by Han Yang
The second I hit enter the next video started.
A drone dove through a jungle canopy. The bottom left corner had the location as Alberta, Canada. I paused the video to find where it was on the Earth and gawked at the fact that even this place, which used to be snow-covered in winter, had changed to a mix of forest and jungle.
The intense ferns and thick foliage obstructed most of the view. For the first time, I started to understand why Darcy was so pessimistic about figuring out where all the dangers of Earth rested.
The video switched to infrared, scanning the surroundings with ten frames around the drone. I could see in a complete circle, above and below. The technology on these drones was miraculous and probably should be a focus over emptied-out overcrowded ships.
The more I thought about it while watching the drifting drone, the more it made sense. It wouldn’t surprise me if Darcy had scrapped all landing sites to simply secure mineral harvesting for production means.
I snacked on my food, waiting for something to happen. The drone casually zoomed through trees before a flickering haze transitioned into static.
The drone had been swirling in a slow circle, and the video rewound to replay frame by frame before its demise.
I dropped my gyro when I saw what had happened.
The tree the drone flew by swayed from the wind, just like the others. When the drone drifted near, trying to navigate around the trunk, two limbs smacked together instantly.
A new drone broadcast its arrival into the jungle canopy. I could clearly see the tree where the drone died, but… no marks marred the frame. Only the debris atop the jungle bushes down low actually verified the first drone had died.
To my surprise, energy beams erupted out of the drone. The spot where the old one had died morphed. An orange line seared into the bark of a humanoid creature. The being stood a dozen feet tall and jumped off the upper branch to flee the drone.
Limbs hooked vines, and the creature deftly fled the area. The drone didn’t chase it, choosing to instead collect samples of blood before recovering its dead brother drone.
The - Tre’narock - origins, Cuba.
Generation change - original.
Max height - 150’ Max weight - Extreme.
Threat assessment to humans - Extreme
Attributes: Simple Minded, Elusive, Skittish, Camouflaged, and Adaptive.
Regions: Jungle Regions.
Predators: None.
Our assessment: Designed in Cuba to safeguard its shores, the Tre’narock is one of the large variations to survive the cataclysm. It’s highly territorial, eats vegetation instead of meat, and has spread while others have dwindled. It kills indiscriminately and protects local fauna and wildlife.
However, it has no healing capabilities and only fights if it has an assured kill or feels the threat worthy of dying over. We believe if the drone had been a human, it would have let it pass if they were simply walking by. Seeking volunteers to test our theory.
Your assessment:
I shook my head at the reality of this beast. They wounded an infant, according to this height limiter. I typed: I do not volunteer. I recommend we clear cut all outposts. Push back the jungle and install flame throwers on walls. Avoid these creatures and know any hunting party may never come home.
A flash said, LAST VIDEO and the scene rolled.
A group of five humans carefully approached a waterfall where a river spilled into a lake.
The depths of the water seemed ominous, and I detected just the slightest of movements that quickly faded.
The humans walked a worn trail, revealing where they used the jungle to get near the water.
A flock of birds scattered at their approach, and three of the men held spears attentively. They wore casual clothes from before the cataclysm, the material was degraded but it was clear they had been scavenging.
A teenage boy wheeled a barrel on a dolly, and a woman carried a bucket. The setup for the video seemed obvious - humans near the water’s edge, a worn trail, and something lurking in the depths.
While they were attentive, the group never saw the drone which surprised me.
The footage fast forwarded, showcasing the tedious process of collecting water. An immense variation of a webo’narock slowly inched towards the shoreline from the depths. I tensed, expecting the leviathan to breach the water and swallow all five of them whole.
A man reached into his bag, tossing a dead bunny into the water as far from the shore as he could.
The size difference was almost laughable, but the aquatic monster happily slurped down the free meal.
The group smiled, finishing quickly. A countdown timer for the drone beeped, and I watched a half hour pass in a few seconds while the crew walked away from the waterfall lake.
The group neared a cliff face that was coated in shadows from thick vegetation. A cavern opening was protected by a wooden gate that tried to blend into the surroundings.
The gate peeled open and out raced a girl no older than five. The men shouted, hands out, trying to get her to see reason and stop.
A winged snake leaped from a tree at least fifty feet up. The feathered wings traced down a body so big it would have rivaled a titanoboa.
One second the girl was joyfully running toward one of the men with glee on her face, the next the snake swallowed her whole.
Unable to keep flying from the exertion of its burst, the snake slithered away with a speed that even shocked the drone. As the big green and brown monster retreated into the woods, the group flung spears, missing completely.
The snake slithered into the jungle with the drone hot on its heels.
The human party, well, they gave up.
A woman came out, her face aghast in horror while trying to find her little girl. The humans faded as the drone kept up. When the drone was far enough away, I figured it would break to finish recording the survivors.
Instead, a dozen drones zipped into the forest, reinforcing the one who chased the winged snake. The monster slowed, fluttering up to reach a thick branch. The girl was surely dead by this point, but the drones tracked the beast.
