EOTC: The Living Nightmare
Re: EOTC: The Living Nightmare
“Later,” Shep snaps at Jack, shutting his eyes as he runs the familiar exercise of smothering memories that threaten to overwhelm him. These new impressions are sharper than anything he’s had in years; the mental blocks that once kept them buried feel thin—like old seams unraveling. He forces the thoughts down. “We need to get going—no time to waste. Just running some diagnostics real quick.”
“Carl,” Shep says, his voice low and steady, “it’s been a while. It’s now 105 P.A., and the political landscape’s changed. We’ll update your database when we can, but for now, I need to get us out of here without being spotted by whatever SAMAS suits are flying around. I don’t know who they answer to, and I don’t want to risk running afoul of a hostile or rogue squadron. We need stealth and speed.”
He waits to see if the AI has any suggestions. .oO I suppose it’s too much to ask that this silver tin can has an active camouflage mode. Oo.
“Carl,” Shep says, his voice low and steady, “it’s been a while. It’s now 105 P.A., and the political landscape’s changed. We’ll update your database when we can, but for now, I need to get us out of here without being spotted by whatever SAMAS suits are flying around. I don’t know who they answer to, and I don’t want to risk running afoul of a hostile or rogue squadron. We need stealth and speed.”
He waits to see if the AI has any suggestions. .oO I suppose it’s too much to ask that this silver tin can has an active camouflage mode. Oo.
Re: EOTC: The Living Nightmare
“Later,” Shep snaps at Jack, shutting his eyes as he runs the familiar exercise of smothering memories that threaten to overwhelm him. These new impressions are clearer than anything he’s had in years; the mental blocks that once held them at bay feel thin, like old seams unraveling. He forces the thoughts down. “We need to get going—no time to waste. Just running some diagnostics real quick.”
“Carl,” Shep tells the suit’s AI, voice low and steady, “it’s been awhile. It’s now 105 P.A., and the political landscape’s changed. We’ll update your database when we can, but for now I need to get us out of here without being spotted by whatever SAMAS suits are flying around. I don’t know who they answer to and I don’t want to risk running afoul of a hostile or rogue squadron. We need stealth and speed.” He waits to see if the AI has any suggestions... oO(I suppose it's too much to ask for that this silver tin can has an active camouflage mode)Oo
"Shep, I don't know what 105 P.A. is." Carl replies.
Cal raises his hand like a schoolkid, "Can we come help?"
Meanwhile, Jack retorts with, "Dang, Shep. Sorry."
"Do you remember?" Mazur asks almost at the same time as everyone else talking.
“Carl,” Shep tells the suit’s AI, voice low and steady, “it’s been awhile. It’s now 105 P.A., and the political landscape’s changed. We’ll update your database when we can, but for now I need to get us out of here without being spotted by whatever SAMAS suits are flying around. I don’t know who they answer to and I don’t want to risk running afoul of a hostile or rogue squadron. We need stealth and speed.” He waits to see if the AI has any suggestions... oO(I suppose it's too much to ask for that this silver tin can has an active camouflage mode)Oo
"Shep, I don't know what 105 P.A. is." Carl replies.
Cal raises his hand like a schoolkid, "Can we come help?"
Meanwhile, Jack retorts with, "Dang, Shep. Sorry."
"Do you remember?" Mazur asks almost at the same time as everyone else talking.
"I plan to live forever. Or die trying..." Vila - Blakes 7
Re: EOTC: The Living Nightmare
“Yes... no... I don’t want to remember,” Shep mutters as he switches the external audio back on. Everyone outside probably catches most of that. “Sorry, Jack,” he adds more evenly, though the weariness seeps through.
“Cal, I need to get out of town without those SAMAS in the distance spotting me. Do you know anything about them? Why they’re here? Any pattern to their patrols—or whatever they’re doing?”
He thumbs the speaker off again and exhales slowly, feeling the sound echo faintly inside the helmet. “Let’s just say... it’s been a long time, Carl. Over a hundred years—maybe more. Things have changed—badly. Whole cities are gone, nations crumbled and nothing's the same. What’s left keeps going, but it’s rough... dangerous. Not the world you’d remember. Time later for a full history lesson, now my town is under attack and we need to get back their to try to save as many people as we can and this power armor is going to make all the difference in the world, but not if we have to fight off those SAMAS in the distance first.”
“Cal, I need to get out of town without those SAMAS in the distance spotting me. Do you know anything about them? Why they’re here? Any pattern to their patrols—or whatever they’re doing?”
He thumbs the speaker off again and exhales slowly, feeling the sound echo faintly inside the helmet. “Let’s just say... it’s been a long time, Carl. Over a hundred years—maybe more. Things have changed—badly. Whole cities are gone, nations crumbled and nothing's the same. What’s left keeps going, but it’s rough... dangerous. Not the world you’d remember. Time later for a full history lesson, now my town is under attack and we need to get back their to try to save as many people as we can and this power armor is going to make all the difference in the world, but not if we have to fight off those SAMAS in the distance first.”
