෴Raz෴
෴Hex෴
෴෴෴ ෴෴෴ ෴෴෴
Postal
෴෴෴ ෴෴෴ ෴෴෴
[Effect: Dislocation. Spatial awareness impingement.]
In the first seconds of arriving, Raz could tell the air was cool but very dry. The ground was sandy and rocky, but with a lot more sand, of a finer texture than he’d encountered around Brock’s workshop. There were subtle scents in the air he’d come to associate with iron and glass since his perception increases.
Other than the bright, clear stars, the dark sky was broken by a single light source that was just over a small rocky outcropping some distance away. The night was quiet. Some part of him wanted to say "too quiet," but the more rational side argued that he had to admit to not knowing what was normal for here.
“Why is it always nighttime with these portals?” He grumbled. He felt a minor surge of nausea as [Dislocation] faded but managed to suppress it.
Hex groaned. “I was just about settled there. Those doors of his are awful!” she punctuated this by retching and dry heaving.
Despite her obvious discomfort, she kept her rifle at a low ready, and scanned around them with the weapon light. “Oh great. This place.”
Raz looked to the sky. “Hmm, an equatorial location I think. Maybe a bit north of—”
She spoke over him. “Roughly speaking, we’re in the west-central area of Chad. Pretty much the middle of nowhere. Welcome to Africa.” she deadpanned.
Raz looked around and at the glow of lights from over the hill. “Middle of nowhere? Come on, everywhere is somewhere.”
She dropped to a knee with a soft grunt. “Probably around a hundred miles north of Koro Toro, which is a speck on the map in Chad. Much further than that from much of anything more. Maybe three hundred miles of sand to some other speck on the map in Libya.” Hex held her head and groaned.
“Ok, that pretty much is nowhere. How do you know all that?”
She started to laugh then coughed up some dust. “I’ve been here before.” As she spoke she was looking around the surrounding terrain with concern.
I bet there’s a story behind that. Gotta ask her about it later.
[Warning: Nearby Incursion detected.]
“How close!” he exclaimed.
“What?” she responded.
[Unknown. Further away than the one Midnight hovered above with all the stealth snakes, but not much.]
“Sorry, talking to Bee. So, I think we’re close to one of those anomalies.”
She nodded. “Yeah, this area changes a lot with seasons and wind, but from what Brock said his wife does, I figured we’d be close to one, if not right on top of it. More to the point, when I was here last it was to help suppress a surge from the local anomaly. Buncha jumping things and some monster nightmare bugs.” She shuddered as she said it.
Raz picked up the aluminum case. “I’m going to get geared up—” he started.
She gulped audibly and interrupted him. “Actually, speaking of those bugs, we should get going right now. We don’t want to meet anything out here at night.”
Raz didn’t love that plan, but couldn't disagree there. He looked longingly at the carrying case but didn’t argue.
“Should we be shining that light around?” He asked, looking toward the distant lit structure.
“Probably not, but falling off an edge, or tripping and breaking a leg won't help things either.” She sounded frustrated. “This area is mostly sand, but there are some wind-carved ridges, cliffs, and rock outcroppings to watch out for. Among other things.”
So stupid! Why didn’t I think of this sooner? I can share perception, so that means I should be able to share night vision right?
[Yes.]
“Hey babe, do you mind trying something?”
“Sure hon, what’s up?” she answered with a distracted tone, her eyes on the beam of light she was panning around them.
“What the—?” She stopped and shook her head as though to dislodge the prompt. She waved a hand at the phantom image before her. “So I should say yes to this?”
“Yep. Just think yes.”
A complicated expression crossed her face. It was gone in an instant, by the quick shift in her gaze Raz could see she was thinking about or remembering something.
She looked around, then turned off the weapon light. “Ok, I take back everything I said or thought. This is a pretty cool ability.” She got to her feet and scanned the desert around them.
“Just so you know, it only works where I’m looking” Raz warned her.
