor nothin’ like that. I’m strictly security, tech support, an’ all-around troubleshooter, not ta mention general inspiration ta one an’ all. But that’s it. Jist that. Don’t go tryin’ saddlin’ me with nothin’ not in my very specific job description.”
He glanced over at some of the soldiers. “An’ I ain’t takin’ no orders from no damned Vor.”
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