When the snake finally found a nice perch to recover in, the drones unleashed coordinated energy beams down the neck of the monster. I watched in fascination as the head popped free in less than a second. I could see the stunned eyes trying to see what killed it as the head tumbled down.
The body twisted for a while. The drones never left, slicing the body into bits, and I finally understood why I had a white meat gyro.
The video shut off as my eyes widened.
The - Webo’narock - origins, Nigeria.
Generation change - original.
Max height - 40’ Max Length - 150’ Max weight - Extreme.
Threat assessment to humans - Extreme
Attributes: Intelligent, Aggressive, Amphibious, and Burst Attack.
Regions: Water regions in Jungle climates.
Predators: None.
Our assessment: Designed in Nigeria to keep the advanced militaries busy while their ground narock cleansed desirable land, the Webo’narock was never given a hunger for human flesh.
The aquatic nature, and dual lungs and gills of the beast made it an absolute terror to defeat. If attacked, it will defend itself and this species holds a legend of destruction against humanity.
The specimen in this video is an original and we think is still growing at a slow pace. This one has a deal with the locals. Maybe more will be like this, and we hope so because killing it would be extremely difficult.
Your assessment:
The – Uoni’narock - origins, Ethiopia.
Generation change - fifth generation.
Max height - 4’ Max Length - 100’ Max weight - Extreme.
Threat assessment to humans - Extreme to isolated individuals or small humans. Low to groups.
Attributes: Flight in short stints, Cunning, Quick, and Cautious.
Regions: Jungle Climates.
Pr
edators: Many.
Our assessment: The Ethiopians had their territory invaded by a monkey scorpion narock. It had more bioengineering, but the point stands. They needed a counter to a threat small arms wouldn’t defeat.
They invented something that loved to eat these armored problems. The Uninarock is almost all titanoboa DNA from recovered samples. The wings are problematic and have proven to be prone to breaking. This species thrives in the jungle. However, because of its size and lack of camouflage, it ends up feeding a lot of superior species.
Your assessment:
I typed in the Webo’narock field: Feed them, isolate the watering holes where they live, and treat them as an ally, assuming you can. Humans and even drones suck at fighting in the water, we should not reinvent the wheel on our survival. Drill down to install pumps via machines to collect water.
In the Uninarock field: I know what you did. I will shut my mouth, and pray you had success. Also, I’d like to study the specimen pre-food version.
My alarm pinged, telling me I needed to hurry if I wanted to get some condensed training in before I was due back in Snagglewood. I stared down at my delicious gyro and figured if the situation had gone horribly, Darcy wouldn’t be feeding us the snake - or so I hoped.
15
Starship Hope
8 days inside Earth’s atmosphere
The next three days in the Reincarnation Trial dragged by. To be fair to Yilissa and Roma, they both mostly dug themselves out of their ruts. Zed never brought a second package or a note with an update, leaving us nervous.
To pass the time we studied hand-to-hand combat when I wasn’t up at night or sleeping while they pulled guard. I remained a gentleman, the best I could in such a small space. The undeniable fact was that both ladies were going through a lot, so I focused on listening and helping the best I could.
Six days below ground resulted in me slipping in the standings, but not as much as I thought. Apparently, surviving in the invasion zone gave you a higher daily quest reward the further into it you were. Based on the fact I went from 4 points a day just by living to 7, I knew things were getting worse.
This led to me researching my quests and finding a whole slew of new ones about clearing my name, becoming the mayor of Laro, or fleeing to a new defensive position with Zed, Yilissa, and Roma. I ignored them all for now, sticking to training the girls and learning what I could from them as well.
When I had to pull shift by my lonesome, I started thinking about ways to kill narocks. The threat seemed daunting in both Snagglewood and on Earth. Since I found myself stuck in a prison during the Trials, I eagerly accepted my next return to Earth.
You have one hour aboard the Hope. The timer starts now for a three-hour escape from Snagglewood. To compensate, you will only have a half hour going forward until the time debt is repaid. Any time spent over three hours will be penalized at an increasing increment, the same as it is for anyone else.
The cryo unit hissed open. I shook the fog out of my mind, not sure why the prompt had said that. I stepped into -
“Uh,” I grumbled. “Where am I?”
I glanced around in complete confusion, needing a second to gather my bearings.
Drones buzzed around, moving items into and out of an open bay. Up high, cryopods lined the ceiling in racks that stretched the whole space. Ten shuttles and even an asteroid mining spacecraft cluttered the deck.
To my right, a large opening revealed a lush landscape that stretched as far as the eye could see. The entirety of the bay opening proved the most stunning view I’d ever awoken to in my entire life. The fresh morning air was joined by the lovely glow of the morning sun.
It didn’t take long to piece together I was in the hangar bay of Hope. I was confused as to why my pod had been moved to an active zone, but it was an undeniable fact; I no longer shared a room with my father.
A woman I recognized strode towards me with a purpose.