Re: EOTC: The Living Nightmare
“Yes... no... I don’t want to remember,” Shep mutters as he switches the external audio back on. Everyone outside probably catches most of that. “Sorry, Jack,” he adds more evenly, though the weariness seeps through.
“Cal, I need to get out of town without those SAMAS in the distance spotting me. Do you know anything about them? Why they’re here? Any pattern to their patrols—or whatever they’re doing?”
Cal laughs, "Just go underwater. That's what all of the smugglers do."
He thumbs the speaker off again and exhales slowly, feeling the sound echo faintly inside the helmet. “Let’s just say... it’s been a long time, Carl. Over a hundred years—maybe more. Things have changed—badly. Whole cities are gone, nations crumbled and nothing's the same. What’s left keeps going, but it’s rough... dangerous. Not the world you’d remember. Time later for a full history lesson, now my town is under attack and we need to get back there to try to save as many people as we can and this power armor is going to make all the difference in the world, but not if we have to fight off those SAMAS in the distance first.”
"Yes, Shep. The man has a point about the water. The sonar equipment, when I last knew, was outdated and could only detect fish closer to the surface. By the time we pass the defense turrets, if they're still there, we can still move about one mile upstream and be out of their range."
Shep overhears Mazur tell Jack, "If those Coalition patrols see him, he'll be executed for what his father did."
“Cal, I need to get out of town without those SAMAS in the distance spotting me. Do you know anything about them? Why they’re here? Any pattern to their patrols—or whatever they’re doing?”
Cal laughs, "Just go underwater. That's what all of the smugglers do."
He thumbs the speaker off again and exhales slowly, feeling the sound echo faintly inside the helmet. “Let’s just say... it’s been a long time, Carl. Over a hundred years—maybe more. Things have changed—badly. Whole cities are gone, nations crumbled and nothing's the same. What’s left keeps going, but it’s rough... dangerous. Not the world you’d remember. Time later for a full history lesson, now my town is under attack and we need to get back there to try to save as many people as we can and this power armor is going to make all the difference in the world, but not if we have to fight off those SAMAS in the distance first.”
"Yes, Shep. The man has a point about the water. The sonar equipment, when I last knew, was outdated and could only detect fish closer to the surface. By the time we pass the defense turrets, if they're still there, we can still move about one mile upstream and be out of their range."
Shep overhears Mazur tell Jack, "If those Coalition patrols see him, he'll be executed for what his father did."
"I plan to live forever. Or die trying..." Vila - Blakes 7
Re: EOTC: The Living Nightmare
“You’re probably right, Mazur,” he says over the external speaker, his tone lighter now that a plan’s starting to come together. “So it’s best if I don’t get caught. Head back the way we came in. If anyone asks where I am, tell them I’m still looking for what we came for—but you guys need to get home.”
He pauses before adding, “Cal, thank you for your help. I’m sorry there’s not more I can do for you right now, but hopefully I’ll get the chance to make it up to you down the road. No one deserves to live like this.”
Once the speaker’s toggled off, he exhales and mutters, “Well, Carl, looks like we’re going for a swim. You sure this suit’s still seaworthy?” Following Carl’s guidance—and what he recalls from the map—Shep makes his way toward the aqueduct that leads to the river.
He pauses before adding, “Cal, thank you for your help. I’m sorry there’s not more I can do for you right now, but hopefully I’ll get the chance to make it up to you down the road. No one deserves to live like this.”
Once the speaker’s toggled off, he exhales and mutters, “Well, Carl, looks like we’re going for a swim. You sure this suit’s still seaworthy?” Following Carl’s guidance—and what he recalls from the map—Shep makes his way toward the aqueduct that leads to the river.
Re: EOTC: The Living Nightmare
“You’re probably right, Mazur,” he says over the external speaker, his tone lighter now that a plan’s starting to come together. “So it’s best if I don’t get caught. Head back the way we came in. If anyone asks where I am, tell them I’m still looking for what we came for—but you guys need to get home.”
He pauses before adding, “Cal, thank you for your help. I’m sorry there’s not more I can do for you right now, but hopefully I’ll get the chance to make it up to you down the road. No one deserves to live like this.”
Everyone nods and begins to gather their things together.
Once the speaker’s toggled off, he exhales and mutters, “Well, Carl, looks like we’re going for a swim. You sure this suit’s still seaworthy?” Following Carl’s guidance—and what he recalls from the map—Shep makes his way toward the aqueduct that leads to the river.
"Yep, for a few hours at least. If you know how to fly, it's even faster. If not, it's a long boring walk."
