//Attempting system boot... Failed
//Attempting system boot... Failed
//Attempting system boot... Failed
//Attempting system boot... Success
//Emergency drop complete…
Initiating systems check…
Mechanical intelligence core integrity - 14%
Weapons integrity - 75%
Carapace integrity - 87%
Organic internal integrity - 68%
Mechanical component integrity - 98%
Hydration level - 15%
Energy level - 34%
Oxygen level - 22%
Location (Grid, Planet) - Unknown, Monsoon
Systems check… Complete
Unit KZ-0771 suitable for reactivation
//Initiating metabolic processes…success
KZ-0771’s eyes snapped open. Before it even registered the pitch black, its arms attempted to bring weapons to bear but the crushing darkness gripped KZ’s limbs, pinning it in place. KZ struggled for another few moments before it stopped to reassess.
The darkness cocooning it seemed to be sand based on the granulated texture. While KZ couldn’t see any visible light through the sand, the infrared spectrum yielded better results. Above KZ, the sand gave off the telltale glow of heat. KZ’s implanted gyroscope indicated that the heat was in the opposite direction of gravity’s pull-a sure indicator that the surface was there.
Before it began to excavate itself, KZ-0771 took a moment to process queries. How much time had elapsed since the emergency drop had commenced? Why wasn’t KZ immediately attacked by this planet’s defenses? Where was the rest of the invasion force and why hadn’t they reactivated KZ sooner?
//Query: Emergency drop circumstances - Opening…
//Memory access… Complete
Replaying…
KZ-0771 was suspended in a drop harness in the assault bay of the Kirizama. Lining the long corridor of the assault bay were the K class drop troops of squad Z, all similarly suspended from harnesses. The jumpmaster, KZ-0721JM, marched between the two rows of soldiers as it inspected their equipment.
“K class drop squad Z, report.”
“Unit KZ-0771, ready to drop.”
“Unit KZ-0768, ready to drop.”
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“Unit KZ-0767, ready to dr-”
All of the K class orbitals shook violently in their harnesses as multiple impacts rocked the assault bay. KZ-0721JM cocked its head slightly as it conferred with the Kirizama’s bridge, then addressed the assembled troops.
“Bridge reports heavier than expected ground-based defenses. Preparing emergency orbital deployment.”
As the jumpmaster said this, the floor beneath the two rows of soldiers opened up to reveal the vast continents of their target planet. KZ-0771 noted the oxygen readout that had appeared in the top left corner of his vision, indicating that they would be deploying above the atmosphere. With good reason too, as KZ-0771 noted the red mass of projectiles moving upwards through the atmosphere at the Kirizama. KZ-0771 heard the jump master’s next message in his head through the squad link.
“Target zone is marked. Deploying… Now.”
KZ-0771 felt the rockets on its harness fire, shoving it down out of the assault bay, down towards the planet below. Suddenly, the rockets cut out and the KZ units floated through the blackness towards their target. The moment felt like hours to KZ-0771 as it attempted to extrapolate a safe passageway through the forest of red streaks burning towards them and then-
The atmospheric drag hit the KZ units, lighting them up as balls of fire falling in formation towards the great desert. KZ-0771 visuals became completely impaired and, unable to see the incoming projectiles, KZ-0771 clenched its exoskeleton tighter. And waited.
//End memory//
The first query could not be answered to any reasonable degree of certainty. All of the KZ’s internal logs were dated inconsistently as if its chronograph had been set back then forwards multiple times.
The sand held the answer to query two. KZ must have landed in a desert or sandpit, where the shifting sands could quickly cover up the crater. The militant forces would have been able to simply walk over it.
The final query, unfortunately, did not have an easy answer. KZ’s tracking systems were unable to connect to any orbital platforms to determine his location, which indicated that the invasion fleet was not near the planet. This still did not explain why KZ hadn’t reactivated sooner. K class drop troops stayed active throughout the entirety of their drop.
So it seemed as though KZ-0771 was either abandoned or too damaged to get in contact with the others. It considered this conclusion for a few moments. The circumstances certainly made subjugating the planet more difficult. Difficult, but not impossible. First, though, KZ-0771 had to regain its strength, gather resources, and repair itself.
With its goals decided, KZ-0771 returned to the first obstacle of many-sand. It began to dig.
---
“Monsoon sand makes for a surprisingly comfortable burial place,” thought Sierra as the sand blew over her. She was laying on her back resting her legs as she waited for the sun to go down. She’d begun her journey on the east side of the Searing Wind desert, in the settlement Kovach. Her destination, 75 miles west, was the city of Lichten. So far she’d traveled approximately 42 miles in the last two days and her legs were already feeling the strain. Ignoring her protesting legs, Sierra sat up and noted the sun setting.
“Better get a move on, we’ve still got a pretty solid distance to cover,” Sierra said as she broke down the thermofoil tent covering them.
She looked over at her cargo bot, Gravis. His frontal cameras waved up and down in acknowledgment of her statement and his suspension hissed as the cargo bot rose up in anticipation. The little guy was a smaller model rover, equipt with six superelastic tires and a nuclear battery that allowed him to lug up to a metric ton on his back.
“You’ve always had a better attitude for all this travel than me.”
Gravis laughed at her for that comment and wiggled his wheels back and forth. Well okay, he didn’t really laugh, he just blinked his indicator lights a few times, but Sierra was fairly certain she could understand the cargo bot by now. They could express a surprisingly large amount of emotions by just moving parts around and flashing lights, though if they ever needed to convey longer messages they could use morse code.
Sierra got up, checked her wrist Navi-comp to make sure of her direction, and began walking. Gravis rolled after her, making his characteristic soft smush noise as his superelastic tires pushed their way through the sand.
A lot of people found cargo bots to have grating personalities that begrudgingly did the work that was asked of them purely due their programming. Sierra had never had that issue with Gravis, finding him to always be upbeat and encouraging, even at the worst of times. Maybe it was Sierra’s line of work. As a professional colonist, Sierra traveled to the unsettled frontier often. “The constant change of scenery must keep Gravis happy,” Sierra thought.
At least that was what kept Sierra happy anyways. After all, who else got to trek across deserts just to return home from work?
---
KZ-0771 eyed the tracks cut in the sand. One wheeled vehicle and one bipedal creature walking alongside. They’d marched right over KZ’s burial place a few moments after it had begun to dig itself out. KZ had waited patiently, then excavated itself when it felt that the creatures had passed.
Evaluating its options, KZ-0771 weighed a number of variables. It was low on both energy and liquid. Energy could be generated through photosynthesis as the atmosphere contained a suitable gas mixture, though the process was slow and would require KZ to be mindful of its movements.
Hydration was the more pressing of the two issues. Without liquid, KZ could not properly conduct photosynthesis.
The two travelers who had passed over it most likely had water. What sort of creature traveled through a desert without water after all?
And with that, KZ-0771 began to hunt.