In this body, she had brown hair and hazel eyes, but it was without a doubt, none other than Jenny. She wore a form-fitting space suit minus a helmet. Her half-shaved head carried a gnarly scar that went from her nose to the back of her head.
Her genuine smile did little to combat her fierce appearance.
“Follow me,” Jenny said, abruptly deviating towards a side door.
“I have a million questions,” I replied.
“We all have rules, I’m following mine. I only have fifteen more minutes, but your cocky attitude screwed you. Sort of,” Jenny said, heading toward a back door. “Let me explain the best I can while we walk. For the last two hundred years, the numerous councils have plotted how to handle our arrival.
“The factions with political power, solidified their seats with teams. This you know about, and they kept humanity on a fairly narrow objective. Arrive on Earth, assess the situation, let the drones take all the risks, and limit human exposure to danger.
“Right, makes sense. However, you’ve been voluntold for a mission. Not volunteering. There is a difference. If you would have said, ‘I enjoy eating snake.’ instead of what you did, you probably would be waking up in a different place. It’s too late to change the past, so adjust for the future.”
I dodged a drone carrying a fancy looking piece of scientific equipment. The robot dumped it down a chute towards the manufacturing floors on the bottom of Hope.
Of all the sections of the ship Darcy converted into livable areas, the hangar bay only stored long term cryo residents in the ceiling.
I wasn’t supposed to be there. No one was supposed to live there, period, and to do so you had to waive your right to exit your pods.
During the flight in void space, this bay had no room for additional storage. It was stuffed with drones and ships. Now that all the drones were deployed, and some of them were lost to the narocks, I guessed it made sense to use the extra space.
Instead of pestering her with the thousand questions I had, I asked, “How are you doing?”
She sputtered her lips. “I died again. Yup.” I cringed when she popped the ‘P’. “Second body wasn’t on your continent, and I hired a guide to take me toward the invasion zone to earn points. A set of bandits ambushed us. I killed them all, not taking a single bullet. Even figured out my guide was about to betray me.”
We passed additional security, entering the lab section of Hope. The rooms used to be big and suited for advancing humanity, now their corners were crammed with cryo pods.
“Uh, so how’d it happen?”
She scoffed and said, “Rockslide.”
“What!?” I blurted.
“Yup, tried to get to a high point to scope out my route forward. Killed fifteen men, walked up a rocky section of terrain, and the whole mound seemed stable. Well, I used the wrong rock, it sent me flying and then rolled over me. It was a quick death at least,” Jenny said with a grunt.
“Ouch.”
“How about you?” she asked.
“Uh, in hiding and staying near the top of the leaderboards. Gained some allies, made some enemies, and am leaving a pile of bodies wherever I go,” I said.
A few robots toiled, but most of the rooms remained unused besides to save humanity.
“I knew I liked you. It won’t happen today, but Teresa wants to sit down and chat. A discussion for another time. It was great to meet you in person Theodore, it really was, and I hope you see her for what she is, a pragmatic leader.”
Jenny turned down a hallway and barged into an interrogation room.
The space was tiny with sterile white walls that were broken up by an outfit hanging from a peg. In the middle of the room, Darcy sat on an elevated platform, fixated in her observations. She stared into an adjacent room with a two-way mirror.
“Put that on, you need to hurry,” Jenny said.
Darcy glanced over her shoulder, waving for me to do as I was told.
The door slid shut with a snap. “Alright, what the hell is going on?” I asked.
A giggle from a little g
irl stopped me stone cold in my tracks.
“You don’t have time. You’ll be briefed thoroughly once in flight. Get in your armor, and get the girl,” Darcy commanded. “The drones will guide you to your shuttle.”
“And then what?” I asked in dismay.
“Obviously, you’re being sent to the planet,” Darcy said with a hint of disappointment. “Get in the armor.”
I listened. In all my years, Darcy rarely directly interfered or gave me direct orders. She had that authority to her, the kind you respected. When she said jump, you jumped, and I owed her my life.
More importantly, I knew a lot of humans didn’t trust her.
I did.
The outfit wasn’t a standard flight suit. The material may have looked like a basic cover for any survivor aboard the fleet, but I knew the material was made of something sturdier. I stripped out of my flight suit and slid the armored suit on.
An onboard computer sealed the suit, connecting my linker to the exterior of the casing. The second it completed its syncing to my frame, I tried to leave the room.
Jenny paused my exit, handing me a disposable data pad, the kind you gave someone when you had classified information to show them.
“The suit will translate your words to match her version of French. Her name is Otana, and she just turned four. She’ll understand what you’re saying just fine. Her mother is Jobee, and her father is Grex. You need to get her on a shuttle. The rest is in the briefing. Every minute counts. Good luck, and I hope to see you later,” Jenny said with a pleasant smile.
I didn’t respond, jogging out of the room. A drone led the way, and I knew Darcy controlled it. We made three right turns and the door to the girls’ room popped open.
She watched the two-way mirror. On her side, cartoons played. A bunny outsmarted a hunter while chewing on a carrot, and she laughed it up. Of course, when I arrived, she stopped laughing, growing concerned.