A young woman wakes up in a world reeling from a series of mysterious catastrophes, with scrambled memories and volatile magic abilities. Seeking to start anew, she sets out as a mercenary, hoping to uncover the enigma of this realm and her own past along the way.
The Warrior of the Orange Scarf
- Thread starter Bradley Q.
- Start date
- Original
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- Ongoing
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Statistics (5 threadmarks, 40k words)
User Total Bradley Q. 5 -
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Newcomer 1
- Location
- North Carolina
As the rising sun peeked out of the remaining clouds in the sky, casting its rays down into the meadow, Estamel's eyes slid open.
Feeling groggy, she put her left arm against the ground as she sat up. Feeling the moisture in the grass, she looked over at her clothes. She had been wearing her work attire- a white coat, buttoned undershirt, business shoes, and a belt- and now her entire left side as well as her sleeves were showing grass stains. This was going to be embarrassing to explain
"Dammit", Estamel muttered to herself, "why did I lie down in the middle of a goddamn field wearing this?"
And as she tried to look back and see what had led to this ridiculous mistake, she found… nothing. She couldn't remember putting on the suit, going out on a hike, or lying down to rest in the grass. Come to think of it, why was she out here at all? She didn't recall this being one of her off days.
Estamel stood up, trying to get a grasp of her surroundings. The field she was in was dotted with small shrubs and bushes, and was gently sloping in the direction her eyes had been facing, with a small brook at the end. In the opposite direction there was a road of sorts, with forests lining the two remaining sides. In the direction of the brooks, she could make out a… mountain? That didn't seem right, there were no mountains anywhere near her home.
She reached down into her coat pocket to check her phone, but found nothing there. "The fuck?" she said aloud. Anxiously, she checked her other pockets, but they too were empty aside from an old receipt, a pen, and a plastic candy wrapper she had forgotten to throw out. The ground around her had nothing, and when she looked to her wrist, hoping her digital watch could ping it, she found the watch was missing too.
This is bad. This is really bad.
Focus, Estamel, focus. If you got yourself into this you can get yourself out. What happened to you the day before?
Her memory was still a haze. She was having trouble remembering anything about herself or her life, for some reason. But slowly, some things started to come back. She could recall something happening at work- she couldn't recall what, but the sadness the idea carried was telling- and leaving early. She had spent the rest of the day lying at her computer and occasionally trying to call someone- my parents? A friend?- who never responded. That evening, she had went to a dive bar, and started drinking… Jesus Christ.
Did I seriously pass out drunk in a bar and get dumped out here?
Except… that didn't seem right, because she was still wearing her work clothes, especially the lab coat. And if someone had stolen her things and dropped her off as their idea of a prank, why would they drive her so far away from town?
Nervousness starting to take hold, Estamel looked and felt over her suit. There didn't seem to be anything out of the ordinary… until she ran through her hair and felt something fuzzy on the left side of her head. She shrieked and grabbed it, thinking it was an animal, but when she did she could feel her own fingers applying pressure. Tapping on it, she not only felt the pressure, but could notice the hearing on her left side change, as well as the wind direction seeming to shift. She pulled up her right hand, and felt the same odd object on her right side as well. Perplexed, she felt down her back… and noticed something else seemingly anchored just below her belt on her jeans.
After a couple seconds of disbelief, she turned and ran down the slope to the river, where she looked down at her own reflection.
"What the hell…"
On top of her head, there was a pair of cat ears poking up through her short black hair. To make things even weirder, these weren't just 'normal' cat ears: they had long tufts on the end, like those on a bobcat or caracal. Turning sideways, she saw that wasn't all: there was also a long furry tail, like that of a coyote, poking out at the base of her spine. Estamel first thought that the tail and ears were fake and glued on, but a couple tugs and pinches quickly proved that these were indeed part of her- whatever that meant.
Am I hallucinating? Or is this a dream of some sorts?
She tried to reach back her memories, but as she tried she realized something was wrong. She was having trouble remembering anything about herself. Her home, friends and family, and just about everything pertaining to her life before waking up felt like an odd blur. And even though she could recall general things about the world, she still felt an air of obscurity over it, like a book with random words and sentences redacted.
"Hello?" She shouted. "Is anyone out there?"
Silence. Wherever she was, nobody was close by.
Estamel decided to take a sip from the brook. She wasn't feeling particularly thirsty or hungover- on the contrary, she actually felt the most rested she had in a while- but she knew that wherever she was going, she'd probably be walking for a while. She made her way up to the road, which looked like a typical two-lane street.
Now… which way to go? With the sun rising there, it looks like this road is running roughly north-south.
After a couple seconds, she unceremoniously decided to go north. It was unlikely to matter- there was bound to be something down either direction, and every minute spent agonizing over where to go was a minute better spent getting home.
***
Not long after Estamel got going, she started to wish she had more comfortable clothes. While the white coat wasn't bad, the button-down shirt didn't offer much insulation or absorb sweat, and the jeans felt like they constrained her movement too much. The road was winding, and fallen branches seemed to be a common appearance. Driving here wouldn't be fun.
Wary of becoming worn out, she looked in the woods to her sides for a walking stick. Surprisingly, she was able to find a decent fallen branch right away, with just the right height for her and a perfect notch to hold onto. She walked for what felt like about five miles before it snapped.
Grumbling, she considered whether she should go back into the forest for another stick. Her last one had been helpful, but if it's replacement was going to break like the other one than it wasn't worth it.
Estamel tried to think of the last time she had been hiking, and remembered that she had brought a pre-built stick for the occasion. It had been made out of some sort of carbon fiber, and had a rubber cap on the bottom with a nice handle on the top. What I wouldn't do to have that thing right now, she thought, and then noticed an odd tingling sensation in her hands.
Looking down, some odd sort of white vapor seemed to have gathered, dissipating almost the second she looked at it.
Wait a sec.
Estamel held her hands out like she was holding onto a pole. She brought back the thought of wanting a real walking stick, right now at this second. The white smoke returned- and this time she doubled down on the thought, trying to hold the idea of the stick in her mind.
The smoke expanded, suddenly took the form of a long straight pole, and then seemingly dissipated outwards. In her hands, there was now a long walking stick. It wasn't actually a replica of the one she had earlier at all- it was black, with the rod feeling like some sort of metal rather than fiber, and the specific design seemed different- but it was still just about exactly what she needed. The sheer surprise of the stick appearing was enough that she tossed it away and leaped backwards.
After a couple seconds away from her, the rod seemingly turned back into mist and went away.
Curiosity overwhelming her, she repeated the same steps as before and was rewarded with a new stick, exactly identical to the one she had made earlier. Instead of throwing it away, she focused on the idea of not needing the stick anymore and wanting something else. The stick turned into mist and went away again, although this time the mist almost seemed to retract into her palms. Then, having an idea, she tried to focus on her smartphone, and got… nothing. The mist started to gather in her hands but wouldn't take shape. She then tried to create a flare gun, and then a two-way radio, both times failing. She then tried to make a survival knife, which did work.
Okay. So after… whatever happened to me, I can make tools out of thin air, but only simple ones.
Am I just going completely nuts right now?
Behind her, she heard a branch crack, the obvious sound of a creature trying to stay quiet while sneaking in the woods behind her. Jolted, she whirled around, only to find a small deer behind her. The deer gave her a nervous stare, but proceeded on its way afterwards.
She summoned back her walking stick, and proceeded on her way. As she had hoped, this stick was even better than the branch she had found earlier. Moving steadily, she started to think things over.
Waking up in a field with no idea how she had got there was strange. Getting a set of caracal ears and tail was absolutely bizarre. But this new ability meant that she could violate the law of conservation of mass on command.
And yet… that wasn't even the only weird thing. She had yet to see a single car on this road. Sure, if this was some backcountry passageway, it wouldn't be surprising for traffic to be sparse. But it still seemed weird to have nobody out here.
Estamel glanced up at the sun. Based on its current position, it was at least past noon, meaning that she had been traveling for at least a couple hours. But she didn't really feel tired, although she was starting to wish she had a snack. Why?
"I'll figure out what all this craziness is when I get out of this nowhere. Until then, I'll just keep moving."
***
Not long after, the lone pathfinder spotted a crossroads in the distance. At first she was unexcited, but upon spotting a cluster of buildings she unsummoned her stick and surged forward. Once she arrived though, she was now faced with a new level of confusion.
There were four structures at the intersection- a gas station, some sort of restaurant, what looked like a rest stop, and a sad heap of rubble with no discernible function. The three standing buildings had no lights on and showed clear signs of not only disrepair but also forced entry. To top things off, their shelves were completely empty, at least from the outside looking in. The sign on the restaurant had fallen down, but a display towered over the station: RAVEN GAS
Outside one, a sign was placed:
BUILDINGS UNCLEARED
ENTRY NOT ADVISED
"...cleared for what?" she muttered aloud. Sure, they could be unstable or have rusty metal left behind, but wasn't that just an obvious risk of going into an abandoned building?
She walked up to the gas station, and peeked through the windows into the building. The shelves seemed to have been picked clean of anything edible. There was a few things she could see remaining, though- a couple small bottles of hand sanitizer on a shelf, a pack of matches that had fallen to the floor, and what looked like a whistle left behind. All good stuff to have, she thought.
The front door of the shop was left ajar, and a quick tug revealed that it was still able to open. As she started pulling, nervousness started to grow on her. That sign said not to go in- what could be back there?
But there was useful supplies she could already see inside, and there could be even more accessible further in. And while she had previously been sure that getting home would be as simple as getting to the nearest rest stop, the feeling that she might be a while away from any respite was starting to grow on her.
Taking a deep breath to calm herself, Estamel pulled the door open.
There didn't seem to be much in the store other than what she had saw. She stepped carefully, trying not to stir up noise even though she knew in her mind that there was no reason to do so. She stuffed the matches, whistle, a packet of sanitary wipes, and hand sanitizer into her pockets, which frankly didn't leave room for much else. The bathrooms were locked, which wasn't really the worst problem- if she really needed to, she could just summon a shovel to dig a latrine in the woods.
She was considering leaving when she caught a glimpse of something in the back. A door marked Employees Only was sitting ajar. Cautiously, she made her way down the hallway, and slowly cracked the door open.
Inside was what appeared to be a storeroom/record-keeping room of sorts. It had a few stacks of cardboard boxes, with one on the top opened. There was a table in the back with an assortment of papers. A number of drawers were next to it. A sizable trashcan was near the back. An odd smell seemed to permeate the room. It seemed organic but she couldn't put her finger on it.
Estamel noticed that there was some sort of mechanical contraption behind the trashcan. It looked like it was folded up somehow, although whatever it was seemed a mystery. She tried opening the door further, and found it was pushing against something. She gave it a shove, and heard a couple things tumbling.
Who couldn't keep the goddamn doorway clear of crap?
She pushed the door open all the way. She strode through, turned to look at the door corned, and her irritated expression was wiped clean.
Piled up against the doorframe were a trio of human corpses. They had been rotting for a long while, their skin having become tight and withered. As one topped over, she noticed their mouth was hanging open, with a couple of their teeth having fallen out. Screaming, she stumbled backwards.
The contraption behind the trash can unfolded and leaped, landing in the center of the room on four legs. It was a dog-like robot, with a head of sensors in the front and some sort of module on a swivel on it's back. Estamel saw dark red stains on it's front paws.
The module traversed to point at her. With a speed that she had never known in her life, Estamel leaped and rolled to the side, the bullet shot from the bot's cannon passing by so close she could also feel it.
The machine pounced- but not for her. It jumped up and bounced against the door, slamming it shut and closing off her only route of escape. I'm not going to be able to run away. Shit!
No.
I'm not dying today.
Having landed right next to the desk, Estamel grabbed the chair and hurled it the bot as hard as it could. It hit the machine directly, with both chair and bot sailing into the wall. It got back onto its feet in a second, but she could tell it was hurt. Its gun had been partly broken off its mount and one of its legs looked out of commission.
But still the machine kept moving. It turned to face her, and a trio of clawlike knives extended on each of its front paws. As it started preparing for a leap, Estamel felt time slowing down.
The fuck can I do?! I don't have a weapon or-
Realization dawned on her at just the last second. She put her hands over her head, almost looking like she was going to surrender. Hopefully that was what the robot would think.
The robot leapt upwards, arcing across the room, its front paws extended forwards to kebab the target.
Estamel didn't even see the weapon that had materialized in her grasp. It was only as the black bladed saber swung forward into the path of the bot that she saw what she had just brought into existence.
The blade struck the mechanical murderer right at its head, bifurcating down to the midsection and sending components flying loose. Defeated, it fell to the ground, its legs curling up in a matter resembling rigor mortis.
Estamel felt a sudden rush flow through her, even as she sat down. For a few seconds, it felt like some sort of strange energy had poured into her veins. Then it went away, and she was left trying to figure out what had just happened.
"How the hell did I DO that?!" she shouted.
She had never been a slouch- that she could recall- but she had never been capable of this level of strength or quick reflexes. I've changed somehow. Not sure what to think about this, she turned her attention to the rest of the room.
There was a duffel bag shoved under the desk that had slid out when she threw the chair. Pulling it out, she found it had a map, compass, flask, some basic medical objects, and a bunch of snacks. The sorts of things you'd expect from someone trying to survive in the middle of nowhere. There was what looked like a logbook on the table. She stuffed it into the bag, thinking to read it later.
The cardboard boxes contained stacks of chips. They had expiration dates listed: 5/3/935, 9/3/935, 16/3/935. Curious, Estamel checked the dates on the snacks in the duffel bag. 12/10/935, 4/10/935, and a couple others with the same 10/935 digits.
"This isn't any dating system I've heard of… but the ones brought in from this guy are definitely fresher, and it looks like they each cluster around the two last numbers, so I'm guessing those are months of some sort, and the ones this guy brought in look to be at least seven months fresher." And I don't even know how fresh they are… but I need to eat, and they're my best bet.
There was a gallon container of gas there, which was completely useless for her now.
Well… not quite. There was one thing she needed it for now.
***
Flames danced out of the windows of the store, smoke forming a column high into the sky. The gas station didn't seem to have had much gas left, but the building was still just flammable enough to work.
Not much of a funeral pyre, but it was the best that was possible.
Estamel had swept through the convenience store twice, looking for anything else she could use. She had found a second bag pushed behind the cabinets, this one containing a one-person tent. Otherwise, there didn't seem to be anything left behind. A reluctant examination of the bodies showed one of them had some sort of smartphone, but it wouldn't turn on. Another had a wallet. Wary of touching these objects, she used a ziploc bag to pick them up and hold them. Once she was sure there was nothing she could find of use, she poured gasoline through the building and lit it up with a match.
The trekker was now at a crossroads, literally and figuratively. She went through the other two buildings, shouting and stomping at each corner to try and lure out any other robots lurking. While there were no surprises lurking for her, there seemed to be nothing of use either. There was one good thing about the crossroads she hadn't noticed at first, though: the clearing meant that she could see the terrain on her sides much better.
It was now apparent she was in the midst of a mountain range running north-south, with the intersection only a short walk from the base of a ridge to the east. The ridge was far from untouched- a number of small buildings and a road were plainly visible. The west ridge was much farther away.
"What to do, what to do…" Estamel muttered, unfolding the map from the duffel bag.
The map seemed like it was intended for this region- it showed a mountainous area, with highways and towns indicated. However, the two streets at the intersection- Ezmack Street and Piper way- must've been too minor to include, meaning she couldn't find her own position.
She still had a good deal of daylight left, which left her with a couple options.
"First, I could go North. Pros- no obstacles I can see, looks simple. Cons- nothing I know is there for sure.
"Second, I can go West. Pros- same as north, nothing to worry about. Cons- same as north"
"Third, I can go east and head into the mountains. Pros- it's the only place I see buildings and it might offer a chance to orient my map. Cons- gonna be tiring, and it could possibly be dangerous."
A third benefit of going east hung in the back of her mind- the possibility of the view giving a hint as to what had happened here. While she didn't want to consider it, the situation with the dog-bot suggested that things had gone wrong with not only her but the place she had been dumped in.
East it is, she decided.
The eastern road proved fruitful quickly. As she was nearing the base, she came to a bridge across a stream, giving her an opportunity to fill up the hydroflask. The road met with the base of the mountain and started heading up it on the left side, with a turn to the right in a spiraling path apparent.
As the wind blew over her, she noticed she felt different than when she had been hiking before. It was a small change, but it seemed like she had just a little more energy in her stride than before, even when she was carrying a couple bags. Weird, but could just be excitement.
The first house she came across was built on a steep ledge, with a big portion on stilts. It looked dilapidated, with a fallen branch poking through the roof and the exposed wood rotting. Still, it was worth checking out. She walked up to the front door and gave it a knock, with predictably no response. Then she gave the door the strongest kick she could. The rotten wood along the lock gave way and it swung open.
Unlike the crossroad buildings, this place looked like it was abandoned in a hurry. The front room was connected to the kitchen, which had a whole load of dishes in the sink. There was an old fashioned radio at the back of the living room. Maybe I can turn it on? She considered. It was unlikely to work, but would be great if it could. As she walked forward, she heard an odd creaking sound from the floor.
"Looks worth a-" she muttered right before the floor gave out below her. She shrieked, reaching out to the beam on the ceiling before closing her eyes in fear.
And… there she stayed for about two seconds. Surprised, she opened her eyes to find herself clutching a handful of ribbons coiled around the beam. Those weren't there before. The hole in the floor wasn't actually anything to worry about- it was only a few feet drop from the ground to her position. She let go of the ribbons and landed on her feet.
Looking up at the ribbon bundle, she tried the same 'dismissing' action she had done with her tools. It worked, with the ribbons dissipating away. However, she wanted to try something new now.
In one hand, she summoned the sabre she had used against the dog-bot. She held out her other hand at a pillar and tried to imitate the same feeling she had when she threw the ribbons earlier. A span of white-colored ribbons shot out from a glowing line at her wrist. went out and coiled around the pillar. She let go of the ribbons, dismissed them, and then tried to summon a second sword- but that failed.
Interesting. She had figured out earlier that she couldn't summon two tools at once. It seemed this ribbon-wielding ability was separate, though.
If I can do this now… why wasn't I able to use it against the dog-bot? I could've stopped it from slamming the door.
What's causing all this, anyways?
An experiment? Maybe she had come into work hungover the day after she went out drinking, and her boss was so mad they decided to use her as an involuntary test subject for some secret, grossly unethical project taking place behind closed doors. It would explain why she was in her lab attire, at least. But really, all it did was slap the excuse of 'secret experimentation' onto a set of phenomena that no known process could explain.
Whatever it was, she didn't want to wait around thinking under an unsteady building. She made her way out, climbed up a pair of steps, and got back onto the road.
The road winded as it went up the slope, but it seemed free of debris, unlike the path she had taken earlier. As she went up, the roads had a fence running along the edge. The fence didn't seem impressive- just some oddly pointed steel poles sticking about shoulder-high with wires running through holes horizontally, but she was having
There were no buildings on the side of the road, but there was some large clearing with structures near the top, including a skeletal steel tower. That looked like the most promising option. She was getting close to the top when she encountered the convoy and roadblock.
At the point where the road started winding to the right and the fence stopped, she saw several trucks painted in dark green- military colors. They were stopped in front of a fallen tree, with doors hanging open and nobody visible around. Curious, she moved closer, and noticed a pleasant familiar smell from one of the vehicles. Inside one truck, she spotted a half-eaten chocolate bar on one of the seats. Picking it up and looking it over, she could even see the tiniest trace of saliva on the bar.
These weren't from a while ago- this convoy must've stopped here hours ago. They're probably not far off!
"Hello?" She shouted. "I'm Estamel! I'm looking for help to get out of here!" Nobody called back, even after she repeated her cry a couple times.
The tree was pretty small. A bunch of soldiers could've probably moved it, and even if they couldn't the base was a short walk. It made no sense that they would just leave the doors open either way. At the edge of the road, there were boot-prints visible in the dirt. Estamel examined the prints- they all seemed to come from the same sort of shoe, except for a couple pairs. Then, down a trail of sorts, the unmistakable shape of a spent brass cartridge caught her eye.
Not good.
Either the soldiers had encountered something dangerous, killed it, and made their way down to scan for more, or…
Thud. Thud. Crack.
Estamel heard something in the woods, moving slowly. She had been accustomed to noticing animals- her new ears gave her quite the hearing. But these steps were… different. They had the same soft sounds apparent from a creature trying to step quietly, but they seemed less frequent and louder each time. Like it was two legs instead of four.
"That's weird," she said nonchalantly. She stepped over the tree and kept going up the road, pretending not to notice while she listened closely. The footsteps were coming from down the game trail- she wanted to be above her stalker.
Thud. Crack. Thud. The sound was at least where the trail turned, the stalker had definitely seen her by now. It wasn't slowing down to line up a shot or pounce, though.
"Hello? Who are you?" A voice called out. Estamel turned around, to see a young woman about her age standing at the roadside. She was wearing a raincoat of sorts and a skirt. "I was traveling with a convoy after the alert went out about the Semilin storm, but our car turned over. There's a whole bunch of people down the trail- they need help now." She walked forward with a limp that would be convincing if she had shown it while stalking.
"I… don't know who I am. I've been suffering this crazy strange amnesia and I have no idea what's happening to me. I just want to find home."
"Wow, that sounds bad." the girl responded. "If you're not hurt though, can you help me with the people in the truck? A bunch can't move without help." As she fake-limped, Estamel caught a glimpse of her shoe soles. The pattern on them was identical to the odd footprints in the dirt.
"All right, that's enough playing around. What the hell did you do to the soldiers?" She shouted, banishing the feigned vulnerability from her voice. At the same time, she summoned her sword and held it up in front of her. The girl appeared surprised, but then a nervous grin spread across her face, exposing sharp triangular teeth.
"Why, isn't this a funny situation. Two killers meet at a bend in the road, a siddim and a bramble-witch. The siddim asks 'why did you kill those people?'
Estamel guessed the 'siddim' was her, but was still confused. "I haven't killed a single person in my life. What are you saying?"
The blond-haired thing barked out a laugh, her posture relaxing. "Wait… you must be from the storm! You're brand new- haven't got your first blood yet at all. I never thought I'd get an opportunity like this in my life."
Just like when she woke up, Estamel found herself retracing the steps that brought her where she was now.
I've been clinging to the idea that this is just some normal place the whole time. I gained two magic abilities, saw my ears change and a fucking tail appear on my ass, but I rationalized it as being some strange technology at play. I saw documents written in English that had a dating system no English-speaking country uses. But I still thought that I would just have to find 'help' somewhere.
I fought the dog-bot and won, but rather than realizing there was threats I didn't understand, I got overconfident and decided to into territory I knew nothing about.
I saw something bad happened here, but I didn't leave. Even when I noticed a stalker I didn't try to run away immediately.
And now she was up against an opponent who knew her limits better than herself, and believed she was easy prey.
She checked her sides. On her left was the fence, on the right there was a wall left by excavating into the mountain. Retreating wasn't an option.
"This will be the best day ever", said the ghoul, and then darkness swept over the roadway.
***
Estamel couldn't see more than seven feet away, and her vision up close was still dimm. For a second she thought she was already dead, but then the sound of the ghoul running towards her caught her attention. She lept to the right, a set of massive clawed fingers passing close by her face. The witch slipped past before she could land a hit with her sword.
"Mmmm, you're fast. Or do you have some way of telling where I am before I get close?" came the mocking voice from just out of her reach. Another clawed hand lashed out at her legs from the right, coming within inches. Then the ghoul, seemingly having moved back in front of her, went for her stomach. She jumped, but the claws caught her coat and shirt, ripping holes as she pulled away.
"You're feisty. Maybe I shouldn't just go for the throat now? I've never heard a siddim cry before."
Estamel swore while she stood in place, but in truth she didn't really care what the witch was babbling about. She listened closely as the enemy pranced around her. She's fast, too… need to have my sword in position when she comes around.
The witch made a full circle, and the next swipe came at almost the same path. Once again, she pulled back just enough to avoid claws hitting her skin, but then lunged forward with her sword just above the witch's arm. She stuck something, and was rewarded with a cry of shock. The ghoul scampered further away, about twice her visibility radius.
"Oh, look who thinks they just scored some massive victory. How do you think you'll finish me off?"
"I don't know. Would you be so kind as to tell me how?"
A chuckle came out from the darkness. "Well, truth be told I'm not talking to you to rile you up. I'm just playing with my food. Unfortunately… so was my slashing there. You're a strong unblooded siddim, but still unblooded. No defense against what's coming now."
Estamel heard the sound of the witch rummaging through a bag. Then there was a whistling sound, and she ducked just fast enough to avoid a spray of small darts coming at her eyes.
"Those darts are a personal favorite of mine. Just one will render you unable to move while it feels like fire is pouring into your veins. I'll be able to drag you back home then."
Another whistling sound, and a new quartet of darts flew over her shoulder. Then another shot went out from behind her. And then again from her right. Estamel kept swinging out of the way, but she was getting tired. She had spent the entire day hiking, and her newfound agility only went so far. She tried to chase after the ghoul, but her opponent was always at least fourteen feet away, and she couldn't approach and dodge at the same time.
I could snare her in ribbons… but I don't know if I can reach that far, or tell where she is. Dammit.
Then another burst came by, and she dodged too far, her legs went through the wire fencing. Her upper body slammed against the pavement. She tried to get her hands on the ground and pull herself out, but she knew it was too late.
A hail of dots went right down to her stomach, about to inject her. Just when they made contact, a red glow shone at their location and they bounced off.
"WHAT?!" screamed the ghoul in disbelief, as Esty yanked out of the fence. "Ohhh… you lied. Didn't know why I didn't think about that." For the first time, her assailant actually seemed disappointed in her.
"Lied about what?"
"Oh, I forget you don't actually know anything about your abilities. The tazel, that shield that saved you from your foolishness? Siddim only get that after their first kill."
"But I haven't killed anyone."
"Denial won't help you. You're just like me, even if you try to tell yourself otherwise."
"Wait…" she stammered. "Does a 'kill' need to be a living thing? Because I destroyed some sort of combat robot earlier today."
Her answer was another salvo of darts. These ones seemed lazily aimed, only having to move her head slightly to dodge.
"In the end it won't matter. A one-kill siddim's tazel can barely take a whole handgun magazine at once. I just need to smack you around with my claws a little, and then you're defenseless. You haven't shown a unique spell, so either yours is useless or you don't know how to control it."
The right hand of claws came faster than before, but Estamel anticipated it and swung to the side. Instead of retreating, the ghoul swung with her left hand, which was caught by the sword. The right claws whacked against the sword, trying to yank it out of her hands. Big mistake. She pulled her arms back at the same time as her duelist, yanking the ghoul off her feet and close enough that the two could almost kiss, and delivered a kick right into her stomach.
In her arrogance, the ghoul had given away far too much information. According to her, a tazel could 'barely' survive an entire handgun's worth of fire- far more force than a blowgun dart of any kind. Now that she had been alerted to it, she could actually feel the tazel's presence- while her fall had used up a bit of it, it still felt strong. Additionally, she hadn't heard any clacking noises when the monster used the blowgun, so she was almost certainly holding it with normal hands and not steel claws.
The claws slipped free of the sabre, and there was a painful thud as her opponent hit the ground. As she walked forward, she heard shuffling and an inhale. Rather than get ready to dodge, she sprinted forward. The darts ricocheted off her harmlessly, and the ghoul- trying to reload another salvo- came fully within her vision. Her saber slashed across its chest, prompting a scream and a leap backwards.
The lone swordswoman walked to the left, so she was now between the fence and the creature. "How does that feel?" she jeered. "You talk so much about suffering, I hope you aren't completely new to feeling it." No response came back. "Why, you really-"
She knew her taunts were juvenile, the sort of snappy dialogue that only suggested overconfidence. But that was the point- the worst thing that could happen right now would be the ghoul running away and making a plan to break her tazel, and she needed to sound like the sort of arrogant fool that could be brought down right now. So when the ghoul lept into the air screaming, she already had her sabre above her head. The ghoul was looking overjoyed- after all, it just needed to block the sword with one hand and slap her with the other.
From Estamel's wrists two streams of ribbons burst loose. They wrapped around the ghoul's elongated fingers on both hands, and as she dismissed the sword and grabbed the ribbons they constricted like a noose. She then jumped back against the fence with the ghoul in tow, their combined momentum sending it over the fence. She then let go.
There was a smack, a howl of pain and anger, and then the light poured into the road once again.
Notes: I first came up with the basic idea for this story a long while ago, and I'm quite excited to finally be putting it into words. This is my first time posting to CrW, so please leave feedback for areas where I can improve.
Feeling groggy, she put her left arm against the ground as she sat up. Feeling the moisture in the grass, she looked over at her clothes. She had been wearing her work attire- a white coat, buttoned undershirt, business shoes, and a belt- and now her entire left side as well as her sleeves were showing grass stains. This was going to be embarrassing to explain
"Dammit", Estamel muttered to herself, "why did I lie down in the middle of a goddamn field wearing this?"
And as she tried to look back and see what had led to this ridiculous mistake, she found… nothing. She couldn't remember putting on the suit, going out on a hike, or lying down to rest in the grass. Come to think of it, why was she out here at all? She didn't recall this being one of her off days.
Estamel stood up, trying to get a grasp of her surroundings. The field she was in was dotted with small shrubs and bushes, and was gently sloping in the direction her eyes had been facing, with a small brook at the end. In the opposite direction there was a road of sorts, with forests lining the two remaining sides. In the direction of the brooks, she could make out a… mountain? That didn't seem right, there were no mountains anywhere near her home.
She reached down into her coat pocket to check her phone, but found nothing there. "The fuck?" she said aloud. Anxiously, she checked her other pockets, but they too were empty aside from an old receipt, a pen, and a plastic candy wrapper she had forgotten to throw out. The ground around her had nothing, and when she looked to her wrist, hoping her digital watch could ping it, she found the watch was missing too.
This is bad. This is really bad.
Focus, Estamel, focus. If you got yourself into this you can get yourself out. What happened to you the day before?
Her memory was still a haze. She was having trouble remembering anything about herself or her life, for some reason. But slowly, some things started to come back. She could recall something happening at work- she couldn't recall what, but the sadness the idea carried was telling- and leaving early. She had spent the rest of the day lying at her computer and occasionally trying to call someone- my parents? A friend?- who never responded. That evening, she had went to a dive bar, and started drinking… Jesus Christ.
Did I seriously pass out drunk in a bar and get dumped out here?
Except… that didn't seem right, because she was still wearing her work clothes, especially the lab coat. And if someone had stolen her things and dropped her off as their idea of a prank, why would they drive her so far away from town?
Nervousness starting to take hold, Estamel looked and felt over her suit. There didn't seem to be anything out of the ordinary… until she ran through her hair and felt something fuzzy on the left side of her head. She shrieked and grabbed it, thinking it was an animal, but when she did she could feel her own fingers applying pressure. Tapping on it, she not only felt the pressure, but could notice the hearing on her left side change, as well as the wind direction seeming to shift. She pulled up her right hand, and felt the same odd object on her right side as well. Perplexed, she felt down her back… and noticed something else seemingly anchored just below her belt on her jeans.
After a couple seconds of disbelief, she turned and ran down the slope to the river, where she looked down at her own reflection.
"What the hell…"
On top of her head, there was a pair of cat ears poking up through her short black hair. To make things even weirder, these weren't just 'normal' cat ears: they had long tufts on the end, like those on a bobcat or caracal. Turning sideways, she saw that wasn't all: there was also a long furry tail, like that of a coyote, poking out at the base of her spine. Estamel first thought that the tail and ears were fake and glued on, but a couple tugs and pinches quickly proved that these were indeed part of her- whatever that meant.
Am I hallucinating? Or is this a dream of some sorts?
She tried to reach back her memories, but as she tried she realized something was wrong. She was having trouble remembering anything about herself. Her home, friends and family, and just about everything pertaining to her life before waking up felt like an odd blur. And even though she could recall general things about the world, she still felt an air of obscurity over it, like a book with random words and sentences redacted.
"Hello?" She shouted. "Is anyone out there?"
Silence. Wherever she was, nobody was close by.
Estamel decided to take a sip from the brook. She wasn't feeling particularly thirsty or hungover- on the contrary, she actually felt the most rested she had in a while- but she knew that wherever she was going, she'd probably be walking for a while. She made her way up to the road, which looked like a typical two-lane street.
Now… which way to go? With the sun rising there, it looks like this road is running roughly north-south.
After a couple seconds, she unceremoniously decided to go north. It was unlikely to matter- there was bound to be something down either direction, and every minute spent agonizing over where to go was a minute better spent getting home.
***
Not long after Estamel got going, she started to wish she had more comfortable clothes. While the white coat wasn't bad, the button-down shirt didn't offer much insulation or absorb sweat, and the jeans felt like they constrained her movement too much. The road was winding, and fallen branches seemed to be a common appearance. Driving here wouldn't be fun.
Wary of becoming worn out, she looked in the woods to her sides for a walking stick. Surprisingly, she was able to find a decent fallen branch right away, with just the right height for her and a perfect notch to hold onto. She walked for what felt like about five miles before it snapped.
Grumbling, she considered whether she should go back into the forest for another stick. Her last one had been helpful, but if it's replacement was going to break like the other one than it wasn't worth it.
Estamel tried to think of the last time she had been hiking, and remembered that she had brought a pre-built stick for the occasion. It had been made out of some sort of carbon fiber, and had a rubber cap on the bottom with a nice handle on the top. What I wouldn't do to have that thing right now, she thought, and then noticed an odd tingling sensation in her hands.
Looking down, some odd sort of white vapor seemed to have gathered, dissipating almost the second she looked at it.
Wait a sec.
Estamel held her hands out like she was holding onto a pole. She brought back the thought of wanting a real walking stick, right now at this second. The white smoke returned- and this time she doubled down on the thought, trying to hold the idea of the stick in her mind.
The smoke expanded, suddenly took the form of a long straight pole, and then seemingly dissipated outwards. In her hands, there was now a long walking stick. It wasn't actually a replica of the one she had earlier at all- it was black, with the rod feeling like some sort of metal rather than fiber, and the specific design seemed different- but it was still just about exactly what she needed. The sheer surprise of the stick appearing was enough that she tossed it away and leaped backwards.
After a couple seconds away from her, the rod seemingly turned back into mist and went away.
Curiosity overwhelming her, she repeated the same steps as before and was rewarded with a new stick, exactly identical to the one she had made earlier. Instead of throwing it away, she focused on the idea of not needing the stick anymore and wanting something else. The stick turned into mist and went away again, although this time the mist almost seemed to retract into her palms. Then, having an idea, she tried to focus on her smartphone, and got… nothing. The mist started to gather in her hands but wouldn't take shape. She then tried to create a flare gun, and then a two-way radio, both times failing. She then tried to make a survival knife, which did work.
Okay. So after… whatever happened to me, I can make tools out of thin air, but only simple ones.
Am I just going completely nuts right now?
Behind her, she heard a branch crack, the obvious sound of a creature trying to stay quiet while sneaking in the woods behind her. Jolted, she whirled around, only to find a small deer behind her. The deer gave her a nervous stare, but proceeded on its way afterwards.
She summoned back her walking stick, and proceeded on her way. As she had hoped, this stick was even better than the branch she had found earlier. Moving steadily, she started to think things over.
Waking up in a field with no idea how she had got there was strange. Getting a set of caracal ears and tail was absolutely bizarre. But this new ability meant that she could violate the law of conservation of mass on command.
And yet… that wasn't even the only weird thing. She had yet to see a single car on this road. Sure, if this was some backcountry passageway, it wouldn't be surprising for traffic to be sparse. But it still seemed weird to have nobody out here.
Estamel glanced up at the sun. Based on its current position, it was at least past noon, meaning that she had been traveling for at least a couple hours. But she didn't really feel tired, although she was starting to wish she had a snack. Why?
"I'll figure out what all this craziness is when I get out of this nowhere. Until then, I'll just keep moving."
***
Not long after, the lone pathfinder spotted a crossroads in the distance. At first she was unexcited, but upon spotting a cluster of buildings she unsummoned her stick and surged forward. Once she arrived though, she was now faced with a new level of confusion.
There were four structures at the intersection- a gas station, some sort of restaurant, what looked like a rest stop, and a sad heap of rubble with no discernible function. The three standing buildings had no lights on and showed clear signs of not only disrepair but also forced entry. To top things off, their shelves were completely empty, at least from the outside looking in. The sign on the restaurant had fallen down, but a display towered over the station: RAVEN GAS
Outside one, a sign was placed:
BUILDINGS UNCLEARED
ENTRY NOT ADVISED
"...cleared for what?" she muttered aloud. Sure, they could be unstable or have rusty metal left behind, but wasn't that just an obvious risk of going into an abandoned building?
She walked up to the gas station, and peeked through the windows into the building. The shelves seemed to have been picked clean of anything edible. There was a few things she could see remaining, though- a couple small bottles of hand sanitizer on a shelf, a pack of matches that had fallen to the floor, and what looked like a whistle left behind. All good stuff to have, she thought.
The front door of the shop was left ajar, and a quick tug revealed that it was still able to open. As she started pulling, nervousness started to grow on her. That sign said not to go in- what could be back there?
But there was useful supplies she could already see inside, and there could be even more accessible further in. And while she had previously been sure that getting home would be as simple as getting to the nearest rest stop, the feeling that she might be a while away from any respite was starting to grow on her.
Taking a deep breath to calm herself, Estamel pulled the door open.
There didn't seem to be much in the store other than what she had saw. She stepped carefully, trying not to stir up noise even though she knew in her mind that there was no reason to do so. She stuffed the matches, whistle, a packet of sanitary wipes, and hand sanitizer into her pockets, which frankly didn't leave room for much else. The bathrooms were locked, which wasn't really the worst problem- if she really needed to, she could just summon a shovel to dig a latrine in the woods.
She was considering leaving when she caught a glimpse of something in the back. A door marked Employees Only was sitting ajar. Cautiously, she made her way down the hallway, and slowly cracked the door open.
Inside was what appeared to be a storeroom/record-keeping room of sorts. It had a few stacks of cardboard boxes, with one on the top opened. There was a table in the back with an assortment of papers. A number of drawers were next to it. A sizable trashcan was near the back. An odd smell seemed to permeate the room. It seemed organic but she couldn't put her finger on it.
Estamel noticed that there was some sort of mechanical contraption behind the trashcan. It looked like it was folded up somehow, although whatever it was seemed a mystery. She tried opening the door further, and found it was pushing against something. She gave it a shove, and heard a couple things tumbling.
Who couldn't keep the goddamn doorway clear of crap?
She pushed the door open all the way. She strode through, turned to look at the door corned, and her irritated expression was wiped clean.
Piled up against the doorframe were a trio of human corpses. They had been rotting for a long while, their skin having become tight and withered. As one topped over, she noticed their mouth was hanging open, with a couple of their teeth having fallen out. Screaming, she stumbled backwards.
The contraption behind the trash can unfolded and leaped, landing in the center of the room on four legs. It was a dog-like robot, with a head of sensors in the front and some sort of module on a swivel on it's back. Estamel saw dark red stains on it's front paws.
The module traversed to point at her. With a speed that she had never known in her life, Estamel leaped and rolled to the side, the bullet shot from the bot's cannon passing by so close she could also feel it.
The machine pounced- but not for her. It jumped up and bounced against the door, slamming it shut and closing off her only route of escape. I'm not going to be able to run away. Shit!
No.
I'm not dying today.
Having landed right next to the desk, Estamel grabbed the chair and hurled it the bot as hard as it could. It hit the machine directly, with both chair and bot sailing into the wall. It got back onto its feet in a second, but she could tell it was hurt. Its gun had been partly broken off its mount and one of its legs looked out of commission.
But still the machine kept moving. It turned to face her, and a trio of clawlike knives extended on each of its front paws. As it started preparing for a leap, Estamel felt time slowing down.
The fuck can I do?! I don't have a weapon or-
Realization dawned on her at just the last second. She put her hands over her head, almost looking like she was going to surrender. Hopefully that was what the robot would think.
The robot leapt upwards, arcing across the room, its front paws extended forwards to kebab the target.
Estamel didn't even see the weapon that had materialized in her grasp. It was only as the black bladed saber swung forward into the path of the bot that she saw what she had just brought into existence.
The blade struck the mechanical murderer right at its head, bifurcating down to the midsection and sending components flying loose. Defeated, it fell to the ground, its legs curling up in a matter resembling rigor mortis.
Estamel felt a sudden rush flow through her, even as she sat down. For a few seconds, it felt like some sort of strange energy had poured into her veins. Then it went away, and she was left trying to figure out what had just happened.
"How the hell did I DO that?!" she shouted.
She had never been a slouch- that she could recall- but she had never been capable of this level of strength or quick reflexes. I've changed somehow. Not sure what to think about this, she turned her attention to the rest of the room.
There was a duffel bag shoved under the desk that had slid out when she threw the chair. Pulling it out, she found it had a map, compass, flask, some basic medical objects, and a bunch of snacks. The sorts of things you'd expect from someone trying to survive in the middle of nowhere. There was what looked like a logbook on the table. She stuffed it into the bag, thinking to read it later.
The cardboard boxes contained stacks of chips. They had expiration dates listed: 5/3/935, 9/3/935, 16/3/935. Curious, Estamel checked the dates on the snacks in the duffel bag. 12/10/935, 4/10/935, and a couple others with the same 10/935 digits.
"This isn't any dating system I've heard of… but the ones brought in from this guy are definitely fresher, and it looks like they each cluster around the two last numbers, so I'm guessing those are months of some sort, and the ones this guy brought in look to be at least seven months fresher." And I don't even know how fresh they are… but I need to eat, and they're my best bet.
There was a gallon container of gas there, which was completely useless for her now.
Well… not quite. There was one thing she needed it for now.
***
Flames danced out of the windows of the store, smoke forming a column high into the sky. The gas station didn't seem to have had much gas left, but the building was still just flammable enough to work.
Not much of a funeral pyre, but it was the best that was possible.
Estamel had swept through the convenience store twice, looking for anything else she could use. She had found a second bag pushed behind the cabinets, this one containing a one-person tent. Otherwise, there didn't seem to be anything left behind. A reluctant examination of the bodies showed one of them had some sort of smartphone, but it wouldn't turn on. Another had a wallet. Wary of touching these objects, she used a ziploc bag to pick them up and hold them. Once she was sure there was nothing she could find of use, she poured gasoline through the building and lit it up with a match.