A moment later Hex replied. “That’s not true. It only updates where you’re looking. If I look where you just looked, things look a little grayed out, but I see your image as a kind of overlay.” She lifted her hand and then looked around at the ground around them. “Huh. Kind of a wireframe overlay for—” she tapped her foot on the ground. “Do you have some kind of sonar or echolocation?”
He shrugged, “Sort of? I don’t really think of it that way, I’m still figuring it all out. Kind of a work in progress.”
[After the snake fight, we realized this was a weakness in the shared senses, and now it won't just vanish. Only using it in combat will tell us if that’s an improvement. Further synergistic improvements may obviate this issue entirely.]
I like it. Thanks. Now I just need eyes in the back of my head.
[On that note, sonic senses and the sense that White Fire provides do work in all directions. We should talk about the additional sensory opportunities Somatic Restoration offers.]
Definitely need to play with that one when we get a chance. No time like the present I guess. Let’s start with White Fire, we’ll play with the other one later.
As they walked he engaged the new sensory overlay at the previous low sensitivity level. The sky had a dim, diffuse, glow that defined it but cast no light. The ground was deep black, with each footstep of his and hers kicking up tiny glowing sparks in a circle around the impact of their footsteps.
The sounds that accompanied the sensory overlay seemed less useful. Footsteps sounded different, a series of sharp snapping sounds that coincided with the faint bursts of light that pulsed into the ground and into each of them with every step. That sound had already faded to nothing by the time the normal sound of grit and sand moving under his feet reached his ears. The rustle of cloth, while they walked, was the pervasive sound of a thousand very soft, tiny, pops of bubble wrap.
Hex stumbled to a halt. “What the hell is all this?”
“Sorry about that. Just working with a new sense. I’m not sure if it’s actually part of White Fire or a tree synergy, but it feels like a new sense, and I’m still getting a handle on it.”
You know, this sure seems like sensory data. That’s your whole thing right? You should be able to handle it without help from another ability.
[The sensory input, I am handling just fine. The processing you want to make it more useful is achieved by training part of your brain, like learning to see, or will require another ability.]
“It’s fine, just wasn't expecting it.” Hex started forward again. “New senses? Tree synergy? Do you ever feel like everything you learn about all this opens up half a dozen new questions?”
He couldn't hold back the laugh. “Yes. So much yes.”
Something shifted out in the darkness. They both froze and Raz looked in that direction. A lattice of blue-red emissions appeared as something burst out of the ground.
Its oversized mouth opened, displaying a large pair of fangs that dripped a caustic-smelling liquid. Raz recognized it from the news report he’d seen in the waiting room after being tested, in what felt like another lifetime. He recalled how fast and agile they were and readied himself.
Hex snapped her rifle onto the target. “Be still, these things are usually not aggressive unless they feel cornered.” She didn’t move the rifle off target.
Raz wished he was geared up, then allowed the world around him to slow down as he flirted with the edge of slow time.
The fanged mouth slowly closed, then snapped open again with a warning hiss. All three of them held very still for a long, tense moment.
Still half-expecting a fight, the two of them both let out a short relieved laugh when the odd-looking lizard-rabbit looked at each of them in turn, blinked slowly, then fled, scampering away at a speed neither of them could have matched on foot.
“Well, let’s hope that’s the worst thing out here.” He pulled the gauntlets on and snapped them locked. He managed to suppress a sigh of relief at having his gloves back on. Wearing them had an oddly draining feeling when he first put them on but was an invigorating experience thereafter.
She sighed and shook her head. “It’s not. That’s a prey animal in this area. Keep those super senses going, we don’t want to meet what eats them.”
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Not sure I even want to know what eats those, let alone encounter one.
They crested the hill. Down a long gentle slope of windswept sand, he could see an outpost of some kind. Looking closer, it was surrounded by walls made of large square bags of rock and sand, fortified with metal cages around them.