Instead, Shep ends up finding his way to the lake and just jumping in. He walks into the water, then eventually walks towards where the creek from Camp Wilson flows into Crenshaw Lake. Along the way, Shep spots a school of about a dozen of the dangerous fish that started all of this.
He pauses before adding, “Cal, thank you for your help. I’m sorry there’s not more I can do for you right now, but hopefully I’ll get the chance to make it up to you down the road. No one deserves to live like this.”
Everyone nods and begins to gather their things together.
Once the speaker’s toggled off, he exhales and mutters, “Well, Carl, looks like we’re going for a swim. You sure this suit’s still seaworthy?” Following Carl’s guidance—and what he recalls from the map—Shep makes his way toward the aqueduct that leads to the river.
"Yep, for a few hours at least. If you know how to fly, it's even faster. If not, it's a long boring walk."
Instead, Shep ends up finding his way to the lake and just jumping in. He walks into the water, then eventually walks towards where the creek from Camp Wilson flows into Crenshaw Lake. Along the way, Shep spots a school of about a dozen of the dangerous fish that started all of this.
"I plan to live forever. Or die trying..." Vila - Blakes 7
Re: EOTC: The Living Nightmare
"Carl, can you identify those fish?" He gives a brief description of the one's he's referring to.
Re: EOTC: The Living Nightmare
"Carl, can you identify those fish?" He gives a brief description of the one's he's referring to.
"Scanning for ya, little buddy." A few seconds pass, "They are Harajicadectes. A predatory fish from the Devonian period. It has a large mouth with sharp teeth and triangular fangs, as well as two spiracles on top of its skull, indicating it could likely breathe air. They are said to be able to survive up to a full day outise of water. It's interesting that we see these, they've been extinct for 380 million years. This would make them an endangered species"
Several of the fish try to bite the power armor, only to leave scrapes.
"Scanning for ya, little buddy." A few seconds pass, "They are Harajicadectes. A predatory fish from the Devonian period. It has a large mouth with sharp teeth and triangular fangs, as well as two spiracles on top of its skull, indicating it could likely breathe air. They are said to be able to survive up to a full day outise of water. It's interesting that we see these, they've been extinct for 380 million years. This would make them an endangered species"
Several of the fish try to bite the power armor, only to leave scrapes.
"I plan to live forever. Or die trying..." Vila - Blakes 7
Re: EOTC: The Living Nightmare
"Remember how I was telling you that things have gotten bad since this suit was powered down? Those fish aren't extinct anymore. Neither are a lot of other things and they're are now dimensional beings." Since the trip gives them a little time, he starts to fill Carl in on the broad strokes of what the world’s become—how magic, monsters, and strange energies have reshaped everything that used to make sense. He ends with a grim note about what's happening back at Camp Wilson. “The nearest thing I can compare it to… people are turning into zombies. That’s what we’re walking back into at Camp Wilson.”
Re: EOTC: The Living Nightmare
"Remember how I was telling you that things have gotten bad since this suit was powered down? Those fish aren't extinct anymore. Neither are a lot of other things and they're are now dimensional beings." Since the trip gives them a little time, he starts to fill Carl in on the broad strokes of what the world’s become—how magic, monsters, and strange energies have reshaped everything that used to make sense. He ends with a grim note about what's happening back at Camp Wilson. “The nearest thing I can compare it to… people are turning into zombies. That’s what we’re walking back into at Camp Wilson.”
"That sounds very similar to what happened in the first days of the cataclysm. Demons, monsters, some fantasy creatures, stuff from nightmares or even scary movies, even an elf and a dragon had been encountered by me and my counterpart. A few were friendly, most were not. It was the ones that would pretend to be our friends, then KaPOW! They'd try and get us. But not good ole Carl!
"I was sad when he said I'd never see him and he would never see me again. It was like yesterday... oh wait, for me, it was! Ha! We became great buddies, but... I wasn't Carl back then. I was," suddenly Carl's voice sounds female, "Lisa." Then back to normal, "Yep, them were the days. Lisa was the girl he was dating when everything went to shit. He was activated into active duty and had to leave Lisa while we went out to save people.
"Then, a few days in, while he was trying to get people near the West Coast situated, we had to take shelter from the ash... We figure it was that darned super volcano. Sons a bitches kept saying for two centuries that that bastard would erupt. It finally did... It was like all the bad luck in the world happened at once.
"Anyways, he tried to get back to Fort Luke. By the time we made it back, most of the base was gutted and burning. The civvies came and looted what was left. We searched for Lisa, we never found her. He was depressed by all that. That was... until he met Jolene Bernard. She's your ancestor. Carl and Andy and several other flyboys ended arriving at Wilson, which was actually just one of our late flyboys... quote... ranch. But it had water and a little bit of aerobic soil. He'd told us that if he ever bit it, that we could have his ranch.