The trekker was now at a crossroads, literally and figuratively. She went through the other two buildings, shouting and stomping at each corner to try and lure out any other robots lurking. While there were no surprises lurking for her, there seemed to be nothing of use either. There was one good thing about the crossroads she hadn't noticed at first, though: the clearing meant that she could see the terrain on her sides much better.
It was now apparent she was in the midst of a mountain range running north-south, with the intersection only a short walk from the base of a ridge to the east. The ridge was far from untouched- a number of small buildings and a road were plainly visible. The west ridge was much farther away.
"What to do, what to do…" Estamel muttered, unfolding the map from the duffel bag.
The map seemed like it was intended for this region- it showed a mountainous area, with highways and towns indicated. However, the two streets at the intersection- Ezmack Street and Piper way- must've been too minor to include, meaning she couldn't find her own position.
She still had a good deal of daylight left, which left her with a couple options.
"First, I could go North. Pros- no obstacles I can see, looks simple. Cons- nothing I know is there for sure.
"Second, I can go West. Pros- same as north, nothing to worry about. Cons- same as north"
"Third, I can go east and head into the mountains. Pros- it's the only place I see buildings and it might offer a chance to orient my map. Cons- gonna be tiring, and it could possibly be dangerous."
A third benefit of going east hung in the back of her mind- the possibility of the view giving a hint as to what had happened here. While she didn't want to consider it, the situation with the dog-bot suggested that things had gone wrong with not only her but the place she had been dumped in.
East it is, she decided.
The eastern road proved fruitful quickly. As she was nearing the base, she came to a bridge across a stream, giving her an opportunity to fill up the hydroflask. The road met with the base of the mountain and started heading up it on the left side, with a turn to the right in a spiraling path apparent.
As the wind blew over her, she noticed she felt different than when she had been hiking before. It was a small change, but it seemed like she had just a little more energy in her stride than before, even when she was carrying a couple bags. Weird, but could just be excitement.
The first house she came across was built on a steep ledge, with a big portion on stilts. It looked dilapidated, with a fallen branch poking through the roof and the exposed wood rotting. Still, it was worth checking out. She walked up to the front door and gave it a knock, with predictably no response. Then she gave the door the strongest kick she could. The rotten wood along the lock gave way and it swung open.
Unlike the crossroad buildings, this place looked like it was abandoned in a hurry. The front room was connected to the kitchen, which had a whole load of dishes in the sink. There was an old fashioned radio at the back of the living room. Maybe I can turn it on? She considered. It was unlikely to work, but would be great if it could. As she walked forward, she heard an odd creaking sound from the floor.
"Looks worth a-" she muttered right before the floor gave out below her. She shrieked, reaching out to the beam on the ceiling before closing her eyes in fear.
And… there she stayed for about two seconds. Surprised, she opened her eyes to find herself clutching a handful of ribbons coiled around the beam. Those weren't there before. The hole in the floor wasn't actually anything to worry about- it was only a few feet drop from the ground to her position. She let go of the ribbons and landed on her feet.
Looking up at the ribbon bundle, she tried the same 'dismissing' action she had done with her tools. It worked, with the ribbons dissipating away. However, she wanted to try something new now.
In one hand, she summoned the sabre she had used against the dog-bot. She held out her other hand at a pillar and tried to imitate the same feeling she had when she threw the ribbons earlier. A span of white-colored ribbons shot out from a glowing line at her wrist. went out and coiled around the pillar. She let go of the ribbons, dismissed them, and then tried to summon a second sword- but that failed.
Interesting. She had figured out earlier that she couldn't summon two tools at once. It seemed this ribbon-wielding ability was separate, though.
If I can do this now… why wasn't I able to use it against the dog-bot? I could've stopped it from slamming the door.
What's causing all this, anyways?
An experiment? Maybe she had come into work hungover the day after she went out drinking, and her boss was so mad they decided to use her as an involuntary test subject for some secret, grossly unethical project taking place behind closed doors. It would explain why she was in her lab attire, at least. But really, all it did was slap the excuse of 'secret experimentation' onto a set of phenomena that no known process could explain.
Whatever it was, she didn't want to wait around thinking under an unsteady building. She made her way out, climbed up a pair of steps, and got back onto the road.
The road winded as it went up the slope, but it seemed free of debris, unlike the path she had taken earlier. As she went up, the roads had a fence running along the edge. The fence didn't seem impressive- just some oddly pointed steel poles sticking about shoulder-high with wires running through holes horizontally, but she was having
There were no buildings on the side of the road, but there was some large clearing with structures near the top, including a skeletal steel tower. That looked like the most promising option. She was getting close to the top when she encountered the convoy and roadblock.
At the point where the road started winding to the right and the fence stopped, she saw several trucks painted in dark green- military colors. They were stopped in front of a fallen tree, with doors hanging open and nobody visible around. Curious, she moved closer, and noticed a pleasant familiar smell from one of the vehicles. Inside one truck, she spotted a half-eaten chocolate bar on one of the seats. Picking it up and looking it over, she could even see the tiniest trace of saliva on the bar.
These weren't from a while ago- this convoy must've stopped here hours ago. They're probably not far off!
"Hello?" She shouted. "I'm Estamel! I'm looking for help to get out of here!" Nobody called back, even after she repeated her cry a couple times.
The tree was pretty small. A bunch of soldiers could've probably moved it, and even if they couldn't the base was a short walk. It made no sense that they would just leave the doors open either way. At the edge of the road, there were boot-prints visible in the dirt. Estamel examined the prints- they all seemed to come from the same sort of shoe, except for a couple pairs. Then, down a trail of sorts, the unmistakable shape of a spent brass cartridge caught her eye.
Not good.
Either the soldiers had encountered something dangerous, killed it, and made their way down to scan for more, or…
Thud. Thud. Crack.
Estamel heard something in the woods, moving slowly. She had been accustomed to noticing animals- her new ears gave her quite the hearing. But these steps were… different. They had the same soft sounds apparent from a creature trying to step quietly, but they seemed less frequent and louder each time. Like it was two legs instead of four.
"That's weird," she said nonchalantly. She stepped over the tree and kept going up the road, pretending not to notice while she listened closely. The footsteps were coming from down the game trail- she wanted to be above her stalker.
Thud. Crack. Thud. The sound was at least where the trail turned, the stalker had definitely seen her by now. It wasn't slowing down to line up a shot or pounce, though.
"Hello? Who are you?" A voice called out. Estamel turned around, to see a young woman about her age standing at the roadside. She was wearing a raincoat of sorts and a skirt. "I was traveling with a convoy after the alert went out about the Semilin storm, but our car turned over. There's a whole bunch of people down the trail- they need help now." She walked forward with a limp that would be convincing if she had shown it while stalking.
"I… don't know who I am. I've been suffering this crazy strange amnesia and I have no idea what's happening to me. I just want to find home."
"Wow, that sounds bad." the girl responded. "If you're not hurt though, can you help me with the people in the truck? A bunch can't move without help." As she fake-limped, Estamel caught a glimpse of her shoe soles. The pattern on them was identical to the odd footprints in the dirt.
"All right, that's enough playing around. What the hell did you do to the soldiers?" She shouted, banishing the feigned vulnerability from her voice. At the same time, she summoned her sword and held it up in front of her. The girl appeared surprised, but then a nervous grin spread across her face, exposing sharp triangular teeth.
"Why, isn't this a funny situation. Two killers meet at a bend in the road, a siddim and a bramble-witch. The siddim asks 'why did you kill those people?'
Estamel guessed the 'siddim' was her, but was still confused. "I haven't killed a single person in my life. What are you saying?"
The blond-haired thing barked out a laugh, her posture relaxing. "Wait… you must be from the storm! You're brand new- haven't got your first blood yet at all. I never thought I'd get an opportunity like this in my life."
Just like when she woke up, Estamel found herself retracing the steps that brought her where she was now.
I've been clinging to the idea that this is just some normal place the whole time. I gained two magic abilities, saw my ears change and a fucking tail appear on my ass, but I rationalized it as being some strange technology at play. I saw documents written in English that had a dating system no English-speaking country uses. But I still thought that I would just have to find 'help' somewhere.
I fought the dog-bot and won, but rather than realizing there was threats I didn't understand, I got overconfident and decided to into territory I knew nothing about.
I saw something bad happened here, but I didn't leave. Even when I noticed a stalker I didn't try to run away immediately.
And now she was up against an opponent who knew her limits better than herself, and believed she was easy prey.
She checked her sides. On her left was the fence, on the right there was a wall left by excavating into the mountain. Retreating wasn't an option.
"This will be the best day ever", said the ghoul, and then darkness swept over the roadway.
***
Estamel couldn't see more than seven feet away, and her vision up close was still dimm. For a second she thought she was already dead, but then the sound of the ghoul running towards her caught her attention. She lept to the right, a set of massive clawed fingers passing close by her face. The witch slipped past before she could land a hit with her sword.
"Mmmm, you're fast. Or do you have some way of telling where I am before I get close?" came the mocking voice from just out of her reach. Another clawed hand lashed out at her legs from the right, coming within inches. Then the ghoul, seemingly having moved back in front of her, went for her stomach. She jumped, but the claws caught her coat and shirt, ripping holes as she pulled away.
"You're feisty. Maybe I shouldn't just go for the throat now? I've never heard a siddim cry before."
Estamel swore while she stood in place, but in truth she didn't really care what the witch was babbling about. She listened closely as the enemy pranced around her. She's fast, too… need to have my sword in position when she comes around.
The witch made a full circle, and the next swipe came at almost the same path. Once again, she pulled back just enough to avoid claws hitting her skin, but then lunged forward with her sword just above the witch's arm. She stuck something, and was rewarded with a cry of shock. The ghoul scampered further away, about twice her visibility radius.
"Oh, look who thinks they just scored some massive victory. How do you think you'll finish me off?"
"I don't know. Would you be so kind as to tell me how?"
A chuckle came out from the darkness. "Well, truth be told I'm not talking to you to rile you up. I'm just playing with my food. Unfortunately… so was my slashing there. You're a strong unblooded siddim, but still unblooded. No defense against what's coming now."
Estamel heard the sound of the witch rummaging through a bag. Then there was a whistling sound, and she ducked just fast enough to avoid a spray of small darts coming at her eyes.
"Those darts are a personal favorite of mine. Just one will render you unable to move while it feels like fire is pouring into your veins. I'll be able to drag you back home then."
Another whistling sound, and a new quartet of darts flew over her shoulder. Then another shot went out from behind her. And then again from her right. Estamel kept swinging out of the way, but she was getting tired. She had spent the entire day hiking, and her newfound agility only went so far. She tried to chase after the ghoul, but her opponent was always at least fourteen feet away, and she couldn't approach and dodge at the same time.
I could snare her in ribbons… but I don't know if I can reach that far, or tell where she is. Dammit.
Then another burst came by, and she dodged too far, her legs went through the wire fencing. Her upper body slammed against the pavement. She tried to get her hands on the ground and pull herself out, but she knew it was too late.
A hail of dots went right down to her stomach, about to inject her. Just when they made contact, a red glow shone at their location and they bounced off.
"WHAT?!" screamed the ghoul in disbelief, as Esty yanked out of the fence. "Ohhh… you lied. Didn't know why I didn't think about that." For the first time, her assailant actually seemed disappointed in her.
"Lied about what?"
"Oh, I forget you don't actually know anything about your abilities. The tazel, that shield that saved you from your foolishness? Siddim only get that after their first kill."
"But I haven't killed anyone."
"Denial won't help you. You're just like me, even if you try to tell yourself otherwise."
"Wait…" she stammered. "Does a 'kill' need to be a living thing? Because I destroyed some sort of combat robot earlier today."
Her answer was another salvo of darts. These ones seemed lazily aimed, only having to move her head slightly to dodge.
"In the end it won't matter. A one-kill siddim's tazel can barely take a whole handgun magazine at once. I just need to smack you around with my claws a little, and then you're defenseless. You haven't shown a unique spell, so either yours is useless or you don't know how to control it."
The right hand of claws came faster than before, but Estamel anticipated it and swung to the side. Instead of retreating, the ghoul swung with her left hand, which was caught by the sword. The right claws whacked against the sword, trying to yank it out of her hands. Big mistake. She pulled her arms back at the same time as her duelist, yanking the ghoul off her feet and close enough that the two could almost kiss, and delivered a kick right into her stomach.
In her arrogance, the ghoul had given away far too much information. According to her, a tazel could 'barely' survive an entire handgun's worth of fire- far more force than a blowgun dart of any kind. Now that she had been alerted to it, she could actually feel the tazel's presence- while her fall had used up a bit of it, it still felt strong. Additionally, she hadn't heard any clacking noises when the monster used the blowgun, so she was almost certainly holding it with normal hands and not steel claws.
The claws slipped free of the sabre, and there was a painful thud as her opponent hit the ground. As she walked forward, she heard shuffling and an inhale. Rather than get ready to dodge, she sprinted forward. The darts ricocheted off her harmlessly, and the ghoul- trying to reload another salvo- came fully within her vision. Her saber slashed across its chest, prompting a scream and a leap backwards.
The lone swordswoman walked to the left, so she was now between the fence and the creature. "How does that feel?" she jeered. "You talk so much about suffering, I hope you aren't completely new to feeling it." No response came back. "Why, you really-"
She knew her taunts were juvenile, the sort of snappy dialogue that only suggested overconfidence. But that was the point- the worst thing that could happen right now would be the ghoul running away and making a plan to break her tazel, and she needed to sound like the sort of arrogant fool that could be brought down right now. So when the ghoul lept into the air screaming, she already had her sabre above her head. The ghoul was looking overjoyed- after all, it just needed to block the sword with one hand and slap her with the other.
From Estamel's wrists two streams of ribbons burst loose. They wrapped around the ghoul's elongated fingers on both hands, and as she dismissed the sword and grabbed the ribbons they constricted like a noose. She then jumped back against the fence with the ghoul in tow, their combined momentum sending it over the fence. She then let go.
There was a smack, a howl of pain and anger, and then the light poured into the road once again.
Notes: I first came up with the basic idea for this story a long while ago, and I'm quite excited to finally be putting it into words. This is my first time posting to CrW, so please leave feedback for areas where I can improve.
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Newcomer 2
- Location
- North Carolina
Estamel fell forwards, her hands barely stopping her from a faceplant into the pavement. Her eyes slammed shut in response to the painful glare, and she took three deep breaths, the adrenaline starting to slow down. Nervously, she climbed back onto her feet, and with one hand blocking the setting sun she scanned the path for her opponent.
The ghoul was lying on her back a whole two road-steps down, her huge claws still extended. Besides her was the bag she had been taking her tools from. She wasn't getting up, but Esty noticed what looked like her chest rising and falling and her eyes blinking. The wound from the sabre was long, but seemed to have barely gone below the skin. Still alive. She climbed over the fence and hopped down the rock face. The gap for the next step wasn't completely carved into the mountain- a bit of highly sloped earth remained- so instead she rappelled down with a set of ribbons rather than just jumping. As she went downwards, she noticed she was having the same feeling of energy that she did just after smashing the bot- but it was different, more subdued.
The ghoul turned her head to face her as she touched the ground. "Well… look who couldn't stay away" she jeered. She was trying to sound confident, but the fear in her eyes as her opponent stepped closer was impossible to hide.
"Why are you lying there?"
"I can't feel or move anything below my shoulders, I think I'm paralyzed. One of my arms must be dislocated, and my fingers… god, that ribbon bullshit must be the most barbaric siddim spell in existence."
"Interesting story."
Without hesitation, Estamel gave the ghoul a kick between the legs. The ghoul stared up at her with a look of genuine amusement. "I told you, I can't feel or move- Ow!" she cried out- her commentary interrupted by a foot pressing down on one of her fingers.
"Sorry about that, I needed to make sure you weren't faking."
"Of course you did. So, for what reason has our pure soul come down here? Surely, you wouldn't be planning to murder a helpless foe, right?"
Her opponent's - the bramble-witch's- tone had changed slightly. But Esty was barely listening, focused entirely on a new challenge. She hadn't been able to generate radios or flareguns earlier- but what about simple machines? After a couple seconds, she was able to form a rectangular frame with small wheels, wide enough for a person to fit in. Yes! She lifted up the frame and stood it up at the witch's feet. She wondered if she should try putting ribbons on the gash, cut off a piece of her own ruined shirt, or check if the convoy had something.
"What's this nonsense about? You'll get your Eiferet no matter how I die now, are you gonna kill me or run off?"
"I'm not killing you, I'm making this so I can bring you up to the top of the mountain with me."
"Wait… what? Really?" the ghoul replied, her anger giving way to confusion.
"Look, if I could just leave you here to die, then I would. But you're literally the only living person I've seen so far, and I need to know what's going on. So I'll treat your injuries, and get you food and water until we get back to civilization. In return, you'll tell me anything I-"
Estamel was cut off by a faint noise off in the distance. It was a low dull whine. At first it was unclear, but when she realized what she was hearing her face lit up with joy.
"A plane! There's a plane coming by!"
"Ah, they must've seen the burning building out there." Sure enough, there was a trail of smoke rising out of the valley where the intersection was.
"Wait, if they're going by the intersection, they won't see me. I need to signal-"
"Don't." The witch sounded unusually forceful this time. "They're just dropping off a care package with what you need, you don't need to get there immediately. In fact, you're lucky you're here- you get to see the fireworks."
"Fireworks?"
"You betcha, they go all out with these. Get ready, siddim- it's time for your official welcome to Bei." Estamel could hear the sound coming from the southwest. In her excitement she tossed the frame aside and ran to the fence. The witch let out a soft, warm chuckle, the likes of which Esty didn't realize she was capable of.
The plane was a four-engine design with straight wings, propellers, and a fat fuselage. Sure enough, a very large object fell out from the plane, with a parachute slowing its fall. It descended downwards to the intersection.
This is it- the rescue I've been waiting for. After this thing lands, it'll be smooth sailing back home. The object glided slowly but steadily, until it was just a few feet above the road. There was a glimpse of something shining and unfolding- huh, does it open up automatically?
At that instant, a huge fireball erupted from the landing point, consuming all of the buildings and spreading across what must have been several acres of land before it stopped. A deafening roar hit the mountainside, and it's sole onlooker slowly backed away from the fence as the shadows cast by the retreating sun dissipated.
The heat of the explosion and the now-raging fire caused a mushroom cloud to swell up- not as big as a cloud from even a small nuclear bomb, but about what would be expected for a thermobaric bomb of that size. Driven by convection, the cloud ascended out of the valley and towards the sky, with Estamel's hopes of a rescue in tow.
Estamel was snapped out of her stupor by a fit of coughing from beside her. She turned around, and saw that any trace of anger, smugness or sadism was gone from her former opponent's expression. For the first time, the witch was looking at her with genuine regret in her eyes.
"Siddim… what's your name?"
"Estamel. Esty for short."
"I'm Melissa."
Melissa? Why did a monster have such a normal-sounding name?
"Look, I heard your offer. I'd be happy to tell you everything you want to know, but… right now I've got the feeling that I'm not going to be around by the time you get me to the summit. Could you sit me down at the side of the hill?"
The witch coughed a couple times once more as she was picked up and brought down at the rock face. Her breathing was raspy and uncertain. Internal bleeding, probably- I won't be able to do anything about that. The witch tried to brush her long yellow hair away from her face, but struggled with her still elongated claws until a normal hand parted it away for her.
"You got something to take notes with?"
"Yeah. Why?"
"There's something I need you to do for me. I'll tell you what to do, and then I'll tell you what you need to survive."
Estamel furiously yanked out the old piece of paper and her pen. She summoned a small metal panel to use as a pad. "Good to see. So… here's the deal. You need to deliver a message to a couple, William and Florence Vesber. They're in the city of Ap'oteozi- both important members of the Certified Education Group, so you can find them easily. But you need to bring proof."
"What sorta proof?"
"My purse, for starters. But even that might not be enough, so… in the purse there's a red magic bag that slows the decay of human organs by a factor of a hundred. Put my head in there when we're done and bring it."
"I'm not carrying a severed head around with me. What about something like a lock of your hair, or a claw? There's some way to test that and see if it's you, right?" Estamel was familiar with DNA testing, but she wasn't sure if the ghoul would have normal DNA.
Melissa sighed. "I guess that would work. But you'll be dragging a bramble-witch's toolkit around, and I know from experience that being found with one is a bad time. You can claim the owner was killed by a mortally wounded soldier and that you're taking it to confirm the kill- but that'll be much more convincing if you have a head than a bunch of hair. It's your choice"
Estamel shrugged. "I'll take my chances. What's the deal with these people?"
There was a couple-second pause. "I need for you to tell them that… the creature that took their daughter is dead, and I'm sorry for all that happened."
Estamel cocked her head. "Alright. I don't see why you think apologizing is-"
"I didn't ask for your judgment and I don't need it. Can you just listen to me and get your job done?"
Esty was taken aback. After taking a moment to think, she asked if there were any more instructions.
Melissa gave her a pained smile back. "That should be it. Listen carefully now. We don't have much time, so I'm going to tell you exactly what you need to survive for the immediate future. Only interrupt me if it's a question pertaining to that, okay?"
The warrior nodded. Finally, she was getting some sort of explanation.
"First off, welcome to Bei. This isn't the 'Earth' that siddim are always babbling about, and since nobody has ever found a way to get there, nobody knows if that place really exists."
Estamel felt a hollow feeling punch into her chest, and her lower lip started to quiver. "I know, it's hard to accept. But you need to let go of your old life or it'll just drag you down. Understood?" Brushing away a tear, she gave a nod.
"Good. So… siddim. Your kind appears in the wake of Semilin storms, gliding from the clouds in a magic bubble and waking up afterwards with no idea how they got there. While siddim have some slight abilities at the start, what makes them unique is that they can collect Eiferet- a form of life-giving energy- through overcoming challenges, allowing them to become far stronger. This doesn't always have to be through fatal violence, or even violence at all, but unfortunately for you that's what most people will assume.
"I never bothered to learn much about Eiferet development works, really. All I know is that the first couple steps are simple and automatic, but then you start to get flexibility in what you can improve on. I hear siddim instinctively know how to set up a ritual for that, but you should find help in planning anyways. All clear?"
Esty nodded. "The way you put it, it sounds like I'm some sort of superhero. Why are people trying to kill me?"
Once again, Melissa let out a warm chuckle, as if this was something so obvious nobody could possibly question it. "It's… complicated. You'll come to understand how this world works in time. What matters is that you give a wide berth to those who are an immediate threat. The Nokoria Peace and Order Initiative is what ordered that bomb strike there.
"I'm not going to lie, Estamel… even with my help, what comes next will be hard. You might be powerful later, but you're weak now, so a lot of people are going to try to capture or kill you while it's relatively easy. For the time being, you need to keep your abilities a secret, and look for people who might be useful. And for heaven's sake, do not go near any other siddim-"
"Hold up." Estamel interjected. "Before anything else, I need to know how to get back to civilization. Anything else can come later."
Melissa's glare softened as she realized she was right. "…sorry. So here's the deal- this whole region you're in is a disputed territory between two nations. Except for a seven-by-seven kilometer exclusion zone around this outpost. There's a winding river that'll go north, then south- I don't know the name of it or exactly where it heads, but there's plenty of roads and abandoned settlements to scavenge from there. You'll find inhabited villages before you know it- but don't think that you'll be out of the clear yet. Much of this place is lawless as hell, and people will initially be suspicious of you. Even the big cities you'll eventually get to will be dangerous."
"I can handle lawlessness and suspicion so long as I can actually find food and shelter."
"That's the spirit." The witch then ran through a long list of hazards and things to remember. About halfway through she had a nasty coughing fit, almost falling down, but Estamel held her in place. After several tense minutes, she asked if there was anything else that needed to be discussed.
Estamel had a thousand questions bubbling up in her mind, but she needed to stick to what she couldn't figure out later.
"What did you do with the soldiers' bodies?"
"I took their dog tags in my bag, threw their bodies in a brook- it's on the path I came from. They were armed but had no idea what they were doing. Now that I *cough* think- you need clothes. Camo uniforms will work, the surplus ones are already *cough* everywhere, but bring a change so you don't look like a deserter. Well, people will still wonder if you're a deserter but if you're not a recent one nobody will care."
Well, that's useful in a couple ways. "How much supplies are going to be in the base?"
"It had just received a dropoff, so it's going to be full- also there's the personal effects of a couple onsite staff who went down to help with the roadblock. I'd been lurking by for a while so I know there isn't anyone left. But be careful- you have to destroy trackers on anything you steal."
Melissa's breathing was worse than ever. One last question.
"How hard will it be to reach Ap'oteozi from here?"
She blinked and smiled, seeming pleasantly surprised that Estamel had chosen to ask about her mission. "I don't know. It'll either be dangerous or expensive, so… don't rush. Get stronger, earn money, then when you're…"
Melissa was cut off by a second coughing fit, this time so bad she fell forwards. Estamel felt the latent Eiferet tingling.
At this point, there was no reason she had to stay- she could let her opponent lie here while she got to work. But something just felt wrong about leaving the witch behind.
Taking a deep breath, Estamel picked up Melissa. She carried them to the center road, where she sat down with the witch's head and upper body held above the ground, facing into the valley. "Is there anything left you want to say?" she asked. Melissa glanced upwards, a single tear rolling down her cheek.
"T-Thanks for letting me see the sunset. Esty… I don't know where I'm going now, but if we meet again, I hope you can tell a better tale than I could." She looked back into the valley, her shoulders slumping in anticipation.
The two sat silent together, until no trace of a heartbeat from the girl could be found.
She wished she could've sat by the roadside watching the sun set while she pondered the ethics of violence and self-defense. She wished that she could've sat down in a comfortable apartment and surrounded herself with comfortable symbols. She wished she could've spoken with her friends, family, a therapist even- anything other than having her mind turning while she was so damn alone. But she had to put her own survival first, and there was business that needed to be done before sunset.
After a solemn diversion to the brook on the path, Estamel had grabbed all her things and kept on going. She checked the trucks- as she was told, there was a set of keys she could use. The insides of the trucks were filled with mostly mundane supplies- consumables, small arms, fuel- but there was a mostly disassembled machine and a couple bags of personal effects. She grabbed one and kept going.
The top of the mountain ridge was relatively flat and seemed to have been leveled at least slightly. There stood the base. It resembled an old historic fort, with a tall tower jutting out from the top. As soon as she found a door and the right key to unlock it, Estamel dropped off her bags- and quickly navigated to the tower.
When she reached the top, she took a few seconds to examine her surroundings. The top of the tower wasn't empty like she had thought- there was a desk and computer console resembling the lovechild of an office cubicle and a fighter jet cockpit. More useful was a large section of empty desk and a set of binoculars. She hastily unfurled the map she had collected earlier and put down the compass with it. Time to see if Melissa was really telling the truth.
To her west, the mountain range grew far taller. This matched with what she had been told, and what the brown lines on the map seemed to indicate. And to her east…
There was something out in the distance, in what looked like a lull in the rough terrain.It was made difficult to see by the ridges and the horizon. Estamel grabbed the binoculars, and she was able to make out the telltale sign of the fading sunlight shimmering on water. She returned back to her map, and found it clearly outlined and named: Chambello River. Looking closely at the surrounding peaks, she was able to pinpoint her own location as well.
Overcome by the realization, she nearly toppled over but grabbed onto the table. As she stood up and walked down the stairs, she felt like she was carrying a cement mixer on her shoulders.
"I've had enough of this nonsense for today."
Still cautious, she scoped out her refuge carefully, the experience with the dog-bot fresh on her mind. The outpost wasn't very big fortunately- it only had a single building and a large solar array adjacent to its garage, which appeared to be keeping the power and water functioning. While there were no people here, there were small, simplistic machines idling throughout the building.
Curious, Estamel walked up to a wheeled small bot that had a dustpan-like structure on the front, and pulled out a packet of beef jerky. She meant to pull out a single piece and drop it on the floor, but when the scent hit her nose she found herself scarfing down the entire package and dropping the bag on the floor. The robot diligently moved to her side, picked up the bag with a pair of retractable claws, and placed it into a compartment. "Good boy," she said, patting the top of the machine like a dog. "Wonder where the food is- I probably haven't ate for 24 hours by now."
The robot let out a beeping sound. "The kitchen is in room 15 four door two your left. Additional food is in the basement."
"Wait- you can talk?!"
"We are capable of giving instructions on basic outpost functions to newcomers. Be advised- damage to the base comm systems means we can only give information stored on the base servers. Additionally, we are not equipped to distinguish between authorized and unauthorized occupants- please disable the system if there is a security breach."
"That's not necessary. I'll make myself at home- thanks for the help."
As she had somewhat expected, the food was mostly frozen or MREs- nothing fancy, but it was exactly what she needed. There was one thing that stood out, though- while digging around the back of the fridge, she uncovered a cache of vodka. "Now THAT's something I've been looking for." Before long, she had put together a plate of rice, noodles, and snow peas, while mixing the first couple shots of vodka with soda to make it less rough on the taste.
Setting the plate down on a mess hall table, she started eating. It tasted good-great, even- but the rice felt like it could use some more flavor. Then came an idea. She went back to the kitchen, grabbed a stick of fresh butter, and mixed a sliver into the rice. A bite confirmed that the taste had been much improved. It really does help a lot when you put a little bit of butter in.
Just the way my mom always used to.
Scattered visions started to dance in Estamel's mind- a family playing on a beautiful lakeside shore, running through fields with a pet dog by her side, a dinner at a table surrounded with familiar faces. She quickly drank down both the shots of vodka, hoping to keep these thoughts at bay, but as the alcohol set in she felt them grow overpowering. Only about two-thirds of the way through her meal, she picked up her plate and threw it onto the floor. Sobbing, she made her way to the barrack section, hoping that her old memories wouldn't follow her.
"Well…" she spoke, not sure what to say after.
Her jeans and shirt had been tossed on the floor, where the robot had apparently decided not to move them. Rather than put them back on, she opened up the largest cabinet in the room and found rows of digital camo uniforms. After finding one that fit her, she went on her way to the restrooms, trying to keep her mind off last night.
She noticed there seemed to be lots of cables and rooms with computer screens around. One of them had a bot cleaning it. "Good morning. Can you tell me what that screen is for? I'm a bit new around here."
"This is a control panel. It can be used to access and control whatever part of the base is necessary, and is typically used to run diagnostics on the seismic monitoring system. Currently, data cannot be sent to the base due to the damage to the communication system. "
In other words, I can't stay at this base for long. Even if the hunters don't think I broke in here, they'll want to bring this back online very soon. I need to get on the move as soon as possible.
After a stint at the thankfully-well-cleaned washroom, Estamel navigated to the garage, where there were a couple of vehicles to choose from. Two large armored cars looked tempting, but she knew it was probably going to be a fuel hog and she'd be hard-pressed to find fuel. A couple ATVs were also there- small, but with no space for supplies. Her eyes came to rest on a lightly built 4X4 rover, with a semi-open frame and a bluish tarp rolled up in the back seats. Upon closer examination, she realized that the 'tarp' was some sort of foldable solar array. She noticed there was a set of papers on the wall with work orders, and one particular note had been pinned:
Solar rovers #2 and #3 have been designated as decommissioned. While the machines are fully functional, they lack troop capacity or weaponry to conduct armed reconnaissance. Dismantlement has been listed as completed in order to expedite the delivery of replacement vehicles- please finish working on the remaining machines ASAP.
A devious grin spread across Estamel's face. She ripped away the note and tossed it in the nearest trash can. "Officially, we were never here," she chuckled as she eyed the machine. "Now how about we get packed?"
After a quick snack, she started gathering equipment and consumables, scavenging from the barracks and depots of the outpost. While she had several bags, she put the absolute essentials-medicine and hygiene, Melissa's instructions and hair, a bit of food and some survival gear. Other bags had more general supplies. She brought enough MREs for a month- hopefully she wouldn't need most of them. She took a number of uniforms- they felt surprisingly comfortable, and looked like they would blend in well if she needed to hide. Some even had holes for tails already sewn in, even if it wouldn't be hard for her to add them. Plus, that camo pattern looks pretty cool. A female staff member had left behind undergarments and a couple nylon shirts.
After doing a couple more checks for stuff she needed, she went to a room listed as "security center", which had a large number of screens showing security cam footage. Unfortunately, when she tried to turn on a computer she was met with a password prompt. She decided to consult the cleaner-bot again.
"Hey- is the security cam footage in this base recorded?"
"Security cameras in this outpost do not have a supported auto-record function. Activity in the surrounding area is very low, recording is not considered necessary"
Satisfied that she wasn't being monitored, she swiped a handful of flashdrives and documents from the control room. Maybe these will be worth something out there. With her vehicle fully prepared, she opened up the garage door. The sun had yet to rise, but the first shades of dark blue were subtly creeping into the sky. She shivered for a second, feeling nervous, but steeled herself and marched forward. She made her way to the perimeter gate and opened it with her key once again.
I guess it's time.
Back in the hanger, she found a screen that would shut the gates on a timer and set it to 15 minutes.
Estamel started up the rover, looking over its controls. None of the warning lights were active, and a battery meter displayed its charge as 97%- very good. She cautiously backed out of the garage, turned around, and pulled out into the road, heading east. She waved goodbye to a cleaner machine, despite having figured out that none of the robots had real eyes.
The rover wasn't like any car or truck she had used before. Its engine emitted little more than a soft mechanical hum but accelerated faster than a normal car. The controls were impressive, with the vehicle easily able to follow the curvature of the road. Let's take it easy for now- the terrain here is gonna be rough, and I absolutely can't risk an accident. The east slope of the mountain was a lot shallower, and correspondingly the road was far less windy than the virtual staircase she had scaled last afternoon. She increased the speed a little
As she cruised down the slope, the wind blowing in her face, she turned and saw the east sky turning pink as the sun neared the horizon. An unexpected feeling of joy washed over her. "Civilization, here I come!" she exclaimed. She might still be far away from home, but she had a way to get to safety now, and for the first time she felt like she was having fun.
The valley on this side of the mountain had been a bit more developed. Neighborhoods, stores, businesses and other staples of human presence were clustered throughout the road network with not a soul to be seen within them. While she was tempted to dismount and look around, the witch's comments about a seven-by-seven exclusion zone laid in the back of her mind. Besides, she had just started going.
Minutes extended into hours, and before she knew it she was at the Chambello river. It wasn't all that big- she could probably swim across it, although that was obviously a horrible idea- but it was somewhat wider than it had appeared from a distance. There were roads on both sides extending as far as she could see- which admittedly wasn't that far with the rough terrain.
Estamel was relieved to see this, but she had noticed a new issue to deal with.
The battery percentage on the rover had been slowly going down, the display reading 80%. While she had hoped the rover would be able to keep moving indefinitely, it appeared the power collected by the roof panel while moving was not enough to keep moving forever.
And it's solar, so… can't recharge at night.
She did have an extra set of panels- they would need to be placed on the ground, but they would make recharging faster when stopped. And she would probably be making stops from time to time to eat and search for supplies, so… it wouldn't be that much of a big deal. Right?
As soon as Esty brought the rover to a halt to see what the manuals had to say, she felt a tinge of nervousness. There was nothing she could see or here that seemed out of the ordinary, but something about this situation felt… off.
Nokoria Peace and Order Initiative.
Melissa didn't say much about them. Supposedly they only have authority to attack me in the area around the base, and they won't follow me further, but… why did I have to make sure there's no trackers?
The more she thought about it, the more nervous she became. Her impromptu instructor had seemed honest… but had also been struggling to stay alive, and probably didn't know perfectly what threats she was facing anyways.
I'll make a long stop later. In the meantime… I just don't want to be anywhere near that lookout.
With her rover once again moving at full speed, she carried onwards, blissfully unaware of the massive threat she had unwittingly been carrying since she first departed.
Author's comments
Well... it's been a while, hasn't it?
I've been quite busy since I posted the first chapter- school and all that- but after a long while, I was able to finally finish up the second. I can't promise that I'll have the next update out soon, but I'm going to be working on it.
The ghoul was lying on her back a whole two road-steps down, her huge claws still extended. Besides her was the bag she had been taking her tools from. She wasn't getting up, but Esty noticed what looked like her chest rising and falling and her eyes blinking. The wound from the sabre was long, but seemed to have barely gone below the skin. Still alive. She climbed over the fence and hopped down the rock face. The gap for the next step wasn't completely carved into the mountain- a bit of highly sloped earth remained- so instead she rappelled down with a set of ribbons rather than just jumping. As she went downwards, she noticed she was having the same feeling of energy that she did just after smashing the bot- but it was different, more subdued.
The ghoul turned her head to face her as she touched the ground. "Well… look who couldn't stay away" she jeered. She was trying to sound confident, but the fear in her eyes as her opponent stepped closer was impossible to hide.
"Why are you lying there?"
"I can't feel or move anything below my shoulders, I think I'm paralyzed. One of my arms must be dislocated, and my fingers… god, that ribbon bullshit must be the most barbaric siddim spell in existence."
"Interesting story."
Without hesitation, Estamel gave the ghoul a kick between the legs. The ghoul stared up at her with a look of genuine amusement. "I told you, I can't feel or move- Ow!" she cried out- her commentary interrupted by a foot pressing down on one of her fingers.
"Sorry about that, I needed to make sure you weren't faking."
"Of course you did. So, for what reason has our pure soul come down here? Surely, you wouldn't be planning to murder a helpless foe, right?"
Her opponent's - the bramble-witch's- tone had changed slightly. But Esty was barely listening, focused entirely on a new challenge. She hadn't been able to generate radios or flareguns earlier- but what about simple machines? After a couple seconds, she was able to form a rectangular frame with small wheels, wide enough for a person to fit in. Yes! She lifted up the frame and stood it up at the witch's feet. She wondered if she should try putting ribbons on the gash, cut off a piece of her own ruined shirt, or check if the convoy had something.
"What's this nonsense about? You'll get your Eiferet no matter how I die now, are you gonna kill me or run off?"
"I'm not killing you, I'm making this so I can bring you up to the top of the mountain with me."
"Wait… what? Really?" the ghoul replied, her anger giving way to confusion.
"Look, if I could just leave you here to die, then I would. But you're literally the only living person I've seen so far, and I need to know what's going on. So I'll treat your injuries, and get you food and water until we get back to civilization. In return, you'll tell me anything I-"
Estamel was cut off by a faint noise off in the distance. It was a low dull whine. At first it was unclear, but when she realized what she was hearing her face lit up with joy.
"A plane! There's a plane coming by!"
"Ah, they must've seen the burning building out there." Sure enough, there was a trail of smoke rising out of the valley where the intersection was.
"Wait, if they're going by the intersection, they won't see me. I need to signal-"
"Don't." The witch sounded unusually forceful this time. "They're just dropping off a care package with what you need, you don't need to get there immediately. In fact, you're lucky you're here- you get to see the fireworks."
"Fireworks?"
"You betcha, they go all out with these. Get ready, siddim- it's time for your official welcome to Bei." Estamel could hear the sound coming from the southwest. In her excitement she tossed the frame aside and ran to the fence. The witch let out a soft, warm chuckle, the likes of which Esty didn't realize she was capable of.
The plane was a four-engine design with straight wings, propellers, and a fat fuselage. Sure enough, a very large object fell out from the plane, with a parachute slowing its fall. It descended downwards to the intersection.
This is it- the rescue I've been waiting for. After this thing lands, it'll be smooth sailing back home. The object glided slowly but steadily, until it was just a few feet above the road. There was a glimpse of something shining and unfolding- huh, does it open up automatically?
At that instant, a huge fireball erupted from the landing point, consuming all of the buildings and spreading across what must have been several acres of land before it stopped. A deafening roar hit the mountainside, and it's sole onlooker slowly backed away from the fence as the shadows cast by the retreating sun dissipated.
The heat of the explosion and the now-raging fire caused a mushroom cloud to swell up- not as big as a cloud from even a small nuclear bomb, but about what would be expected for a thermobaric bomb of that size. Driven by convection, the cloud ascended out of the valley and towards the sky, with Estamel's hopes of a rescue in tow.
***
Estamel was snapped out of her stupor by a fit of coughing from beside her. She turned around, and saw that any trace of anger, smugness or sadism was gone from her former opponent's expression. For the first time, the witch was looking at her with genuine regret in her eyes.
"Siddim… what's your name?"
"Estamel. Esty for short."
"I'm Melissa."
Melissa? Why did a monster have such a normal-sounding name?
"Look, I heard your offer. I'd be happy to tell you everything you want to know, but… right now I've got the feeling that I'm not going to be around by the time you get me to the summit. Could you sit me down at the side of the hill?"
The witch coughed a couple times once more as she was picked up and brought down at the rock face. Her breathing was raspy and uncertain. Internal bleeding, probably- I won't be able to do anything about that. The witch tried to brush her long yellow hair away from her face, but struggled with her still elongated claws until a normal hand parted it away for her.
"You got something to take notes with?"
"Yeah. Why?"
"There's something I need you to do for me. I'll tell you what to do, and then I'll tell you what you need to survive."
Estamel furiously yanked out the old piece of paper and her pen. She summoned a small metal panel to use as a pad. "Good to see. So… here's the deal. You need to deliver a message to a couple, William and Florence Vesber. They're in the city of Ap'oteozi- both important members of the Certified Education Group, so you can find them easily. But you need to bring proof."
"What sorta proof?"
"My purse, for starters. But even that might not be enough, so… in the purse there's a red magic bag that slows the decay of human organs by a factor of a hundred. Put my head in there when we're done and bring it."
"I'm not carrying a severed head around with me. What about something like a lock of your hair, or a claw? There's some way to test that and see if it's you, right?" Estamel was familiar with DNA testing, but she wasn't sure if the ghoul would have normal DNA.
Melissa sighed. "I guess that would work. But you'll be dragging a bramble-witch's toolkit around, and I know from experience that being found with one is a bad time. You can claim the owner was killed by a mortally wounded soldier and that you're taking it to confirm the kill- but that'll be much more convincing if you have a head than a bunch of hair. It's your choice"
Estamel shrugged. "I'll take my chances. What's the deal with these people?"