Those are called ‘Hescoes’ if I’m remembering correctly. Hey, side note. Why does my recall seem so perfect in some areas, and so normal in others?
[Terse mode overridden: Memories with significant sensory payload are recalled better than times when you sat and watched the news or read a book.]
Let me guess, that's more the realm of enhanced cognition.
The sense of agreement was his only answer.
Guard towers rose above the outpost walls, with what looked like heavy machine guns in each of them. The walls and towers were well lit, with roving spotlights scanning the surrounding area. The entire place looked new. He couldn’t articulate how steel-reinforced bags of dirt could look new, but that was his impression. Despite the new look, there was considerable damage to both walls he could see.
Past the outpost, shadows moved and shifted at the edge of the static lighting. As they walked, Raz kept his eyes on that movement. A moment later, a spotlight snapped over to it and illuminated a nightmare creature that immediately caused him to look around them. The way it instantly shifted from a creeping sneak attack to an all-out charge when the light hit it, made him suddenly fear he’d find one creeping up behind them. Raz checked around them again. There was nothing but the empty desert around them.
The shockwave sounds of multiple heavy weapons reached him. Looking back at the outpost, he was in time to see the attacking creature was the size of a family sedan. Jittering lines of tracer fire from the weapon emplacements in the guard towers lit it up. The thing called to mind a fusion of a heavily armored beetle and a mantid. Four long jointed legs, protruding from an elongated rounded armor shell. Its thorax protruded upward from the front of the shell, like a mantid, where its weapons were located. With two huge scimitar-esque blades as its upper arms and four skittering legs below, it charged the fence and began to climb up the wall before slumping over under the unrelenting hail of bullets.
Sure sure he says, I guess I could part with some super expensive, damn near priceless, one-of-a-kind equipment, just take this note to my wife, simple, easy, what could go wrong? Starting to wonder who played who.
“This suddenly seems like a much worse idea,” he whispered.
She shrugged, “If it makes you feel any better, I thought it was a bad idea from the start.”
He glanced around them again, keeping his sensoria as open as he could stand. “So why’d you come then?”
She looked over her shoulder at him with a raised brow. “Are you saying that because you don’t want me here?”
He shook his head vehemently. “No. Hell no. It’s just that I’m stuck here. No way out but through as they say. But you could just bail anytime right?”
She whirled to look him in the face. With a resigned shake of her head, the anger in her expression softened. “I feel like you’re asking something other than what you’re saying. If I took your words at face value, my reply would be, ‘What kind of shallow self-serving bitch do you think I am?’—But, I know you well enough to know that isn’t what you mean, so what do you really mean?”
“I don’t know. I am glad you’re here. I’m stuck doing this job to get my stuff back, which I don’t like, but I needed them back. I really hate that those negotiations started under the gun. The thing is—”
She put a finger to his lips. “If we have to have this talk out here, let’s at least keep moving.”
She started forward again. “Babe, there are a lot of reasons I’m still here. I can’t even come close to listing them all, but how about this. Even in the midst of all your negotiating to get your gear back, don’t think I missed that you got him to concede on a commission for materials cost. I know how you think. That was for me, and I appreciate it.”
Another lizard rabbit burst from the ground in front of them. They froze, and it too soon sprinted off into the night.
“It’s not because of that, but it is because of things like that. Raz, honey, I’m on your team, period, full stop. I’m on your team because I know you’re on mine. So don’t waste time wondering why someone on your team, is helping your team.”
He was about to reply when the heavy machine guns opened up again. Another pickup truck-sized mantid monster fell to a concentrated storm of machinegun fire.
Raz looked around again. The darkness around them suddenly felt far more ominous and oppressive. “Ok team, so we need to get in there before one of those finds us.”
“That’s the plan.” She said with a nod.
They reached the outer limits of the outpost lights without incident. Raz finally let out the tense breath he felt like he’d been holding all along.
She slung her rifle as they got closer to the front gate.