"The guys ended up flying in materials and wood from all around, sometimes hundreds of miles. They built the camp. I helped sometimes. It seems the town never lost its name?" Carl doesn't even wait for an answer, "Anyways, mission after mission. Andy's team ended up befriending some strong magicians, is that what you call them? He was also allying with the local shamans and tribal leaders. In turn, they called the Harris oasis sacred ground, which we later dubbed it Wilson. They blessed it and the its borders to allow no spirits or demons inside. It worked!
"Carl and I weren't convinced. Trouble started with some of the locals and they ended up using their magics against us. After we beat em, Carl told them that they had two choices. End of the rope or leave. Andy left with em. Andy and Carl talked for a few years, then he disabled the radio. Andy never came back after that. Not really sure what happened there. But at that point, Camp Wilson and Crenshaw Base became ours.
"You see. We established the main base in Crenshaw Lake, for the fresh water, fish and protection offered by the tall plateaus next to the lake. Camp Wilson, we needed for the agriculture and ore mining. Until the workers stopped working, we were supplying other units across the country with raw materials and food. Carl stayed in camp Wilson to set an example and so the community had at least one point of protection."
Shep notices that they've gone down incredibly deep in the water. Deep enough to cause his armor to creak from the pressure. But the walls around the edge of the lake are beginning to narrow into a ravine of water, which slowly climbs in elevation. "We're in the river. If we'd have gone any deeper, I could have split my seams. Almost happened once, right in this lake." Carl announces.
"So Shep what all have you encountered? I mean as in the supernatural and unexplained. Or have you lived your whole existence inside of Camp Wilson? I won't judge. No worries."
"That sounds very similar to what happened in the first days of the cataclysm. Demons, monsters, some fantasy creatures, stuff from nightmares or even scary movies, even an elf and a dragon had been encountered by me and my counterpart. A few were friendly, most were not. It was the ones that would pretend to be our friends, then KaPOW! They'd try and get us. But not good ole Carl!
"I was sad when he said I'd never see him and he would never see me again. It was like yesterday... oh wait, for me, it was! Ha! We became great buddies, but... I wasn't Carl back then. I was," suddenly Carl's voice sounds female, "Lisa." Then back to normal, "Yep, them were the days. Lisa was the girl he was dating when everything went to shit. He was activated into active duty and had to leave Lisa while we went out to save people.
"Then, a few days in, while he was trying to get people near the West Coast situated, we had to take shelter from the ash... We figure it was that darned super volcano. Sons a bitches kept saying for two centuries that that bastard would erupt. It finally did... It was like all the bad luck in the world happened at once.
"Anyways, he tried to get back to Fort Luke. By the time we made it back, most of the base was gutted and burning. The civvies came and looted what was left. We searched for Lisa, we never found her. He was depressed by all that. That was... until he met Jolene Bernard. She's your ancestor. Carl and Andy and several other flyboys ended arriving at Wilson, which was actually just one of our late flyboys... quote... ranch. But it had water and a little bit of aerobic soil. He'd told us that if he ever bit it, that we could have his ranch.
"The guys ended up flying in materials and wood from all around, sometimes hundreds of miles. They built the camp. I helped sometimes. It seems the town never lost its name?" Carl doesn't even wait for an answer, "Anyways, mission after mission. Andy's team ended up befriending some strong magicians, is that what you call them? He was also allying with the local shamans and tribal leaders. In turn, they called the Harris oasis sacred ground, which we later dubbed it Wilson. They blessed it and the its borders to allow no spirits or demons inside. It worked!
"Carl and I weren't convinced. Trouble started with some of the locals and they ended up using their magics against us. After we beat em, Carl told them that they had two choices. End of the rope or leave. Andy left with em. Andy and Carl talked for a few years, then he disabled the radio. Andy never came back after that. Not really sure what happened there. But at that point, Camp Wilson and Crenshaw Base became ours.
"You see. We established the main base in Crenshaw Lake, for the fresh water, fish and protection offered by the tall plateaus next to the lake. Camp Wilson, we needed for the agriculture and ore mining. Until the workers stopped working, we were supplying other units across the country with raw materials and food. Carl stayed in camp Wilson to set an example and so the community had at least one point of protection."
Shep notices that they've gone down incredibly deep in the water. Deep enough to cause his armor to creak from the pressure. But the walls around the edge of the lake are beginning to narrow into a ravine of water, which slowly climbs in elevation. "We're in the river. If we'd have gone any deeper, I could have split my seams. Almost happened once, right in this lake." Carl announces.
"So Shep what all have you encountered? I mean as in the supernatural and unexplained. Or have you lived your whole existence inside of Camp Wilson? I won't judge. No worries."
"I plan to live forever. Or die trying..." Vila - Blakes 7