There was a couple-second pause. "I need for you to tell them that… the creature that took their daughter is dead, and I'm sorry for all that happened."
Estamel cocked her head. "Alright. I don't see why you think apologizing is-"
"I didn't ask for your judgment and I don't need it. Can you just listen to me and get your job done?"
Esty was taken aback. After taking a moment to think, she asked if there were any more instructions.
Melissa gave her a pained smile back. "That should be it. Listen carefully now. We don't have much time, so I'm going to tell you exactly what you need to survive for the immediate future. Only interrupt me if it's a question pertaining to that, okay?"
The warrior nodded. Finally, she was getting some sort of explanation.
"First off, welcome to Bei. This isn't the 'Earth' that siddim are always babbling about, and since nobody has ever found a way to get there, nobody knows if that place really exists."
Estamel felt a hollow feeling punch into her chest, and her lower lip started to quiver. "I know, it's hard to accept. But you need to let go of your old life or it'll just drag you down. Understood?" Brushing away a tear, she gave a nod.
"Good. So… siddim. Your kind appears in the wake of Semilin storms, gliding from the clouds in a magic bubble and waking up afterwards with no idea how they got there. While siddim have some slight abilities at the start, what makes them unique is that they can collect Eiferet- a form of life-giving energy- through overcoming challenges, allowing them to become far stronger. This doesn't always have to be through fatal violence, or even violence at all, but unfortunately for you that's what most people will assume.
"I never bothered to learn much about Eiferet development works, really. All I know is that the first couple steps are simple and automatic, but then you start to get flexibility in what you can improve on. I hear siddim instinctively know how to set up a ritual for that, but you should find help in planning anyways. All clear?"
Esty nodded. "The way you put it, it sounds like I'm some sort of superhero. Why are people trying to kill me?"
Once again, Melissa let out a warm chuckle, as if this was something so obvious nobody could possibly question it. "It's… complicated. You'll come to understand how this world works in time. What matters is that you give a wide berth to those who are an immediate threat. The Nokoria Peace and Order Initiative is what ordered that bomb strike there.
"I'm not going to lie, Estamel… even with my help, what comes next will be hard. You might be powerful later, but you're weak now, so a lot of people are going to try to capture or kill you while it's relatively easy. For the time being, you need to keep your abilities a secret, and look for people who might be useful. And for heaven's sake, do not go near any other siddim-"
"Hold up." Estamel interjected. "Before anything else, I need to know how to get back to civilization. Anything else can come later."
Melissa's glare softened as she realized she was right. "…sorry. So here's the deal- this whole region you're in is a disputed territory between two nations. Except for a seven-by-seven kilometer exclusion zone around this outpost. There's a winding river that'll go north, then south- I don't know the name of it or exactly where it heads, but there's plenty of roads and abandoned settlements to scavenge from there. You'll find inhabited villages before you know it- but don't think that you'll be out of the clear yet. Much of this place is lawless as hell, and people will initially be suspicious of you. Even the big cities you'll eventually get to will be dangerous."
"I can handle lawlessness and suspicion so long as I can actually find food and shelter."
"That's the spirit." The witch then ran through a long list of hazards and things to remember. About halfway through she had a nasty coughing fit, almost falling down, but Estamel held her in place. After several tense minutes, she asked if there was anything else that needed to be discussed.
Estamel had a thousand questions bubbling up in her mind, but she needed to stick to what she couldn't figure out later.
"What did you do with the soldiers' bodies?"
"I took their dog tags in my bag, threw their bodies in a brook- it's on the path I came from. They were armed but had no idea what they were doing. Now that I *cough* think- you need clothes. Camo uniforms will work, the surplus ones are already *cough* everywhere, but bring a change so you don't look like a deserter. Well, people will still wonder if you're a deserter but if you're not a recent one nobody will care."
Well, that's useful in a couple ways. "How much supplies are going to be in the base?"
"It had just received a dropoff, so it's going to be full- also there's the personal effects of a couple onsite staff who went down to help with the roadblock. I'd been lurking by for a while so I know there isn't anyone left. But be careful- you have to destroy trackers on anything you steal."
Melissa's breathing was worse than ever. One last question.
"How hard will it be to reach Ap'oteozi from here?"
She blinked and smiled, seeming pleasantly surprised that Estamel had chosen to ask about her mission. "I don't know. It'll either be dangerous or expensive, so… don't rush. Get stronger, earn money, then when you're…"
Melissa was cut off by a second coughing fit, this time so bad she fell forwards. Estamel felt the latent Eiferet tingling.
At this point, there was no reason she had to stay- she could let her opponent lie here while she got to work. But something just felt wrong about leaving the witch behind.
Taking a deep breath, Estamel picked up Melissa. She carried them to the center road, where she sat down with the witch's head and upper body held above the ground, facing into the valley. "Is there anything left you want to say?" she asked. Melissa glanced upwards, a single tear rolling down her cheek.
"T-Thanks for letting me see the sunset. Esty… I don't know where I'm going now, but if we meet again, I hope you can tell a better tale than I could." She looked back into the valley, her shoulders slumping in anticipation.
The two sat silent together, until no trace of a heartbeat from the girl could be found.
***
After a quick gesture to wipe her face clean, Estamel started up the stairwell to the observation tower.She wished she could've sat by the roadside watching the sun set while she pondered the ethics of violence and self-defense. She wished that she could've sat down in a comfortable apartment and surrounded herself with comfortable symbols. She wished she could've spoken with her friends, family, a therapist even- anything other than having her mind turning while she was so damn alone. But she had to put her own survival first, and there was business that needed to be done before sunset.
After a solemn diversion to the brook on the path, Estamel had grabbed all her things and kept on going. She checked the trucks- as she was told, there was a set of keys she could use. The insides of the trucks were filled with mostly mundane supplies- consumables, small arms, fuel- but there was a mostly disassembled machine and a couple bags of personal effects. She grabbed one and kept going.
The top of the mountain ridge was relatively flat and seemed to have been leveled at least slightly. There stood the base. It resembled an old historic fort, with a tall tower jutting out from the top. As soon as she found a door and the right key to unlock it, Estamel dropped off her bags- and quickly navigated to the tower.
When she reached the top, she took a few seconds to examine her surroundings. The top of the tower wasn't empty like she had thought- there was a desk and computer console resembling the lovechild of an office cubicle and a fighter jet cockpit. More useful was a large section of empty desk and a set of binoculars. She hastily unfurled the map she had collected earlier and put down the compass with it. Time to see if Melissa was really telling the truth.
To her west, the mountain range grew far taller. This matched with what she had been told, and what the brown lines on the map seemed to indicate. And to her east…
There was something out in the distance, in what looked like a lull in the rough terrain.It was made difficult to see by the ridges and the horizon. Estamel grabbed the binoculars, and she was able to make out the telltale sign of the fading sunlight shimmering on water. She returned back to her map, and found it clearly outlined and named: Chambello River. Looking closely at the surrounding peaks, she was able to pinpoint her own location as well.
Overcome by the realization, she nearly toppled over but grabbed onto the table. As she stood up and walked down the stairs, she felt like she was carrying a cement mixer on her shoulders.
"I've had enough of this nonsense for today."
Still cautious, she scoped out her refuge carefully, the experience with the dog-bot fresh on her mind. The outpost wasn't very big fortunately- it only had a single building and a large solar array adjacent to its garage, which appeared to be keeping the power and water functioning. While there were no people here, there were small, simplistic machines idling throughout the building.
Curious, Estamel walked up to a wheeled small bot that had a dustpan-like structure on the front, and pulled out a packet of beef jerky. She meant to pull out a single piece and drop it on the floor, but when the scent hit her nose she found herself scarfing down the entire package and dropping the bag on the floor. The robot diligently moved to her side, picked up the bag with a pair of retractable claws, and placed it into a compartment. "Good boy," she said, patting the top of the machine like a dog. "Wonder where the food is- I probably haven't ate for 24 hours by now."
The robot let out a beeping sound. "The kitchen is in room 15 four door two your left. Additional food is in the basement."
"Wait- you can talk?!"
"We are capable of giving instructions on basic outpost functions to newcomers. Be advised- damage to the base comm systems means we can only give information stored on the base servers. Additionally, we are not equipped to distinguish between authorized and unauthorized occupants- please disable the system if there is a security breach."
"That's not necessary. I'll make myself at home- thanks for the help."
As she had somewhat expected, the food was mostly frozen or MREs- nothing fancy, but it was exactly what she needed. There was one thing that stood out, though- while digging around the back of the fridge, she uncovered a cache of vodka. "Now THAT's something I've been looking for." Before long, she had put together a plate of rice, noodles, and snow peas, while mixing the first couple shots of vodka with soda to make it less rough on the taste.
Setting the plate down on a mess hall table, she started eating. It tasted good-great, even- but the rice felt like it could use some more flavor. Then came an idea. She went back to the kitchen, grabbed a stick of fresh butter, and mixed a sliver into the rice. A bite confirmed that the taste had been much improved. It really does help a lot when you put a little bit of butter in.
Just the way my mom always used to.
Scattered visions started to dance in Estamel's mind- a family playing on a beautiful lakeside shore, running through fields with a pet dog by her side, a dinner at a table surrounded with familiar faces. She quickly drank down both the shots of vodka, hoping to keep these thoughts at bay, but as the alcohol set in she felt them grow overpowering. Only about two-thirds of the way through her meal, she picked up her plate and threw it onto the floor. Sobbing, she made her way to the barrack section, hoping that her old memories wouldn't follow her.
***
The lonely explorer awoke to the buzzing of an alarm clock. For a second, she considered throwing the appliance against the wall, but for once she didn't feel frustrated to be up. The clock read 7:30, and a glance out to a window showed that light was only starting to show outside."Well…" she spoke, not sure what to say after.
Her jeans and shirt had been tossed on the floor, where the robot had apparently decided not to move them. Rather than put them back on, she opened up the largest cabinet in the room and found rows of digital camo uniforms. After finding one that fit her, she went on her way to the restrooms, trying to keep her mind off last night.
She noticed there seemed to be lots of cables and rooms with computer screens around. One of them had a bot cleaning it. "Good morning. Can you tell me what that screen is for? I'm a bit new around here."
"This is a control panel. It can be used to access and control whatever part of the base is necessary, and is typically used to run diagnostics on the seismic monitoring system. Currently, data cannot be sent to the base due to the damage to the communication system. "
In other words, I can't stay at this base for long. Even if the hunters don't think I broke in here, they'll want to bring this back online very soon. I need to get on the move as soon as possible.
After a stint at the thankfully-well-cleaned washroom, Estamel navigated to the garage, where there were a couple of vehicles to choose from. Two large armored cars looked tempting, but she knew it was probably going to be a fuel hog and she'd be hard-pressed to find fuel. A couple ATVs were also there- small, but with no space for supplies. Her eyes came to rest on a lightly built 4X4 rover, with a semi-open frame and a bluish tarp rolled up in the back seats. Upon closer examination, she realized that the 'tarp' was some sort of foldable solar array. She noticed there was a set of papers on the wall with work orders, and one particular note had been pinned:
Solar rovers #2 and #3 have been designated as decommissioned. While the machines are fully functional, they lack troop capacity or weaponry to conduct armed reconnaissance. Dismantlement has been listed as completed in order to expedite the delivery of replacement vehicles- please finish working on the remaining machines ASAP.
A devious grin spread across Estamel's face. She ripped away the note and tossed it in the nearest trash can. "Officially, we were never here," she chuckled as she eyed the machine. "Now how about we get packed?"
After a quick snack, she started gathering equipment and consumables, scavenging from the barracks and depots of the outpost. While she had several bags, she put the absolute essentials-medicine and hygiene, Melissa's instructions and hair, a bit of food and some survival gear. Other bags had more general supplies. She brought enough MREs for a month- hopefully she wouldn't need most of them. She took a number of uniforms- they felt surprisingly comfortable, and looked like they would blend in well if she needed to hide. Some even had holes for tails already sewn in, even if it wouldn't be hard for her to add them. Plus, that camo pattern looks pretty cool. A female staff member had left behind undergarments and a couple nylon shirts.
After doing a couple more checks for stuff she needed, she went to a room listed as "security center", which had a large number of screens showing security cam footage. Unfortunately, when she tried to turn on a computer she was met with a password prompt. She decided to consult the cleaner-bot again.
"Hey- is the security cam footage in this base recorded?"
"Security cameras in this outpost do not have a supported auto-record function. Activity in the surrounding area is very low, recording is not considered necessary"
Satisfied that she wasn't being monitored, she swiped a handful of flashdrives and documents from the control room. Maybe these will be worth something out there. With her vehicle fully prepared, she opened up the garage door. The sun had yet to rise, but the first shades of dark blue were subtly creeping into the sky. She shivered for a second, feeling nervous, but steeled herself and marched forward. She made her way to the perimeter gate and opened it with her key once again.
I guess it's time.
Back in the hanger, she found a screen that would shut the gates on a timer and set it to 15 minutes.
Estamel started up the rover, looking over its controls. None of the warning lights were active, and a battery meter displayed its charge as 97%- very good. She cautiously backed out of the garage, turned around, and pulled out into the road, heading east. She waved goodbye to a cleaner machine, despite having figured out that none of the robots had real eyes.
The rover wasn't like any car or truck she had used before. Its engine emitted little more than a soft mechanical hum but accelerated faster than a normal car. The controls were impressive, with the vehicle easily able to follow the curvature of the road. Let's take it easy for now- the terrain here is gonna be rough, and I absolutely can't risk an accident. The east slope of the mountain was a lot shallower, and correspondingly the road was far less windy than the virtual staircase she had scaled last afternoon. She increased the speed a little
As she cruised down the slope, the wind blowing in her face, she turned and saw the east sky turning pink as the sun neared the horizon. An unexpected feeling of joy washed over her. "Civilization, here I come!" she exclaimed. She might still be far away from home, but she had a way to get to safety now, and for the first time she felt like she was having fun.
***
While the initial joy of driving subsided soon, Estamel kept on moving forward.The valley on this side of the mountain had been a bit more developed. Neighborhoods, stores, businesses and other staples of human presence were clustered throughout the road network with not a soul to be seen within them. While she was tempted to dismount and look around, the witch's comments about a seven-by-seven exclusion zone laid in the back of her mind. Besides, she had just started going.
Minutes extended into hours, and before she knew it she was at the Chambello river. It wasn't all that big- she could probably swim across it, although that was obviously a horrible idea- but it was somewhat wider than it had appeared from a distance. There were roads on both sides extending as far as she could see- which admittedly wasn't that far with the rough terrain.
Estamel was relieved to see this, but she had noticed a new issue to deal with.
The battery percentage on the rover had been slowly going down, the display reading 80%. While she had hoped the rover would be able to keep moving indefinitely, it appeared the power collected by the roof panel while moving was not enough to keep moving forever.
And it's solar, so… can't recharge at night.
She did have an extra set of panels- they would need to be placed on the ground, but they would make recharging faster when stopped. And she would probably be making stops from time to time to eat and search for supplies, so… it wouldn't be that much of a big deal. Right?
As soon as Esty brought the rover to a halt to see what the manuals had to say, she felt a tinge of nervousness. There was nothing she could see or here that seemed out of the ordinary, but something about this situation felt… off.
Nokoria Peace and Order Initiative.
Melissa didn't say much about them. Supposedly they only have authority to attack me in the area around the base, and they won't follow me further, but… why did I have to make sure there's no trackers?
The more she thought about it, the more nervous she became. Her impromptu instructor had seemed honest… but had also been struggling to stay alive, and probably didn't know perfectly what threats she was facing anyways.
I'll make a long stop later. In the meantime… I just don't want to be anywhere near that lookout.
With her rover once again moving at full speed, she carried onwards, blissfully unaware of the massive threat she had unwittingly been carrying since she first departed.
Author's comments
Well... it's been a while, hasn't it?
I've been quite busy since I posted the first chapter- school and all that- but after a long while, I was able to finally finish up the second. I can't promise that I'll have the next update out soon, but I'm going to be working on it.
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Newcomer 3
- Location
- North Carolina
The car on the side of the road had seen far better days. Its previous owners must've been in a hurry to dismount, seeing as the doors had been left open, with fallen leaves and pine needles starting to accumulate inside. It wasn't in any immediate danger- the highway was quite far from the riverbank at this location, so flooding wouldn't touch it- but it was still a bizarre place to leave a car. A search confirmed there was nothing to be found inside. The only good thing was that the presence of this vehicle indicated there just might be a settlement nearby.
"Well well," Estamel muttered to herself as she got back into the land rover, "look where your own paranoia got you."
While she had initially planned to make a long stop to recharge her rover, she later decided against it, instead opting for a short break to have a snack before she got back moving again. She knew her rover wasn't going to charge itself, but the mystery of whatever means the "NPOI" had for finding people who had stolen from the base loomed heavy in her mind. In retrospect, this was absurd. The trackers she was warned about could've just been something that a buyer would check for and report if she sold the vehicle, and with how little she knew about the NPOI, there was no reason to presume they had such a large reach.
Especially when the issue of her rover's battery was already at hand.
The battery monitor was now dipping into the low forties. This was problematic enough, but the sun was starting to sit low in the sky. At this rate, she probably wouldn't be able to fully recharge her battery before night fell, meaning she would have to wait in the following morning. And she hadn't seen any hamlets or other places to stop for hours. As she picked up speed once again, her eyes scanned the horizon for any buildings.
I wish I knew how much farther I have to go before I reach civilization. I can't be that far away- the convoy that was trying to reach the lookout got there with trucks, so it has to be within a couple day's drive.
The light glinting off a sign in the distance snapped Estamel out of her contemplation. As she drove past, she could make the writing on the billboard:
WELCOME TO BREAKWATER LANDING
Is that… the name of a town?
After passing the billboard, an interchange with a road on the side of the river became visible. Additionally, Estamel noticed a communications tower, also on the right. Upon taking the interchange, she was greeted by what looked like an abandoned village. Along the gently but steadily sloping road to the bank, there was an assortment of stores, service buildings, and other commercial structures.
"Well… at least it's somewhere to rest my head for the night."
Curiously, the lone pathfinder drove through the town, curious as to what she had found.
The main street had several roads branching off to the sides, giving rise to a small neighborhood. A few houses sat adjacent to large plots of farmland, and one road led to a collection of large concrete buildings- maybe utilities, maybe industrial facilities. What stood out to Estamel was the signs of conflict. Craters were scattered all over the town, and almost one in every five buildings had suffered damage. Windows on houses were boarded shut, and a few shops looked like they had been looted. I'm going to need to be extra careful about the dog-bots here- this looks like the perfect place for them. However… there are a few things I'd like to try.
After finding a back parking lot with no shade, she dismounted and set up the charging system, bracing the solar tarp at an angle to capture the sunlight better. Then, she sat down to focus.
Alright. I was able to create a small frame with wheels earlier, so I can create multiple connected objects. This is going to be a lot more complicated, and part of it isn't going to be connected at all, but…
The white smoke gathered around Esty's hands, and she held them both out with her palms facing up, as if she was carrying something. After a couple nerve-wracking seconds, the smoke took a distinct shape and vanished. In its place was a medium-sized compound crossbow. Unlike her sword, this tool wasn't completely black, with a few components instead being dark green. Bracing for disappointment, she held her left hand out and tried to summon a bolt. To her surprise, it actually worked, with a white-colored projectile appearing in her hand. I guess it's time for the true test.
Estamel sat up and loaded the bolt into the bow, the force needed to draw it noticeable but not overwhelming. She aimed it at a window on a heavily damaged shop and pulled the trigger. The bolt smashed through the window in a single blow, punching deep enough into the drywall behind that only the tail was visible.
"Now that's what I was looking for."
Grinning, she dismissed the bolt and summoned a new one to fit into the crossbow. With her new weapon ready, she started searching the town for resources, making loud noises as she went to draw out any dog-bots.
At a glance, most shops didn't have much to offer, with anything valuable having been taken away or looted. The most common thing she could find was small bits of change misplaced or squirreled away, which almost felt like a mocking reminder of her isolation. Neighboring houses weren't any different. The most intact store she found on the main street was a fishing shop, filled with a great variety of rods, bait, tackle, line, and other implements. She already had a month's supply of rations, so the store wasn't really useful after all, but the sudden twinge of nostalgia she felt gazing upon the equipment compelled her to bring a selection of material back to her rover.
Estamel was considering calling it a day and making dinner when a certain building on a sideroad caught her eye. As she drew closer, she saw the structure had a two-storied middle structure, with one-storied garages on both sides. Solar panels sat on the very top, and above the front entrance there were two signs, the lower one seemingly tacked onto the one before it:
While she couldn't care less about the rating of the business- besides the implication that this desolate expanse apparently had enough repair shops for a ranking to be of any value- the rest of the sentence piqued her interest. If they have parts for electric vehicles here… maybe I could get an extra battery and a set of panels, so I can deal with the rover's endurance issue? At the very least they're got to have spare parts.
However, she couldn't help but feel a little suspicious that such a useful place didn't show any signs of looting. The garage doors were locked, but an emergency exit to the right warehouse had been left ever-so-slightly ajar. A chill went down her spine when she realized where she had seen this before. Slowly, she opened the door, revealing a large open workspace, with high windows providing some visibility. Then she took a stone and threw it at a toolboard, setting off a perfectly noisy shower of hand tools onto the ground.
Just like in the convenience store, a dog-bot left out from inside one of the vehicles, landing in the center of the room. Having anticipated this, she brought forward her crossbow, lining up the bead on the center of mass- but when she was just about to fire, the vile thing twitched, causing her to flinch. Her arrow sailed over the robot's body, and it turned to see where the issue had come from. With a scream, she dashed away from the door, almost tripping over a root as she scrambled behind a tree.
What the hell was that?
I had that thing right in my sights. I just got scared and…
DAMMIT! I could've gotten rid of that thing right there and then, but I just had to get scared and screw things up!
Gritting her teeth, she slowly peeked out from the tree as she loaded a new bolt into the bow and tried to banish the fear from her mind. The robot wasn't out the door yet, but she could hear the faint noise of metal footsteps on the ground. She raised the bow back into a firing position on the door.
Is it going to chase me out here? Those things are lurkers, I don't know if they'll…
The bot dashed out the building, quickly slowing down as it failed to find a target. It made a slow circle, seemingly trying to figure out what it was looking for.
Now!
Estamel aimed once again, and this time pulled the trigger with the bead centered perfectly on the machine. The bolt smashed a hole in the robot's carapace, and it flailed around on its side making loud beeping noises with two of its legs out of commission. Not wanting to waste time, she readied and fired another shot. This was met with a crack and a long, low whirring noise as the machine seized up and stopped moving.
Relieved but cautious, Estamel slowly moved out from behind the tree. As she took a step towards the auto shop, she noticed something strange. The tree and the door into the warehouse were very far apart- at least twenty meters. I didn't think I was running for longer than a couple seconds, how did I get all the way here? Was I just too excited, or…
Starting to get an idea of what might be happening, Estamel dismissed the crossbow, and started running as fast as she could. At first, she felt no change, so she tried to focus on the thought of escaping danger, running from a threat right behind her. Something shifted, and for a second Estamel felt herself sprinting at an incredible speed, before returning to normal and awkwardly slowing down to avoid an impact with the wall. She tried the same trick two more times, with about the same result.
So this is a new ability. I can run far faster than a normal person, but for an extremely short time, and I have to wait a few seconds before I can do it again. Also… damn, this gets tiring fast.
Ready to take a break, she trudged back to the door. As she glanced towards the robot, she felt a chill once again, as if the thing was a threat even in its current state. Why the hell do these things creep me out so much? What I saw at the gas station was awful, but I've never actually seen any of those things kill a person. It's not like I've seen…
Her thoughts trailed off, as she thought back to the incident in the gas station. She had seen bloodstains on its paws, but looking back she didn't know why she had determined the stains to be blood so quickly, or the module on its back to be a weapon. Something about the machine had spooked her just by seeing it. Like she had fought it before… but she hadn't. Tired, Estamel re-assigned the problem to the growing collection of things she would sort out when she eventually got back to civilization.
The van was clearly not a normal vehicle- just like the rover, it's back was lined with solar panels. It had a back section with a raised ceiling, and at a glance seemed like a modification of a flatbed truck rather than a normal cargo van. The back doors were open and rest unlocked- the key left lying in the ignition- and when Estamel looked inside, she couldn't help but let out a chuckle. The vehicle had been stocked with a mixture of military gear, machinery, and electronic devices. Looks like someone was planning to smuggle looted items back. The stash looked like a dream come true for a looter or lost refugee.
"Can't see anybody here- and I didn't see anything on the robot's claws- so it looks like I was the first to meet this pest. Does that mean… the owner of this truck is still out there?"
A swarm of questions and possibilities began buzzing in her head. She definitely hadn't seen anybody around the town, so they likely weren't here right now. But if they were out there, where would they be? Melissa had claimed the dog-bots were normally dispersed via aircraft and could only be disarmed with special encrypted signals, so it seemed unlikely this was placed as a guard. But that also meant that the owner had left the truck with the door open when he left, and he had been gone for a very long time, so… why had nobody gone here?
She dug through the supplies in the truck, looking for clues. The various pieces of military equipment were obvious as to what they did- guns, blades, medical supplies, explosives paired with remote detonators, and vests- but upon closer inspection, the writing on some of them was in a completely different language than what she was familiar with. Yep, that's another thing Melissa mentioned- I'll only be able to understand the first three languages I choose at first sight, and I already used one- Seylinian is what she called it. While the thought of conserving her second language seemed wise, a further look at the contents of the cabin revealed a spiral notebook -filled with what appeared to be dated entries- haphazardly dumped in a bag full of light weapons with an orange scarf tied around it.
She has never been told exactly how to learn a new language, so she simply flipped through the book while looking closely at the writing. Before long she could recognize the sounds different characters represented, and within a few minutes the meaning of the writing became crystal clear.
The notebook was a mercenary's journal, signed by "Merab Vallanshi" and recording events over a good three years. While most entries were relatively light on details, the number of names, things, and events mentioned in the accounts was far beyond what she had learned so far about this world. Curious as to the owner's fate, she went to the last entry.
7/1/935
Time: 18:00
Right now Beaker appears to be holding on, though I don't know how stable he is. We've been able to stall the bleeding and apply antibiotics to his wounds, but he's still in constant pain and appears to be suffering from serious internal injuries. Dr. Calder recommends surgery ASAP. It looks like we'll have to abandon a lot of the surplus supplies- not only can he not drive, we'll need to have Calder in the cargo compartment with him, and probably Rainfall as well in case he goes into shock unexpectedly.
Not like we'd be sticking around for much longer- reports are claiming that Berganian forces have started moving towards the river, and the Ambekan army is fortifying the perimeter with heavy weapons. Captain Kolity says we need to leave tonight as soon as we get the last things packed. Our platoon will exfil into neutral territory and meet up with the rest of the company.
Command reports that our clients have been alternating between giving contradicting orders and not responding, while the Berganian negotiator has gone missing. No idea what's up with the "People's United Peacekeepers" now- news channels are giving different reports, and their leadership is still working on an "official statement" as to what happened. 90% chance it's gonna be trying to shift blame onto their own guards. The AAF contact has confirmed that they will make no attempts to intercept our convoys as we retreat. Unclear if they believe our story or just have bigger fish to fry, but who gives a shit?
Ervin is looking for a truck to put Beaker in. We're gonna need to clear a bunch of things out of this one just to fit his stretcher, but that's okay. Whatever we don't take, we'll leave in the extra truck. Chances are we'll never see it again, but that's not a big deal. Quite frankly, it's about time we got home.
-Merab
Estamel couldn't help but chuckle when she realized the mercenary's mistake. Must suck to misplace a journal you've been working on for so long.
On the plus side… If I keep looking through here, I can probably find directions right to this guy.
Groggily, the lone warrior began getting dressed, the events of last night coming back to her. After she searched the truck, she went through the rest of the building. The two-story structure seemed to have been stripped of anything steal-able, but what she could find indicated it was a place for repairing small machines. The left garage happened to be much larger than the one on the right, and had two tractors, a tractor, a van just like the one she found (but empty) and some sort of airplane, all in the process of being repaired. I guess that tagline on the front wasn't a huge exaggeration. Once she was finished searching, she brought her rover into the right garage with the truck. A comparison of the two vehicles showed the truck was a little slower but had better charging time and endurance, not to mention all the supplies inside. A further skim through the journal had given her a basic idea of where she could go next.
After packing up all her things into the new machine, she ate dinner, read a few more entries from the journal, and then went to sleep early with the intent of waking up early once again. And now she had been awakened by… a howl?
She checked a digital watch from the truck - 6:23 AM, not all that early. Feeling rested enough, she quickly began the preparations for her departure. She had spent last evening getting her stuff ready, so once she had got herself washed she had little left that she needed to finish… but one last thing that she wanted. From the van she retrieved a digital camera and the scarf that had been paired from the book.
"For all the things that happened over the last two days, I haven't done anything to record it. It would feel weird to start writing in Merab's journal, but what about taking a few photos?"
With the camera in her coat pocket and the scarf tied around her neck, she jogged through the first floor, up the stairs, and all the way to the door to the garage roof, which- like most of the entrances and exits on the building- had been left unlocked by the retreating mercs and was ready for her to push open.
"Well… maybe I should've gotten up later." While she could make out her surroundings, the sun was far from being up and the camera couldn't get an image of the landscape. On the plus side, there was one thing that stood out to her- a small herd of deer, sleeping peacefully in the tall grass lining the road. Certainly captures how abandoned this place here has been. With a click, the camera flash briefly illuminated the herd and a saved image appeared on the camera screen. Estamel was about to take a picture of herself when a thundering howl rang out from the forest in front of her, sending her stumbling backwards several steps.
That sound...
The deer raced away from the disturbance like they had never been asleep. Crashing noises emanated from the forest as something big started moving towards the edge. Estamel quickly tucked the camera back in her pocket and summoned her bow, sliding in a new bolt. I don't want to kill a predator just because I come across it, but if it's the kind that attacks vehicles… Focusing on the source of the disturbance, she prepared a shot. Based on Melissa and Merab's recollections, she expected a bear, or a big cat, or a hyena of some sort.
The thing that walked out from the forest was not a bear, or a big cat, or a hyena of some sort. It had the light and thin build of a taigan hound, and would've been easily mistaken as one if it didn't stand taller than a horse. It had no 'fur', with the light from inside the building glinting off an intricate mesh of metal plating. Its long tail thrashed back and forth, showing off a strange bulb-shaped object at the end. And seated in its head were two glowing red eyes, eyes that seemed like they could read her very soul as they swiveled to face her.
Her shot struck the creature on the back. It was a miss- she had intended to strike it in the chest, but had been trembling far too hard- but seeing how the bolt ricocheted off without leaving a noticeable mark, she wasn't sure if it even mattered. The creature burst forwards across the road and leapt into the air. Noticing it had aimed slightly to her left, she dodged to the right… and watched it come down in between her and the door. FUCK. As it turned to face her, she tossed away the bow and summoned her sword.
Once again the hound lunged forward, its long jaws open wider than they had any right to. Estamel moved back slightly before lunging forwards as well, her sword swinging horizontally. The thing came to a sudden halt and jerked its head back, narrowly avoiding a slash across the nose. For a second it almost seemed surprised, as if her terror had given it the impression she wouldn't fight back, but before she could blink it's head shot forward and it resumed its attack. She kept slashing at the hound every time it lunged, but the length of its snout and neck prevented her from getting anywhere near close enough to strike its body, and she found herself slowly backing up to avoid getting bit. On its sixth attack the beast darted too close for its own good, and she was able to drag the sword across its face, leaving a shallow gash that dropped orange lubricant. Despite the solid hit, the thing kept attacking as if nothing had happened.
This is impossible… I can't hurt this thing, and he can sure hurt me. I can dash, but he's right in the way. Unless…
Estamel took her left hand off the sword. When the hound hurled forwards to attack again, she fired off a salvo of ribbons at its face. They were aimed to seal its jaw shut, but the hound's movement caused them to miss and tie a knot in empty air. Leaping to her right, she threw a second ribbon salvo at the same target. This time they struck its neck and bounced off, forming an awkward tangle. It's much harder to use this talent when the target is moving around so unpredictably. The witch was easy- she was running right at me while I wasn't moving much, and I knew where she was coming from. This thing is different… I really need to get more practice. The hound made a sudden leap to her left before charging at full speed, and she was forced to jump backwards to get out of the way. At that moment, she was able to wrap a few ribbons around its lower jaw… and the beast gnashed its teeth, severing the ribbons before she landed on the ground.
A glance revealed she was now only six meters from the edge of the roof. I can't keep going like this. I can't keep going like this- even if I were able to snare that thing, what good would it do? It could probably just toss me around. If only I had more…
"...Of course," she exhaled, almost embarrassed she hadn't thought of this earlier. As the hound patiently walked towards her, winding up for a lunge, her sword turned to smoke once again. As she shifted her hands into a position she would use to hold a long staff, the smoke shifted and expanded with her. The weapon that solidified in her hands had a pole longer than she was tall, with a gently curving blade at the end. Just as with her sword, Estamel felt as if she knew the weapon and how to handle it despite having never seen one in person before.
The hound charged forward at her, and she did the same. The blade of the glaive slashed across its chest- a shallow cut, but one that provoked a roar and a sudden stop from the beast. It tried to snap at her once again, but with Estamel's new-found reach it was unable to get close, and received two more strikes to the chest and neck. Estamel started slowly backing away, taking deep breaths and holding the weapon back like a fishing pole she was about to cast. As expected, her opponent fell for the trap entirely, surging forward with its mouth gaping wide.
"Now die!"
The blade came round and struck the monster in the head, sending the entire thing sprawling off to the side. It managed to get back up onto its feet, but its right eye was missing, its upper jaw looked like it was on the verge of falling off, and an awkward wobble was apparent in its step. Black and orange goo was seeping from its wounds. It slowly walked backwards as Estamel approached, prompting a chuckle.
"Not so tough now, are you?"
Suddenly, the mechanical taigan's long tail- which had previously trailed behind it like a normal dog- wriggled and shook, before curving forwards like a scorpion's stinger. The bulb at the end unfolded like a flower, revealing a conical drill in the center. The drill started rotating with a mechanical whine. Electrical bolts crackled across the spike.
"What the-"
Estamel was cut off by the drill arcing down directly towards her chest. She dodged it by only a couple inches, and it lashed out once again before she could scarcely find her footing. She tried to hit the drill with her polearm while dodging and failed to make contact. This thing is too small, and the tail on that beast is so long. How the hell can I fight it now?
The drill came down once again, this time slightly slower than before. She tried to leap out of the way, but the tail curved in her direction and picked up speed dramatically. Her tazel prevented the drill from punching through her skin, but the blow to her chest sent her flying. She came down hard on her side. Estamel planted her hands on the roof and started to pick herself up, only for a second vicious blow to toss her around once again. Before she could even try to think of a plan, the hound resumed its strikes. The first one was successfully deflected, but this would be the last. The next two strikes tore across her leg and stomach, her tazel using up the last of its energy to prevent the tail from going any deeper.
Estamel went limp on the ground, her eyes shut. She had been hurt before, but this was beyond anything she had dealt with in her life. Her breathing rapid and shallow, she felt her grasp on consciousness starting to fade, and could barely find the willpower to stop it. So is this what Melissa felt like? Fading away, leaving everything unfinished, with nothing you can do about it?
No… I'm not done yet. I can't just stop here…
Dragging herself back into focus, Estamel clutched at her wounds. They hurt immensely, and she was bleeding badly, but they were shallow and didn't seem to have hit anything vital. She considered opening her eyes but was stopped by loud, mechanical footsteps. The robot hound… why hasn't it finished me off yet? That thing has to be able to see I'm still moving.
She let her eyes open just a slit. The hound was now standing almost right on top of her, and bent down to grasp her midsection in its maw. She made no attempt to resist, knowing that it would just lead to the creature crushing her. Despite its upper jaw being mangled, it was able to grab her without putting enough pressure on her to break the skin. It set her down in the center of the roof, pinning her in place with a paw on her chest. Its stinger was held adjacent to her head as it stared down.
Once again, it was between her and the rooftop door. Still wide open…
"…Hey." She mumbled, staring the machine in the eyes. It moved ever so slightly, but held its pose. Perfect. She brought her right hand to rest by her side. There was just enough space that she could create a knife here without it seeing.
"If whoever built this contraption is watching this, I've got to ask… why did you make your machines play with their food? What purpose does that serve?
"But… it doesn't matter, really. I'll just take what I can get."
A barrage of ribbons from her left hand twisted around the stinger and the beast's jaw, tying them together. Almost simultaneously she drove the knife she had made by her side into its ankle. The beast reared up, narrowly saving its hamstring- but as Estamel clung to the ribbons she was lifted upright. Fast as lighting she dove under the hound and bolted to the door. It was only at the last second that she cast a ribbon around the handle and slammed the door shut behind her.
The hound howled and flung itself against the door with a crash, but it wouldn't budge.
The walk from the upper floor to the garage was barely twenty meters, but in her state it felt like a mile. Thankfully, the first aid kits she had gathered were well-equipped for her injuries. A decent wrapping of gauze brought the bleeding from both wounds to an end, and while she still hurt like crazy, a shot from a stim seemed to clear her mind. Lying down beside the truck, she weighed her options.
The robo-taigan kept growling and scratching from up on the roof. There was no telling how it had first found her or if it was even intended to seek out her personally in the first place, but it was clear that it would lurk around this building until she left. But if I want to kill that thing, I'll need something to give me an advantage. Such as…
She dug through the transport, looking for something useful. There were a number of grenades and guns, plus some odd melee weapons- all nice, but nothing that could reliably kill that thing. What caught her eye was a rocket launcher and a selection of projectiles, organized by type. Most were all gray and had their functions written on the side- ANTITANK, AP-FRAG, STUN- but one has tips painted bright red, with the label SMOKE. Why would 'smoke' be a different color?
There was a note attached to the category:
WARNING: SMOKE GRENADES UTILIZE WHITE PHOSPHORUS.
DEPLOYMENT IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO ENEMIES IS FORBIDDEN OUTSIDE OF EXTREME CIRCUMSTANCES
"Well, if this isn't an extreme circumstance then I don't know what is."
Despite her snark, she knew this was a risky strategy. But with how resilient the hound was, and how many injuries she had already suffered, she didn't have a choice. With the launcher loaded and a garage remote in her pocket, she made her way up the stairs to the second floor, and moved into a firing position at the roof doorway. "Hey, ugly!" she shouted. "Still out there?"
The howling and sounds of scratching on the door served as an answer. Now for the tricky part. She took a single hand off the launcher to cast a ribbon around the door handle, and carefully twisted it to where it was now unlocked. Now… will the dog try to grab it? After wiggling the handle a little, she felt a sudden jolt as something took hold of the handle with immense force. Immediately she dropped the ribbon and put her hand back on the launcher to hold it in place.
With the door pulled open, the hound peeked inside and saw her. Unable to lunge- it was too tall to fit through the door- it ducked its head and started crawling through towards her. As soon as it was halfway through, she squeezed the trigger.
The rocket struck the dog right in the head, breaking and showering its body with burning chunks of white phosphorus. Estamel started running the instant it made contact. She heard inhuman roars and screeches, but didn't care to go back and check- the entire second floor started filling up with smoke, and the rest of the building would be next. Even as she got into the garage white smoke was already trickling in. Time to get the hell out of here. A quick tap of the remote sent the garage doors rolling up for the last time as she hopped into the van.
This morning had seen a lot of things go wrong for her, but the van wasn't one of them. Its electric motor kicked into action as soon as she slammed the 'gas'. She surged out of the burning building and turned out onto the road. As she looked backwards, she spotted the hound rolling around in the parking lot, parts of it still burning.
Karma is a bitch, isn't it?
Within twenty minutes of getting back onto the highway, she saw a series of snow-covered peaks up ahead in the distance. Almost immediately she recognized them from the journal's descriptions.
"So… that must be the Malcodor Ridge."
According to Merab, the Ridge was an unusual pattern of tall peaks on the edge of the mountain ridge. Beyond it the mountains rapidly dropped off into open grasslands. The ridge had marked the southern boundaries of both Bergania and the Ambekan Republic, and it was only natural that it became the southern edge of the quarantine zone.
Beyond that… this uninhabited wasteland ends.
I'm almost back to civilization. I just need to keep going a little further.
"Well well," Estamel muttered to herself as she got back into the land rover, "look where your own paranoia got you."
While she had initially planned to make a long stop to recharge her rover, she later decided against it, instead opting for a short break to have a snack before she got back moving again. She knew her rover wasn't going to charge itself, but the mystery of whatever means the "NPOI" had for finding people who had stolen from the base loomed heavy in her mind. In retrospect, this was absurd. The trackers she was warned about could've just been something that a buyer would check for and report if she sold the vehicle, and with how little she knew about the NPOI, there was no reason to presume they had such a large reach.
Especially when the issue of her rover's battery was already at hand.
The battery monitor was now dipping into the low forties. This was problematic enough, but the sun was starting to sit low in the sky. At this rate, she probably wouldn't be able to fully recharge her battery before night fell, meaning she would have to wait in the following morning. And she hadn't seen any hamlets or other places to stop for hours. As she picked up speed once again, her eyes scanned the horizon for any buildings.
I wish I knew how much farther I have to go before I reach civilization. I can't be that far away- the convoy that was trying to reach the lookout got there with trucks, so it has to be within a couple day's drive.
The light glinting off a sign in the distance snapped Estamel out of her contemplation. As she drove past, she could make the writing on the billboard:
WELCOME TO BREAKWATER LANDING
Is that… the name of a town?
After passing the billboard, an interchange with a road on the side of the river became visible. Additionally, Estamel noticed a communications tower, also on the right. Upon taking the interchange, she was greeted by what looked like an abandoned village. Along the gently but steadily sloping road to the bank, there was an assortment of stores, service buildings, and other commercial structures.
"Well… at least it's somewhere to rest my head for the night."
Curiously, the lone pathfinder drove through the town, curious as to what she had found.