A few seconds later a searchlight stabbed out at them, surrounding them in a pool of brightly lit sand. “Contact!” someone called out.
A shot rang out. Raz went into slow time but was only able to observe the sand thrown up by the bullet’s impact nearby.
Of course, no matter how fast I could ever be, it's impossible to dodge a supersonic bullet if I wait till I hear the shot.
Raz came out of slow time and raised his hands above his head.
[You’ve gotten much faster as the ability improves, but even if you triggered on the muzzle flash you’re still nowhere near fast enough to dodge supersonic rifle bullets at this range.]
Someone in the outpost was shouting out a cease-fire command. Raz could hear someone else calling out orders to ‘get them inside!’ from somewhere within the walls. A soldier with a megaphone called out commands. Within a few minutes, they’d been admitted to the front gate. They walked past a sullen soldier being dressed down about negligent discharges. The soldier receiving the lecture looked at the two of them with far more naked hatred than seemed warranted.
The rest of the soldiers were doing a poor job of being subtle about ogling Hex. Raz didn’t blame them, Nona cut a gorgeous figure even in her fatigues. The ease and familiarity with which she handled her weapons, not to mention her short hair and tanned face made her look like she could have been a gorgeous soldier herself. He suspected her fit athletic figure and confident way of moving didn’t hurt either.
Inside the outpost, it became clear that the appearance of a roughly square layout had been deceiving. The outpost was shaped more like a blocky uppercase U. Inside the compound, sheets of plywood and metal were strewn on the ground creating rough paths between each building.
This close to the incursion, the humming energy in the air set Raz’s teeth on edge. No one else seemed to notice it exactly, but everyone they saw looked run ragged, as though they’d been doing without proper sleep for too long.
Instead of taking Hex’s rifle as expected, the soldier that brought them inside just made a request that she keep it on one of the weapon racks located around the camp unless it was needed.
I don’t know the military protocol, but that seems odd. Maybe things are different in places like this.
[Everyone here is on edge of collapse. Expect erratic behavior.]
While Hex stowed her rifle, a soldier opened Raz’s case that held the vambraces and cestus, giving him an odd look in the process. The second soldier that seemed to be in charge shrugged. “Nothing in the orders about gloves or cosplay armor.”
A few minutes later they were ushered into an office. There they were introduced to the officer in charge. The man they met was obviously exhausted. From the bags under his bloodshot eyes to the shaky hands and jerky eye movements, it was clear he was at the end of his rope both physically and psychologically.
The officer spoke quickly, almost running his words together. “I’m Captain Davis. Welcome the ass-end of nowhere. You’re human and not giant bug monsters, so that’s just a plus. Can I get you anything? No? Good good. Who are you? Why are you on foot in the middle of nowhere? Who are you with?” he demanded, his tone abruptly shifting.
Raz and Hex exchanged a glance, each wondering who would take the lead.
The soldier didn’t like this, “No! You look at me! No secrets! Where did you come from?!” He snapped at them, his tone shrill.
“We're just here to deliver a message. It’s for Dr. Stilt, from her husband.” Raz tried to keep his tone calm and non-confrontational.
A strange tremor passed through the young man behind the desk. He managed to pull himself together and nodded. “What do you want with Dr. Ivaldison? Give me the message. I’ll ensure it reaches her.” he reached out with an unsteady hand.
Raz shook his head ruefully. “No, I’m looking for Dr. Stilt. Sorry to say I can only tell her the message.”
Captain Davis looked at Raz as if he was mentally deficient. “Yeah, Dr. Ivaldison. Give me the message,” he repeated.
“I wish I could. I have to tell her personally.”
The soldier scowled. “That’s not possible at this time. She’s not here.”
Hex glanced at the locator device Brock had provided them strapped to her forearm and shook her head slightly.
“We know she’s here.” Raz insisted. “All we need to do is give her the message, and get her reply, then we can be on our way and out of your hair.”