The main street had several roads branching off to the sides, giving rise to a small neighborhood. A few houses sat adjacent to large plots of farmland, and one road led to a collection of large concrete buildings- maybe utilities, maybe industrial facilities. What stood out to Estamel was the signs of conflict. Craters were scattered all over the town, and almost one in every five buildings had suffered damage. Windows on houses were boarded shut, and a few shops looked like they had been looted. I'm going to need to be extra careful about the dog-bots here- this looks like the perfect place for them. However… there are a few things I'd like to try.
After finding a back parking lot with no shade, she dismounted and set up the charging system, bracing the solar tarp at an angle to capture the sunlight better. Then, she sat down to focus.
Alright. I was able to create a small frame with wheels earlier, so I can create multiple connected objects. This is going to be a lot more complicated, and part of it isn't going to be connected at all, but…
The white smoke gathered around Esty's hands, and she held them both out with her palms facing up, as if she was carrying something. After a couple nerve-wracking seconds, the smoke took a distinct shape and vanished. In its place was a medium-sized compound crossbow. Unlike her sword, this tool wasn't completely black, with a few components instead being dark green. Bracing for disappointment, she held her left hand out and tried to summon a bolt. To her surprise, it actually worked, with a white-colored projectile appearing in her hand. I guess it's time for the true test.
Estamel sat up and loaded the bolt into the bow, the force needed to draw it noticeable but not overwhelming. She aimed it at a window on a heavily damaged shop and pulled the trigger. The bolt smashed through the window in a single blow, punching deep enough into the drywall behind that only the tail was visible.
"Now that's what I was looking for."
Grinning, she dismissed the bolt and summoned a new one to fit into the crossbow. With her new weapon ready, she started searching the town for resources, making loud noises as she went to draw out any dog-bots.
At a glance, most shops didn't have much to offer, with anything valuable having been taken away or looted. The most common thing she could find was small bits of change misplaced or squirreled away, which almost felt like a mocking reminder of her isolation. Neighboring houses weren't any different. The most intact store she found on the main street was a fishing shop, filled with a great variety of rods, bait, tackle, line, and other implements. She already had a month's supply of rations, so the store wasn't really useful after all, but the sudden twinge of nostalgia she felt gazing upon the equipment compelled her to bring a selection of material back to her rover.
Estamel was considering calling it a day and making dinner when a certain building on a sideroad caught her eye. As she drew closer, she saw the structure had a two-storied middle structure, with one-storied garages on both sides. Solar panels sat on the very top, and above the front entrance there were two signs, the lower one seemingly tacked onto the one before it:
WELKIN MACHINE REPAIRS: WE REPAIR EVERYTHING!
RATED #1 IN THE COUNTY FOR HYBRID AND FULL ELECTRIC VEHICLES!
RATED #1 IN THE COUNTY FOR HYBRID AND FULL ELECTRIC VEHICLES!
While she couldn't care less about the rating of the business- besides the implication that this desolate expanse apparently had enough repair shops for a ranking to be of any value- the rest of the sentence piqued her interest. If they have parts for electric vehicles here… maybe I could get an extra battery and a set of panels, so I can deal with the rover's endurance issue? At the very least they're got to have spare parts.
However, she couldn't help but feel a little suspicious that such a useful place didn't show any signs of looting. The garage doors were locked, but an emergency exit to the right warehouse had been left ever-so-slightly ajar. A chill went down her spine when she realized where she had seen this before. Slowly, she opened the door, revealing a large open workspace, with high windows providing some visibility. Then she took a stone and threw it at a toolboard, setting off a perfectly noisy shower of hand tools onto the ground.
Just like in the convenience store, a dog-bot left out from inside one of the vehicles, landing in the center of the room. Having anticipated this, she brought forward her crossbow, lining up the bead on the center of mass- but when she was just about to fire, the vile thing twitched, causing her to flinch. Her arrow sailed over the robot's body, and it turned to see where the issue had come from. With a scream, she dashed away from the door, almost tripping over a root as she scrambled behind a tree.
What the hell was that?
I had that thing right in my sights. I just got scared and…
DAMMIT! I could've gotten rid of that thing right there and then, but I just had to get scared and screw things up!
Gritting her teeth, she slowly peeked out from the tree as she loaded a new bolt into the bow and tried to banish the fear from her mind. The robot wasn't out the door yet, but she could hear the faint noise of metal footsteps on the ground. She raised the bow back into a firing position on the door.
Is it going to chase me out here? Those things are lurkers, I don't know if they'll…
The bot dashed out the building, quickly slowing down as it failed to find a target. It made a slow circle, seemingly trying to figure out what it was looking for.
Now!
Estamel aimed once again, and this time pulled the trigger with the bead centered perfectly on the machine. The bolt smashed a hole in the robot's carapace, and it flailed around on its side making loud beeping noises with two of its legs out of commission. Not wanting to waste time, she readied and fired another shot. This was met with a crack and a long, low whirring noise as the machine seized up and stopped moving.
Relieved but cautious, Estamel slowly moved out from behind the tree. As she took a step towards the auto shop, she noticed something strange. The tree and the door into the warehouse were very far apart- at least twenty meters. I didn't think I was running for longer than a couple seconds, how did I get all the way here? Was I just too excited, or…
Starting to get an idea of what might be happening, Estamel dismissed the crossbow, and started running as fast as she could. At first, she felt no change, so she tried to focus on the thought of escaping danger, running from a threat right behind her. Something shifted, and for a second Estamel felt herself sprinting at an incredible speed, before returning to normal and awkwardly slowing down to avoid an impact with the wall. She tried the same trick two more times, with about the same result.
So this is a new ability. I can run far faster than a normal person, but for an extremely short time, and I have to wait a few seconds before I can do it again. Also… damn, this gets tiring fast.
Ready to take a break, she trudged back to the door. As she glanced towards the robot, she felt a chill once again, as if the thing was a threat even in its current state. Why the hell do these things creep me out so much? What I saw at the gas station was awful, but I've never actually seen any of those things kill a person. It's not like I've seen…
Her thoughts trailed off, as she thought back to the incident in the gas station. She had seen bloodstains on its paws, but looking back she didn't know why she had determined the stains to be blood so quickly, or the module on its back to be a weapon. Something about the machine had spooked her just by seeing it. Like she had fought it before… but she hadn't. Tired, Estamel re-assigned the problem to the growing collection of things she would sort out when she eventually got back to civilization.
***
Re-entering the warehouse, she instinctively flipped the light switch, and to her surprise the lights came on. Guess those solar panels aren't just for show. Now that she could clearly see the contents of the warehouse, the van in the center caught her attention.The van was clearly not a normal vehicle- just like the rover, it's back was lined with solar panels. It had a back section with a raised ceiling, and at a glance seemed like a modification of a flatbed truck rather than a normal cargo van. The back doors were open and rest unlocked- the key left lying in the ignition- and when Estamel looked inside, she couldn't help but let out a chuckle. The vehicle had been stocked with a mixture of military gear, machinery, and electronic devices. Looks like someone was planning to smuggle looted items back. The stash looked like a dream come true for a looter or lost refugee.
"Can't see anybody here- and I didn't see anything on the robot's claws- so it looks like I was the first to meet this pest. Does that mean… the owner of this truck is still out there?"
A swarm of questions and possibilities began buzzing in her head. She definitely hadn't seen anybody around the town, so they likely weren't here right now. But if they were out there, where would they be? Melissa had claimed the dog-bots were normally dispersed via aircraft and could only be disarmed with special encrypted signals, so it seemed unlikely this was placed as a guard. But that also meant that the owner had left the truck with the door open when he left, and he had been gone for a very long time, so… why had nobody gone here?
She dug through the supplies in the truck, looking for clues. The various pieces of military equipment were obvious as to what they did- guns, blades, medical supplies, explosives paired with remote detonators, and vests- but upon closer inspection, the writing on some of them was in a completely different language than what she was familiar with. Yep, that's another thing Melissa mentioned- I'll only be able to understand the first three languages I choose at first sight, and I already used one- Seylinian is what she called it. While the thought of conserving her second language seemed wise, a further look at the contents of the cabin revealed a spiral notebook -filled with what appeared to be dated entries- haphazardly dumped in a bag full of light weapons with an orange scarf tied around it.
She has never been told exactly how to learn a new language, so she simply flipped through the book while looking closely at the writing. Before long she could recognize the sounds different characters represented, and within a few minutes the meaning of the writing became crystal clear.
The notebook was a mercenary's journal, signed by "Merab Vallanshi" and recording events over a good three years. While most entries were relatively light on details, the number of names, things, and events mentioned in the accounts was far beyond what she had learned so far about this world. Curious as to the owner's fate, she went to the last entry.
7/1/935
Time: 18:00
Right now Beaker appears to be holding on, though I don't know how stable he is. We've been able to stall the bleeding and apply antibiotics to his wounds, but he's still in constant pain and appears to be suffering from serious internal injuries. Dr. Calder recommends surgery ASAP. It looks like we'll have to abandon a lot of the surplus supplies- not only can he not drive, we'll need to have Calder in the cargo compartment with him, and probably Rainfall as well in case he goes into shock unexpectedly.
Not like we'd be sticking around for much longer- reports are claiming that Berganian forces have started moving towards the river, and the Ambekan army is fortifying the perimeter with heavy weapons. Captain Kolity says we need to leave tonight as soon as we get the last things packed. Our platoon will exfil into neutral territory and meet up with the rest of the company.
Command reports that our clients have been alternating between giving contradicting orders and not responding, while the Berganian negotiator has gone missing. No idea what's up with the "People's United Peacekeepers" now- news channels are giving different reports, and their leadership is still working on an "official statement" as to what happened. 90% chance it's gonna be trying to shift blame onto their own guards. The AAF contact has confirmed that they will make no attempts to intercept our convoys as we retreat. Unclear if they believe our story or just have bigger fish to fry, but who gives a shit?
Ervin is looking for a truck to put Beaker in. We're gonna need to clear a bunch of things out of this one just to fit his stretcher, but that's okay. Whatever we don't take, we'll leave in the extra truck. Chances are we'll never see it again, but that's not a big deal. Quite frankly, it's about time we got home.
-Merab
Estamel couldn't help but chuckle when she realized the mercenary's mistake. Must suck to misplace a journal you've been working on for so long.
On the plus side… If I keep looking through here, I can probably find directions right to this guy.
***
The distant roaring sound drifted into the repair shop through a cracked window, bringing Estamel's dreamless sleep to an end. She tumbled out of her sleeping bag, grabbed a flashlight, and stood up, listening intently. But nothing but the usual chatter of the forest could be heard, and after a couple minutes of nothing she finally flicked on the lights.Groggily, the lone warrior began getting dressed, the events of last night coming back to her. After she searched the truck, she went through the rest of the building. The two-story structure seemed to have been stripped of anything steal-able, but what she could find indicated it was a place for repairing small machines. The left garage happened to be much larger than the one on the right, and had two tractors, a tractor, a van just like the one she found (but empty) and some sort of airplane, all in the process of being repaired. I guess that tagline on the front wasn't a huge exaggeration. Once she was finished searching, she brought her rover into the right garage with the truck. A comparison of the two vehicles showed the truck was a little slower but had better charging time and endurance, not to mention all the supplies inside. A further skim through the journal had given her a basic idea of where she could go next.
After packing up all her things into the new machine, she ate dinner, read a few more entries from the journal, and then went to sleep early with the intent of waking up early once again. And now she had been awakened by… a howl?
She checked a digital watch from the truck - 6:23 AM, not all that early. Feeling rested enough, she quickly began the preparations for her departure. She had spent last evening getting her stuff ready, so once she had got herself washed she had little left that she needed to finish… but one last thing that she wanted. From the van she retrieved a digital camera and the scarf that had been paired from the book.
"For all the things that happened over the last two days, I haven't done anything to record it. It would feel weird to start writing in Merab's journal, but what about taking a few photos?"
With the camera in her coat pocket and the scarf tied around her neck, she jogged through the first floor, up the stairs, and all the way to the door to the garage roof, which- like most of the entrances and exits on the building- had been left unlocked by the retreating mercs and was ready for her to push open.
"Well… maybe I should've gotten up later." While she could make out her surroundings, the sun was far from being up and the camera couldn't get an image of the landscape. On the plus side, there was one thing that stood out to her- a small herd of deer, sleeping peacefully in the tall grass lining the road. Certainly captures how abandoned this place here has been. With a click, the camera flash briefly illuminated the herd and a saved image appeared on the camera screen. Estamel was about to take a picture of herself when a thundering howl rang out from the forest in front of her, sending her stumbling backwards several steps.
That sound...
The deer raced away from the disturbance like they had never been asleep. Crashing noises emanated from the forest as something big started moving towards the edge. Estamel quickly tucked the camera back in her pocket and summoned her bow, sliding in a new bolt. I don't want to kill a predator just because I come across it, but if it's the kind that attacks vehicles… Focusing on the source of the disturbance, she prepared a shot. Based on Melissa and Merab's recollections, she expected a bear, or a big cat, or a hyena of some sort.
The thing that walked out from the forest was not a bear, or a big cat, or a hyena of some sort. It had the light and thin build of a taigan hound, and would've been easily mistaken as one if it didn't stand taller than a horse. It had no 'fur', with the light from inside the building glinting off an intricate mesh of metal plating. Its long tail thrashed back and forth, showing off a strange bulb-shaped object at the end. And seated in its head were two glowing red eyes, eyes that seemed like they could read her very soul as they swiveled to face her.
Her shot struck the creature on the back. It was a miss- she had intended to strike it in the chest, but had been trembling far too hard- but seeing how the bolt ricocheted off without leaving a noticeable mark, she wasn't sure if it even mattered. The creature burst forwards across the road and leapt into the air. Noticing it had aimed slightly to her left, she dodged to the right… and watched it come down in between her and the door. FUCK. As it turned to face her, she tossed away the bow and summoned her sword.
Once again the hound lunged forward, its long jaws open wider than they had any right to. Estamel moved back slightly before lunging forwards as well, her sword swinging horizontally. The thing came to a sudden halt and jerked its head back, narrowly avoiding a slash across the nose. For a second it almost seemed surprised, as if her terror had given it the impression she wouldn't fight back, but before she could blink it's head shot forward and it resumed its attack. She kept slashing at the hound every time it lunged, but the length of its snout and neck prevented her from getting anywhere near close enough to strike its body, and she found herself slowly backing up to avoid getting bit. On its sixth attack the beast darted too close for its own good, and she was able to drag the sword across its face, leaving a shallow gash that dropped orange lubricant. Despite the solid hit, the thing kept attacking as if nothing had happened.
This is impossible… I can't hurt this thing, and he can sure hurt me. I can dash, but he's right in the way. Unless…
Estamel took her left hand off the sword. When the hound hurled forwards to attack again, she fired off a salvo of ribbons at its face. They were aimed to seal its jaw shut, but the hound's movement caused them to miss and tie a knot in empty air. Leaping to her right, she threw a second ribbon salvo at the same target. This time they struck its neck and bounced off, forming an awkward tangle. It's much harder to use this talent when the target is moving around so unpredictably. The witch was easy- she was running right at me while I wasn't moving much, and I knew where she was coming from. This thing is different… I really need to get more practice. The hound made a sudden leap to her left before charging at full speed, and she was forced to jump backwards to get out of the way. At that moment, she was able to wrap a few ribbons around its lower jaw… and the beast gnashed its teeth, severing the ribbons before she landed on the ground.
A glance revealed she was now only six meters from the edge of the roof. I can't keep going like this. I can't keep going like this- even if I were able to snare that thing, what good would it do? It could probably just toss me around. If only I had more…
"...Of course," she exhaled, almost embarrassed she hadn't thought of this earlier. As the hound patiently walked towards her, winding up for a lunge, her sword turned to smoke once again. As she shifted her hands into a position she would use to hold a long staff, the smoke shifted and expanded with her. The weapon that solidified in her hands had a pole longer than she was tall, with a gently curving blade at the end. Just as with her sword, Estamel felt as if she knew the weapon and how to handle it despite having never seen one in person before.
The hound charged forward at her, and she did the same. The blade of the glaive slashed across its chest- a shallow cut, but one that provoked a roar and a sudden stop from the beast. It tried to snap at her once again, but with Estamel's new-found reach it was unable to get close, and received two more strikes to the chest and neck. Estamel started slowly backing away, taking deep breaths and holding the weapon back like a fishing pole she was about to cast. As expected, her opponent fell for the trap entirely, surging forward with its mouth gaping wide.
"Now die!"
The blade came round and struck the monster in the head, sending the entire thing sprawling off to the side. It managed to get back up onto its feet, but its right eye was missing, its upper jaw looked like it was on the verge of falling off, and an awkward wobble was apparent in its step. Black and orange goo was seeping from its wounds. It slowly walked backwards as Estamel approached, prompting a chuckle.
"Not so tough now, are you?"
Suddenly, the mechanical taigan's long tail- which had previously trailed behind it like a normal dog- wriggled and shook, before curving forwards like a scorpion's stinger. The bulb at the end unfolded like a flower, revealing a conical drill in the center. The drill started rotating with a mechanical whine. Electrical bolts crackled across the spike.
"What the-"
Estamel was cut off by the drill arcing down directly towards her chest. She dodged it by only a couple inches, and it lashed out once again before she could scarcely find her footing. She tried to hit the drill with her polearm while dodging and failed to make contact. This thing is too small, and the tail on that beast is so long. How the hell can I fight it now?
The drill came down once again, this time slightly slower than before. She tried to leap out of the way, but the tail curved in her direction and picked up speed dramatically. Her tazel prevented the drill from punching through her skin, but the blow to her chest sent her flying. She came down hard on her side. Estamel planted her hands on the roof and started to pick herself up, only for a second vicious blow to toss her around once again. Before she could even try to think of a plan, the hound resumed its strikes. The first one was successfully deflected, but this would be the last. The next two strikes tore across her leg and stomach, her tazel using up the last of its energy to prevent the tail from going any deeper.
Estamel went limp on the ground, her eyes shut. She had been hurt before, but this was beyond anything she had dealt with in her life. Her breathing rapid and shallow, she felt her grasp on consciousness starting to fade, and could barely find the willpower to stop it. So is this what Melissa felt like? Fading away, leaving everything unfinished, with nothing you can do about it?
No… I'm not done yet. I can't just stop here…
Dragging herself back into focus, Estamel clutched at her wounds. They hurt immensely, and she was bleeding badly, but they were shallow and didn't seem to have hit anything vital. She considered opening her eyes but was stopped by loud, mechanical footsteps. The robot hound… why hasn't it finished me off yet? That thing has to be able to see I'm still moving.
She let her eyes open just a slit. The hound was now standing almost right on top of her, and bent down to grasp her midsection in its maw. She made no attempt to resist, knowing that it would just lead to the creature crushing her. Despite its upper jaw being mangled, it was able to grab her without putting enough pressure on her to break the skin. It set her down in the center of the roof, pinning her in place with a paw on her chest. Its stinger was held adjacent to her head as it stared down.
Once again, it was between her and the rooftop door. Still wide open…
"…Hey." She mumbled, staring the machine in the eyes. It moved ever so slightly, but held its pose. Perfect. She brought her right hand to rest by her side. There was just enough space that she could create a knife here without it seeing.
"If whoever built this contraption is watching this, I've got to ask… why did you make your machines play with their food? What purpose does that serve?
"But… it doesn't matter, really. I'll just take what I can get."
A barrage of ribbons from her left hand twisted around the stinger and the beast's jaw, tying them together. Almost simultaneously she drove the knife she had made by her side into its ankle. The beast reared up, narrowly saving its hamstring- but as Estamel clung to the ribbons she was lifted upright. Fast as lighting she dove under the hound and bolted to the door. It was only at the last second that she cast a ribbon around the handle and slammed the door shut behind her.
The hound howled and flung itself against the door with a crash, but it wouldn't budge.
The walk from the upper floor to the garage was barely twenty meters, but in her state it felt like a mile. Thankfully, the first aid kits she had gathered were well-equipped for her injuries. A decent wrapping of gauze brought the bleeding from both wounds to an end, and while she still hurt like crazy, a shot from a stim seemed to clear her mind. Lying down beside the truck, she weighed her options.
The robo-taigan kept growling and scratching from up on the roof. There was no telling how it had first found her or if it was even intended to seek out her personally in the first place, but it was clear that it would lurk around this building until she left. But if I want to kill that thing, I'll need something to give me an advantage. Such as…
She dug through the transport, looking for something useful. There were a number of grenades and guns, plus some odd melee weapons- all nice, but nothing that could reliably kill that thing. What caught her eye was a rocket launcher and a selection of projectiles, organized by type. Most were all gray and had their functions written on the side- ANTITANK, AP-FRAG, STUN- but one has tips painted bright red, with the label SMOKE. Why would 'smoke' be a different color?
There was a note attached to the category:
WARNING: SMOKE GRENADES UTILIZE WHITE PHOSPHORUS.
DEPLOYMENT IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO ENEMIES IS FORBIDDEN OUTSIDE OF EXTREME CIRCUMSTANCES
"Well, if this isn't an extreme circumstance then I don't know what is."
Despite her snark, she knew this was a risky strategy. But with how resilient the hound was, and how many injuries she had already suffered, she didn't have a choice. With the launcher loaded and a garage remote in her pocket, she made her way up the stairs to the second floor, and moved into a firing position at the roof doorway. "Hey, ugly!" she shouted. "Still out there?"
The howling and sounds of scratching on the door served as an answer. Now for the tricky part. She took a single hand off the launcher to cast a ribbon around the door handle, and carefully twisted it to where it was now unlocked. Now… will the dog try to grab it? After wiggling the handle a little, she felt a sudden jolt as something took hold of the handle with immense force. Immediately she dropped the ribbon and put her hand back on the launcher to hold it in place.
With the door pulled open, the hound peeked inside and saw her. Unable to lunge- it was too tall to fit through the door- it ducked its head and started crawling through towards her. As soon as it was halfway through, she squeezed the trigger.
The rocket struck the dog right in the head, breaking and showering its body with burning chunks of white phosphorus. Estamel started running the instant it made contact. She heard inhuman roars and screeches, but didn't care to go back and check- the entire second floor started filling up with smoke, and the rest of the building would be next. Even as she got into the garage white smoke was already trickling in. Time to get the hell out of here. A quick tap of the remote sent the garage doors rolling up for the last time as she hopped into the van.
This morning had seen a lot of things go wrong for her, but the van wasn't one of them. Its electric motor kicked into action as soon as she slammed the 'gas'. She surged out of the burning building and turned out onto the road. As she looked backwards, she spotted the hound rolling around in the parking lot, parts of it still burning.
Karma is a bitch, isn't it?
***
There were still a few industrial buildings in town that she hadn't visited, buildings that might've had useful materials or information. But right now, Estamel couldn't care less. She had taken more than enough to survive. And more importantly, she knew where she was headed.Within twenty minutes of getting back onto the highway, she saw a series of snow-covered peaks up ahead in the distance. Almost immediately she recognized them from the journal's descriptions.
"So… that must be the Malcodor Ridge."
According to Merab, the Ridge was an unusual pattern of tall peaks on the edge of the mountain ridge. Beyond it the mountains rapidly dropped off into open grasslands. The ridge had marked the southern boundaries of both Bergania and the Ambekan Republic, and it was only natural that it became the southern edge of the quarantine zone.
Beyond that… this uninhabited wasteland ends.
I'm almost back to civilization. I just need to keep going a little further.
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Newcomer 4 - Kavala Point Exclusion Zone
- Location
- North Carolina
With her crossbow in a sling on her back and a pair of binoculars around her neck, Estamel climbed up the spur of a mountain, hoping to get a better view of what she had seen ahead. Having only taken a short stop to further patch up her injuries and have a snack, she had made very good progress after leaving. In just a couple hours she had already made it into the Malcodor Ridge, and could already see the mountains dropping off ahead. She had noticed a number of roads branching off, but decided to stick by the one following along the Chambello River. While the truck had some sort of internal GPS, it was supposedly a tracking hazard, so she had left it inactivated. It had seemed like a clear path straight on out.
And we can't have that around here, she mused, as she reached the top of the bend.
At these heights, trees were giving way to short shrubs and grass. They weren't completely gone though, so when she had seen what looked like a patch of light forest on the other side of a bridge ahead, she crossed the bridge and continued on unfazed- until she got close enough to make out their shape, after which she had hastily turned around and retreated behind a bend in the road. After a couple minutes of planning, she had decided to get a better look at the anomaly, hoping it was just her imagination.
Unfortunately, as she looked out through her binoculars, it seemed that things weren't going to be that simple.
Her first instincts hadn't been completely wrong- these structures did seem to be "trees" of a sort. They had trunks, roots on the ground, normal leaves, and in one she could even make out a bird's nest. However, they were misshapen in ways she didn't think was possible. She could see branches and trunks twisting and bending at random angles. There were swollen protrusions on many of the trees, as if they were suffering from cancers. The strangest part was the thick rope-like vines enmeshing the grove. Not only were they strangely large, long cords of them dangled down with noose-like loops.
This definitely isn't normal. The shapes, the odd growths, the vines- maybe if it was just one of them. But it's all of them, and the entire grove is affected. Something bad is here…
Estamel's stomach lurched as she saw something swinging from one of the trees. But as she looked closer, she realized it wasn't a person- it was a strange hunk of bark and leafy growth, growing vaguely in the shape of a dog. It wasn't alone- a few trees had fake animals snared in their nooses, some had fake people and others had… creatures? The strange things she saw tangled up in a couple trees didn't look like any sort of animal she had seen.
Deep inside the grove, she spotted a fallen billboard sign. It was fading, but she could discern the phrase Kavala Point written on the sign.
"...Alright, pull it together. I already know what happened here."
While most of the disputed territory was simply abandoned, both Melissa and the mercenary had mentioned a number of 'red zones' filled with mutated flora and fauna- the latter of which were highly aggressive. These were apparently the result of now-illegal weapons used in a conflict decades ago, and while they weren't that big, they often happened to cut through what would otherwise be very good transit routes in the mountains.
Come to think of it, Merab had mentioned having to skirt the edges of one when coming through the Malcodor ridge once…
Crap. I should've been checking through the journal as I was going. Why do I keep making mistakes like this?
Well… no point in beating myself up. Let's do what we should've done from the start.
As Estamel walked down to the van, she could feel the stitches in her side and thigh ache, a painful reminder of how out of her own depth she was. She might have beaten the creature, but it was close- if it hadn't tried to play with her or there hadn't been a rocket launcher in the van, she wouldn't have been so lucky.
And I still don't actually know how to channel Eiferet into specialized skills or whatever. I can feel the buzz from the energy after killing that thing- it's subtle, but it's still there- but it may as well be useless right now.
Once she was in the van, she pulled the journal out and started looking for any mention of the town.
Although she had gained the ability to read Merab's language, this only seemed to encompass words and concepts she already knew- which, given the prominence of magic and otherworldly technology on Bei, frequently limited the information she could glean from certain entries. The sentence structure of the writing didn't help either. While Seylinian was very similar to English, a language she already knew- enough that she hadn't even noticed when she used her decrypting ability the first time- the journal didn't resemble any script she had studied in detail, even if it did look vaguely familiar. It took a bit longer for her to parse.
Fortunately, it didn't take long to find a mention of Kavala Point, with the entry dated just a couple weeks before Merab's writing was cut off. Unfortunately, that also happened to be the time when the situation on the border was just about to turn into open warfare.
6/18/935:
The planes carrying the "special cargo" arrived early morning, before sunrise. The first one delivered a set of high-grade radio transmission devices, allegedly designed to function in environments with high levels of interference. The next delivery was a bit weirder- two combat engineers, a radio technician, and a pair of Ambekan civilians, both of them very old. We escorted them into the camp, where we were filled in on what's happening.
After the disastrous press conference the People's United Peacekeepers held three days ago, public support for them has been cratering. At this very moment protests are occurring in several of their patron countries, calling for the group to be stripped of their mandate and replaced on the Bergania- Ambekan Republic border by a real military coalition.
Would've been nice if this backlash earlier- not after ten months of the PUP actively covering up Bergania's gov trampling on the truce conditions- but I'll take what I can get. Of course it's understandable why politicians aren't eager to give up on the PUP, given how much of a political darling it was before the start of the incident. Either way, this all isn't enough. We need to find undeniable evidence of the PUP's collaboration with Bergania, and get them kicked out NOW. Luckily, Command has intelligence on something that just might be the perfect opportunity.
On the south side of the Malcodor Ridge- right on the edge of the Kavala Point Exclusion Zone- is a small compound housing a communications tower, supposedly written off years. A credible source has claimed that this facility has secretly been repaired, and has been used to transmit encrypted signals back and forth from the Berganian military to their collaborators in the Peoples United Peacekeepers. Command has directed us to assemble a small team of operators into the zone and plant the provided listening device near the tower, which will allow us to record what's being transmitted and provide proof of collaboration.
Of course, this is far easier said than done. The abnormal air currents and electrical interference around the zone make flying manned aircraft in for recovery or air support impossible- our recon drones were barely able to last five minutes there before going down. The tower is in a remote area of the zone far from the major routes- we're likely going to see much more hostile creatures there than normal. On top of that, the exclusion zone still has its disorienting miasma, and while that's not insurmountable it'll be more problematic when we'll be venturing far from the normal routes. The two civilians that arrived are guides who have led convoys through area before, and volunteered to help us find our way through the zone safely.
I was specifically requested for the infiltration team, due to my experience with missions in corrupted areas. Was told that I could back out if I wished, but I responded that I absolutely wouldn't be turning this down. We've lost a lot of good soldiers on this job because of the PUP misleading us. I'm ready to end this nonsense, once and for all.
At this time, me and the rest of my squad are making preparations for the mission. Let's just hope for the best…
Merab's handwriting was noticeably messier in the next entry. According to him, the incursion went as planned, with the team being able to slip in, install the listening device, and escape successfully, with only a couple soldiers suffering minor injuries. However, the zone was still creepy as hell, with odd creatures scattered everywhere and the landscape alien in appearance. Helpfully, he provided a detailed description of the path he took through the zone and the creatures he saw on the way.
"So, if this is the highway that Merab's squad followed into the city, it should still go through the city and come out the other side. There might be dangerous creatures, but this is the daytime, so it shouldn't be that dangerous. And that…" Estamel trailed off, realizing the sheer level of uncertainty she was faced with.
With a sigh, she closed her eyes and tried to weigh her options.
This would be very dangerous. Her van wasn't particularly noisy, but it would definitely draw more attention than the mercenary squad. And even though the zone would be relatively safe to cross at this time, she wasn't exactly in peak fighting condition. The journal had mentioned there were at least three clear routes over the Malcodor Ridge- if she searched through it more, went back towards Breakwater Landing, and put things together, she would certainly be able to find it. Alternatively, she could set up the GPS for a brief check of her location.
This seems like a no-brainer. Either I take the time to find a safe route, or I rush through a corrupted wasteland just to shave off a day or two. Especially after the fight with the robot hound, why would I…
Estamel's thoughts trailed off as she heard something off in the distance. While it was faint, she could tell it was coming out from the north, back the way she had come from. It almost sounded like helicopter blades- but why? There was effectively nothing out here, except-
"Oh, shit." The realization washed over her like a tidal wave.
The hound that had attacked her hadn't come out of nowhere- it must've been sent by the NPOI after she left the confines of the base. And while it had failed to kill her, it had undoubtedly relayed her position back to its masters. Melissa had mentioned that the NPOI frequently sent helicopter squads to catch intruders in the quarantine zone- although siddim were supposed to be left alone to avoid unintentionally giving them Eiferet, a condition that the NPOI hadn't been happy about- but that she wasn't sure how the helicopters managed to find people.
But they didn't know I was a siddim- Melissa killed everyone before I got there, and the security cameras weren't able to record anything, so they could've believed she had broken in until the hound saw me firsthand. And even if they knew it was me from the start, the only person who has actual evidence they were going after a siddim is me- and I'll be dead. Dammit…
The noise didn't seem to be getting any closer at the moment, but it was still there. Retreating back wasn't an option. Neither was hiding- there was nowhere along the road with proper cover, especially if the choppers had advanced sensors or a new hound. Or if they decided to call in another firebomb strike.
Frustrated, she sat down in the driver's seat and slammed the car door shut. Briefly rubbing her forehead, she checked the entry one last time, before returning it to her backpack. With a twist of the keys and a kick to the pedal, the van lurched back onto the road.
Estamel spun the wheel left, bringing it onto a course directly towards the fallen city.
Gross. At least it's harmless.
Looks like there's a lot of weird things mangled up in the trees, but nothing actually real or alive. Hope it stays that way.
She pushed down on the pedal, the van steadily accelerating back up to it's cruising speed. This area was only on the outskirts of the corrupted zone, and while it wasn't very dangerous, it wouldn't provide any cover. Trees flew past, with more oddities visible that she didn't understand and was quite comfortable not looking at. It wasn't until she saw a sign indicating a tunnel ahead that she pulled over, retrieving a few items from the back before she dismounted.
As she stepped out the door, she immediately noticed the wind. While the wind was noticeable on the mountains, it took on an almost disorienting character here, with gusts blowing by every few seconds in what seemed to be random directions. "Guess they weren't lying about this being hell to fly planes around," she mumbled to herself. Walking into the woods, she once again summoned her crossbow. This time, she had added a rail on the top, onto which she slid on a small scope. As a final measure, she tucked her scarf under her coat, to limit any bright colors visible from a difference.
Before long she came to a ledge, with the entrance to a tunnel clearly visible further on the mountainside. Cautiously, she peeked out behind a tree and used the scope to observe the entrance. Huh… seems completely clear? Maybe they don't come out in the…
Estamel's thoughts dimmed as she recognized the monstrosity hanging over the tunnel. It's eight long, spindly legs and rotund body had somehow taken on colors that blended perfectly in with the trees and the rock face, the matted fur over it's body adding a complementary texture. It's body seemed to be the size of a truck, legs and all the size of a small house.
And as her gaze landed on the spider-creature's massive fangs, a wave of fear and revulsion overtook her, and she was barely able to duck back behind the tree before collapsing. She could already feel it's venom seeping into her veins, it's-
Calm down, dammit. Calm down.
Slowly, she clambered back onto two feet, and picked her crossbow back from where it had fell. After a couple deep breaths, she slid just far around the tree to get another glance at the entrance.
The spider was big, but… it wasn't as big as she had thought. It was wide, but its legs looked thin, and its body was smaller than a cow. If the spider had noticed her, it wasn't reacting at all- it still laid stationary over the tunnel. Still… the journal said there were "giant spiders" hiding by the tunnels, but… this is absurd! Is this sort of abomination the norm for here?!
As disgusted as she was, Estamel knew that whining wouldn't solve her problem. She slid a new charge into her crossbow, and shifted into a crouching sniper stance. Cautiously, she aligned the crosshair on one of the beast's centermost eyes. Now or never, she thought.
With a squeeze of the trigger, the bolt streamed out, striking the beast in it's thorax. It lurched sideways, legs flailing as it tried to determine what had hurt it. A bone-chilling hiss emanated from the creature. Spooked but unfazed, she loaded and fired a second shot, this time striking the creature's maw. It hissed again, stumbling and shaking. Esty almost felt a tinge of sympathy for the beast. It started curling into a defensive stance.
The third shot went straight into it's center-right eye. The beast had a seizure-like spasm before collapsing forward, the body going right over the ledge. One of it's legs hooked onto a fence for a second but came loose, and it went crashing down to the ground about several stories downwards.
Estamel stood up, but was struck by a wave of nausea and had to brace herself against the tree. As she lifted her head, she could feel a new charge of Eiferet from the creature. It almost felt unearned- the spider had no real chance to win against her, and she had still barely been able to hold herself together. As she limped back to her transport, the sensation of something brushing the top of her head made her flinch, but when she looked up she saw it was just a dangling vine. Having had enough, she swapped her crossbow for her old sword, and marched forward at an increased pace as she slashed any vine low enough to impede her.
Once back at the van, she took a short break to calm down before pulling back onto the road. While there were more of the same strange growths in the trees, the spider had seemingly been the only living obstruction on this side of the tunnel.
The tunnel looked just like any underground roadway, with the small exception that- for obvious reasons- the lights were all out. With the headlights on, Estamel could see it had a gentle curve ahead, and as she turned into the tunnel she moved slowly while giving the corner a wide berth. She could see some graffiti on the wall - most of it was faded to the point of illegibility, but a few examples were possible to make out:
NOTHING LEFT HERE
WATCH YOUR SIX
WE WILL NOT BE CONTROLLED
Below the last tag she spotted an object on the ground. Intrigued, she stopped the truck, hopped out, and walked over to inspect with her sword in hand. It looked like a marker pen of some sort? The cap was missing, and when she looked closer, she realized it was stained with what seemed like dried blood.
"Even when this person was hurt, maybe even dying… they still found the time to leave a boast behind on a tunnel no sane person would want to go through". It seemed completely absurd. But part of her couldn't help but admire the artist. Up ahead, she could see another curve, and a faint light drifting in- the exit? Nervously, she walked around the corner, and let out a gasp when she saw what was outside.
Outside the tunnel, a second giant spider was lying sprawled out on the side of the road. It's body was a pale white color, and with a squint she realized that carpace had a number of bullet holes. Looks pretty damn dead. Still, she didn't want to risk it. She pulled a flashbang out of her coat pocket, and threw it out into the open with her back turned. There was a loud boom, and she could hear a couple birds flying away, but the sound of a stunned spider-monster collapsing forward was absent.
Curiosity overcoming caution, she inched out of the tunnel, trying to keep an eye on all directions. When she was out far enough to be sure there was no spider over the ledge, she breathed a sigh of relief. She turned out to see the valley below her.
Unlike the other side of the mountain, there weren't any trees at all at this height. The valley below was even stranger, with large swathes of land seemingly stripped of all plant life. As she scanned in both directions, she realized that the whole valley was covered in alternating 'bands' of thin forest and bare wastelands, each looking at least a mile wide. To her left, she saw what had once been a small city in the center. A stream- much smaller than the Chambello- could be seen near the center, it's water brown.
She turned to take a step back and stumbled, almost falling over. It was as if something had tripped her, but when she looked around there was nothing under her feet. So this is the disorientation the journal talked about. It was even stronger than she had imagined. Thankfully she was able to get a hold of her footing, but even then she felt uneasy. Estamel noticed that the sun above seemed much dimmer, and as a cold gust blew though she felt a chill go down her spine. This place is just plain screwed up.
She turned around to the scene in her proximity. The holes on the spider seemed to be most present on its top side- likely the side that would be visible if you were approaching the tunnel.
Upon closer inspection, one of it's legs had been sawed off, and a mandible seemed to be missing. Poachers? I can't see myself trying to hunt one of these things, let alone cutting it up, but… I guess maybe that's just how it is for some people.
On the plus side, I could use that as a cover story of sorts.
As unnerved and curious as she was, there was one thing she could determine for sure: the road ahead was clear for as far as the eye could see. With a deep breath, she jogged back into the tunnel and made her way back to the van, eager to keep going.
Oh, damn.
Estamel kicked down on the brakes, bringing the van to a screeching stop. It was still too late. One by one, the deer turned and marched up the road. Realizing her mistake,he eased up her foot slightly, just enough to crawl forward. Trying to run through the herd would be suicide, but stopping completely would be a bad move as well.
She started hearing vocalizations from the herd- choked trumpeting sounds, not like any noise she had heard a deer make before. As they drew closer, she got a good look at the firstmost deer, and could immediately tell it wasn't normal. It had a prominent set of incisors and canine teeth- a sign of a carnivore- partly covered by retreating lips. It's eyes appeared bloodshot, and it's body was unusually thin. The beast raised its head and trumpeted, sending a chill down her spine. Still, she kept her car moving. The herd gradually surrounded the van, the clip-clop sounds of hooves on the asphalt echoing into the cabin. A couple individual deer lazily walked out of her way, but it was still too thick for her to pass through. Reluctantly, she pushed down on the brake, and the van petered out into a stop.
A number of deer- mostly bucks, although she could see a couple antler-less does- closed in around the vehicle, seemingly curious as to what was up with the metal entity. One of them behind her bellowed at the back window, and the rest quickly joined in. Estamel couldn't tell if their howls were loud enough to make the inside of the vehicle shake, or if the faint vibrations she felt on the steering wheel were her trembling like a leaf. This was bad- these creatures were trying to gauge if the large "herbivore" in front of them would put up a fight or not. The truck might be inedible, but they didn't know that, and if the vehicle tried to back away- or she made any sudden moves inside the machine- they could easily trash her machine and leave her stranded.
After several waves of bellowing sounds washed over her, the noises died down. She noticed that several of the deer in front of the machine were parting ways, as if to make way for something. While for a second she believed that they had been convinced to leave her alone by now, she noticed a strange tall mass writhing into her left peripheral vision.
As the form came around the herd to the front, it quickly became clear it was another bull deer- but one much larger than its fellows. At a glance, this creature seemed like it could be nearly ten feet tall. It marched all the way around the outside of the herd until it came directly in front of the van, where it turned to face her and came forward, until it's face was about five feet from her own.
The great bull deer stared into Estamel's eyes, and Estamel stared back at the beast.
Don't show any signs of weakness. Just stare back.
The deer inhaled deeply through its nostrils, not breaking its stare once. Its mouth split open to unleash a roar, even louder than its compatriots. It took every ounce of willpower Estamel could summon to not flinch and keep her eyes focused on the beast. Once it was finished, it took a second to watch for a reaction before roaring again. Not only was this deer louder, something about it's bellows sounded human-like, as if it wasn't in fact a deer but a horribly warped human screaming in pain. Her instinct to flee was replaced with a paralyzing numbness as she stared on at the monster.
After what seemed like forever, the bull deer ceased its bellowing. It took a few tentative steps backwards, snorting heavily. Suddenly it swung its head to face leftwards, and the entire herd started slowly backing up. Estamel was confused on what was going on- she hadn't done anything but keep staring. Then she realized- she had won. The deer had recognized that they couldn't dissuade her, and they were worried. She shifted the van back into forward gear and loosened up on the brake. Her ride lazily lurched forward, and unlike before the deer- even the bull- started to steer clear.
A relieving change, but not one she wanted to give the deer any time to reconsider.
As a gap in the herd large enough to slip through formed, she slammed down on the gas pedal and pressed the car horn. "Get the hell out of my way!" she hollered as the van came barreling out of the herd, the horn screaming a warning to get lost.
Riding a van down a sloped road at full speed wasn't exactly responsible driving, but she couldn't care less at the moment. Almost at the end, she caught a glimpse back at. The herd was bunched up in a defensive ball, with no indication they would try to chase after her. Estamel relaxed the gas pedal and sighed in relief.
She still had a long way to go before she was in the clear. But having bypassed this nonsense was reason enough to celebrate.
The weapon had left behind some form of contamination in the air and soil. The effects on animals by itself were generally very weak, besides the disorientation she was already getting used to. But plants growing in the area experienced wild effects- ranging from wild growth to just plain dying- and were filled with dangerous mutagenic compounds. Herbivores that ate from them experienced these effects as well. Predators that ate them could suffer mutagenic effects in turn, but lots of them seemingly refused to eat the tainted meat and left the area or starved. However, the predators that stayed behind and herbivores under the effects had quickly adapted to fill this niche.
As nasty as the weapon was, it had major shortcomings. The zones might be uninhabitable and dangerous, but so long as you were armed to deal with the creatures and could handle the disorientation, you could make your way through without any protective equipment. A major exception was aircraft- the turbulence, electrical interference, and disorientation made flying low over the valley extremely dangerous. However, during wartime this had become a benefit- convoys carrying supplies, soldiers, and evacuees could make their way along the routes without being menaced by enemy aircraft.
Hopefully it'll work the same way for me.
Having reached the floor of the valley, she was cruising along at a leisurely pace, her eyes anxiously darting hither and fro to spot obstacles. This road had been abandoned for far longer than her previous route and it showed- potholes and fallen trees were everywhere. Less frequent but more worrying were the abandoned cars, which were rusting into the ground and shed components into their surroundings.
After passing by what looked like a bus, she checked the van's radio, hoping she could hear something out there. The result was just as she had got when checking it earlier- static, with no signs of a meaningful signal getting through. "Guess I'll be sitting in silence for the rest of the way" she mumbled.
And sit in silence the lonesome driver did, for a long while. The remains of a once-proud township flew by her, but she paid them no mind. Everything about the zone made her feel uneasy, and ignoring it was the only thing that helped. It actually helped a lot- she made it through a couple alternating bands of loose forest and barrenlands before something piqued her interest.
While watching the road, she noticed a glint reflected from a small object in the road. At first she waved it off as just another piece of wreckage, but then she realized that none of the wreckage she saw had been this shiny- almost all of it was covered with rust. Curious, she came to a stop next to the object and hopped out.
Upon closer inspection, the object turned out to be a severed left-side car mirror. It was cracked but not shattered, and both the metal that had once connected it to a vehicle and the yellow paint on the side of the mirror looked good as new- minus the jagged and twisted edge where it had been torn off.
"I might not be an expert on fallen car parts, but that clearly wasn't an intentional removal."
Estamel raised her head and scanned her surroundings. She was in a treeless area at this time, and there were no large objects near the road. A foolish driver losing a side mirror in a collision wasn't news, but there was nothing nearby that could have broken the mirror off. Not good. With nothing to go off of, she returned to the car and began moving once again. However, she kept looking for anything suspicious on the road.
The city she had seen from the tunnel was now sinking into the steep hills behind her. She was approaching the rim of the valley, and in the distance she could make out a pass through the mountains up ahead. Whoever was driving here probably came in that way. Some of the buildings in the vicinity looked like farming structures, although any fields in the vicinity had long become unrecognizable. She noticed a couple feral hogs digging for scraps in fields. They didn't look too different from normal… which, knowing what she did about feral hogs, was a mixed blessing.
Only about a mile away from her last stop she saw a crashed car downhill, lying on it's side on an artificial terrace. At first she thought it was just another old wreck, but she noticed it wasn't rusted at all. It was still painted bright yellow- the same color as the rear-view mirror. There was a couple of the pigs picking at a big object nearby- she couldn't make out what it was, but she had a few ideas.
Slowing down, she considered her options.
Could there have been any survivors from that wreck? It was unlikely they would've stayed here, but it was still possible, and the thought of being left behind in this place sent a chill down her spine. It's worth giving it a look, just to be sure. I have plenty of time. Nervous but interested, Estamel stopped the van. Before getting out, though, she picked up a powerful semi-automatic rifle and a couple magazines of ammo. Her crossbow was powerful but it took time to reload, and with her injuries from earlier a hand-to-hand fight seemed… inadvisable.
The grass in this band was short- it rose a foot or two at the very most, which definitely wasn't enough to hide herself. She almost felt naked walking down the slope without anywhere to hide. She marched along carefully, trying to balance staying alert and discreet with the desire to get in and get out fast.
The dark shape sprawled out in grass next to the SUV grew more detailed as she came closer. The two pigs by it hadn't been its first visitors, large portions of its body had been stripped down to the bone. It must've been huge- the length from what looked like its head to its outstretched rear leg was longer than the length of the truck.
Estamel raised the rifle to her shoulder and absorbed the pigs through the scope. They weren't little squealers themselves- each hog was almost as long as she was tall, and definitely weighed a lot more. One was nibbling on the leg, while the other was a few feet further away, picking at the skull. If they noticed her, they hadn't reacted yet. Good.
She lined up the crosshairs on the closest pig and fired. It screamed and stumbled, but collapsed quickly. A second shot sent its partner tumbling into the grass. Once the two had stopped moving, she sighed and matched.
I didn't have a choice- they might've ran away if I drew closer, but they also could've charged and gored me. Can't take chances.
The stench of the carcass was nasty, but it honestly wasn't as bad as she had expected. Unfortunately, it looked as if these pigs had been late to the party. Between decay and scavenging, the remains were practically unidentifiable. One limb stretched out to the car, terminating in a set of claws firmly embedded in the steel roof.
The vehicle was more interesting. It looked like a typical SUV, with a brand symbol on the grille she couldn't recognize. Nobody was visible in the front seats, which was both good or bad news. Looking closer, she noticed several other tears and dents in the top, as well as a partially open sunroof.
Estamel rubbed her chin, considering the possibilities.
"This thing… it must've attacked the truck, grabbed hold of the side mirror. That broke off, so it jumped on top and got a foothold. Car kept going for a while, but it went out of control- and now this thing's foot was stuck, so it got dragged along. With how jumbled the skeleton is it might've been crushed a couple times.
"But… where did the crew go?"
She peeked into the smashed windshield. The back seats of the car were empty as well, and a wire mesh barrier sealed the trunk from the rest of the cabin. As she crouched down, trying to see if anything was behind the seats, the sound of something shuffling around inside made her flinch.
"Huh?! Who's there?!"
Loud squeaking noises rang out in response. Is that what I think it is in there?
Estamel stowed her rifle and slipped into the front of the car. The dashboard storage compartment was lying open, with some ruined paper documents hanging out. Amidst the shattered glass she could pick out a couple bullet casings and a half-depleted packet of cigars.
Were those the same type of casings I found near the spider? They look similar, but it could just be a coincidence.
Then she heard the shuffling noise again- it was coming from the backseat near the floor. Cautious but interested, she climbed over the front seat and looked down at the floor.
On the ground laid a damaged rodent cage, the top dented inwards by the force of some large object falling on it. Inside she could see some things- a broken water dispenser, an empty food bowl, and a spilled litter box- but what caught her eye was the rat resting inside.
The rat noticed her too- it scrambled up the side of the cage, squeaking indignantly. It was slightly larger than average, with black eyes and light brown fur. It was most definitely a domestic animal, based on its behavior. But who the hell would bring a pet rat on a looting expedition? Estamel tried to think of what purpose the rat could possibly serve.
…Come to think of it, there were actually a lot of things you could do with a rat. They had a good sense of smell, they were smart, and they could slip into spaces other scent animals couldn't. Compared to other scent animals they were cheap to take care of, and could be transported easily. "Hell, I could take this little guy with me if I wanted," she mused.
And then she stopped still, suddenly cognizant of the question she had posed herself.
She didn't know how the rat had been trained to give and follow signals, so it was quite unlikely she'd be able to get it to search for her on her own. Of course, she didn't need it to search for anything- she had stocked up more than enough supplies on the vehicle, and wasn't interested in treasure-hunting here at all. This animal would be nothing but a liability. But still…
Estamel shook her head. This wasn't even an issue of importance- she had come here to look for the passengers, not find a new pet. With a sigh she resumed searching. The back seats of the SUV were still mostly empty, except for a couple empty aluminum cans. They were mostly inscribed in a new foreign language, but she noticed a few significant parts were repeated in Seylinian- a line advertising a 5% alcohol concentration, for example. "Sure looks like we've got a top-notch team on the job here." The rat sat up, ears raised, as if it was interested in the discussion.
Even so, it was too early to draw conclusions. There was no sign of bodies anywhere here, so if they had died, they had died somewhere else. And she still hadn't checked the trunk yet.
She slipped out through the sunroof, and went around to the back of the vehicle. Through the rear window she could see something on the floor, but not what it was, and a tug on the back door revealed it to be locked. With a growl of frustration, she summoned a crowbar, slammed it into the door crack, and pulled it back.
Estamel didn't really expect this to work. She knew that this search was probably futile, and that she should get back to her own truck and go already. But on some level she couldn't accept leaving this one last possibility unchecked, even if the chances of breaking the lock were small. So she bent her legs and dug her feet into the ground, leaning downhill to pull as hard as she could without tearing her stitches, without even
And so, when the door snapped open with a crack, the immediate loss of any resistance sent her springing backwards- right off the terrace and into the air- before she could even open her eyes.
She managed to throw the crowbar away before she reached the ground. Her right foot whacked against the surface first, sending her spinning, and she could only try to protect her head as she rolled down.
Slowly, she came back from the near-unconsciousness the fall had left her in.
She lifted her head slightly, and realized she had gone far- the slope of the hill had given her a long way to fall, and based on the marks in the grass she had slid for a little bit more afterwards. The terrace looked like it was eighty feet away now. Nervously, she tested moving her arms and legs, and found that they weren't paralyzed. It didn't seem like she had broken anything… but it still hurt. It felt as if every inch of her body from her head to her heels had been rubbed with sandpaper. She could tell some of her self-applied bandages and stitches had came loose as well. She tried to sit up, but the aching sensation stopped her.
"I… don't need to leave. I can just wait… for a minute."
Estamel took deep breaths. This wasn't even the worst thing that had happened in the day, and she knew she'd be fine. But the complete surprise of it was still confusing.
I thought I wouldn't be able to get the car open… but why? I guess the lock must've been weakened a lot in the crash, so it's not surprising it gave way. But that doesn't explain why I went flying back so hard. I've never been that strong before, even when…
"Oh, goddammit."
When she had killed the robot hound that morning, she had noticed the flood of Eiferet. She had been far too concerned with getting away, so it didn't make sense to dwell on it, and she hadn't been exerting herself much. But the power had seeped into her regardless. I didn't bother to test at all. I couldn't have known how strong I would be or how flimsy the lock was, but… why did I have to be standing with my back facing downhill?!
She couldn't hear any large animals around. The fallen pigs were seemingly alone. For a while she laid still, waiting for the aching to ease up, until the sound of something caught her ear.
It wasn't much- just a faint rustling in the grass, far too small to be anything of seriousness. She ignored it- just some surviving pest scurrying around this wasteland. But the faint sound became less and less faint, and then she felt little paws brushing her right sleeve. Surprised, she propped herself up and looked at the disturbance.
Standing at her side was the same brown rat that she had found in the truck. She had assumed the rat had been trapped, but the dent in the top must've left enough room for it to crawl out. It crawled up to her hand, sniffing at her as if it was inspecting the scope of her injuries. As it's little black eyes peered up at her face, Estamel felt a twinge of warmth appear in her chest that hadn't been there for a while.
"Hey, little buddy, '' she cooed in Seylinian. "You came down here for me?" With a grunt, she sat up and laid a hand flat on the ground in front of the animal. It climbed on, and she brought it to her chest and stroked it's back lightly. Soft chattering noises came from the creature as it relaxed in her grasp. "Everything's okay now… we're all going to be fine." Feeling just a little lighter, she stood up all the way, and took her first step forwards.
Her rifle had fallen only about a dozen feet away, and was no problem to retrieve. With it slung over her back and the rat cradled in her hands, she marched on up the slope.
The trek was slow, but she was in no hurry. Once she reached the terrace, she turned to look at the now-opened SUV trunk, and let out a small chuckle.
The looters definitely hadn't been picky in what they collected. Inside the trunk she could spot bags of jewelry and coins, machine tools, now-smashed Tupperware, computer parts, mechanical components she didn't quite understand, a bunch of guns, and a huge pile of copper wire were all crammed into the compartment. Most interestingly, there was a small metal lockbox attached to the floor by two chains. When she walked close to inspect it, the rat poked his head in its direction and sniffed, as if it wanted to point out something valuable inside. It didn't look like most of the loot would be useful to her, but the mystery of the lockbox had her interested.
The chains didn't look damaged, but they were very thin. It looked like a bolt cutter would be able to break them, and with a puff of smoke she had one in her hands. Without any hesitation she latched the jaws of the cutter around a link of the chain and applied pressure until it broke, repeating the process for the second chain. With both connections cracked, she picked up the lockbox.
It was lighter than she expected. Wonder if this is using materials you can obtain easily in Bei but don't exist on Earth. Could also just be a cheap piece of junk, though. She gave it a good shake- there was a rattling sound inside, the sound of something made of paper tossing around. Money? A book? It could be anything, honestly.
Estamel walked back through the front of the car again, but she couldn't find anything valuable or that could identify the people who had been on this trip. There was nothing more to find here, nothing of value that could be retrieved anymore. With the case under her arm and the rat in her hand, she returned to the van, prepared to repair her bandages and move on.
The road Estamel had followed merged into what looked like an expressway before climbing into the mountain pass. She noticed an odd shape growing on the side of one tree, and realized she was once again at the edge, with the same mutant trees she had seen before appearing around her. This time she was relieved- she knew she was near the edge once again. However, she kept carefully looking for potential threats, even though Merab's journal claimed this side of the rim was less dangerous. The trees here weren't as dense, and the wide, gently bending road didn't have any ambush points for predators.
She saw a few small animals, but nothing that could pose a threat. There were a couple abandoned trucks hanging about as well- probably not worth the effort of looting them. After only a couple miles, the forest around the path rapidly thinned out. "Does this mean I'm almost there?" She mumbled aloud. Her question was answered when she passed through the final bend, and the expressway curved onto the mountain side.
The van slowed down slightly as she took in the view. While she had been at high spots in the mountains before, her visibility had always been limited by the rest of the range. But at this point, the mountains fell off rapidly. Only a couple rocky peaks were visible near her current location. After that, the range rapidly descended into forested peaks and foothills.
And then there was… almost nothing. The mountain ridge terminated into a vast sea of grass and gently rolling hills. There was one thing she could make out, though- the highway. It continued out all the way to the horizon, a faint gray line drawn across the landscape.
She noticed a tugging sensation on her thigh, and realized that the rat-previously left to rest in the right seat- had crawled onto her, seemingly curious as to what her reaction was about. Chuckling, Estamel stopped the car and picked up the rat, lifting him up so he could see out the window.
"See out there, little guy? That's the edge of the mountain range. We're close to getting out of here." She returned the rat to his spot, and brought the car back all the way to cruising speed.
Even though this was supposed to be a highway, it seemed just as twisty as some of the roads through the rural mountains. It wasn't in good shape either- natural and manmade debris littered the asphalt, seemingly left behind from an evacuation. At one point Estamel had to swerve hard to avoid a tipped-over APC, which- based on the skidmarks on the ground- seemed to have rolled on its side while attempting to go down the same way.
This road must've been a shitshow to ride on if there was heavy traffic. I'm practically lucky that there's nobody else around here.
Debris wasn't the only sign of what had taken place to leave this area deserted. Looking out to the side, she saw a number of abandoned buildings, especially around where roads branched off the highway. Most were simply abandoned, but what had left them that way wasn't hard to imagine. Others showed severe damage from fire or explosions. As she reached the foothills, she saw what had once been a decent-sized town, now with at least half of the buildings partially or completely shattered. She noticed some odd objects near one structure and realized it was a set of playground equipment. There were a couple buildings nearby that could have been schools, but they were too trashed to tell. Estamel shuddered, and moved the van just a little bit above its normal cruising speed.
While the desolate landscape was disturbing, it wasn't enough to sway her from pressing on. After what the clock on the car dashboard told her had been a little over an hour, she had reached the hills, and she finally saw something that piqued her interest. A huge neon sign, riddled with bullet holes, stood over the side of the roadway. It had no power, but the sun- now sitting low in the sky behind her- lit it up well enough:
On the road besides the sign there was a road checkpoint or toll stop. Or at least what could've been a road checkpoint or toll stop- Estamel thought it was one of the two, but it was hard to tell when something had smashed at least half the structure into rubble. She could see only a couple intact gates- all closed, of course. Most interestingly, a path had been cleared right through the center, rubble shoved away to the side to form a clear passage large enough to fit at least a couple trucks through at once,
"Looks like someone didn't want to pay the road toll."
As much as she wanted to make light of this situation, she knew this was no time to let her guard down. A chokepoint like this would be the perfect spot for booby traps or an ambush- she needed to check before going through, even if she didn't see anything right now. She pulled her van over to the right side and undid her seatbelt. The rat noticed her getting up and crawled onto her side. "No, you stay- I've got to check on this." She gently pulled the rat off and placed him back on the right seat, but he lept onto her sleeve immediately. "STAY". The rat squirmed and squeaked indignantly as she grabbed him again.
Estamel paused. It's not his fault he's like this- he was just left abandoned in a wrecked car. He must be anxious about being left again. She relaxed her grip and let him climb over onto her shoulder. I guess it's all good so long as he doesn't try to run away. With a sigh, she opened the door and stepped out, bringing the rifle. The journal had mentioned the mercenaries kept demining equipment, but she hadn't found any in the van left behind- at least nothing she could identify as it, anyways.
As she crept into the forest, she was struck by the sounds of the forest around her. It wasn't anything out of the ordinary, but after so long in the silent quarantine zone it almost felt like a shock. She let the noise wash over her, calibrating her hearing until she could sort out where everything was coming from. There didn't seem to be anything amiss- yet. She continued slinking towards the checkpoint. Something rusted and half-buried in the leaves caught her eye, but a closer look revealed it to be nothing more than a used beverage can. There were a few small animals she saw- songbirds, a rabbit, a group of refreshingly normal deer off in the distance. When the lone hunter was all the way to the other side of the checkpoint, she was startled by rustling sounds in the branches above. She jumped back and raised her gun to the canopy- half expecting to see another monstrous spider above her- and was treated to the sight of two gray-furred squirrels chasing each other through the branches, chattering angrily as they fought over which branch belonged to who. She couldn't help but chuckle briefly before moving on.
Having cleared the right side of the checkpoint, she passed out of the forest behind it and went to the left. She couldn't find anything there, either. The passageway through the rubble had no signs of mines or explosives either. She even tossed a stun grenade into the gap to check- it went off without disturbing anything. The rat squeaked indignantly and seemed to tighten its grip, seemingly frightened by the noise. She sighed.
"Am I just being paranoid?" she asked aloud. The forest remained silent as ever. Finally confident that the checkpoint was clear, she retreated back to the van. As she opened up the door, she took one more look at the sign.
May your memories from here be your greatest souvenirs.
Sitting down inside, Estamel closed her eyes and imagined what the scene at the checkpoint would've looked like under normal circumstances, before war had engulfed the region. A line of cars gathered on each side, impatient drivers honking. Mumbling guards performing the same basic checks over and over again on each vehicle, each time giving the same 'your-cleared-to-pass-now' welcome. The engines of long-haul trucks and intercity buses growling as they accelerated out of the gates. Families chattering, talking about where they wanted to go or what they would do. Perhaps in one of those cars someone would look up at the sign, and tell everyone else to take a look, and maybe someone would ask the rest of the group what their favorite memory was.
She opened up her eyes and saw the checkpoint again. It was empty, ruined, lifeless, just like everything else she had come across in this deserted land. The realization sunk into her that- despite having gone so far in just three days- she hadn't seen a normal human at all since she had arrived in Bei. Her foot pressed down on the gas, and the van lumbered forwards. "It's time to go on. This place isn't meant for us anyways." The van passed through the clearing without the slightest hiccup. Esty let out a tiny chuckle at how worried she had been.
Unlike the roads she had taken earlier, this long-running highway had no abandoned vehicles in sight. Relieved that she wouldn't need to circumnavigate wreckage anymore, she kept pushing down on the petal until the van reached it's top speed. Even now it wasn't particularly fast, but it was more than fast enough. With a click of a button she rolled down the windows slightly and let the wind rush in. The brown rat lifted their snout, nose twitching like a dog. She noticed she could see further and further ahead- the forest is thinning out here.
She eased the van down to it's cruising speed as she pondered her immediate plans.
The van had a better charge- to-drain ratio than the solar rover when on the move. Unfortunately, the dimmness of the Exclusion Zone hadn't just been an illusion- judging by the indicator on the dashboard, the van had been losing a lot more battery going through there than before, and now that the sun was low in the sky it was once again beginning to drop off. Still, she had enough energy to keep going for hours, even in the dark.
"So there lies the question. Should I stop soon and charge up, or keep going on?"
It was a difficult question. The sun was on the edge of setting- if she wanted to lay out the solar tarp, she would have to do it now or wait until the next morning. However, despite clearing clearing the border checkpoint, she was still a stone's throw away. She hadn't heard anything when she stopped earlier, but if there happened to be a search helicopter checking this exit route…
Estamel's train of thought was cut off by the noise of her stomach growling. It was at that point that she realized- the whole day, the only thing she had eaten was a couple breakfast bars. She hadn't even had lunch, and now she was starving. With this new factor in mind she came to a compromise.
"Alright, I'll pull over here and lay out the solar tarp real quick. Then I'll eat something from the rations here, and get back on my way afterwards. That ought to be safe."
She pulled into a meadow as soon as she could. The van was obviously a little bit slower off-road, but it handled surprisingly well. Rather than just stop next to the road, she went all the way to the edge on the other side, hoping that- just in case an aircraft was searching here- they would be only looking for cars moving along the road. It wasn't much but it was worth a try. Bringing it to a stop, she went into the back and retrieved the tarp before exiting.
It barely took a minute to get the tarp unrolled and plugged in, and with that established she picked an MRE pack with "Green Beans and Ham" printed on the cover. It included a flameless heating pack, a plastic spoon, and instructions, making it very simple to prepare. Once it had been heated for the instructed time, she sat down in the van's backdoor to eat. It tasted bland, but it wasn't stale by any means, and she took her time trying to savor every bite. After eating most of the pack she got up and left the rest for her rat to finish off.
The sun was dipping down, nearly touching the edge of the mountains behind her. I'm not going to get much more battery out of this. Estamel took one good look at the landscape behind her before she went out and got hold of the tarp, picking up two corners and bringing them together. In the corner of her eye, she saw something trotting along the highway.
Something that looked like a dog.
With a cry of shock she dropped the tarp and summoned her crossbow again. Her mind was racing- another hound snuck up on me?! How?
But as she brought up the crosshairs on the entity, she realized it wasn't a dog-bot at all. It was much smaller- about the size of a wolf, with a coat of beautiful red fur. Hearing her cry, it stopped and turned it's head to face her, raising a pair of large ears.
The two locked eyes. Estamel's hand trembled slightly as she stared at the animal. It reminded her of some creatures she had seen in zoos, but seeing one out in the wild was stunning. Silently she lowered her weapon, and the wolf swished its tail before trotting on, as if it was wishing good luck to a fellow survivor.
While she wasn't scared, something about the silence felt uneasy to her. She involuntarily reached and clicked the "find channel" button on the radio, only remembering as her hand touched the button that the area she was in didn't have any radio stations. There was a buzz of static, and then music flooded in through the speakers. "What?!" she shouted, jolting the rat in the right seat out of his slumber.
Esty's shock washed away as the music continued. It seemed to be some sort of jazz - or whatever the nearest analogue was for this world. She glanced at the dashboard- the station playing was "99.5 Seiban Swing." The track was wordless, but she could sense a wistful, almost somber tune from the melody. It continued for a while before ending. A new track began- this one with an upbeat, swinging tune.
Estamel let out a deep breath, as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. The van cruised on through the darkness, it's trajectory towards civilization unshakable.
Authors comment:
I'm really, really sorry. I was actually going kinda strong in the weeks after the last chapter- I had about a fourth of this written out. But I lost motivation then. And then I guess I just... kinda gave up for a while. There was times when I thought about restarting, but I never really got anywhere. I guess it's only now that I was able to put together the willpower to get this finished.
I'm absolutely not finished with this story, and I will be sure that the next chapter comes along much sooner. Also, I'm going to go through and proofread/smooth out the older chapters this week. Thank you for reading, and I'll see you next time.
And we can't have that around here, she mused, as she reached the top of the bend.
At these heights, trees were giving way to short shrubs and grass. They weren't completely gone though, so when she had seen what looked like a patch of light forest on the other side of a bridge ahead, she crossed the bridge and continued on unfazed- until she got close enough to make out their shape, after which she had hastily turned around and retreated behind a bend in the road. After a couple minutes of planning, she had decided to get a better look at the anomaly, hoping it was just her imagination.
Unfortunately, as she looked out through her binoculars, it seemed that things weren't going to be that simple.
Her first instincts hadn't been completely wrong- these structures did seem to be "trees" of a sort. They had trunks, roots on the ground, normal leaves, and in one she could even make out a bird's nest. However, they were misshapen in ways she didn't think was possible. She could see branches and trunks twisting and bending at random angles. There were swollen protrusions on many of the trees, as if they were suffering from cancers. The strangest part was the thick rope-like vines enmeshing the grove. Not only were they strangely large, long cords of them dangled down with noose-like loops.
This definitely isn't normal. The shapes, the odd growths, the vines- maybe if it was just one of them. But it's all of them, and the entire grove is affected. Something bad is here…
Estamel's stomach lurched as she saw something swinging from one of the trees. But as she looked closer, she realized it wasn't a person- it was a strange hunk of bark and leafy growth, growing vaguely in the shape of a dog. It wasn't alone- a few trees had fake animals snared in their nooses, some had fake people and others had… creatures? The strange things she saw tangled up in a couple trees didn't look like any sort of animal she had seen.
Deep inside the grove, she spotted a fallen billboard sign. It was fading, but she could discern the phrase Kavala Point written on the sign.
"...Alright, pull it together. I already know what happened here."
While most of the disputed territory was simply abandoned, both Melissa and the mercenary had mentioned a number of 'red zones' filled with mutated flora and fauna- the latter of which were highly aggressive. These were apparently the result of now-illegal weapons used in a conflict decades ago, and while they weren't that big, they often happened to cut through what would otherwise be very good transit routes in the mountains.
Come to think of it, Merab had mentioned having to skirt the edges of one when coming through the Malcodor ridge once…
Crap. I should've been checking through the journal as I was going. Why do I keep making mistakes like this?
Well… no point in beating myself up. Let's do what we should've done from the start.
As Estamel walked down to the van, she could feel the stitches in her side and thigh ache, a painful reminder of how out of her own depth she was. She might have beaten the creature, but it was close- if it hadn't tried to play with her or there hadn't been a rocket launcher in the van, she wouldn't have been so lucky.
And I still don't actually know how to channel Eiferet into specialized skills or whatever. I can feel the buzz from the energy after killing that thing- it's subtle, but it's still there- but it may as well be useless right now.
Once she was in the van, she pulled the journal out and started looking for any mention of the town.
Although she had gained the ability to read Merab's language, this only seemed to encompass words and concepts she already knew- which, given the prominence of magic and otherworldly technology on Bei, frequently limited the information she could glean from certain entries. The sentence structure of the writing didn't help either. While Seylinian was very similar to English, a language she already knew- enough that she hadn't even noticed when she used her decrypting ability the first time- the journal didn't resemble any script she had studied in detail, even if it did look vaguely familiar. It took a bit longer for her to parse.
Fortunately, it didn't take long to find a mention of Kavala Point, with the entry dated just a couple weeks before Merab's writing was cut off. Unfortunately, that also happened to be the time when the situation on the border was just about to turn into open warfare.
6/18/935:
The planes carrying the "special cargo" arrived early morning, before sunrise. The first one delivered a set of high-grade radio transmission devices, allegedly designed to function in environments with high levels of interference. The next delivery was a bit weirder- two combat engineers, a radio technician, and a pair of Ambekan civilians, both of them very old. We escorted them into the camp, where we were filled in on what's happening.
After the disastrous press conference the People's United Peacekeepers held three days ago, public support for them has been cratering. At this very moment protests are occurring in several of their patron countries, calling for the group to be stripped of their mandate and replaced on the Bergania- Ambekan Republic border by a real military coalition.
Would've been nice if this backlash earlier- not after ten months of the PUP actively covering up Bergania's gov trampling on the truce conditions- but I'll take what I can get. Of course it's understandable why politicians aren't eager to give up on the PUP, given how much of a political darling it was before the start of the incident. Either way, this all isn't enough. We need to find undeniable evidence of the PUP's collaboration with Bergania, and get them kicked out NOW. Luckily, Command has intelligence on something that just might be the perfect opportunity.
On the south side of the Malcodor Ridge- right on the edge of the Kavala Point Exclusion Zone- is a small compound housing a communications tower, supposedly written off years. A credible source has claimed that this facility has secretly been repaired, and has been used to transmit encrypted signals back and forth from the Berganian military to their collaborators in the Peoples United Peacekeepers. Command has directed us to assemble a small team of operators into the zone and plant the provided listening device near the tower, which will allow us to record what's being transmitted and provide proof of collaboration.
Of course, this is far easier said than done. The abnormal air currents and electrical interference around the zone make flying manned aircraft in for recovery or air support impossible- our recon drones were barely able to last five minutes there before going down. The tower is in a remote area of the zone far from the major routes- we're likely going to see much more hostile creatures there than normal. On top of that, the exclusion zone still has its disorienting miasma, and while that's not insurmountable it'll be more problematic when we'll be venturing far from the normal routes. The two civilians that arrived are guides who have led convoys through area before, and volunteered to help us find our way through the zone safely.
I was specifically requested for the infiltration team, due to my experience with missions in corrupted areas. Was told that I could back out if I wished, but I responded that I absolutely wouldn't be turning this down. We've lost a lot of good soldiers on this job because of the PUP misleading us. I'm ready to end this nonsense, once and for all.
At this time, me and the rest of my squad are making preparations for the mission. Let's just hope for the best…
Merab's handwriting was noticeably messier in the next entry. According to him, the incursion went as planned, with the team being able to slip in, install the listening device, and escape successfully, with only a couple soldiers suffering minor injuries. However, the zone was still creepy as hell, with odd creatures scattered everywhere and the landscape alien in appearance. Helpfully, he provided a detailed description of the path he took through the zone and the creatures he saw on the way.
"So, if this is the highway that Merab's squad followed into the city, it should still go through the city and come out the other side. There might be dangerous creatures, but this is the daytime, so it shouldn't be that dangerous. And that…" Estamel trailed off, realizing the sheer level of uncertainty she was faced with.
With a sigh, she closed her eyes and tried to weigh her options.
This would be very dangerous. Her van wasn't particularly noisy, but it would definitely draw more attention than the mercenary squad. And even though the zone would be relatively safe to cross at this time, she wasn't exactly in peak fighting condition. The journal had mentioned there were at least three clear routes over the Malcodor Ridge- if she searched through it more, went back towards Breakwater Landing, and put things together, she would certainly be able to find it. Alternatively, she could set up the GPS for a brief check of her location.
This seems like a no-brainer. Either I take the time to find a safe route, or I rush through a corrupted wasteland just to shave off a day or two. Especially after the fight with the robot hound, why would I…
Estamel's thoughts trailed off as she heard something off in the distance. While it was faint, she could tell it was coming out from the north, back the way she had come from. It almost sounded like helicopter blades- but why? There was effectively nothing out here, except-
"Oh, shit." The realization washed over her like a tidal wave.
The hound that had attacked her hadn't come out of nowhere- it must've been sent by the NPOI after she left the confines of the base. And while it had failed to kill her, it had undoubtedly relayed her position back to its masters. Melissa had mentioned that the NPOI frequently sent helicopter squads to catch intruders in the quarantine zone- although siddim were supposed to be left alone to avoid unintentionally giving them Eiferet, a condition that the NPOI hadn't been happy about- but that she wasn't sure how the helicopters managed to find people.
But they didn't know I was a siddim- Melissa killed everyone before I got there, and the security cameras weren't able to record anything, so they could've believed she had broken in until the hound saw me firsthand. And even if they knew it was me from the start, the only person who has actual evidence they were going after a siddim is me- and I'll be dead. Dammit…
The noise didn't seem to be getting any closer at the moment, but it was still there. Retreating back wasn't an option. Neither was hiding- there was nowhere along the road with proper cover, especially if the choppers had advanced sensors or a new hound. Or if they decided to call in another firebomb strike.
Frustrated, she sat down in the driver's seat and slammed the car door shut. Briefly rubbing her forehead, she checked the entry one last time, before returning it to her backpack. With a twist of the keys and a kick to the pedal, the van lurched back onto the road.
Estamel spun the wheel left, bringing it onto a course directly towards the fallen city.
***
As the van reached the forest of twisted trees once again, Estamel came near one of the weird things entangled in the ropes, and slowed down to get a better look. It was vaguely humanoid in form, with long, spindly arms and a body covered in tree bark. Its legs were both severed short, one above the knee and one below, and a gash on its abdomen left what looked like rotten leaves spilling out. Nothing was visible where its eyes should've been.Gross. At least it's harmless.
Looks like there's a lot of weird things mangled up in the trees, but nothing actually real or alive. Hope it stays that way.
She pushed down on the pedal, the van steadily accelerating back up to it's cruising speed. This area was only on the outskirts of the corrupted zone, and while it wasn't very dangerous, it wouldn't provide any cover. Trees flew past, with more oddities visible that she didn't understand and was quite comfortable not looking at. It wasn't until she saw a sign indicating a tunnel ahead that she pulled over, retrieving a few items from the back before she dismounted.
As she stepped out the door, she immediately noticed the wind. While the wind was noticeable on the mountains, it took on an almost disorienting character here, with gusts blowing by every few seconds in what seemed to be random directions. "Guess they weren't lying about this being hell to fly planes around," she mumbled to herself. Walking into the woods, she once again summoned her crossbow. This time, she had added a rail on the top, onto which she slid on a small scope. As a final measure, she tucked her scarf under her coat, to limit any bright colors visible from a difference.
Before long she came to a ledge, with the entrance to a tunnel clearly visible further on the mountainside. Cautiously, she peeked out behind a tree and used the scope to observe the entrance. Huh… seems completely clear? Maybe they don't come out in the…
Estamel's thoughts dimmed as she recognized the monstrosity hanging over the tunnel. It's eight long, spindly legs and rotund body had somehow taken on colors that blended perfectly in with the trees and the rock face, the matted fur over it's body adding a complementary texture. It's body seemed to be the size of a truck, legs and all the size of a small house.
And as her gaze landed on the spider-creature's massive fangs, a wave of fear and revulsion overtook her, and she was barely able to duck back behind the tree before collapsing. She could already feel it's venom seeping into her veins, it's-
Calm down, dammit. Calm down.
Slowly, she clambered back onto two feet, and picked her crossbow back from where it had fell. After a couple deep breaths, she slid just far around the tree to get another glance at the entrance.
The spider was big, but… it wasn't as big as she had thought. It was wide, but its legs looked thin, and its body was smaller than a cow. If the spider had noticed her, it wasn't reacting at all- it still laid stationary over the tunnel. Still… the journal said there were "giant spiders" hiding by the tunnels, but… this is absurd! Is this sort of abomination the norm for here?!
As disgusted as she was, Estamel knew that whining wouldn't solve her problem. She slid a new charge into her crossbow, and shifted into a crouching sniper stance. Cautiously, she aligned the crosshair on one of the beast's centermost eyes. Now or never, she thought.
With a squeeze of the trigger, the bolt streamed out, striking the beast in it's thorax. It lurched sideways, legs flailing as it tried to determine what had hurt it. A bone-chilling hiss emanated from the creature. Spooked but unfazed, she loaded and fired a second shot, this time striking the creature's maw. It hissed again, stumbling and shaking. Esty almost felt a tinge of sympathy for the beast. It started curling into a defensive stance.
The third shot went straight into it's center-right eye. The beast had a seizure-like spasm before collapsing forward, the body going right over the ledge. One of it's legs hooked onto a fence for a second but came loose, and it went crashing down to the ground about several stories downwards.
Estamel stood up, but was struck by a wave of nausea and had to brace herself against the tree. As she lifted her head, she could feel a new charge of Eiferet from the creature. It almost felt unearned- the spider had no real chance to win against her, and she had still barely been able to hold herself together. As she limped back to her transport, the sensation of something brushing the top of her head made her flinch, but when she looked up she saw it was just a dangling vine. Having had enough, she swapped her crossbow for her old sword, and marched forward at an increased pace as she slashed any vine low enough to impede her.
Once back at the van, she took a short break to calm down before pulling back onto the road. While there were more of the same strange growths in the trees, the spider had seemingly been the only living obstruction on this side of the tunnel.
The tunnel looked just like any underground roadway, with the small exception that- for obvious reasons- the lights were all out. With the headlights on, Estamel could see it had a gentle curve ahead, and as she turned into the tunnel she moved slowly while giving the corner a wide berth. She could see some graffiti on the wall - most of it was faded to the point of illegibility, but a few examples were possible to make out:
NOTHING LEFT HERE
WATCH YOUR SIX
WE WILL NOT BE CONTROLLED
Below the last tag she spotted an object on the ground. Intrigued, she stopped the truck, hopped out, and walked over to inspect with her sword in hand. It looked like a marker pen of some sort? The cap was missing, and when she looked closer, she realized it was stained with what seemed like dried blood.
"Even when this person was hurt, maybe even dying… they still found the time to leave a boast behind on a tunnel no sane person would want to go through". It seemed completely absurd. But part of her couldn't help but admire the artist. Up ahead, she could see another curve, and a faint light drifting in- the exit? Nervously, she walked around the corner, and let out a gasp when she saw what was outside.
Outside the tunnel, a second giant spider was lying sprawled out on the side of the road. It's body was a pale white color, and with a squint she realized that carpace had a number of bullet holes. Looks pretty damn dead. Still, she didn't want to risk it. She pulled a flashbang out of her coat pocket, and threw it out into the open with her back turned. There was a loud boom, and she could hear a couple birds flying away, but the sound of a stunned spider-monster collapsing forward was absent.
Curiosity overcoming caution, she inched out of the tunnel, trying to keep an eye on all directions. When she was out far enough to be sure there was no spider over the ledge, she breathed a sigh of relief. She turned out to see the valley below her.
Unlike the other side of the mountain, there weren't any trees at all at this height. The valley below was even stranger, with large swathes of land seemingly stripped of all plant life. As she scanned in both directions, she realized that the whole valley was covered in alternating 'bands' of thin forest and bare wastelands, each looking at least a mile wide. To her left, she saw what had once been a small city in the center. A stream- much smaller than the Chambello- could be seen near the center, it's water brown.
She turned to take a step back and stumbled, almost falling over. It was as if something had tripped her, but when she looked around there was nothing under her feet. So this is the disorientation the journal talked about. It was even stronger than she had imagined. Thankfully she was able to get a hold of her footing, but even then she felt uneasy. Estamel noticed that the sun above seemed much dimmer, and as a cold gust blew though she felt a chill go down her spine. This place is just plain screwed up.
She turned around to the scene in her proximity. The holes on the spider seemed to be most present on its top side- likely the side that would be visible if you were approaching the tunnel.
Upon closer inspection, one of it's legs had been sawed off, and a mandible seemed to be missing. Poachers? I can't see myself trying to hunt one of these things, let alone cutting it up, but… I guess maybe that's just how it is for some people.
On the plus side, I could use that as a cover story of sorts.
As unnerved and curious as she was, there was one thing she could determine for sure: the road ahead was clear for as far as the eye could see. With a deep breath, she jogged back into the tunnel and made her way back to the van, eager to keep going.
***
While there were a few structures on the mountain, they looked as if they had been left abandoned far longer than the ones she had seen so far. At least half of them had straight-up collapsed- natural erosion having been accelerated by the lack of plant life- and the rest were falling to pieces nevertheless. A nervous, dismal feeling settled over the lonely driver as she descended down the great slope. She kept the car at a fraction of it's full speed- partly because she wanted to conserve the charge, partly because the lightheadedness brought on by the valley would've made anything faster dangerous. When she was nearing the base of the mountain, she noticed a mass of dark shapes gathered around the road, most slowly clambering leftwards. As the car drew within two hundred feet, the shapes resolved into a large herd of deer. A number of them raised their heads to look in her direction.
Oh, damn.
Estamel kicked down on the brakes, bringing the van to a screeching stop. It was still too late. One by one, the deer turned and marched up the road. Realizing her mistake,he eased up her foot slightly, just enough to crawl forward. Trying to run through the herd would be suicide, but stopping completely would be a bad move as well.
She started hearing vocalizations from the herd- choked trumpeting sounds, not like any noise she had heard a deer make before. As they drew closer, she got a good look at the firstmost deer, and could immediately tell it wasn't normal. It had a prominent set of incisors and canine teeth- a sign of a carnivore- partly covered by retreating lips. It's eyes appeared bloodshot, and it's body was unusually thin. The beast raised its head and trumpeted, sending a chill down her spine. Still, she kept her car moving. The herd gradually surrounded the van, the clip-clop sounds of hooves on the asphalt echoing into the cabin. A couple individual deer lazily walked out of her way, but it was still too thick for her to pass through. Reluctantly, she pushed down on the brake, and the van petered out into a stop.
A number of deer- mostly bucks, although she could see a couple antler-less does- closed in around the vehicle, seemingly curious as to what was up with the metal entity. One of them behind her bellowed at the back window, and the rest quickly joined in. Estamel couldn't tell if their howls were loud enough to make the inside of the vehicle shake, or if the faint vibrations she felt on the steering wheel were her trembling like a leaf. This was bad- these creatures were trying to gauge if the large "herbivore" in front of them would put up a fight or not. The truck might be inedible, but they didn't know that, and if the vehicle tried to back away- or she made any sudden moves inside the machine- they could easily trash her machine and leave her stranded.