The other man rubbed his chin as he considered this. “What do you think, Major? Should we just let them see our VIP?” he appeared to be talking to an empty corner of the small office.
Raz and Hex exchanged a worried glance.
After staring into the corner for several seconds the officer made an abortive head jerking nod, as though he’d started to fall asleep then been forced awake. He flew into a rage, going red in the face as he shouted obscenities at the wall. Eventually, he made a visible effort to calm down and turned to face them again.
“I’m really sorry, but the Major says we can’t just let a pair of random civilians in to see Dr. Ivaldison. We’re a protective detail for her while she completes her research and testing here.” His head twitching to the side as he spoke.
This is not how I saw this playing out. Whatever is wrong here has them all on a knife-edge.
{Bee, send Hex a message, “Stay alert, something’s not right here.”}
She instantly turned and looked at him with a slightly exasperated expression and an arched brow before rolling her eyes as if to say. “No kidding.” with maximum sarcasm.
“Sergeant Higgs!” Captain Davis shouted into the radio on his desk.
When the sergeant arrived, Davis pointed at Raz and Hex. “Take these two into custody. We need to get to the bottom of this.”
The sergeant looked them over. “I need you two to come with me please.”
{Send Hex: Play along for now?}
Hex nodded, and they got up to go with the sergeant.
Higgs seemed less on the edge than his commanding officer. Once outside earshot, he relaxed some. “Sorry about that, things are pretty tense around here right now. I’ve got to take you over to the civilian housing area.”
They crossed the compound. Raz couldn’t help noticing that even though it took them quite a bit out of the way, Higgs never stepped off the paths made of sheets of steel or plywood on the ground.
Raz noticed a prefab concrete building off by itself. “I guess that’s the brig?” He pointed at it. “Is that where we’re going?”
Higgs smiled, looking tired, but not like the bone-deep manic weariness they’d seen from every other soldier onsite. “We're the Army, so that’s a stockade. But—” he swallowed. “It’s on the ground, and it doesn’t have a real floor, so I’m putting you in the civilian housing building so you don’t—It’s for your own good.”
They passed close enough to the concrete and steel stockade building to look inside. With its door hanging open. Raz could see a set of manacles and chains that looked more suitable to restraining an elephant than a person. The chains bolted into the concrete walls. There was nothing else aside from chains, bars, and a dirt floor.
Sergeant Higgs paused and glanced around. “Everyone’s on edge right now. Captain Davis, Specialist Ralston—the guy who almost shot you, they aren't even close to the worst off. The captain didn’t say where I have to put you, and I don’t feel right putting you anywhere without a floor. Just—don’t do anything stupid and make me regret choosing to interpret the orders this way.”
They reached a building that looked like the mutant spawn of a cargo container and an RV. Higgs gestured to it and shrugged. “Sorry about this, but try to get some rest, god knows everyone here could use it.”
Raz pulled off his right glove and clipped it to his belt. “Thanks, this looks like a nicer place to crash than the stockade would have been,” he said as he extended his hand.
Analysis, subtle.
Higgs looked at his hand in confusion for a second before shaking it. “You don’t know the half of it. Trust me, you don’t want to be in the stockade. Just stay cool and we’ll see how the Captain is in the morning.” He looked at Hex then back to Raz, “I’m going to need my hand back now.”
Raz released the handshake, nodded, and they went inside.
[Sergeant Higgs possesses enhanced specific durability, possibly into the second tier of his tree. He also has a minor enhancement to strength.]
I wouldn't have guessed he had any abilities, but that confirms my suspicions about why he’s not as messed up as the rest of them.
Inside the small portable building, there were several bunks, a small kitchen, and a door that probably led to a bathroom.
“Well, not the ritz, but I guess we might as well make the best of it for tonight.”
Earlier you mentioned that my slow time ability is getting faster. I thought I was just getting better at using it. Is it actually getting better?
[Yes, the effects of Synergisti—
There was a soft creak as something moved in the shadows at the far end of the room.