After several waves of bellowing sounds washed over her, the noises died down. She noticed that several of the deer in front of the machine were parting ways, as if to make way for something. While for a second she believed that they had been convinced to leave her alone by now, she noticed a strange tall mass writhing into her left peripheral vision.
As the form came around the herd to the front, it quickly became clear it was another bull deer- but one much larger than its fellows. At a glance, this creature seemed like it could be nearly ten feet tall. It marched all the way around the outside of the herd until it came directly in front of the van, where it turned to face her and came forward, until it's face was about five feet from her own.
The great bull deer stared into Estamel's eyes, and Estamel stared back at the beast.
Don't show any signs of weakness. Just stare back.
The deer inhaled deeply through its nostrils, not breaking its stare once. Its mouth split open to unleash a roar, even louder than its compatriots. It took every ounce of willpower Estamel could summon to not flinch and keep her eyes focused on the beast. Once it was finished, it took a second to watch for a reaction before roaring again. Not only was this deer louder, something about it's bellows sounded human-like, as if it wasn't in fact a deer but a horribly warped human screaming in pain. Her instinct to flee was replaced with a paralyzing numbness as she stared on at the monster.
After what seemed like forever, the bull deer ceased its bellowing. It took a few tentative steps backwards, snorting heavily. Suddenly it swung its head to face leftwards, and the entire herd started slowly backing up. Estamel was confused on what was going on- she hadn't done anything but keep staring. Then she realized- she had won. The deer had recognized that they couldn't dissuade her, and they were worried. She shifted the van back into forward gear and loosened up on the brake. Her ride lazily lurched forward, and unlike before the deer- even the bull- started to steer clear.
A relieving change, but not one she wanted to give the deer any time to reconsider.
As a gap in the herd large enough to slip through formed, she slammed down on the gas pedal and pressed the car horn. "Get the hell out of my way!" she hollered as the van came barreling out of the herd, the horn screaming a warning to get lost.
Riding a van down a sloped road at full speed wasn't exactly responsible driving, but she couldn't care less at the moment. Almost at the end, she caught a glimpse back at. The herd was bunched up in a defensive ball, with no indication they would try to chase after her. Estamel relaxed the gas pedal and sighed in relief.
She still had a long way to go before she was in the clear. But having bypassed this nonsense was reason enough to celebrate.
***
Understanding how the superweapon used on Kavala worked was confusing. It was the product of ancient arts and scientific doctrines she didn't know existed until a week ago. Of course, the precise details of the machine were top secret, and neither Melissa nor the mercenaries cared about how it functioned anyways. What mattered was the effect it had on the world around them right now.
The weapon had left behind some form of contamination in the air and soil. The effects on animals by itself were generally very weak, besides the disorientation she was already getting used to. But plants growing in the area experienced wild effects- ranging from wild growth to just plain dying- and were filled with dangerous mutagenic compounds. Herbivores that ate from them experienced these effects as well. Predators that ate them could suffer mutagenic effects in turn, but lots of them seemingly refused to eat the tainted meat and left the area or starved. However, the predators that stayed behind and herbivores under the effects had quickly adapted to fill this niche.
As nasty as the weapon was, it had major shortcomings. The zones might be uninhabitable and dangerous, but so long as you were armed to deal with the creatures and could handle the disorientation, you could make your way through without any protective equipment. A major exception was aircraft- the turbulence, electrical interference, and disorientation made flying low over the valley extremely dangerous. However, during wartime this had become a benefit- convoys carrying supplies, soldiers, and evacuees could make their way along the routes without being menaced by enemy aircraft.
Hopefully it'll work the same way for me.
Having reached the floor of the valley, she was cruising along at a leisurely pace, her eyes anxiously darting hither and fro to spot obstacles. This road had been abandoned for far longer than her previous route and it showed- potholes and fallen trees were everywhere. Less frequent but more worrying were the abandoned cars, which were rusting into the ground and shed components into their surroundings.
After passing by what looked like a bus, she checked the van's radio, hoping she could hear something out there. The result was just as she had got when checking it earlier- static, with no signs of a meaningful signal getting through. "Guess I'll be sitting in silence for the rest of the way" she mumbled.
And sit in silence the lonesome driver did, for a long while. The remains of a once-proud township flew by her, but she paid them no mind. Everything about the zone made her feel uneasy, and ignoring it was the only thing that helped. It actually helped a lot- she made it through a couple alternating bands of loose forest and barrenlands before something piqued her interest.
While watching the road, she noticed a glint reflected from a small object in the road. At first she waved it off as just another piece of wreckage, but then she realized that none of the wreckage she saw had been this shiny- almost all of it was covered with rust. Curious, she came to a stop next to the object and hopped out.
Upon closer inspection, the object turned out to be a severed left-side car mirror. It was cracked but not shattered, and both the metal that had once connected it to a vehicle and the yellow paint on the side of the mirror looked good as new- minus the jagged and twisted edge where it had been torn off.
"I might not be an expert on fallen car parts, but that clearly wasn't an intentional removal."
Estamel raised her head and scanned her surroundings. She was in a treeless area at this time, and there were no large objects near the road. A foolish driver losing a side mirror in a collision wasn't news, but there was nothing nearby that could have broken the mirror off. Not good. With nothing to go off of, she returned to the car and began moving once again. However, she kept looking for anything suspicious on the road.
The city she had seen from the tunnel was now sinking into the steep hills behind her. She was approaching the rim of the valley, and in the distance she could make out a pass through the mountains up ahead. Whoever was driving here probably came in that way. Some of the buildings in the vicinity looked like farming structures, although any fields in the vicinity had long become unrecognizable. She noticed a couple feral hogs digging for scraps in fields. They didn't look too different from normal… which, knowing what she did about feral hogs, was a mixed blessing.
Only about a mile away from her last stop she saw a crashed car downhill, lying on it's side on an artificial terrace. At first she thought it was just another old wreck, but she noticed it wasn't rusted at all. It was still painted bright yellow- the same color as the rear-view mirror. There was a couple of the pigs picking at a big object nearby- she couldn't make out what it was, but she had a few ideas.
Slowing down, she considered her options.
Could there have been any survivors from that wreck? It was unlikely they would've stayed here, but it was still possible, and the thought of being left behind in this place sent a chill down her spine. It's worth giving it a look, just to be sure. I have plenty of time. Nervous but interested, Estamel stopped the van. Before getting out, though, she picked up a powerful semi-automatic rifle and a couple magazines of ammo. Her crossbow was powerful but it took time to reload, and with her injuries from earlier a hand-to-hand fight seemed… inadvisable.
The grass in this band was short- it rose a foot or two at the very most, which definitely wasn't enough to hide herself. She almost felt naked walking down the slope without anywhere to hide. She marched along carefully, trying to balance staying alert and discreet with the desire to get in and get out fast.
The dark shape sprawled out in grass next to the SUV grew more detailed as she came closer. The two pigs by it hadn't been its first visitors, large portions of its body had been stripped down to the bone. It must've been huge- the length from what looked like its head to its outstretched rear leg was longer than the length of the truck.
Estamel raised the rifle to her shoulder and absorbed the pigs through the scope. They weren't little squealers themselves- each hog was almost as long as she was tall, and definitely weighed a lot more. One was nibbling on the leg, while the other was a few feet further away, picking at the skull. If they noticed her, they hadn't reacted yet. Good.
She lined up the crosshairs on the closest pig and fired. It screamed and stumbled, but collapsed quickly. A second shot sent its partner tumbling into the grass. Once the two had stopped moving, she sighed and matched.
I didn't have a choice- they might've ran away if I drew closer, but they also could've charged and gored me. Can't take chances.
The stench of the carcass was nasty, but it honestly wasn't as bad as she had expected. Unfortunately, it looked as if these pigs had been late to the party. Between decay and scavenging, the remains were practically unidentifiable. One limb stretched out to the car, terminating in a set of claws firmly embedded in the steel roof.
The vehicle was more interesting. It looked like a typical SUV, with a brand symbol on the grille she couldn't recognize. Nobody was visible in the front seats, which was both good or bad news. Looking closer, she noticed several other tears and dents in the top, as well as a partially open sunroof.
Estamel rubbed her chin, considering the possibilities.
"This thing… it must've attacked the truck, grabbed hold of the side mirror. That broke off, so it jumped on top and got a foothold. Car kept going for a while, but it went out of control- and now this thing's foot was stuck, so it got dragged along. With how jumbled the skeleton is it might've been crushed a couple times.
"But… where did the crew go?"
She peeked into the smashed windshield. The back seats of the car were empty as well, and a wire mesh barrier sealed the trunk from the rest of the cabin. As she crouched down, trying to see if anything was behind the seats, the sound of something shuffling around inside made her flinch.
"Huh?! Who's there?!"
Loud squeaking noises rang out in response. Is that what I think it is in there?
Estamel stowed her rifle and slipped into the front of the car. The dashboard storage compartment was lying open, with some ruined paper documents hanging out. Amidst the shattered glass she could pick out a couple bullet casings and a half-depleted packet of cigars.
Were those the same type of casings I found near the spider? They look similar, but it could just be a coincidence.
Then she heard the shuffling noise again- it was coming from the backseat near the floor. Cautious but interested, she climbed over the front seat and looked down at the floor.
On the ground laid a damaged rodent cage, the top dented inwards by the force of some large object falling on it. Inside she could see some things- a broken water dispenser, an empty food bowl, and a spilled litter box- but what caught her eye was the rat resting inside.
The rat noticed her too- it scrambled up the side of the cage, squeaking indignantly. It was slightly larger than average, with black eyes and light brown fur. It was most definitely a domestic animal, based on its behavior. But who the hell would bring a pet rat on a looting expedition? Estamel tried to think of what purpose the rat could possibly serve.
…Come to think of it, there were actually a lot of things you could do with a rat. They had a good sense of smell, they were smart, and they could slip into spaces other scent animals couldn't. Compared to other scent animals they were cheap to take care of, and could be transported easily. "Hell, I could take this little guy with me if I wanted," she mused.
And then she stopped still, suddenly cognizant of the question she had posed herself.
She didn't know how the rat had been trained to give and follow signals, so it was quite unlikely she'd be able to get it to search for her on her own. Of course, she didn't need it to search for anything- she had stocked up more than enough supplies on the vehicle, and wasn't interested in treasure-hunting here at all. This animal would be nothing but a liability. But still…
Estamel shook her head. This wasn't even an issue of importance- she had come here to look for the passengers, not find a new pet. With a sigh she resumed searching. The back seats of the SUV were still mostly empty, except for a couple empty aluminum cans. They were mostly inscribed in a new foreign language, but she noticed a few significant parts were repeated in Seylinian- a line advertising a 5% alcohol concentration, for example. "Sure looks like we've got a top-notch team on the job here." The rat sat up, ears raised, as if it was interested in the discussion.
Even so, it was too early to draw conclusions. There was no sign of bodies anywhere here, so if they had died, they had died somewhere else. And she still hadn't checked the trunk yet.
She slipped out through the sunroof, and went around to the back of the vehicle. Through the rear window she could see something on the floor, but not what it was, and a tug on the back door revealed it to be locked. With a growl of frustration, she summoned a crowbar, slammed it into the door crack, and pulled it back.
Estamel didn't really expect this to work. She knew that this search was probably futile, and that she should get back to her own truck and go already. But on some level she couldn't accept leaving this one last possibility unchecked, even if the chances of breaking the lock were small. So she bent her legs and dug her feet into the ground, leaning downhill to pull as hard as she could without tearing her stitches, without even
And so, when the door snapped open with a crack, the immediate loss of any resistance sent her springing backwards- right off the terrace and into the air- before she could even open her eyes.
She managed to throw the crowbar away before she reached the ground. Her right foot whacked against the surface first, sending her spinning, and she could only try to protect her head as she rolled down.
Slowly, she came back from the near-unconsciousness the fall had left her in.
She lifted her head slightly, and realized she had gone far- the slope of the hill had given her a long way to fall, and based on the marks in the grass she had slid for a little bit more afterwards. The terrace looked like it was eighty feet away now. Nervously, she tested moving her arms and legs, and found that they weren't paralyzed. It didn't seem like she had broken anything… but it still hurt. It felt as if every inch of her body from her head to her heels had been rubbed with sandpaper. She could tell some of her self-applied bandages and stitches had came loose as well. She tried to sit up, but the aching sensation stopped her.
"I… don't need to leave. I can just wait… for a minute."
Estamel took deep breaths. This wasn't even the worst thing that had happened in the day, and she knew she'd be fine. But the complete surprise of it was still confusing.
I thought I wouldn't be able to get the car open… but why? I guess the lock must've been weakened a lot in the crash, so it's not surprising it gave way. But that doesn't explain why I went flying back so hard. I've never been that strong before, even when…
"Oh, goddammit."
When she had killed the robot hound that morning, she had noticed the flood of Eiferet. She had been far too concerned with getting away, so it didn't make sense to dwell on it, and she hadn't been exerting herself much. But the power had seeped into her regardless. I didn't bother to test at all. I couldn't have known how strong I would be or how flimsy the lock was, but… why did I have to be standing with my back facing downhill?!
She couldn't hear any large animals around. The fallen pigs were seemingly alone. For a while she laid still, waiting for the aching to ease up, until the sound of something caught her ear.
It wasn't much- just a faint rustling in the grass, far too small to be anything of seriousness. She ignored it- just some surviving pest scurrying around this wasteland. But the faint sound became less and less faint, and then she felt little paws brushing her right sleeve. Surprised, she propped herself up and looked at the disturbance.
Standing at her side was the same brown rat that she had found in the truck. She had assumed the rat had been trapped, but the dent in the top must've left enough room for it to crawl out. It crawled up to her hand, sniffing at her as if it was inspecting the scope of her injuries. As it's little black eyes peered up at her face, Estamel felt a twinge of warmth appear in her chest that hadn't been there for a while.
"Hey, little buddy, '' she cooed in Seylinian. "You came down here for me?" With a grunt, she sat up and laid a hand flat on the ground in front of the animal. It climbed on, and she brought it to her chest and stroked it's back lightly. Soft chattering noises came from the creature as it relaxed in her grasp. "Everything's okay now… we're all going to be fine." Feeling just a little lighter, she stood up all the way, and took her first step forwards.
Her rifle had fallen only about a dozen feet away, and was no problem to retrieve. With it slung over her back and the rat cradled in her hands, she marched on up the slope.
The trek was slow, but she was in no hurry. Once she reached the terrace, she turned to look at the now-opened SUV trunk, and let out a small chuckle.
The looters definitely hadn't been picky in what they collected. Inside the trunk she could spot bags of jewelry and coins, machine tools, now-smashed Tupperware, computer parts, mechanical components she didn't quite understand, a bunch of guns, and a huge pile of copper wire were all crammed into the compartment. Most interestingly, there was a small metal lockbox attached to the floor by two chains. When she walked close to inspect it, the rat poked his head in its direction and sniffed, as if it wanted to point out something valuable inside. It didn't look like most of the loot would be useful to her, but the mystery of the lockbox had her interested.
The chains didn't look damaged, but they were very thin. It looked like a bolt cutter would be able to break them, and with a puff of smoke she had one in her hands. Without any hesitation she latched the jaws of the cutter around a link of the chain and applied pressure until it broke, repeating the process for the second chain. With both connections cracked, she picked up the lockbox.
It was lighter than she expected. Wonder if this is using materials you can obtain easily in Bei but don't exist on Earth. Could also just be a cheap piece of junk, though. She gave it a good shake- there was a rattling sound inside, the sound of something made of paper tossing around. Money? A book? It could be anything, honestly.
Estamel walked back through the front of the car again, but she couldn't find anything valuable or that could identify the people who had been on this trip. There was nothing more to find here, nothing of value that could be retrieved anymore. With the case under her arm and the rat in her hand, she returned to the van, prepared to repair her bandages and move on.
***
The road Estamel had followed merged into what looked like an expressway before climbing into the mountain pass. She noticed an odd shape growing on the side of one tree, and realized she was once again at the edge, with the same mutant trees she had seen before appearing around her. This time she was relieved- she knew she was near the edge once again. However, she kept carefully looking for potential threats, even though Merab's journal claimed this side of the rim was less dangerous. The trees here weren't as dense, and the wide, gently bending road didn't have any ambush points for predators.
She saw a few small animals, but nothing that could pose a threat. There were a couple abandoned trucks hanging about as well- probably not worth the effort of looting them. After only a couple miles, the forest around the path rapidly thinned out. "Does this mean I'm almost there?" She mumbled aloud. Her question was answered when she passed through the final bend, and the expressway curved onto the mountain side.
The van slowed down slightly as she took in the view. While she had been at high spots in the mountains before, her visibility had always been limited by the rest of the range. But at this point, the mountains fell off rapidly. Only a couple rocky peaks were visible near her current location. After that, the range rapidly descended into forested peaks and foothills.
And then there was… almost nothing. The mountain ridge terminated into a vast sea of grass and gently rolling hills. There was one thing she could make out, though- the highway. It continued out all the way to the horizon, a faint gray line drawn across the landscape.
She noticed a tugging sensation on her thigh, and realized that the rat-previously left to rest in the right seat- had crawled onto her, seemingly curious as to what her reaction was about. Chuckling, Estamel stopped the car and picked up the rat, lifting him up so he could see out the window.
"See out there, little guy? That's the edge of the mountain range. We're close to getting out of here." She returned the rat to his spot, and brought the car back all the way to cruising speed.
Even though this was supposed to be a highway, it seemed just as twisty as some of the roads through the rural mountains. It wasn't in good shape either- natural and manmade debris littered the asphalt, seemingly left behind from an evacuation. At one point Estamel had to swerve hard to avoid a tipped-over APC, which- based on the skidmarks on the ground- seemed to have rolled on its side while attempting to go down the same way.
This road must've been a shitshow to ride on if there was heavy traffic. I'm practically lucky that there's nobody else around here.
Debris wasn't the only sign of what had taken place to leave this area deserted. Looking out to the side, she saw a number of abandoned buildings, especially around where roads branched off the highway. Most were simply abandoned, but what had left them that way wasn't hard to imagine. Others showed severe damage from fire or explosions. As she reached the foothills, she saw what had once been a decent-sized town, now with at least half of the buildings partially or completely shattered. She noticed some odd objects near one structure and realized it was a set of playground equipment. There were a couple buildings nearby that could have been schools, but they were too trashed to tell. Estamel shuddered, and moved the van just a little bit above its normal cruising speed.
While the desolate landscape was disturbing, it wasn't enough to sway her from pressing on. After what the clock on the car dashboard told her had been a little over an hour, she had reached the hills, and she finally saw something that piqued her interest. A huge neon sign, riddled with bullet holes, stood over the side of the roadway. It had no power, but the sun- now sitting low in the sky behind her- lit it up well enough:
YOU ARE NOW LEAVING THE AMBEKAN REPUBLIC
MAY YOUR MEMORIES FROM HERE BE YOUR FAVORITE SOUVENIRS
MAY YOUR MEMORIES FROM HERE BE YOUR FAVORITE SOUVENIRS
On the road besides the sign there was a road checkpoint or toll stop. Or at least what could've been a road checkpoint or toll stop- Estamel thought it was one of the two, but it was hard to tell when something had smashed at least half the structure into rubble. She could see only a couple intact gates- all closed, of course. Most interestingly, a path had been cleared right through the center, rubble shoved away to the side to form a clear passage large enough to fit at least a couple trucks through at once,
"Looks like someone didn't want to pay the road toll."
As much as she wanted to make light of this situation, she knew this was no time to let her guard down. A chokepoint like this would be the perfect spot for booby traps or an ambush- she needed to check before going through, even if she didn't see anything right now. She pulled her van over to the right side and undid her seatbelt. The rat noticed her getting up and crawled onto her side. "No, you stay- I've got to check on this." She gently pulled the rat off and placed him back on the right seat, but he lept onto her sleeve immediately. "STAY". The rat squirmed and squeaked indignantly as she grabbed him again.
Estamel paused. It's not his fault he's like this- he was just left abandoned in a wrecked car. He must be anxious about being left again. She relaxed her grip and let him climb over onto her shoulder. I guess it's all good so long as he doesn't try to run away. With a sigh, she opened the door and stepped out, bringing the rifle. The journal had mentioned the mercenaries kept demining equipment, but she hadn't found any in the van left behind- at least nothing she could identify as it, anyways.
As she crept into the forest, she was struck by the sounds of the forest around her. It wasn't anything out of the ordinary, but after so long in the silent quarantine zone it almost felt like a shock. She let the noise wash over her, calibrating her hearing until she could sort out where everything was coming from. There didn't seem to be anything amiss- yet. She continued slinking towards the checkpoint. Something rusted and half-buried in the leaves caught her eye, but a closer look revealed it to be nothing more than a used beverage can. There were a few small animals she saw- songbirds, a rabbit, a group of refreshingly normal deer off in the distance. When the lone hunter was all the way to the other side of the checkpoint, she was startled by rustling sounds in the branches above. She jumped back and raised her gun to the canopy- half expecting to see another monstrous spider above her- and was treated to the sight of two gray-furred squirrels chasing each other through the branches, chattering angrily as they fought over which branch belonged to who. She couldn't help but chuckle briefly before moving on.
Having cleared the right side of the checkpoint, she passed out of the forest behind it and went to the left. She couldn't find anything there, either. The passageway through the rubble had no signs of mines or explosives either. She even tossed a stun grenade into the gap to check- it went off without disturbing anything. The rat squeaked indignantly and seemed to tighten its grip, seemingly frightened by the noise. She sighed.
"Am I just being paranoid?" she asked aloud. The forest remained silent as ever. Finally confident that the checkpoint was clear, she retreated back to the van. As she opened up the door, she took one more look at the sign.
May your memories from here be your greatest souvenirs.
Sitting down inside, Estamel closed her eyes and imagined what the scene at the checkpoint would've looked like under normal circumstances, before war had engulfed the region. A line of cars gathered on each side, impatient drivers honking. Mumbling guards performing the same basic checks over and over again on each vehicle, each time giving the same 'your-cleared-to-pass-now' welcome. The engines of long-haul trucks and intercity buses growling as they accelerated out of the gates. Families chattering, talking about where they wanted to go or what they would do. Perhaps in one of those cars someone would look up at the sign, and tell everyone else to take a look, and maybe someone would ask the rest of the group what their favorite memory was.
She opened up her eyes and saw the checkpoint again. It was empty, ruined, lifeless, just like everything else she had come across in this deserted land. The realization sunk into her that- despite having gone so far in just three days- she hadn't seen a normal human at all since she had arrived in Bei. Her foot pressed down on the gas, and the van lumbered forwards. "It's time to go on. This place isn't meant for us anyways." The van passed through the clearing without the slightest hiccup. Esty let out a tiny chuckle at how worried she had been.
Unlike the roads she had taken earlier, this long-running highway had no abandoned vehicles in sight. Relieved that she wouldn't need to circumnavigate wreckage anymore, she kept pushing down on the petal until the van reached it's top speed. Even now it wasn't particularly fast, but it was more than fast enough. With a click of a button she rolled down the windows slightly and let the wind rush in. The brown rat lifted their snout, nose twitching like a dog. She noticed she could see further and further ahead- the forest is thinning out here.
She eased the van down to it's cruising speed as she pondered her immediate plans.
The van had a better charge- to-drain ratio than the solar rover when on the move. Unfortunately, the dimmness of the Exclusion Zone hadn't just been an illusion- judging by the indicator on the dashboard, the van had been losing a lot more battery going through there than before, and now that the sun was low in the sky it was once again beginning to drop off. Still, she had enough energy to keep going for hours, even in the dark.
"So there lies the question. Should I stop soon and charge up, or keep going on?"
It was a difficult question. The sun was on the edge of setting- if she wanted to lay out the solar tarp, she would have to do it now or wait until the next morning. However, despite clearing clearing the border checkpoint, she was still a stone's throw away. She hadn't heard anything when she stopped earlier, but if there happened to be a search helicopter checking this exit route…
Estamel's train of thought was cut off by the noise of her stomach growling. It was at that point that she realized- the whole day, the only thing she had eaten was a couple breakfast bars. She hadn't even had lunch, and now she was starving. With this new factor in mind she came to a compromise.
"Alright, I'll pull over here and lay out the solar tarp real quick. Then I'll eat something from the rations here, and get back on my way afterwards. That ought to be safe."
She pulled into a meadow as soon as she could. The van was obviously a little bit slower off-road, but it handled surprisingly well. Rather than just stop next to the road, she went all the way to the edge on the other side, hoping that- just in case an aircraft was searching here- they would be only looking for cars moving along the road. It wasn't much but it was worth a try. Bringing it to a stop, she went into the back and retrieved the tarp before exiting.
It barely took a minute to get the tarp unrolled and plugged in, and with that established she picked an MRE pack with "Green Beans and Ham" printed on the cover. It included a flameless heating pack, a plastic spoon, and instructions, making it very simple to prepare. Once it had been heated for the instructed time, she sat down in the van's backdoor to eat. It tasted bland, but it wasn't stale by any means, and she took her time trying to savor every bite. After eating most of the pack she got up and left the rest for her rat to finish off.
The sun was dipping down, nearly touching the edge of the mountains behind her. I'm not going to get much more battery out of this. Estamel took one good look at the landscape behind her before she went out and got hold of the tarp, picking up two corners and bringing them together. In the corner of her eye, she saw something trotting along the highway.
Something that looked like a dog.
With a cry of shock she dropped the tarp and summoned her crossbow again. Her mind was racing- another hound snuck up on me?! How?
But as she brought up the crosshairs on the entity, she realized it wasn't a dog-bot at all. It was much smaller- about the size of a wolf, with a coat of beautiful red fur. Hearing her cry, it stopped and turned it's head to face her, raising a pair of large ears.
The two locked eyes. Estamel's hand trembled slightly as she stared at the animal. It reminded her of some creatures she had seen in zoos, but seeing one out in the wild was stunning. Silently she lowered her weapon, and the wolf swished its tail before trotting on, as if it was wishing good luck to a fellow survivor.
***
The sky towards the mountains faded from orange into a deep darkening purple, while the shadows of the rolling hills stretched out until they engulfed the landscape. Within an hour, the whole world was pitch-black, except for the small cone of visibility where the van's high-beams lit up the road. Something about this view was strangely familiar, but she couldn't seem to put her finger on what it was.
While she wasn't scared, something about the silence felt uneasy to her. She involuntarily reached and clicked the "find channel" button on the radio, only remembering as her hand touched the button that the area she was in didn't have any radio stations. There was a buzz of static, and then music flooded in through the speakers. "What?!" she shouted, jolting the rat in the right seat out of his slumber.
Esty's shock washed away as the music continued. It seemed to be some sort of jazz - or whatever the nearest analogue was for this world. She glanced at the dashboard- the station playing was "99.5 Seiban Swing." The track was wordless, but she could sense a wistful, almost somber tune from the melody. It continued for a while before ending. A new track began- this one with an upbeat, swinging tune.
Estamel let out a deep breath, as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. The van cruised on through the darkness, it's trajectory towards civilization unshakable.
Authors comment:
I'm really, really sorry. I was actually going kinda strong in the weeks after the last chapter- I had about a fourth of this written out. But I lost motivation then. And then I guess I just... kinda gave up for a while. There was times when I thought about restarting, but I never really got anywhere. I guess it's only now that I was able to put together the willpower to get this finished.
I'm absolutely not finished with this story, and I will be sure that the next chapter comes along much sooner. Also, I'm going to go through and proofread/smooth out the older chapters this week. Thank you for reading, and I'll see you next time.
It's fine, I'm just glad you were able to find the motivation and the will to push through and carry on with the story. I thought what you've written so far was really engaging and love the world you're building, so I'm glad you came back to write more. Keep up the good work!
Proofreading/edits
- Location
- North Carolina
After some delays, I went through the first three chapters and cleaned up any mistakes I found. Mostly it was just a matter of fixing grammar/spelling errors or cases where my phrasing was awkward. There were only a couple continuity fixes, which I figured I'd point out to avoid any confusion:
- Estamel's tail was supposed to be similar to that of a coyote, instead of being short like that of a bobcat or caracal. This change was something I decided on while working on the first chapter, but I had forgotten to go back and correct it at the time. Additionally I added a mention that some of the uniforms at the outpost had holes for tails sewn in.
- The supplies in Chapter 1 were supposed to have expiration dates for the year 935, not 934.
Newcomer 5 - A Respite
- Location
- North Carolina
The display on the truck's dashboard read 8:23 PM, and the watch Estamel found in the vehicle earlier read 8:22 PM. The small discrepancy made sense- after all, both had been sitting unattended for a long time- and while she hadn't thought to compare them directly with the clock on the better-maintained solar rover, they seemed to be close to the 'true' time. However, when she saw the other truck on the road it was somewhat of an annoyance, because she really would've wanted to be able to know what time this was with certainty.
The second tune on the radio had been followed by a brief announcement in Seylinian. "We thank you for tuning in to 99.5 Seiban Swing this evening. Weather for tonight is expected to be clear for most of the area, although small amounts of rain may pass over Gooseboro. Next few days appear to be sunny or partly cloudy for the whole region, with average temps in the high- 60s. Local officials have reported that all five detected siddim arrivals from the recent Semilin storm have successfully been neutralized, and that the supposed sixth sighting was only a misidentification."
Estamel shuddered. Another reminder to be careful once she made it to a town. I need to figure out a solid cover story. I'm sure I was a scientist or an engineer before I died, and I might be able to recall some knowledge from my old life… most of which will be useless for fitting in here.
Well, not completely useless. A lot of technology on Bei didn't seem intensely different from it's counterparts on Earth, at least in broad strokes. Electricity worked the same way, as did radio signals. Petroleum-based gasoline was uncommon, but the alternatives she was aware of- biogas, hydrogen and hydrogen-based fuel mixtures, and old-fashioned batteries like the one inside her own van- were all familiar. Basic computers and electronics both used the same basic principles- even the basic dog-bots looked less like a fantasy monstrosity and more like something she'd see either on a sci-fi series set in the near future or a proudly advertised "upcoming product" of a military corporation.
Or perhaps they were the sort of thing that showed up in both, with the latter including a tasteless reference to the former.
However, this still wasn't enough. Magic- aside from the innate abilities she had as a siddim- wasn't something she understood much about, and it was clearly a major part of life for the people on Bei. Just as importantly, there were still plenty of machines on Bei that couldn't just be waved off as an extrapolation of tech on Earth- the canid monstrosity she had fought at the repair shop and the weapon that had left Kavala a wasteland were two prominent examples. Even if she would probably be able to understand these things eventually, she would stand no chance trying to pass herself off as an engineer or researcher.
"Which wouldn't be too much of an issue if there wasn't anything else about me to draw suspicion," she muttered to herself as the soft jazz resumed. But that isn't the case, isn't it? I'm showing up alone as a complete stranger, with injuries from the fight this morning, in a pilfered truck. I need a solid guise, and I can't just slip back into my old job.
While the broadcast was a little worrying, it was in fact good news- if the authorities were claiming that no siddim from the recent Semilin storm were still loose, then the local people probably wouldn't be on their toes about the possibility that any newcomer could be a siddim in hiding. With a sigh, she started rolling over ideas.
Imitating a mercenary was one possibility. She had Merab's journal to draw info and anecdotes from. She also had the van full of military gear- while she didn't want anyone poking around in there, she could get uniforms and weapons in case anyone wanted evidence of her past, and if someone did find what was in there it would be better than no excuse. But it came with issues as well. Even with the journal, she still had a very incomplete understanding of mercenary life and no actual battle training at all, which could easily get her exposed if she came into contact with actual military personnel. And even if she fooled them, a lone soldier of fortune showing up out of nowhere could be seen as a sign of trouble in itself.
Merab DID say there were people who followed by his company that weren't soldiers. What about one of those? There was that doctor who stayed back to help Beaker, for example. Well… I'm not a doctor but-
"What's that?"
Estamel's train of thought halted as something in the distance caught her eye. It was a faint light, out to her left. It seemed to be flickering slightly, and as she glanced she realized it was actually two lights, paired together and moving closer at an angle. That's another car. Another moving car. Something else glistening up ahead caught her eye, and she turned her head to see a junction in the distance, connecting the highway to a smaller road.
She stomped down on the gas pedal, the van's motors letting out a loud whir as she sped up. Her eyes frantically bounced back between the approaching lights and the junction- both were closing in fast, but she could tell the junction was closing in faster.
"Alright, alright… almost there…" she whispered nervously to herself as she watched for the sign to draw just close enough, "and… now." Her foot came off the gas and tapped down on the brake as she came just about sixty feet from the sign. Swiftly but not suddenly, the van slowed down and came to a stop just as it reached the intersection.
The rat she had adopted from the crashed truck awoke from its slumber, squeaking softly. It lifted its head and scampered up the bags she had left in the right seat, curious as to the cause of this disturbance.
As she had hoped, the other vehicle arrived at the intersection just a couple seconds after her. It was a flatbed truck, with cargo prominently heaped in its back compartment. There was an audible screech as it came to a sudden halt, its driver having seemingly not noticed her at all. Estamel spotted a large figure in the driver's seat, and waved to signal that they could go first.
The pick-up's turn signals flashed as it lurched out and turned left. Estamel nonchalantly followed behind. Well, that should've seemed pretty natural. Now I've just got to follow along.
The truck picked up speed very quickly, with the van following the fastest it could, and she realized they were going far faster than her van's optimal cruising speed. It shouldn't have been surprising- the electric vehicle's optimal speed was a lot slower than that of a "normal" truck, and she hadn't seen any speed limit signs posted- but it seemed as if she had already become used to the van's pace.
Still, she could keep up with the truck just fine- it just meant her battery wouldn't last nearly as long.
As she trailed the pickup, it became clear she wasn't really in the wild anymore. She started seeing more roads branching off and lights out in the distance, and while only some of them were close enough to the highway to make out homesteads, this wasn't her first time driving through a rural area and knew what they were. Sometimes she could make out what looked like small villas, large clusters of well-lit buildings. However, none of them had any signs indicating a rest stop, or anyplace visitors would be able to stop by without arousing suspicion, so she opted to keep following along. Fortunately, it was only about an hour of driving before she saw a large, lit-up billboard on the side of the road:
GEARING - 10 Mi
FOOD
FUEL
LODGING
SUPPLIES
Estamel let out a sigh of relief. After three days of nightmares, she was just a short distance from safety.
She saw a red light blinking over the horizon. Another light appeared, blinking at the exact same interval, then another, and then five more came into view. They were clearly dozens of feet above the ground, and as she drew closer she could see the structures they were perched upon- tall, thin, towers, each with a cigar-shaped hub at the top holding four huge, spinning blades. Wind turbines- all standing atop a large hill. And even more, there was a bright glow shining from over the hill.
As Esty and the car she was following climbed up the hill, following the highway right through the field, the noise of the wind turbines filled her ears. It was a chorus of low, swooping sounds as blades turned and gearboxes cranked, turning the flow of the air into electromagnetic power.
It was an odd feeling- but when she reached the top of the hill and the town came into view, she knew she had come to the right place.
The highway went down the hill into a large three-way intersection, with one large road curving off into the city. Off in the distance she could see another highway out there, or at least what looked like one. As she went down the slope she saw fields of crops and pasture lining the sides of the highway. Estamel knew she didn't need to follow the truck in front of her anymore, but the other driver continued to silently lead the way, taking the interchange into the city. As her car climbed up the ramp and turned left, she considered what her plan should be.
It's getting quite late right now. At this point, I should probably just find somewhere to park this thing, and see if I can grab dinner somewhere- I can think up a backstory in the morning. Or… do I really need a backstory at all?
It was a valid possibility. After all, it was unlikely that the people of the town would pry too much into the backstory of any random tourist or passerby. If she wanted to stay for a while, sure… but she didn't see any reason why she wouldn't be able to move on in a couple days. All she really needed was time to charge the car.
The avenue into town was lined with houses, small apartments, and shops. They didn't look particularly fancy, but she could tell all of them were in good condition, and most had lights on. Slowing her van down, she looked into one of the buildings- a modest boxy-looking store with a sign reading AZHIR'S DAILY MARKET over the door- and saw a person walk out pushing a shopping cart full of goods forward. Overcome by curiosity, she pulled her car to the side of the road. She grabbed a few bills she had found on her way and stuffed them into her pocket before stepping out through the back door.
The air outside was warm, with a gentle breeze that rippled her hair into her face as she tried to lock the van. Pushing the obstruction aside, she looked over and saw the person with the cart turning a corner a couple blocks away. She walked up to the store entrance and paused for a second before putting her hand on the door.
Okay. Take a deep breath. You're meeting with normal people, just act like you're normal as well. It'll be that easy.
Upon stepping in he was greeted with the sound of a bell and pop-ish music with a singer she couldn't understand. A couple tables in the front of the store held discounted items and fresh produce, and to her left a cashier was lying back in a chair, their face covered by a magazine. Behind aisles of consumer goods she could see a counter marked PRESCRIPTION PICK-UP.
The doorbell rang again, and Estamel saw another person step into the store behind her. He was an old man, with a walking stick and silvery hair. He had a tube running into his nose and looping down into a handbag slung over his shoulder. "Excuse me" he murmured in a low, gravely voice. She realized she was blocking his way and slid to the side without question.
"Thank you" came the response as he kept on walking, towards the pickup booth. He spoke Seylinian, albeit with a different accent than she had heard before. Estamel picked up a couple paper shopping bags. Well, the people in this place seem pretty reasonable. Perhaps I'll just find some stuff I could use here?
She went down an aisle advertising pet supplies and picked out a bag of rodent feed and a small metal cage that could reasonably hold a rat. The mercenaries had left behind an extensive first aid kit, but it didn't have any light painkillers, which she needed on account of the injury from the hound's tail still aching. She also wanted some topical antibacterials- just in case- and the shop had both of them on the same shelf. She walked through the electronics aisle, and didn't think there would be anything of use there- until she remembered the inactive smartphone she had found back in the gas station.
It didn't appear broken- perhaps I could recharge it and turn it on?
Perhaps. Even if she could get the phone working it was probably still password-locked. But it was worth a try. She didn't have it with her at the second, but one of the chargers had an image of an identical-looking device, so she picked it out. Hopefully I can return this if I need to.
Now that she thought about it… she had an awful amount of items that could be valuable. And not only that… a lot of these things would be really hard to explain if someone got ahold of them, and even if that someone was a thief, that was zero guarantee that they'd keep their mouth shut. She needed somewhere to put this stuff securely. Looking around, she was able to find a decent-sized safe with a lock and a chain she could use to secure it somewhere in the car.
Finally, she went to a shelf near the cashier's desk, filled with magazines and newspapers. It was almost amusing- she had seen these displays in stores like this on Earth all her life, and had never even thought about buying any of them, but they were undoubtedly the most important item she could find here. Skimming lightly through each option, she picked out several- a global news publication with lots of photographs, an engineering and tech reviews journal, a pair of 'entertainment magazines' that were from different publishers but shared the same unmistakable writing style of a tabloid rag, a small and thick "DIY" guidebook aimed at those getting into magic, and two outdoor sports mags- one for hunting, and one for fishing.
The final two magazines had some interesting details. Seiban Sport Fishing bore a painting of a catfish chasing a lure over a bed of seagrass, its mouth wide open as it prepared to bite down. She couldn't tell if the catfish was identical to any species from Earth, but it didn't look abnormal to her at all. Then again, unless her job on Earth had been marine biology- which she didn't think it was- her intuition could be meaningless here. The cover had a helpful list of article titles and page numbers, mentioning a few fishing techniques and tournaments.
Nokorian Bushmaster was different. The cover had two hunters standing on top of a massive beast they had presumably felled. Unlike the catfish, this creature clearly wasn't an Earth species- it looked larger than an elephant, was covered in thick fur, and had two horns that looked as thick as tree trunks. The two hunters standing atop of it were another matter. One of them was a normal man- very tall and well-built, with an impressive beard reaching down to his stomach, but normal- while the other was something else. He had grayish mottled skin, yellow eyes, and two large tusk-like canines protruding from his lower jaw. Compared to most people he would be huge, although the hunting buddy he had with him looked to be about his equal.
So I guess that's what an Orc looks like. Merab had mentioned them a few times in the entries she had browsed, but he had never said much to describe them, and it was unclear how common they were in society as a whole. It was a little odd- while Esty had already seen all sorts of things she would have never thought possible before out in the wilderness, seeing more of those sights in what would typically be a mundane setting was another surprise.
The Orc was holding a very large rifle, while the man had a staff in one hand and a large revolver in the other. Despite their unusual weapons and appearances, though, both of them were wearing fairly normal-looking camouflage pants and jackets, and they bore the same shit-eating grins. Like the fishing magazine it had a list of articles. She added it to her collection.
Confident that she had gathered enough, Estamel walked up to the front desk. The cashier was still sleeping like a rock. Curious, she took a look at their magazine- it was another copy of the engineering and tech review journal, except this edition had a large rip on the cover and a couple spots of discoloration- water damage, maybe? For someone so engrossed in the mag they hadn't taken good care of it.
"Hello," she said. No response. "Hello, can you check out my goods?" Still nothing. She knocked her hand on the counter lightly, making just a little bit of noise.
The cashier stirred. They rolled in their seat slightly and yawned, causing the magazine to slide away, and Estamel couldn't help but let out a gasp of surprise. The cashier's clothes looked normal, but- just like the second hunter- the skin on their face was mottled gray. They yawned, presenting two large lower canines that weren't yet large enough to stick out when their mouth was closed, and reached a grayish hand up to rub their face.
Estamel quickly thought through the situation.
Okay, this is ridiculous. That's a fucking fairy-tale orc, for crying out loud, and they're sitting at the checkout desk at a convenience store.
But… that doesn't really seem all that . There was the one on the hunting magazine right there, standing right next to a human that he had worked with, and when Merab mentioned meeting orcs he never seemed to make a big deal about it.
And… the figure standing in front of her wasn't actually all that unusual. They wore human clothes, and were rubbing their face the same way a human would. They were a cashier at this place, which meant that the sight of them probably wasn't something most people would find odd.
And if most people wouldn't be surprised, and I am acting surprised, then the person actually acting weird would be…
She shut her mouth and adopted a flat expression just in time for the cashier to get their marbles together and look her in the face. "Hi, uh… who are you?"
"I'm Estamel", she replied. "I'm here to check out my stuff."
The orcish cashier's expression was hard to read. They tilted her head and squinted at her, and then scanned their surroundings. Then their eyes landed on the goods Estamel had stocked in front of them and it dawned on them what the situation was. "Oh! Uhh… sorry, sorry. Yeah, I'll check your stuff."
Estamel noticed a tag on the cashier's shirt. Hello, I'm Jacob Levin- the last two words written in what was presumably their own handwriting. Unlike the orc in the magazine, he didn't look unusually big by human standards. She also suspected he was a young adult, based on his lack of prominent tusks and customer service job, but she had no way of knowing for sure. She placed down her stuff on the counter, and he diligently picked up a barcode reader and started scanning the tags on each. "Lets see… yep… and we got some more of those…" he murmured along as he worked, not paying much mind to any of it. When Jacob got to the big stack of magazines, though, he seemed surprised. "Well damn… never seen anyone check out so many of these before."
"I'm a collector of sorts." Not necessarily a lie- I'm collecting them right now, and it would make for a very convenient hobby later on. He shrugged nonchalantly and started scanning the magazines one by one.
"So you're new here?" came a voice from down inside the store. Estamel turned her head and saw the same old man who had passed her before, now carrying a few groceries and a paper bag with some paper attached.
"Yes."
"Why did you come here?"
"I'm just traveling through, on some business of my own. It's nothing interesting."
"Hmm, I see." The old man rubbed his chin. Jacob hummed softly, his reader letting out a beep as it checked another item. She turned back to the bags, but the senior spoke up again.
"Y'know, that isn't really true though. Yeah, you might not say that what you're up to is interesting. But I've lived here a long time, and if there's one thing I've learned, everyone who comes by here has an interesting story to them, no matter what it is." He paused. "But it's not a problem if you don't want to talk about it right now."
Not now? How about never?
"All done," said the cashier. "Here's your total. We accept cash or card." Estamel looked at the total. $67.12 - not sure if this is overpriced, but I can buy it. She dug through the cash, counted out exact change and handed it over. "You're good to go. Thanks for shopping here." As she picked up her bags and stepped away, the old man walked up behind her. "Have a good night, ma'am" the senior said. He turned to Jacob as he set his stuff down on the table. "So how are you doing today?"
"Been fine." The orc's tone seemed casual, as if he was well familiar with this person. "That new mobile respirator is working for you?"
Estamel leaned against a magazine shelf with her back facing to the counter. She pulled out the fishing mag and pretended to read it while the conversation carried on.
"It sure is. It barely weighs half as much as the last one, and the battery lasts longer too. Makes getting around a lot easier."
"Awesome."
"You bet. Say, did Danuphorn tell you what's the deal with the line to Horizon City? I thought it was supposed to be ready next Wednesday, but now the website says it's 'delayed for an unknown time.'"
What line?
"The three new trainsets were delayed due to the Semilin storm. They'll probably be here in a couple days. Good news is, once they're here they should be all ready to run."
"I see. I thought they might have been worried about safety."
"Oh, they definitely are- the transport authority is trying to arrange double the security detail for the first week, and the route is being monitored regularly. It's probably unnecessary, but with the uptick in troubles- especially what just happened at Horizon- nobody wants to take chances."
There was a couple seconds of silence before the old man let out a yawn.
"Well… things are how they are. Stay prepared, but don't let it eat away at you. Do you have any thoughts on the matter, Estamel?"
Esty flinched and turned to look back at the counter, where both of the conversants were staring at her. "Uh, I uh… wasn't listening."
"We can see your ears, y'know," Jacob mumbled. "As soon as you stopped there you were listening in on us, even if you were looking down at the magazine."
"You saw my ears?"
"Yes?" Jacob said, an undercurrent of exasperation in their voice. "You aren't wearing a hat, so we can see your ears swivel perfectly fine."
"Wait" the man interrupted. "Isn't there a condition you can have where your ears don't rotate properly? I thought I knew a person who had that happen after an overdose."
"Well, actually, you see-" she spurted out, but was cut off by the sound of the doorbell ringing. She glanced over and saw a portly woman waltz towards the cleaning aisle without even glancing at the discussion.
"Carry on", Jacob responded. "Were you saying that you did have that condition?"
"Yes. Well, sort of."
Wait, no, that's wrong. Why did I just say that?
"Huh. I thought I just saw your ears turn when that person walked in."
"I didn't say I have that condition," she snapped, "I said sort of."
"So there's nothing wrong with your ears, but you still have a condition like that? What do you mean?"
Why do you care? You just met me and I'm going to never see you again after I leave, why are you asking all this shit?
She could feel her heart racing. This is bad, very bad- I haven't even figured out what my cover story is yet, and I've already got people asking questions. "Y-you're getting things mixed up, I never said anything about my ears being broken. Look, I've got some stuff I need to tend to, so how about I head out and talk more about this later?"
"Sure. Have a good night."
She slipped the magazine into her backpack and started for the door, only for the old man to speak up again.
"Wait! Miss, before you leave- I just wanted to ask. What's your full name?"
"My full name?"
"Yes. I didn't hear you ever say what your last name was. Would you mind telling me?"
Okay, fine. I'll humor you just this time.
"It's… ah…"
She stopped as her mind went blank. She turned and rubbed her forehead as she tried to think.
I didn't forget this. I couldn't have. There's no way I could've lost the memory of the last half of my name! I just…
Estamel suddenly felt a dizzying sensation sweep over her, as if the earth beneath her had disappeared and she was falling into the same nothingness her mind was grasping at.
"...I don't remember."
"What?" said the old man, probably thinking he had misheard her.
"I'm sorry, I just don't."
Everything fell silent. She buried her face in her hands. I can't believe it. I can't even remember my whole goddamn name.
"Hey, I really don't mean to pry. If you just want to keep what your name is private, that's no biggie-"
She whirled around to face the two. "I said I can't fucking remember! That's just it, okay?"
The senior looked shocked, and for a second she thought he was about to stumble backwards.
CRAP.
He just gave me a perfect opening! All I had to do was 'admit' I was trying to stay private, as if there was something- or someone- I was worried about tracking after me. But now… As if on cue, Jacob walked out of the cashier stand and steeped between her and the old man, extending an accusatory figure in her direction. They looked angry, and something told her that they were going to be a problem if things kept going.
"You've got a lot of nerve. First you snoop around, now you're yelling at people who try to help you? You think you can just come here and start shit?"
"No," she said, her voice unsteady. "I'm sorry. I really didn't mean to cause trouble." She started down at her hands and realized they were shaking. "Please…"
"Alright. So, you're having some problem with your memory? How about you try keeping this in your mind." He let out a bitter, false chuckle. "This place isn't just another tourist hotspot. If you can't be careful, you better head home, because the people you piss off here are going to be the least of your worries."
"I just told you I'm not a tourist-"
"Oh yeah? Then what the hell are you then? You've been acting shady this whole time, why?"
DON'T. FUCKING. CUT ME OFF.
"What the hell is going on?" yelled the female shopper as she poked her head around the corner.
"EVERYBODY STOP! STOP, DAMMIT, STOP!" Estamel howled at the top of her lungs.
The shop went quiet. She looked up to glare straight into Jacob's eyes. "You", she growled as she raised her own finger in return, "you want to tell me about 'being careful'? About 'safety'? Over the last three days I've had more people and things try to kill me than I've had hot meals, and I'm still here. You can't even handle working as a checkout chump without falling unconscious."
The old man inhaled sharply, and she thought she could hear the other shopper do the same. The idiot cashier was clearly taken aback, the same surprised look from when they had been awoken returning to their features. They sputtered out a reply. "Look, you don't know what you're talking about. This place might look safe, but-"
"Oh, is that what we're going to be doing?" she snapped back, careful to cut him off to cut him off at just the right time. "You're gonna tell me about how this place is something special? How sure, maybe I've had to survive a war-torn wasteland, but now that I'm out of the wilderness and inside a convenience store, now is the time that I've got to be worried?
"Look, I'm not trying to compare shit here. I didn't expect this place to be 'another tourist hotspot', and I'm fine with that. I'm having just about the worst week of my life, and anyplace where I can rest and get back on my feet before I keep going on is good. But that's not what's happened, is it? The first time I try to pick up some supplies, someone comes up and tries to interrogate me. And then you're mad at me because I listened to your conversation. Why- would you prefer I butted in and asked you to explain all of the stuff you're fretting about. Hell, nothing you mentioned wasn't something I could find in one of my newspapers ex-"
-Except for the bit about the new train vehicles and the security for them her mind finished as she stopped abruptly. Now that she thought about it… that actually was probably a private matter, and yelling that out loud in front of the new customer would cause trouble. Mostly trouble for Jacob, since it was obviously his fault for yapping about that stuff in a drugstore, but possibly trouble for her as well, and either way the less trouble the better. Jacob glanced back to the old man- does he realize what I was about to say there?
She inhaled deeply and started again.
"What I'm saying is… I'm not trying to be difficult here. But is it too much to ask for people not to start acting hostile out of nowhere?"
For a couple long seconds everyone was silent. Estamel sighed as she considered her options.
Well, that was a pretty stupid response. I just told everyone that I had just been through a warzone earlier and that people attempted to kill me. That's exactly what I didn't want to let them know.
But they still don't know much about who I am besides that. And they seem to be listening to me now?
She remembered that just a minute ago, when the person had asked her if her ears were behaving strangely as a result of a condition- complications from a drug overdose- she had initially answered 'yes'. Why exactly did I do that? She tried to pull at the thought, coax out a little more of what had slipped into her mind at that time. Meanwhile she looked at the old man.
"Hey, uh, to the older gentleman. I don't think I caught your name either."
"My name?" said the old man. "I'm Dennis. Dennis Jones."
"Pleased to meet you, Mr. Jones." She paused. "When you asked if I had a 'condition' from an incident involving drugs, I said 'sort of'. I didn't really get a chance to elaborate there."
"Oh, would you like to share with us now?" Dennis's voice was tinged with curiosity.
A strange, fragmented memory was taking shape in her head. At first she had thought that it was an event she had experienced. But it wasn't about her- it was about someone else, someone she had witnessed the thoughts of.
A story? That would make sense. And it had something to do with me…
She took in a deep breath, as if she was getting ready to say something painful, and the last bit that she needed fell into place in her mind. She spoke slowly as she unwound the narrative.
"Not too long ago- just a few weeks, really- I had an overdose. I'd tell you what drug caused it, but aside from alcohol I don't actually know what was involved there. The good news is that I survived- sure, for a few days it was hard to tell, but I survived. The bad news is… it damaged my memory very, very, badly."
Jacob spoke up. "Wait- you're saying your memories were hurt so badly, you can't remember your own last name?"
Estamel nodded. Judging by the look of shock on his face, she had successfully hooked him on to the story.
"But how could you not know your own name? Don't you have documents somewhere? Or friends?"
"Well… here's the thing. Before this I had lived in the Ambekan Republic- right by the border with Bergania. From what I gather, I hadn't lived for my whole life, and my life there wasn't completely perfect before- but that's a side issue. When war broke out, I had to leave, and most of my stuff got left behind. Including basically all my ID papers. It's not like my documents are completely gone of course. They're just… in a building somewhere, out in the DMZ where nobody is supposed to be. "
She paused, letting the artificial reality of the situation sit in.
"So after that, I was living in a refugee camp for a while. Don't know much, but I do know I was miserable. At some point I went on a bender, and… well, I just told you what happened there. After that, stuff just went downhill. Apparently I had also pissed some people off when I went on the bender, and some other people had an axe to grind with me or something, so… eventually I decided I had to just leave."
Dennis seemed intrigued. "So… do you know what job you had?"
She tapped her hand to her head. "It appears I was a detective of sorts."
It was a detail that came straight from the memory. Whatever that story was, it was an odd one. But it seemed like that was just the sort of story that she needed for this world.
"Really? A detective?"
"Yes. Best one in my old town in fact! Granted, there weren't really any other detectives living there… and honestly, there wasn't much crime to investigate with how small it was… but I was still the best." And that way, none of you will be surprised when I don't know shit about detective work.
The lady shopper gave out a short chuckle. "Well, best or not, you've probably come to the right place if you want work in that field."
"Eh, maybe. I'm thinking I might try to reinvent myself here, find a different job- preferably something a bit more stable."
"Well, if that's what you're looking for, I'd suggest heading to the unemployment office. They're closed now but they'll be open in the morning. It's by city hall, just go to the center of the city and you'll be able to find it easily."
"Thanks, but- I'm not actually a citizen here, will they still help me?"
"Of course they will! Citizen or not, there's a lot of jobs that need filling- especially now with all that nonsense you heard about- and the less idle hands drifting about the better."
"Alright."
Estamel hadn't actually been looking for a job. She had only really 'thought' she would be staying here for a few days to rest before moving on to Ap'oteozi. But now that she thought about it, the money she had scavenged wouldn't last forever. And Melissa had warned her that the journey to the city would be long and dangerous, so…
"Lost in thought again?" said the old man.
"Yeah… I'm just running over a bunch of ideas here. Probably going to find a hotel, get my stuff situated and lay out a schedule for tomorrow. Actually, do you know anywhere I could stay here?"
"Depends on what you're looking for." Jacob replied. "There's like three hotels in the center city catered towards tourists- real fancy places. On the other hand, if you're just looking for a place to rest for the night, just go a couple blocks down to the roundabout and take a right. The road there kinda goes in a loop around the city, if you follow it over to the other side- where the main highway comes through- there's a bunch of drive-ins by that place. Not six-star places but they're safe and cheap."
"Thank you."
"Do those places allow pets?" asked the old man.
"I think that they do, but they'll charge you out the ass if your pet causes damage. Why?"
"I noticed Estamel picked up a cage of some sort. Not sure what animal it's for- mind telling us what the deal is there?"
Estamel noticed the focus of the room quietly shift onto her. She hadn't mentioned a pet rat in her backstory at all. She considered a few possible lies but didn't like any of them. There was really only one decent option.
"I found a crashed car by a roadway- I was worried there were people hurt there, so I checked it out. I couldn't find anybody there- didn't see any signs of what happened to them at all- but I did find a tame rat left behind. I'm keeping them until I can return."
Dennis seemed concerned. "A crashed car, and there's no sign as to what happened to the driver at all? That sounds worrying."
"Could just mean that nobody was hurt there, and they called someone to pick them up without incident. Pretty stupid move to leave behind a live animal, though." Jacob seemed bored. "Usually I'd say to look for anyone who reported a crash and a missing pet, but if they didn't care about it then you may as well just hand it off. Lots of families around here who love a pet like that. You know how to take care of it in the meantime right?"
"Yes… I mean, kind of."
"Wait a second. I might have something for you."
The cashier walked back behind the desk and crouched down under it. She heard cabinets opening and paper shuffling, then there was a soft 'a-ha!' noise, and he stood back up holding a crumpled magazine with the title Small Pets Digest. "This edition of the mag has all sorts of stuff about getting started as a beginner. Sounds like what you're looking for."
"That's great! How much is it?"
"Consider this one on the house. I don't need it, and we can't sell it because it got damaged during transport." Estamel recalled the magazine the cashier had over his face when he was woken up. "Was this from the same shipment as the one you had earlier?"
"That one? Nah, different shipment. I don't know how it keeps happening, but I'm not going to complain." He handed her the paper. "Thank you so much", she replied. "That should be all I need. Have a good night!"
"Have a good night too," Jacob replied, his words echoed by the lady and the old man. She stepped out the front door, waving a goodbye and smiling back.
"That really was one hell of a close call, wasn't it?"
She should have been caught there. She didn't have any sort of backstory ready when she stepped in, she had fumbled herself into an argument, and then had a complete breakdown in front of everyone. But somehow she had made it through it all without blowing her cover- and even received a magazine and free advice.
Whatever that was, I better be able to pull it off again.
She pulled forward and went right at the roundabout like Jacob has said, turning onto a four lane boulevard with a wide median. She passed by a couple other drivers on the street, although it seemed that there were few out at this hour. There were some sort of cables running above the median that left her briefly confused as to what they were for, until a triple-segmented tram came rumbling by and she felt silly for being confused at all.
Eventually she came to a part of the town where the highway she had seen before curved through the edge of the city. She turned onto it to browse her options. Cars were driving by, and unlike the rest of the city it still seemed like most businesses were still active here. Just as she had been told there were several motels, with their prices per night advertised prominently on neon signs. She first decided on the cheapest place she saw, but then realized that part of the sign for that building was clearly broken and flickering, and went over to the second-cheapest place instead.
The building had two stories and a U-shaped layout opening to the highway, with the sign on the top reading Aluva Motel. The left side had a smaller office building attached, with a smaller sign there saying LEASE HERE in Seylinian as well as three other languages she didn't know. She parked the van right beside the front door and walked inside, not sure what to expect.
The front office was dimly lit, the white-and-gray interior having little decor save for cracks and dents presumably left by water damage. At the front desk there was a skeletal humanoid contraption lying on top of a chair where a receptionist would be. When she took a step towards it, the machine stirred and unfolded into a normal sitting stance. It wasn't too unusual in appearance, but what she did notice about it was its head- an iPad-sized screen, with a set of what looked like sensors on each side. It turned towards her and a cartoon smile appeared on the screen. It started speaking right away.
"Welcome to the Aluva Motel, good sir! We have plenty of vacancies right now. What sort of accommodations do you wish for?"
Estamel wasn't sure why the robot greeted her as sir- it could be malfunctioning, or it could only have one pre-recorded response. Or maybe the Seylinian word for Sir is more gender-neutral in this culture. Either way, she didn't give a shit. "I'm looking for a single bed for the night. Nothing more."
"Got that. Only one night?"
"Well… I'm not sure."
"Not sure? Well, you can reserve a few more nights in advance. You don't have to pay for them if you move out earlier than then."
"Okay, uh… how about I reserve for three days, then?" That's probably enough time to find somewhere permanent to sleep.
The robot's face turned to a red X-mark. "Sorry, we don't do three-day reservations. We only do reservations in intervals of two days, one week, two weeks, and one month." The smile reappeared
One month? Who the fuck reserves one month at a hotel?
But back on topic… what do I pick here? Two days probably won't be enough. Should I do a week? I mean, I can always change to a different hotel, but…
"How does reservation work, in full detail?"
The robot let out a chuckling sound. It was probably supposed to sound warm and inviting, but it just sounded like the machine was having a mechanical breakdown and shaking because of it. "Well, it's simple. You just put down a down payment with one-third of the cost of the room in advance. If you cancel, you get two-thirds of the payment back."
Well, I can't count on being able to find a place in a single day. Perhaps I should go for the week…
"What sorta accommodations do you have at this fine establishment?"
"Take a look." The robot leaned forward, extending its screen face over for her to reach. It switched to a document describing what was offered. "You can touch my screen to browse through. Don't worry, I won't bite!"
Estamel tapped the screen, half expecting the machine to make some sort of cringeworthy giggling noise. Thankfully it stayed silent, and she browsed through the room description sheet. It wasn't anything fancy, but it had a bathroom, shower, fridge, safe, and coffeemaker, as well as a guarantee of "absolute top-quality cleanliness." The document also mentioned breakfast accommodations at the hotel kitchen.
"So, what do you think?"
"This looks sufficient. I think I'll reserve a room for a week."
"Top floor or bottom floor?"
"Is there a price difference?"
"Nope."
"Then I'll take the top floor. Don't really care about location or anything."
The machine's face went blank, then switched to a contract sheet, showing the cost of the hotel for the next week. Forty marks for the night, and eighty marks down payment for the next six days. "It's all yours to sign and pay." She counted out the payment and handed it over.
"Don't forget to sign." One of the machine's fingers popped loose, and it pulled it off, extending it out. "Use this to write on the tablet."
She cringed. "Do I really have to write with that?"
"Well, did you bring your own pen?"
Estamel was going to try and argue, but realized that the crappy 'pen' was actually a good thing for her. She took the finger and wrote out a signature- a comically messy transcription of her name, and then a messy scribble that bore no close resemblance to any existing word. Then she offered the finger back. "Done. It's almost impossible to write a signature with this, y'know."
"It'll be fine enough." The robot took back its finger. "With that out of the way, you're all signed up. It pulled its head and leaned up straight, then went through a cabinet in the desk to pull out a key. "Room 212. On the outer left side."
"Thanks." She shook hands with the machine and walked away. "Enjoy your stay!" went the reply calling after her.
She had been worried that her van would stand out, but as she moved it over to a spot near the room that clearly wouldn't be a problem- at least a third of the other vehicles parked were vans of a similar construction. The only real irregularity was its camo paint job, and even that didn't look like anything more than a stylistic choice. With it parked in place, she made sure the car was secure. The mercenaries had installed a quite clever anti-theft system, with metal slat barriers that could be rolled down to cover the windows. Not only did this make it far more difficult to break into the car and hot-wire it, it kept the cargo inside comfortably out of sight. She opened the cage, tore up a cardboard box of ration packets and tossed it in as bedding, and then placed the rat inside.
With all the stuff she needed gathered she went out and walked up the stairs to the second floor, finding the room a few doors away. I remember hearing that VIPs staying at hotels would sometimes take rooms as close to the exits as possible so they can run away quickly if they need to. That would be useful for me too. I mean, it would, if the people hunting me weren't dropping bombs that incinerate anything in a half-mile radius.
Actually though… that parachute bomb took a long while to fall. I don't suppose I would be able to run out and get in the car if I had warning it was coming?
She waved it off- even if she would escape, everyone else in the building wouldn't. And between the fact that they probably wouldn't actually drop one of those inside a city, and that she didn't want to have to run away (and had done an okay job of disguising herself so far) it was basically meaningless. Taking a deep breath to clear her mind, she unlocked the door and pushed it open.
The room was, well… a little better than she expected. It was small but not cramped, and all of the amenities listed on contract- bathroom, shower, bed, safe, TV, microwave, mini-fridge, storage cabinet- were at least there. Compared to the front office, there were more signs of damage but also more proactive maintenance. The sea-green walls were dotted with slightly off-color patches where new paint had been dotted over stains and scratches, and in a few places she could see where cracks had been filled in with plaster. Satisfied that there was nothing troublesome so far, she set down her things in the center and went to the bathroom. It had a low ceiling and even more cramped interior- more reminiscent of a submarine lavatory than a room in a motel- but seemed to be completely clean, with all the soaps and toiletries that one would expect. When washing her hands she saw gray tape zig-zagging across the bottom half of the bathroom mirror, obviously placed to cover up a crack. "At Least We Tried" seemed like it would make a fitting resort slogan.
But honestly, it was pretty solid for the low price. The room was clean, the locks appeared sound, and it had hot water and electricity. And let's be real, all I need is somewhere safe to rest my head. She sat down on the bed and stared down at her hands.
There was something… dizzying about this moment, but she didn't really know why. Glancing over at her shoulder she saw the clock read 10:34 PM. Having nothing particularly urgent to address at this time., she figured she could take her time getting settled in. She took off her shoes and left them by the door, placing her bags by there as well. The rat cage went on a table. She took the recovered phone and plugged it into the charger. It didn't seem to do anything- even after a couple minutes of waiting there was no light from the phone, and pushing buttons or brushing the screen prompted no reaction. It was worth a try.
Her stomach growled- it had been a long time without a meal. Estamel retrieved a single-serving cup of ramen noodles and dried vegetables from the bag. Filling it with the needed water and placing it in the microwave, she sat down at the table. The rat looked as if they were trying to arrange the ripped-up cardboard into a 'den' of sorts. There was a kind of awkward silence to the room that she didn't like, and she turned on the TV to break it up.
The channel that popped up was listed as a news channel, but the first thing to come on was an ad for a pizza chain called Lauria's Kitchen. It wasn't particularly useful, but hey, now she could be sure that mentioning 'pizza' wouldn't give her away as a siddim. It then shifted to another commercial, this one for e-bikes. Halfway through it the ramen finished cooking. She took it to the table, pulled out some utensils she had taken from the mountain outpost, and- after checking that it wasn't too hot- took a sip of the broth. It tasted… good, actually. Maybe her hunger might've influenced her takeaway, but as she dug into the bowl she was far from being disappointed.
The program switched again, this time to the actual news. Estamel didn't really know what most of the places mentioned in the program were, or who any of the people or organizations mentioned were, or even what the channel's name of "HCBE 37 News" was supposed to mean, but she tried to follow along as she ate, and she felt like she was able to understand some of it. The first story was about an industrial disaster that occured two weeks ago in Horizon City, where a car factory experienced a sudden series of explosions from an unknown source, followed by a conflagration. At least two dozen people had died either right away or following the incident, and twice that much were missing or in critical condition. Now investigators had uncovered footage of an unknown individual slipping into the facility just twenty minutes before the incident happened. While this made sabotage the obvious answer, it was unknown as to what motive the bomber may have. Was this the "stuff that happened at Horizon" that they were talking about at the store?
The next couple stories were less heavy. The channel discussed a new medical clinic being built in a small town, replacing a smaller joint that was suffering from structural issues. A couple locals were interviewed and floor plans were shown of the new facility. Opinions seemed positive, not like she expected to hear otherwise. Next was a piece on the farm industry in the area. Based on the piece, the last few years had been very good- steadily growing demand, cheap resource costs, and a relatively stable economy had made for a very profitable time. Of course, the news agency was quick to ask if there were any concerns about the future- to which they were told that while there were concerns, it looked like things would be on the up-and-up for the foreseeable future. By the time it ended and another ad break started, she had finished up the last of the ramen bowl and thrown the package in the trash.
11:02 PM read the clock now. She felt a little better after having something to eat, but the feeling of dizziness still hung in the air like a fog, stronger than ever. Estamel collapsed onto the bed with a yawn. Her eyes narrowed, and she felt her thoughts and concerns fading. Her last glance before they closed was at the door to the washroom.
How long has it been since I took a hot shower?
The realization that the answer was not since I arrived on Bei jolted her back to consciousness. She shoved herself up and off the bed, and went over to her luggage to grab some soft clothes she could change into for the night. And the bag where she had stashed a comb, a toothbrush, and some other things- gotta do that too. Plus, I should make a task list of stuff for the next day. Yep, a hot shower, some sleep, and a plan for the next day… that'll always make you feel better, I think.
The wounds from the hound seemed okay. They were tender and slightly red, but she was pretty sure that was normal for an injury of this severity, and they had no signs of a biofilm forming. It would seem as if they were going to be fine, but if there was something wrong with them there was no way to know. So I'll wash them here, then apply antibiotics again, and see if I can get a doctor's appointment soon. Besides that, she had a couple of light bruises from where she had tumbled down the hill, but it seemed like those were already healing fast. Condensation was forming on the shower door, and she opened the shower door to get a feel for the water- warm enough. She took off her undergarments and laid them with her other clothes before stepping in.
Estamel let out a long sigh as she felt the warm spray fall on her skin. It wasn't that warm, and it wasn't that rapid, but that wasn't even in the back of her mind now. She took the body wash bottle and vigorously rubbed the solution into her skin, starting with her feet and ankles and working upwards. When she got to the wound on her thigh she worked more gently, trying to clean the area without putting pressure on it or breaking the sutures, and she did the same when she reached the one on her abdomen. Once she had reached all the way up to her neck and shoulders she took a moment to stop, letting the spray rinse all the dust and stickiness from the last two days down the drain.
She washed her hair and tail next. The fur on her tail was more similar to that of an animal than her hair, but it was close enough that she trusted the hair shampoo would work on it. She also used some conditioner in her hair- just a little bit, enough that she could get out if it didn't work right. Cleaning her ears and tail was a new experience, but it proved relatively simple. Once she was done, she rinsed it all off, and turned off the water.
By the heavens, I'm glad I did this before going to bed. Feeling better, she put on the set of clothes she had piled on the shelf and went back out into the room.
She took out a piece of paper and a pencil, and sat down at the table to write out her ideas.
Things to-do:
-Visit a doctor, check on my injuries. Make sure there's no sort of damage I missed, and if there is then get whatever treatment I need for it
-Visit the unemployment office and get a temporary job, where I can gather funds for the journey to Ap'oteozi and build up a resume of sorts.
-Find an actual map, figure out where I am in the world and where Ap'oteozi is as well.
-Look for a cheap apartment in town. Preferably someplace with a degree of privacy, where I can study and work on my stuff without being noticed.
-Read through the magazines and get more papers about this world, so I can build up a better familiarity with this place and hopefully beat any questions I get asked.
-Find a safebreaker, open up the case from the truck.
-Look for resources on learning magic and the like, so I can fit in better, and defend myself.
-Go to the police, ask about incidents involving poachers/smugglers/whatever slipping into the DMZ. Try to find who may have left the rat behind.
-Visit an IT place, turn in the busted phone for some cash.
It was quite a lot- probably more than she would actually be able to get done over the next day. But she would definitely be able to get at least some of it done. She tucked the note away into the drawer by the bed.
She realized she had left the phone still in the charger, and went to pull it out. But when she looked at it there was a red light next to the plug glowing. That wasn't there before. Her finger tapped the on-off button, with no response. Not giving up, she held down on the button, and the screen flickered. An emblem of an almost empty battery with a message written below it appeared:
INSUFFICIENT BATTERY FOR REBOOT
She stared wordlessly until the screen went dark again, and left the phone charging, before taking the note back out to scribble an addendum:
-Check if the phone is ready to reboot in the morning. Consider options on what to do then.
"Good night, little guy" she whispered to the rat. "Tomorrow we'll see if we can find your friends." She flicked off the lights, and made her way back to the bed by the glow of the clock. As she slipped into the covers, she heard someone talking off in the distance. They were too faint to tell what they were saying, although it seemed as if they were getting a little closer, and as she laid down she could make out a little bit…'
"Where the hell is she?"
Suddenly Estamel snapped up, laser-focused on the sound. There was a pause, but when the person spoke again, she could tell that they were on the motel balcony, footsteps emanating from their location.
"I went to hangar five. She wasn't there, the staff said they had no record of her being there, and they told me you hadn't been there for a week. So what's going on?"
There was a pause. The footsteps cut off, presumably because the person had stopped.
"More repairs? What happened? …no Laporte, I don't care who's fault it was. Just tell me what happened and what the damage was."
"A wind turbine? Dammit, this is exactly why I told you not to take her out for any goddamn joyrides! Hell, you're lucky that worse didn't happen, since apparently you never took her to be inspected by an actual crew."
A 'crew'? To 'inspect' a person, at a hangar? What the hell is going on?
She got out of the bed, walked up next to the door so she could hear better
"So? I told you to send me the bill for the inspection. You're not having to pay for anything." The voice was more exasperated than angry. "So how bad is the damage, really?"
"...Are you sure you hit a turbine? Because that's not much. I'll need to see the Siroco before I can tell how bad things are, but a torn gasbag compartment and broken steering fin shouldn't be much trouble. Get your crew together and I'll be at your workshop tomorrow morning."
"Look Laporte, I don't care who it was that was flying the Siroco. It just doesn't matter, okay? Honestly, it's my fault for telling you guys it would be safe to fly the blimp without me in the first place…"
Estamel realized what was really going on after all. The mysterious man wasn't talking about her, or some woman being held at a secret hangar. He was talking about a balloon- the "Siroco"- that his associates had accidentally steered into a windmill of all things. The mental image of the accident was enough that she burst out laughing without a care, until she realized that the man on the phone had trailed off and stopped talking entirely.
A few moments passed before someone broke the silence.
"I'm at a motel right now, out on the balcony. I just got here maybe, I don't know, five minutes ago? After maybe two hours on the road, and another one at the airport making a fool of myself trying to find a dirigible that wasn't there? I haven't even ate dinner yet. Someone in the room closest to me is awake and I just heard them laughing at me."
"Save it. I've had enough of this. I'll just turn in right now. Goodbye, Laporte." There was a beep, and what almost sounded like a choked sob. Then footsteps. Wordlessly, Estamel rushed to the luggage, grabbed a meal pack identical to the one she had eaten, and rushed back to the door. She flung it open and looked out in the direction of the stranger.
"Hey! You-" stopping as she saw who turned in response.
The person who stood there was even stranger than Jacob from the shop. Although they had normal clothing- jeans, a T-shirt, and a baseball cap- it looked like most of their skin was covered in tawny fur. They had not only the ears and tail of a hyena but the whole head of one, with a long snout and black nose, but they stared back at her with what was clearly a human expression of surprise.
Pull it together. You know this is normal here, just start talking.
"Hey, so uh… I'm sorry. For laughing at you there." She swallowed and stared down. "I just.. I heard you yelling and didn't know what you were talking about, so I ran up to listen, and when I realized it just took me by surprise, and yeah. I'm Estamel, by the way."
Did I just blurt that all out at once?
The hyena-man tilted their head, looking at her the way someone looked at a rabbit a magician had pulled out of a hat, or a wild animal loose inside a convenience store. "Thanks" came the stilted reply.
"Soo… you haven't had anything to eat for dinner. Are you hungry?"
His eyes narrowed- it seemed like he took her question as a taunt. "Of course I'm fucking hungry. Why the hell do you care?" She turned up to look him in the face and held out the meal pack. "I figured you might want this. It's nothing fancy, but it should help a little."
The stranger's anger dissipated, and they took the ramen bowl. "Yeah, that'll help. Thank you again, Estamel. I didn't mean to be snappy, I was just a little caught up in things."
"Nothing to worry about. You've had a rough day, I've had a rough day… maybe we should ask the bot in the leasing office how things have been for them?"
The hyena-man chuckled, and she chuckled as well. "I'm Noak, by the way." He glanced behind his shoulder down the walkway. "What's your business here?"
"My business? I'm a detective, but right now I'm looking for whatever business I can get my hands on, and this town looked like a good place to search. Gonna be looking around town tomorrow."
"So a busy day for you, too?" She nodded. "Yeah, I was just about to go to sleep when I heard you."
"I see. Don't want to keep you up, so…" The man handed her a business card. "If you ever need an airship pilot, you can give me a call. It's been nice meeting you."
"You too." They exchanged good-nights and good-lucks and went to their respective rooms. It occurred to Estamel that she wouldn't actually be able to call Noak without a phone of her own. "Ah… I'll get one sometime" she mumbled as she sprawled out on the bed.
As she stared up at the ceiling, she heard something passing over up in the sky. It might've been an airship, or a propeller plane, or a jet, or something else entirely, she couldn't tell. The noise came and went, but she knew it wasn't gone. The aircraft and whoever was piloting it were just somewhere else, doing whatever they were doing, with no idea that there was a siddim in the motel below them, contemplating the existence of both them and herself as her eyes slowly slid shut.
Author's notes:
Once again I must apologize for the long delay in updates, for essentially the same reasons as before. I could make excuses but that would be a waste of time. I just need to get better at both focusing myself on the task and streamlining my workflow process. I originally planned for the chapter to be longer, but decided that this would make the best stopping point. Let me know if you notice any errors that need correction.
Next chapter... I can't promise when it'll be out. But it's where I can really start getting into the stuff that got me to start writing this in the first place, so I feel the wait for that ought to be significantly shorter. Thank you for reading once again.
The second tune on the radio had been followed by a brief announcement in Seylinian. "We thank you for tuning in to 99.5 Seiban Swing this evening. Weather for tonight is expected to be clear for most of the area, although small amounts of rain may pass over Gooseboro. Next few days appear to be sunny or partly cloudy for the whole region, with average temps in the high- 60s. Local officials have reported that all five detected siddim arrivals from the recent Semilin storm have successfully been neutralized, and that the supposed sixth sighting was only a misidentification."
Estamel shuddered. Another reminder to be careful once she made it to a town. I need to figure out a solid cover story. I'm sure I was a scientist or an engineer before I died, and I might be able to recall some knowledge from my old life… most of which will be useless for fitting in here.
Well, not completely useless. A lot of technology on Bei didn't seem intensely different from it's counterparts on Earth, at least in broad strokes. Electricity worked the same way, as did radio signals. Petroleum-based gasoline was uncommon, but the alternatives she was aware of- biogas, hydrogen and hydrogen-based fuel mixtures, and old-fashioned batteries like the one inside her own van- were all familiar. Basic computers and electronics both used the same basic principles- even the basic dog-bots looked less like a fantasy monstrosity and more like something she'd see either on a sci-fi series set in the near future or a proudly advertised "upcoming product" of a military corporation.
Or perhaps they were the sort of thing that showed up in both, with the latter including a tasteless reference to the former.
However, this still wasn't enough. Magic- aside from the innate abilities she had as a siddim- wasn't something she understood much about, and it was clearly a major part of life for the people on Bei. Just as importantly, there were still plenty of machines on Bei that couldn't just be waved off as an extrapolation of tech on Earth- the canid monstrosity she had fought at the repair shop and the weapon that had left Kavala a wasteland were two prominent examples. Even if she would probably be able to understand these things eventually, she would stand no chance trying to pass herself off as an engineer or researcher.
"Which wouldn't be too much of an issue if there wasn't anything else about me to draw suspicion," she muttered to herself as the soft jazz resumed. But that isn't the case, isn't it? I'm showing up alone as a complete stranger, with injuries from the fight this morning, in a pilfered truck. I need a solid guise, and I can't just slip back into my old job.
While the broadcast was a little worrying, it was in fact good news- if the authorities were claiming that no siddim from the recent Semilin storm were still loose, then the local people probably wouldn't be on their toes about the possibility that any newcomer could be a siddim in hiding. With a sigh, she started rolling over ideas.
Imitating a mercenary was one possibility. She had Merab's journal to draw info and anecdotes from. She also had the van full of military gear- while she didn't want anyone poking around in there, she could get uniforms and weapons in case anyone wanted evidence of her past, and if someone did find what was in there it would be better than no excuse. But it came with issues as well. Even with the journal, she still had a very incomplete understanding of mercenary life and no actual battle training at all, which could easily get her exposed if she came into contact with actual military personnel. And even if she fooled them, a lone soldier of fortune showing up out of nowhere could be seen as a sign of trouble in itself.
Merab DID say there were people who followed by his company that weren't soldiers. What about one of those? There was that doctor who stayed back to help Beaker, for example. Well… I'm not a doctor but-
"What's that?"
Estamel's train of thought halted as something in the distance caught her eye. It was a faint light, out to her left. It seemed to be flickering slightly, and as she glanced she realized it was actually two lights, paired together and moving closer at an angle. That's another car. Another moving car. Something else glistening up ahead caught her eye, and she turned her head to see a junction in the distance, connecting the highway to a smaller road.
She stomped down on the gas pedal, the van's motors letting out a loud whir as she sped up. Her eyes frantically bounced back between the approaching lights and the junction- both were closing in fast, but she could tell the junction was closing in faster.
"Alright, alright… almost there…" she whispered nervously to herself as she watched for the sign to draw just close enough, "and… now." Her foot came off the gas and tapped down on the brake as she came just about sixty feet from the sign. Swiftly but not suddenly, the van slowed down and came to a stop just as it reached the intersection.
The rat she had adopted from the crashed truck awoke from its slumber, squeaking softly. It lifted its head and scampered up the bags she had left in the right seat, curious as to the cause of this disturbance.
As she had hoped, the other vehicle arrived at the intersection just a couple seconds after her. It was a flatbed truck, with cargo prominently heaped in its back compartment. There was an audible screech as it came to a sudden halt, its driver having seemingly not noticed her at all. Estamel spotted a large figure in the driver's seat, and waved to signal that they could go first.
The pick-up's turn signals flashed as it lurched out and turned left. Estamel nonchalantly followed behind. Well, that should've seemed pretty natural. Now I've just got to follow along.
The truck picked up speed very quickly, with the van following the fastest it could, and she realized they were going far faster than her van's optimal cruising speed. It shouldn't have been surprising- the electric vehicle's optimal speed was a lot slower than that of a "normal" truck, and she hadn't seen any speed limit signs posted- but it seemed as if she had already become used to the van's pace.
Still, she could keep up with the truck just fine- it just meant her battery wouldn't last nearly as long.
As she trailed the pickup, it became clear she wasn't really in the wild anymore. She started seeing more roads branching off and lights out in the distance, and while only some of them were close enough to the highway to make out homesteads, this wasn't her first time driving through a rural area and knew what they were. Sometimes she could make out what looked like small villas, large clusters of well-lit buildings. However, none of them had any signs indicating a rest stop, or anyplace visitors would be able to stop by without arousing suspicion, so she opted to keep following along. Fortunately, it was only about an hour of driving before she saw a large, lit-up billboard on the side of the road:
GEARING - 10 Mi
FOOD
FUEL
LODGING
SUPPLIES
Estamel let out a sigh of relief. After three days of nightmares, she was just a short distance from safety.
She saw a red light blinking over the horizon. Another light appeared, blinking at the exact same interval, then another, and then five more came into view. They were clearly dozens of feet above the ground, and as she drew closer she could see the structures they were perched upon- tall, thin, towers, each with a cigar-shaped hub at the top holding four huge, spinning blades. Wind turbines- all standing atop a large hill. And even more, there was a bright glow shining from over the hill.
As Esty and the car she was following climbed up the hill, following the highway right through the field, the noise of the wind turbines filled her ears. It was a chorus of low, swooping sounds as blades turned and gearboxes cranked, turning the flow of the air into electromagnetic power.
It was an odd feeling- but when she reached the top of the hill and the town came into view, she knew she had come to the right place.
***
Intuitively, Estamel knew that Gearing wasn't that big of a city. The tallest buildings she could see looked like they were at most ten stories tall, and the majority were half that height or less, falling off away from the center. Estimating the area of the city was tough, but it couldn't have been more than several miles wide- at least the built-up parts of it. She had seen cities far larger than this before. But Gearing was far larger than any of the settlements she had seen on Bei. And it was alive.The highway went down the hill into a large three-way intersection, with one large road curving off into the city. Off in the distance she could see another highway out there, or at least what looked like one. As she went down the slope she saw fields of crops and pasture lining the sides of the highway. Estamel knew she didn't need to follow the truck in front of her anymore, but the other driver continued to silently lead the way, taking the interchange into the city. As her car climbed up the ramp and turned left, she considered what her plan should be.
It's getting quite late right now. At this point, I should probably just find somewhere to park this thing, and see if I can grab dinner somewhere- I can think up a backstory in the morning. Or… do I really need a backstory at all?
It was a valid possibility. After all, it was unlikely that the people of the town would pry too much into the backstory of any random tourist or passerby. If she wanted to stay for a while, sure… but she didn't see any reason why she wouldn't be able to move on in a couple days. All she really needed was time to charge the car.
The avenue into town was lined with houses, small apartments, and shops. They didn't look particularly fancy, but she could tell all of them were in good condition, and most had lights on. Slowing her van down, she looked into one of the buildings- a modest boxy-looking store with a sign reading AZHIR'S DAILY MARKET over the door- and saw a person walk out pushing a shopping cart full of goods forward. Overcome by curiosity, she pulled her car to the side of the road. She grabbed a few bills she had found on her way and stuffed them into her pocket before stepping out through the back door.
The air outside was warm, with a gentle breeze that rippled her hair into her face as she tried to lock the van. Pushing the obstruction aside, she looked over and saw the person with the cart turning a corner a couple blocks away. She walked up to the store entrance and paused for a second before putting her hand on the door.
Okay. Take a deep breath. You're meeting with normal people, just act like you're normal as well. It'll be that easy.
Upon stepping in he was greeted with the sound of a bell and pop-ish music with a singer she couldn't understand. A couple tables in the front of the store held discounted items and fresh produce, and to her left a cashier was lying back in a chair, their face covered by a magazine. Behind aisles of consumer goods she could see a counter marked PRESCRIPTION PICK-UP.
The doorbell rang again, and Estamel saw another person step into the store behind her. He was an old man, with a walking stick and silvery hair. He had a tube running into his nose and looping down into a handbag slung over his shoulder. "Excuse me" he murmured in a low, gravely voice. She realized she was blocking his way and slid to the side without question.
"Thank you" came the response as he kept on walking, towards the pickup booth. He spoke Seylinian, albeit with a different accent than she had heard before. Estamel picked up a couple paper shopping bags. Well, the people in this place seem pretty reasonable. Perhaps I'll just find some stuff I could use here?
She went down an aisle advertising pet supplies and picked out a bag of rodent feed and a small metal cage that could reasonably hold a rat. The mercenaries had left behind an extensive first aid kit, but it didn't have any light painkillers, which she needed on account of the injury from the hound's tail still aching. She also wanted some topical antibacterials- just in case- and the shop had both of them on the same shelf. She walked through the electronics aisle, and didn't think there would be anything of use there- until she remembered the inactive smartphone she had found back in the gas station.
It didn't appear broken- perhaps I could recharge it and turn it on?
Perhaps. Even if she could get the phone working it was probably still password-locked. But it was worth a try. She didn't have it with her at the second, but one of the chargers had an image of an identical-looking device, so she picked it out. Hopefully I can return this if I need to.
Now that she thought about it… she had an awful amount of items that could be valuable. And not only that… a lot of these things would be really hard to explain if someone got ahold of them, and even if that someone was a thief, that was zero guarantee that they'd keep their mouth shut. She needed somewhere to put this stuff securely. Looking around, she was able to find a decent-sized safe with a lock and a chain she could use to secure it somewhere in the car.
Finally, she went to a shelf near the cashier's desk, filled with magazines and newspapers. It was almost amusing- she had seen these displays in stores like this on Earth all her life, and had never even thought about buying any of them, but they were undoubtedly the most important item she could find here. Skimming lightly through each option, she picked out several- a global news publication with lots of photographs, an engineering and tech reviews journal, a pair of 'entertainment magazines' that were from different publishers but shared the same unmistakable writing style of a tabloid rag, a small and thick "DIY" guidebook aimed at those getting into magic, and two outdoor sports mags- one for hunting, and one for fishing.
The final two magazines had some interesting details. Seiban Sport Fishing bore a painting of a catfish chasing a lure over a bed of seagrass, its mouth wide open as it prepared to bite down. She couldn't tell if the catfish was identical to any species from Earth, but it didn't look abnormal to her at all. Then again, unless her job on Earth had been marine biology- which she didn't think it was- her intuition could be meaningless here. The cover had a helpful list of article titles and page numbers, mentioning a few fishing techniques and tournaments.
Nokorian Bushmaster was different. The cover had two hunters standing on top of a massive beast they had presumably felled. Unlike the catfish, this creature clearly wasn't an Earth species- it looked larger than an elephant, was covered in thick fur, and had two horns that looked as thick as tree trunks. The two hunters standing atop of it were another matter. One of them was a normal man- very tall and well-built, with an impressive beard reaching down to his stomach, but normal- while the other was something else. He had grayish mottled skin, yellow eyes, and two large tusk-like canines protruding from his lower jaw. Compared to most people he would be huge, although the hunting buddy he had with him looked to be about his equal.
So I guess that's what an Orc looks like. Merab had mentioned them a few times in the entries she had browsed, but he had never said much to describe them, and it was unclear how common they were in society as a whole. It was a little odd- while Esty had already seen all sorts of things she would have never thought possible before out in the wilderness, seeing more of those sights in what would typically be a mundane setting was another surprise.
The Orc was holding a very large rifle, while the man had a staff in one hand and a large revolver in the other. Despite their unusual weapons and appearances, though, both of them were wearing fairly normal-looking camouflage pants and jackets, and they bore the same shit-eating grins. Like the fishing magazine it had a list of articles. She added it to her collection.
Confident that she had gathered enough, Estamel walked up to the front desk. The cashier was still sleeping like a rock. Curious, she took a look at their magazine- it was another copy of the engineering and tech review journal, except this edition had a large rip on the cover and a couple spots of discoloration- water damage, maybe? For someone so engrossed in the mag they hadn't taken good care of it.
"Hello," she said. No response. "Hello, can you check out my goods?" Still nothing. She knocked her hand on the counter lightly, making just a little bit of noise.
The cashier stirred. They rolled in their seat slightly and yawned, causing the magazine to slide away, and Estamel couldn't help but let out a gasp of surprise. The cashier's clothes looked normal, but- just like the second hunter- the skin on their face was mottled gray. They yawned, presenting two large lower canines that weren't yet large enough to stick out when their mouth was closed, and reached a grayish hand up to rub their face.
Estamel quickly thought through the situation.
Okay, this is ridiculous. That's a fucking fairy-tale orc, for crying out loud, and they're sitting at the checkout desk at a convenience store.
But… that doesn't really seem all that . There was the one on the hunting magazine right there, standing right next to a human that he had worked with, and when Merab mentioned meeting orcs he never seemed to make a big deal about it.
And… the figure standing in front of her wasn't actually all that unusual. They wore human clothes, and were rubbing their face the same way a human would. They were a cashier at this place, which meant that the sight of them probably wasn't something most people would find odd.
And if most people wouldn't be surprised, and I am acting surprised, then the person actually acting weird would be…
She shut her mouth and adopted a flat expression just in time for the cashier to get their marbles together and look her in the face. "Hi, uh… who are you?"
"I'm Estamel", she replied. "I'm here to check out my stuff."
The orcish cashier's expression was hard to read. They tilted her head and squinted at her, and then scanned their surroundings. Then their eyes landed on the goods Estamel had stocked in front of them and it dawned on them what the situation was. "Oh! Uhh… sorry, sorry. Yeah, I'll check your stuff."
Estamel noticed a tag on the cashier's shirt. Hello, I'm Jacob Levin- the last two words written in what was presumably their own handwriting. Unlike the orc in the magazine, he didn't look unusually big by human standards. She also suspected he was a young adult, based on his lack of prominent tusks and customer service job, but she had no way of knowing for sure. She placed down her stuff on the counter, and he diligently picked up a barcode reader and started scanning the tags on each. "Lets see… yep… and we got some more of those…" he murmured along as he worked, not paying much mind to any of it. When Jacob got to the big stack of magazines, though, he seemed surprised. "Well damn… never seen anyone check out so many of these before."
"I'm a collector of sorts." Not necessarily a lie- I'm collecting them right now, and it would make for a very convenient hobby later on. He shrugged nonchalantly and started scanning the magazines one by one.
"So you're new here?" came a voice from down inside the store. Estamel turned her head and saw the same old man who had passed her before, now carrying a few groceries and a paper bag with some paper attached.
"Yes."
"Why did you come here?"
"I'm just traveling through, on some business of my own. It's nothing interesting."
"Hmm, I see." The old man rubbed his chin. Jacob hummed softly, his reader letting out a beep as it checked another item. She turned back to the bags, but the senior spoke up again.
"Y'know, that isn't really true though. Yeah, you might not say that what you're up to is interesting. But I've lived here a long time, and if there's one thing I've learned, everyone who comes by here has an interesting story to them, no matter what it is." He paused. "But it's not a problem if you don't want to talk about it right now."
Not now? How about never?
"All done," said the cashier. "Here's your total. We accept cash or card." Estamel looked at the total. $67.12 - not sure if this is overpriced, but I can buy it. She dug through the cash, counted out exact change and handed it over. "You're good to go. Thanks for shopping here." As she picked up her bags and stepped away, the old man walked up behind her. "Have a good night, ma'am" the senior said. He turned to Jacob as he set his stuff down on the table. "So how are you doing today?"
"Been fine." The orc's tone seemed casual, as if he was well familiar with this person. "That new mobile respirator is working for you?"
Estamel leaned against a magazine shelf with her back facing to the counter. She pulled out the fishing mag and pretended to read it while the conversation carried on.
"It sure is. It barely weighs half as much as the last one, and the battery lasts longer too. Makes getting around a lot easier."
"Awesome."
"You bet. Say, did Danuphorn tell you what's the deal with the line to Horizon City? I thought it was supposed to be ready next Wednesday, but now the website says it's 'delayed for an unknown time.'"
What line?
"The three new trainsets were delayed due to the Semilin storm. They'll probably be here in a couple days. Good news is, once they're here they should be all ready to run."
"I see. I thought they might have been worried about safety."
"Oh, they definitely are- the transport authority is trying to arrange double the security detail for the first week, and the route is being monitored regularly. It's probably unnecessary, but with the uptick in troubles- especially what just happened at Horizon- nobody wants to take chances."
There was a couple seconds of silence before the old man let out a yawn.
"Well… things are how they are. Stay prepared, but don't let it eat away at you. Do you have any thoughts on the matter, Estamel?"
Esty flinched and turned to look back at the counter, where both of the conversants were staring at her. "Uh, I uh… wasn't listening."
"We can see your ears, y'know," Jacob mumbled. "As soon as you stopped there you were listening in on us, even if you were looking down at the magazine."
"You saw my ears?"
"Yes?" Jacob said, an undercurrent of exasperation in their voice. "You aren't wearing a hat, so we can see your ears swivel perfectly fine."
"Wait" the man interrupted. "Isn't there a condition you can have where your ears don't rotate properly? I thought I knew a person who had that happen after an overdose."
"Well, actually, you see-" she spurted out, but was cut off by the sound of the doorbell ringing. She glanced over and saw a portly woman waltz towards the cleaning aisle without even glancing at the discussion.
"Carry on", Jacob responded. "Were you saying that you did have that condition?"
"Yes. Well, sort of."
Wait, no, that's wrong. Why did I just say that?
"Huh. I thought I just saw your ears turn when that person walked in."
"I didn't say I have that condition," she snapped, "I said sort of."
"So there's nothing wrong with your ears, but you still have a condition like that? What do you mean?"
Why do you care? You just met me and I'm going to never see you again after I leave, why are you asking all this shit?
She could feel her heart racing. This is bad, very bad- I haven't even figured out what my cover story is yet, and I've already got people asking questions. "Y-you're getting things mixed up, I never said anything about my ears being broken. Look, I've got some stuff I need to tend to, so how about I head out and talk more about this later?"
"Sure. Have a good night."
She slipped the magazine into her backpack and started for the door, only for the old man to speak up again.
"Wait! Miss, before you leave- I just wanted to ask. What's your full name?"
"My full name?"
"Yes. I didn't hear you ever say what your last name was. Would you mind telling me?"
Okay, fine. I'll humor you just this time.
"It's… ah…"
She stopped as her mind went blank. She turned and rubbed her forehead as she tried to think.
I didn't forget this. I couldn't have. There's no way I could've lost the memory of the last half of my name! I just…
Estamel suddenly felt a dizzying sensation sweep over her, as if the earth beneath her had disappeared and she was falling into the same nothingness her mind was grasping at.
"...I don't remember."
"What?" said the old man, probably thinking he had misheard her.
"I'm sorry, I just don't."
Everything fell silent. She buried her face in her hands. I can't believe it. I can't even remember my whole goddamn name.
"Hey, I really don't mean to pry. If you just want to keep what your name is private, that's no biggie-"
She whirled around to face the two. "I said I can't fucking remember! That's just it, okay?"
The senior looked shocked, and for a second she thought he was about to stumble backwards.
CRAP.
He just gave me a perfect opening! All I had to do was 'admit' I was trying to stay private, as if there was something- or someone- I was worried about tracking after me. But now… As if on cue, Jacob walked out of the cashier stand and steeped between her and the old man, extending an accusatory figure in her direction. They looked angry, and something told her that they were going to be a problem if things kept going.
"You've got a lot of nerve. First you snoop around, now you're yelling at people who try to help you? You think you can just come here and start shit?"
"No," she said, her voice unsteady. "I'm sorry. I really didn't mean to cause trouble." She started down at her hands and realized they were shaking. "Please…"
"Alright. So, you're having some problem with your memory? How about you try keeping this in your mind." He let out a bitter, false chuckle. "This place isn't just another tourist hotspot. If you can't be careful, you better head home, because the people you piss off here are going to be the least of your worries."
"I just told you I'm not a tourist-"
"Oh yeah? Then what the hell are you then? You've been acting shady this whole time, why?"
DON'T. FUCKING. CUT ME OFF.
"What the hell is going on?" yelled the female shopper as she poked her head around the corner.
"EVERYBODY STOP! STOP, DAMMIT, STOP!" Estamel howled at the top of her lungs.
The shop went quiet. She looked up to glare straight into Jacob's eyes. "You", she growled as she raised her own finger in return, "you want to tell me about 'being careful'? About 'safety'? Over the last three days I've had more people and things try to kill me than I've had hot meals, and I'm still here. You can't even handle working as a checkout chump without falling unconscious."
The old man inhaled sharply, and she thought she could hear the other shopper do the same. The idiot cashier was clearly taken aback, the same surprised look from when they had been awoken returning to their features. They sputtered out a reply. "Look, you don't know what you're talking about. This place might look safe, but-"
"Oh, is that what we're going to be doing?" she snapped back, careful to cut him off to cut him off at just the right time. "You're gonna tell me about how this place is something special? How sure, maybe I've had to survive a war-torn wasteland, but now that I'm out of the wilderness and inside a convenience store, now is the time that I've got to be worried?
"Look, I'm not trying to compare shit here. I didn't expect this place to be 'another tourist hotspot', and I'm fine with that. I'm having just about the worst week of my life, and anyplace where I can rest and get back on my feet before I keep going on is good. But that's not what's happened, is it? The first time I try to pick up some supplies, someone comes up and tries to interrogate me. And then you're mad at me because I listened to your conversation. Why- would you prefer I butted in and asked you to explain all of the stuff you're fretting about. Hell, nothing you mentioned wasn't something I could find in one of my newspapers ex-"
-Except for the bit about the new train vehicles and the security for them her mind finished as she stopped abruptly. Now that she thought about it… that actually was probably a private matter, and yelling that out loud in front of the new customer would cause trouble. Mostly trouble for Jacob, since it was obviously his fault for yapping about that stuff in a drugstore, but possibly trouble for her as well, and either way the less trouble the better. Jacob glanced back to the old man- does he realize what I was about to say there?
She inhaled deeply and started again.
"What I'm saying is… I'm not trying to be difficult here. But is it too much to ask for people not to start acting hostile out of nowhere?"
For a couple long seconds everyone was silent. Estamel sighed as she considered her options.
Well, that was a pretty stupid response. I just told everyone that I had just been through a warzone earlier and that people attempted to kill me. That's exactly what I didn't want to let them know.
But they still don't know much about who I am besides that. And they seem to be listening to me now?
She remembered that just a minute ago, when the person had asked her if her ears were behaving strangely as a result of a condition- complications from a drug overdose- she had initially answered 'yes'. Why exactly did I do that? She tried to pull at the thought, coax out a little more of what had slipped into her mind at that time. Meanwhile she looked at the old man.
"Hey, uh, to the older gentleman. I don't think I caught your name either."
"My name?" said the old man. "I'm Dennis. Dennis Jones."
"Pleased to meet you, Mr. Jones." She paused. "When you asked if I had a 'condition' from an incident involving drugs, I said 'sort of'. I didn't really get a chance to elaborate there."
"Oh, would you like to share with us now?" Dennis's voice was tinged with curiosity.
A strange, fragmented memory was taking shape in her head. At first she had thought that it was an event she had experienced. But it wasn't about her- it was about someone else, someone she had witnessed the thoughts of.
A story? That would make sense. And it had something to do with me…
She took in a deep breath, as if she was getting ready to say something painful, and the last bit that she needed fell into place in her mind. She spoke slowly as she unwound the narrative.
"Not too long ago- just a few weeks, really- I had an overdose. I'd tell you what drug caused it, but aside from alcohol I don't actually know what was involved there. The good news is that I survived- sure, for a few days it was hard to tell, but I survived. The bad news is… it damaged my memory very, very, badly."
Jacob spoke up. "Wait- you're saying your memories were hurt so badly, you can't remember your own last name?"
Estamel nodded. Judging by the look of shock on his face, she had successfully hooked him on to the story.
"But how could you not know your own name? Don't you have documents somewhere? Or friends?"
"Well… here's the thing. Before this I had lived in the Ambekan Republic- right by the border with Bergania. From what I gather, I hadn't lived for my whole life, and my life there wasn't completely perfect before- but that's a side issue. When war broke out, I had to leave, and most of my stuff got left behind. Including basically all my ID papers. It's not like my documents are completely gone of course. They're just… in a building somewhere, out in the DMZ where nobody is supposed to be. "
She paused, letting the artificial reality of the situation sit in.
"So after that, I was living in a refugee camp for a while. Don't know much, but I do know I was miserable. At some point I went on a bender, and… well, I just told you what happened there. After that, stuff just went downhill. Apparently I had also pissed some people off when I went on the bender, and some other people had an axe to grind with me or something, so… eventually I decided I had to just leave."
Dennis seemed intrigued. "So… do you know what job you had?"
She tapped her hand to her head. "It appears I was a detective of sorts."
It was a detail that came straight from the memory. Whatever that story was, it was an odd one. But it seemed like that was just the sort of story that she needed for this world.
"Really? A detective?"
"Yes. Best one in my old town in fact! Granted, there weren't really any other detectives living there… and honestly, there wasn't much crime to investigate with how small it was… but I was still the best." And that way, none of you will be surprised when I don't know shit about detective work.
The lady shopper gave out a short chuckle. "Well, best or not, you've probably come to the right place if you want work in that field."
"Eh, maybe. I'm thinking I might try to reinvent myself here, find a different job- preferably something a bit more stable."
"Well, if that's what you're looking for, I'd suggest heading to the unemployment office. They're closed now but they'll be open in the morning. It's by city hall, just go to the center of the city and you'll be able to find it easily."
"Thanks, but- I'm not actually a citizen here, will they still help me?"
"Of course they will! Citizen or not, there's a lot of jobs that need filling- especially now with all that nonsense you heard about- and the less idle hands drifting about the better."
"Alright."
Estamel hadn't actually been looking for a job. She had only really 'thought' she would be staying here for a few days to rest before moving on to Ap'oteozi. But now that she thought about it, the money she had scavenged wouldn't last forever. And Melissa had warned her that the journey to the city would be long and dangerous, so…
"Lost in thought again?" said the old man.
"Yeah… I'm just running over a bunch of ideas here. Probably going to find a hotel, get my stuff situated and lay out a schedule for tomorrow. Actually, do you know anywhere I could stay here?"
"Depends on what you're looking for." Jacob replied. "There's like three hotels in the center city catered towards tourists- real fancy places. On the other hand, if you're just looking for a place to rest for the night, just go a couple blocks down to the roundabout and take a right. The road there kinda goes in a loop around the city, if you follow it over to the other side- where the main highway comes through- there's a bunch of drive-ins by that place. Not six-star places but they're safe and cheap."
"Thank you."
"Do those places allow pets?" asked the old man.
"I think that they do, but they'll charge you out the ass if your pet causes damage. Why?"
"I noticed Estamel picked up a cage of some sort. Not sure what animal it's for- mind telling us what the deal is there?"
Estamel noticed the focus of the room quietly shift onto her. She hadn't mentioned a pet rat in her backstory at all. She considered a few possible lies but didn't like any of them. There was really only one decent option.
"I found a crashed car by a roadway- I was worried there were people hurt there, so I checked it out. I couldn't find anybody there- didn't see any signs of what happened to them at all- but I did find a tame rat left behind. I'm keeping them until I can return."
Dennis seemed concerned. "A crashed car, and there's no sign as to what happened to the driver at all? That sounds worrying."
"Could just mean that nobody was hurt there, and they called someone to pick them up without incident. Pretty stupid move to leave behind a live animal, though." Jacob seemed bored. "Usually I'd say to look for anyone who reported a crash and a missing pet, but if they didn't care about it then you may as well just hand it off. Lots of families around here who love a pet like that. You know how to take care of it in the meantime right?"
"Yes… I mean, kind of."
"Wait a second. I might have something for you."
The cashier walked back behind the desk and crouched down under it. She heard cabinets opening and paper shuffling, then there was a soft 'a-ha!' noise, and he stood back up holding a crumpled magazine with the title Small Pets Digest. "This edition of the mag has all sorts of stuff about getting started as a beginner. Sounds like what you're looking for."
"That's great! How much is it?"
"Consider this one on the house. I don't need it, and we can't sell it because it got damaged during transport." Estamel recalled the magazine the cashier had over his face when he was woken up. "Was this from the same shipment as the one you had earlier?"
"That one? Nah, different shipment. I don't know how it keeps happening, but I'm not going to complain." He handed her the paper. "Thank you so much", she replied. "That should be all I need. Have a good night!"
"Have a good night too," Jacob replied, his words echoed by the lady and the old man. She stepped out the front door, waving a goodbye and smiling back.
***
As she had expected, the rat was very much happy to see her again. He jumped onto her sleeve as soon as she opened the van door, climbing up to her collar. "Sheesh, I was gone for barely twenty minutes." She quickly stowed all of the bags before she got back in the driver seat. As she pulled out onto the road, her mind started spinning."That really was one hell of a close call, wasn't it?"
She should have been caught there. She didn't have any sort of backstory ready when she stepped in, she had fumbled herself into an argument, and then had a complete breakdown in front of everyone. But somehow she had made it through it all without blowing her cover- and even received a magazine and free advice.
Whatever that was, I better be able to pull it off again.
She pulled forward and went right at the roundabout like Jacob has said, turning onto a four lane boulevard with a wide median. She passed by a couple other drivers on the street, although it seemed that there were few out at this hour. There were some sort of cables running above the median that left her briefly confused as to what they were for, until a triple-segmented tram came rumbling by and she felt silly for being confused at all.
Eventually she came to a part of the town where the highway she had seen before curved through the edge of the city. She turned onto it to browse her options. Cars were driving by, and unlike the rest of the city it still seemed like most businesses were still active here. Just as she had been told there were several motels, with their prices per night advertised prominently on neon signs. She first decided on the cheapest place she saw, but then realized that part of the sign for that building was clearly broken and flickering, and went over to the second-cheapest place instead.
The building had two stories and a U-shaped layout opening to the highway, with the sign on the top reading Aluva Motel. The left side had a smaller office building attached, with a smaller sign there saying LEASE HERE in Seylinian as well as three other languages she didn't know. She parked the van right beside the front door and walked inside, not sure what to expect.
The front office was dimly lit, the white-and-gray interior having little decor save for cracks and dents presumably left by water damage. At the front desk there was a skeletal humanoid contraption lying on top of a chair where a receptionist would be. When she took a step towards it, the machine stirred and unfolded into a normal sitting stance. It wasn't too unusual in appearance, but what she did notice about it was its head- an iPad-sized screen, with a set of what looked like sensors on each side. It turned towards her and a cartoon smile appeared on the screen. It started speaking right away.
"Welcome to the Aluva Motel, good sir! We have plenty of vacancies right now. What sort of accommodations do you wish for?"
Estamel wasn't sure why the robot greeted her as sir- it could be malfunctioning, or it could only have one pre-recorded response. Or maybe the Seylinian word for Sir is more gender-neutral in this culture. Either way, she didn't give a shit. "I'm looking for a single bed for the night. Nothing more."
"Got that. Only one night?"
"Well… I'm not sure."
"Not sure? Well, you can reserve a few more nights in advance. You don't have to pay for them if you move out earlier than then."
"Okay, uh… how about I reserve for three days, then?" That's probably enough time to find somewhere permanent to sleep.
The robot's face turned to a red X-mark. "Sorry, we don't do three-day reservations. We only do reservations in intervals of two days, one week, two weeks, and one month." The smile reappeared
One month? Who the fuck reserves one month at a hotel?
But back on topic… what do I pick here? Two days probably won't be enough. Should I do a week? I mean, I can always change to a different hotel, but…
"How does reservation work, in full detail?"
The robot let out a chuckling sound. It was probably supposed to sound warm and inviting, but it just sounded like the machine was having a mechanical breakdown and shaking because of it. "Well, it's simple. You just put down a down payment with one-third of the cost of the room in advance. If you cancel, you get two-thirds of the payment back."
Well, I can't count on being able to find a place in a single day. Perhaps I should go for the week…
"What sorta accommodations do you have at this fine establishment?"
"Take a look." The robot leaned forward, extending its screen face over for her to reach. It switched to a document describing what was offered. "You can touch my screen to browse through. Don't worry, I won't bite!"
Estamel tapped the screen, half expecting the machine to make some sort of cringeworthy giggling noise. Thankfully it stayed silent, and she browsed through the room description sheet. It wasn't anything fancy, but it had a bathroom, shower, fridge, safe, and coffeemaker, as well as a guarantee of "absolute top-quality cleanliness." The document also mentioned breakfast accommodations at the hotel kitchen.
"So, what do you think?"
"This looks sufficient. I think I'll reserve a room for a week."
"Top floor or bottom floor?"
"Is there a price difference?"
"Nope."
"Then I'll take the top floor. Don't really care about location or anything."
The machine's face went blank, then switched to a contract sheet, showing the cost of the hotel for the next week. Forty marks for the night, and eighty marks down payment for the next six days. "It's all yours to sign and pay." She counted out the payment and handed it over.
"Don't forget to sign." One of the machine's fingers popped loose, and it pulled it off, extending it out. "Use this to write on the tablet."
She cringed. "Do I really have to write with that?"
"Well, did you bring your own pen?"
Estamel was going to try and argue, but realized that the crappy 'pen' was actually a good thing for her. She took the finger and wrote out a signature- a comically messy transcription of her name, and then a messy scribble that bore no close resemblance to any existing word. Then she offered the finger back. "Done. It's almost impossible to write a signature with this, y'know."
"It'll be fine enough." The robot took back its finger. "With that out of the way, you're all signed up. It pulled its head and leaned up straight, then went through a cabinet in the desk to pull out a key. "Room 212. On the outer left side."
"Thanks." She shook hands with the machine and walked away. "Enjoy your stay!" went the reply calling after her.
She had been worried that her van would stand out, but as she moved it over to a spot near the room that clearly wouldn't be a problem- at least a third of the other vehicles parked were vans of a similar construction. The only real irregularity was its camo paint job, and even that didn't look like anything more than a stylistic choice. With it parked in place, she made sure the car was secure. The mercenaries had installed a quite clever anti-theft system, with metal slat barriers that could be rolled down to cover the windows. Not only did this make it far more difficult to break into the car and hot-wire it, it kept the cargo inside comfortably out of sight. She opened the cage, tore up a cardboard box of ration packets and tossed it in as bedding, and then placed the rat inside.
With all the stuff she needed gathered she went out and walked up the stairs to the second floor, finding the room a few doors away. I remember hearing that VIPs staying at hotels would sometimes take rooms as close to the exits as possible so they can run away quickly if they need to. That would be useful for me too. I mean, it would, if the people hunting me weren't dropping bombs that incinerate anything in a half-mile radius.
Actually though… that parachute bomb took a long while to fall. I don't suppose I would be able to run out and get in the car if I had warning it was coming?
She waved it off- even if she would escape, everyone else in the building wouldn't. And between the fact that they probably wouldn't actually drop one of those inside a city, and that she didn't want to have to run away (and had done an okay job of disguising herself so far) it was basically meaningless. Taking a deep breath to clear her mind, she unlocked the door and pushed it open.
The room was, well… a little better than she expected. It was small but not cramped, and all of the amenities listed on contract- bathroom, shower, bed, safe, TV, microwave, mini-fridge, storage cabinet- were at least there. Compared to the front office, there were more signs of damage but also more proactive maintenance. The sea-green walls were dotted with slightly off-color patches where new paint had been dotted over stains and scratches, and in a few places she could see where cracks had been filled in with plaster. Satisfied that there was nothing troublesome so far, she set down her things in the center and went to the bathroom. It had a low ceiling and even more cramped interior- more reminiscent of a submarine lavatory than a room in a motel- but seemed to be completely clean, with all the soaps and toiletries that one would expect. When washing her hands she saw gray tape zig-zagging across the bottom half of the bathroom mirror, obviously placed to cover up a crack. "At Least We Tried" seemed like it would make a fitting resort slogan.
But honestly, it was pretty solid for the low price. The room was clean, the locks appeared sound, and it had hot water and electricity. And let's be real, all I need is somewhere safe to rest my head. She sat down on the bed and stared down at her hands.
There was something… dizzying about this moment, but she didn't really know why. Glancing over at her shoulder she saw the clock read 10:34 PM. Having nothing particularly urgent to address at this time., she figured she could take her time getting settled in. She took off her shoes and left them by the door, placing her bags by there as well. The rat cage went on a table. She took the recovered phone and plugged it into the charger. It didn't seem to do anything- even after a couple minutes of waiting there was no light from the phone, and pushing buttons or brushing the screen prompted no reaction. It was worth a try.
Her stomach growled- it had been a long time without a meal. Estamel retrieved a single-serving cup of ramen noodles and dried vegetables from the bag. Filling it with the needed water and placing it in the microwave, she sat down at the table. The rat looked as if they were trying to arrange the ripped-up cardboard into a 'den' of sorts. There was a kind of awkward silence to the room that she didn't like, and she turned on the TV to break it up.
The channel that popped up was listed as a news channel, but the first thing to come on was an ad for a pizza chain called Lauria's Kitchen. It wasn't particularly useful, but hey, now she could be sure that mentioning 'pizza' wouldn't give her away as a siddim. It then shifted to another commercial, this one for e-bikes. Halfway through it the ramen finished cooking. She took it to the table, pulled out some utensils she had taken from the mountain outpost, and- after checking that it wasn't too hot- took a sip of the broth. It tasted… good, actually. Maybe her hunger might've influenced her takeaway, but as she dug into the bowl she was far from being disappointed.
The program switched again, this time to the actual news. Estamel didn't really know what most of the places mentioned in the program were, or who any of the people or organizations mentioned were, or even what the channel's name of "HCBE 37 News" was supposed to mean, but she tried to follow along as she ate, and she felt like she was able to understand some of it. The first story was about an industrial disaster that occured two weeks ago in Horizon City, where a car factory experienced a sudden series of explosions from an unknown source, followed by a conflagration. At least two dozen people had died either right away or following the incident, and twice that much were missing or in critical condition. Now investigators had uncovered footage of an unknown individual slipping into the facility just twenty minutes before the incident happened. While this made sabotage the obvious answer, it was unknown as to what motive the bomber may have. Was this the "stuff that happened at Horizon" that they were talking about at the store?
The next couple stories were less heavy. The channel discussed a new medical clinic being built in a small town, replacing a smaller joint that was suffering from structural issues. A couple locals were interviewed and floor plans were shown of the new facility. Opinions seemed positive, not like she expected to hear otherwise. Next was a piece on the farm industry in the area. Based on the piece, the last few years had been very good- steadily growing demand, cheap resource costs, and a relatively stable economy had made for a very profitable time. Of course, the news agency was quick to ask if there were any concerns about the future- to which they were told that while there were concerns, it looked like things would be on the up-and-up for the foreseeable future. By the time it ended and another ad break started, she had finished up the last of the ramen bowl and thrown the package in the trash.
11:02 PM read the clock now. She felt a little better after having something to eat, but the feeling of dizziness still hung in the air like a fog, stronger than ever. Estamel collapsed onto the bed with a yawn. Her eyes narrowed, and she felt her thoughts and concerns fading. Her last glance before they closed was at the door to the washroom.
How long has it been since I took a hot shower?
The realization that the answer was not since I arrived on Bei jolted her back to consciousness. She shoved herself up and off the bed, and went over to her luggage to grab some soft clothes she could change into for the night. And the bag where she had stashed a comb, a toothbrush, and some other things- gotta do that too. Plus, I should make a task list of stuff for the next day. Yep, a hot shower, some sleep, and a plan for the next day… that'll always make you feel better, I think.
***
As she expected, the water in the shower was taking a while to warm up after she first started it- something not usual for a cheap hotel like this one. She didn't mind, though, it almost felt good to have a minute to get acclimated to her surroundings. She pulled off her shirt and pants, and took the opportunity to inspect her injuries.The wounds from the hound seemed okay. They were tender and slightly red, but she was pretty sure that was normal for an injury of this severity, and they had no signs of a biofilm forming. It would seem as if they were going to be fine, but if there was something wrong with them there was no way to know. So I'll wash them here, then apply antibiotics again, and see if I can get a doctor's appointment soon. Besides that, she had a couple of light bruises from where she had tumbled down the hill, but it seemed like those were already healing fast. Condensation was forming on the shower door, and she opened the shower door to get a feel for the water- warm enough. She took off her undergarments and laid them with her other clothes before stepping in.
Estamel let out a long sigh as she felt the warm spray fall on her skin. It wasn't that warm, and it wasn't that rapid, but that wasn't even in the back of her mind now. She took the body wash bottle and vigorously rubbed the solution into her skin, starting with her feet and ankles and working upwards. When she got to the wound on her thigh she worked more gently, trying to clean the area without putting pressure on it or breaking the sutures, and she did the same when she reached the one on her abdomen. Once she had reached all the way up to her neck and shoulders she took a moment to stop, letting the spray rinse all the dust and stickiness from the last two days down the drain.
She washed her hair and tail next. The fur on her tail was more similar to that of an animal than her hair, but it was close enough that she trusted the hair shampoo would work on it. She also used some conditioner in her hair- just a little bit, enough that she could get out if it didn't work right. Cleaning her ears and tail was a new experience, but it proved relatively simple. Once she was done, she rinsed it all off, and turned off the water.
By the heavens, I'm glad I did this before going to bed. Feeling better, she put on the set of clothes she had piled on the shelf and went back out into the room.
She took out a piece of paper and a pencil, and sat down at the table to write out her ideas.
Things to-do:
-Visit a doctor, check on my injuries. Make sure there's no sort of damage I missed, and if there is then get whatever treatment I need for it
-Visit the unemployment office and get a temporary job, where I can gather funds for the journey to Ap'oteozi and build up a resume of sorts.
-Find an actual map, figure out where I am in the world and where Ap'oteozi is as well.
-Look for a cheap apartment in town. Preferably someplace with a degree of privacy, where I can study and work on my stuff without being noticed.
-Read through the magazines and get more papers about this world, so I can build up a better familiarity with this place and hopefully beat any questions I get asked.
-Find a safebreaker, open up the case from the truck.
-Look for resources on learning magic and the like, so I can fit in better, and defend myself.
-Go to the police, ask about incidents involving poachers/smugglers/whatever slipping into the DMZ. Try to find who may have left the rat behind.
-Visit an IT place, turn in the busted phone for some cash.
It was quite a lot- probably more than she would actually be able to get done over the next day. But she would definitely be able to get at least some of it done. She tucked the note away into the drawer by the bed.
She realized she had left the phone still in the charger, and went to pull it out. But when she looked at it there was a red light next to the plug glowing. That wasn't there before. Her finger tapped the on-off button, with no response. Not giving up, she held down on the button, and the screen flickered. An emblem of an almost empty battery with a message written below it appeared:
INSUFFICIENT BATTERY FOR REBOOT
She stared wordlessly until the screen went dark again, and left the phone charging, before taking the note back out to scribble an addendum:
-Check if the phone is ready to reboot in the morning. Consider options on what to do then.
"Good night, little guy" she whispered to the rat. "Tomorrow we'll see if we can find your friends." She flicked off the lights, and made her way back to the bed by the glow of the clock. As she slipped into the covers, she heard someone talking off in the distance. They were too faint to tell what they were saying, although it seemed as if they were getting a little closer, and as she laid down she could make out a little bit…'
"Where the hell is she?"
Suddenly Estamel snapped up, laser-focused on the sound. There was a pause, but when the person spoke again, she could tell that they were on the motel balcony, footsteps emanating from their location.
"I went to hangar five. She wasn't there, the staff said they had no record of her being there, and they told me you hadn't been there for a week. So what's going on?"
There was a pause. The footsteps cut off, presumably because the person had stopped.
"More repairs? What happened? …no Laporte, I don't care who's fault it was. Just tell me what happened and what the damage was."
"A wind turbine? Dammit, this is exactly why I told you not to take her out for any goddamn joyrides! Hell, you're lucky that worse didn't happen, since apparently you never took her to be inspected by an actual crew."
A 'crew'? To 'inspect' a person, at a hangar? What the hell is going on?
She got out of the bed, walked up next to the door so she could hear better
"So? I told you to send me the bill for the inspection. You're not having to pay for anything." The voice was more exasperated than angry. "So how bad is the damage, really?"
"...Are you sure you hit a turbine? Because that's not much. I'll need to see the Siroco before I can tell how bad things are, but a torn gasbag compartment and broken steering fin shouldn't be much trouble. Get your crew together and I'll be at your workshop tomorrow morning."
"Look Laporte, I don't care who it was that was flying the Siroco. It just doesn't matter, okay? Honestly, it's my fault for telling you guys it would be safe to fly the blimp without me in the first place…"
Estamel realized what was really going on after all. The mysterious man wasn't talking about her, or some woman being held at a secret hangar. He was talking about a balloon- the "Siroco"- that his associates had accidentally steered into a windmill of all things. The mental image of the accident was enough that she burst out laughing without a care, until she realized that the man on the phone had trailed off and stopped talking entirely.
A few moments passed before someone broke the silence.
"I'm at a motel right now, out on the balcony. I just got here maybe, I don't know, five minutes ago? After maybe two hours on the road, and another one at the airport making a fool of myself trying to find a dirigible that wasn't there? I haven't even ate dinner yet. Someone in the room closest to me is awake and I just heard them laughing at me."
"Save it. I've had enough of this. I'll just turn in right now. Goodbye, Laporte." There was a beep, and what almost sounded like a choked sob. Then footsteps. Wordlessly, Estamel rushed to the luggage, grabbed a meal pack identical to the one she had eaten, and rushed back to the door. She flung it open and looked out in the direction of the stranger.
"Hey! You-" stopping as she saw who turned in response.
The person who stood there was even stranger than Jacob from the shop. Although they had normal clothing- jeans, a T-shirt, and a baseball cap- it looked like most of their skin was covered in tawny fur. They had not only the ears and tail of a hyena but the whole head of one, with a long snout and black nose, but they stared back at her with what was clearly a human expression of surprise.
Pull it together. You know this is normal here, just start talking.
"Hey, so uh… I'm sorry. For laughing at you there." She swallowed and stared down. "I just.. I heard you yelling and didn't know what you were talking about, so I ran up to listen, and when I realized it just took me by surprise, and yeah. I'm Estamel, by the way."
Did I just blurt that all out at once?
The hyena-man tilted their head, looking at her the way someone looked at a rabbit a magician had pulled out of a hat, or a wild animal loose inside a convenience store. "Thanks" came the stilted reply.
"Soo… you haven't had anything to eat for dinner. Are you hungry?"
His eyes narrowed- it seemed like he took her question as a taunt. "Of course I'm fucking hungry. Why the hell do you care?" She turned up to look him in the face and held out the meal pack. "I figured you might want this. It's nothing fancy, but it should help a little."
The stranger's anger dissipated, and they took the ramen bowl. "Yeah, that'll help. Thank you again, Estamel. I didn't mean to be snappy, I was just a little caught up in things."
"Nothing to worry about. You've had a rough day, I've had a rough day… maybe we should ask the bot in the leasing office how things have been for them?"
The hyena-man chuckled, and she chuckled as well. "I'm Noak, by the way." He glanced behind his shoulder down the walkway. "What's your business here?"
"My business? I'm a detective, but right now I'm looking for whatever business I can get my hands on, and this town looked like a good place to search. Gonna be looking around town tomorrow."
"So a busy day for you, too?" She nodded. "Yeah, I was just about to go to sleep when I heard you."
"I see. Don't want to keep you up, so…" The man handed her a business card. "If you ever need an airship pilot, you can give me a call. It's been nice meeting you."
"You too." They exchanged good-nights and good-lucks and went to their respective rooms. It occurred to Estamel that she wouldn't actually be able to call Noak without a phone of her own. "Ah… I'll get one sometime" she mumbled as she sprawled out on the bed.
As she stared up at the ceiling, she heard something passing over up in the sky. It might've been an airship, or a propeller plane, or a jet, or something else entirely, she couldn't tell. The noise came and went, but she knew it wasn't gone. The aircraft and whoever was piloting it were just somewhere else, doing whatever they were doing, with no idea that there was a siddim in the motel below them, contemplating the existence of both them and herself as her eyes slowly slid shut.
Author's notes:
Once again I must apologize for the long delay in updates, for essentially the same reasons as before. I could make excuses but that would be a waste of time. I just need to get better at both focusing myself on the task and streamlining my workflow process. I originally planned for the chapter to be longer, but decided that this would make the best stopping point. Let me know if you notice any errors that need correction.
Next chapter... I can't promise when it'll be out. But it's where I can really start getting into the stuff that got me to start writing this in the first place, so I feel the wait for that ought to be significantly shorter. Thank you for reading once again.