Contract: Nightstalker
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Returning to just after Dr. Dolabella dropped and Jerzac Scarlewe saw the orb shooting away. Jerzac ordered Genji keep eyes on it while the rest of #Team High Turnover Rate cleared the area of immediate valuables and information. Jerzac snatched the woman's pistol while Antonio Ban'Deras claimed her armor. Roquesta (Rocket) Strauss on the other hand went to the wrecked server stack and pulled out the datastick for later study. Finally, Bash spent time scattering the dust remains of the trooper drones to prevent them reforming.
On the ansible screens, Genji watched the orb float away. In the time it took the rest of the crew to return to the Kormoran it had travelled around 30 km away. Not long after he heard crew members on the ship he saw an arm force its way out of the orb. Its palm pressed on the orb's surface seemingly trying to escape. He called out to the captain but before Jerzac could get to the bridge the arms was forcibly reabsorbed.
The captain joined Genji, with the rest of the crew on the way. Leaning over the pilot's shoulder Jerzac saw the pair of arms reach out and pull a head and torso free. Once again it was reabsorbed in short order. By the time it next reappeared the whole crew was gathered around the screen. The struggling humanoid finally tore its way free and the black shiny creature plummeted towards the ground. The orb instantly stopped midair, shot down, and reabsorbed the creature. The trapped creature did not have enough time to attempt another escape attempt before the orb slammed into a cliff face, dissolved into a cloud of nanobots, and swarmed through a crack in the cliff face.
Unable to pursue at the moment given the sorry state of the crew, Jerzac ordered everyone to rest, concoct medicines, or repair equipment. Antonio drew doctor duty and started manufacturing healing serums for himself and Bash. Bash tried to go straight to sleep to rest his broken and battered body but was unable to rest. Everytime he closed his eyes he was back in his underwater march to the sunken city and the Being. Since he was unable to rest he went to the medical lab to run tests on his new eye and its ring of tentacles.
As far as the medical lab was concerned and as many times as he ran tests the lab would decide one of two mutually exclusive things:
1) That eye had always been there as part of Bash's DNA
2) That eye didn't exist. When Bash dug into OS he found the machine considered the data as a bug and excluded it from the report.
While he was futilely running these tests over and over again Jerzac came for his own diagnostics. Bash gave him a moments attention and returned to his work then gave himself minor whiplash turning back to the man. Bash's new expanded sight allowed him to see thin lines on Jerzac's skin that would be too small to see normally. When he approached, Bash could see that the razor thin lines glowed from within.
Just like his subordinate, Jerzac observed Bash's eye. The double slit pupils that moved independently from each other deeply unnerved him. When Bash told him of the diagnostic results Jerzac claimed "Well you came from somewhere isolated enough. Maybe this eye is latent from an uncle-daddy in your family circle."
Unable to find answers in the medical suite, Bash chose to distract himself fixing his rifle. The damage from this malfunction was beyond his ability unfortunately so he sought out Rocket's help. She came in to help but got more and more agitated. While he was walking by the tech workshop Antonio heard a muffled angry outburst. Rocket stormed out and in the moments before she slammed the hatch shut he saw a very confused looking Bash holding his still damaged rifle.
On top of all the weirdness happening with their bodies, Jerzac had an uncontrollable impulse and spoke an incomprehensible word that rung out and carried far longer than it should have throughout the entire ship. The cosmic truth imparted by that phrase rattled Genji, Antonio, and Professor Solstarni, leaving them shaken for a bit.
To calm down after her altercation with Bash, Rocket looked through the recovered data cards.
The Matrix card documented how it was found and the initial actions of the colony. Approximately 40 months ago the rains started in earnest. The lack of ground cover meant the whole planet was subject to dangerous mudslides. One of these uncovered a strange energy signature 45 km to the west. The resident Celonian advisor/scientist Go-i Ty saw the signature first. He kept the data to himself and snuck out in the middle of the night to investigate. He recovered the sphere and returned to hide it in a shielded trunk in his quarters. His poor luck meant one of the Praviin scientists had to relieve themselves and saw the glowing orb. The next day Dr. Iscalapius ordered the warehouse workers to confiscate the item as "It belongs to the colony and to a species with a future. Not to a fallen species actively causing their own extinction."
The one containing the Meridath attack data was very short. The only useful data indicated that the source of the attack originated from the west, near where the Geomantic Matrix was found.
Jerzac started spiraling thinking about the cuts and brand from his dream. He started chain smoking Lho sticks but their mild narcotics were not enough to calm him. Taking off his shirt he saw a thick ropy scar to the left of his sternum like the barbaric open heart surgeries of centuries past. Shaking he started to dig through his rather diverse collection until he found his small supply of echo. The first hit gave him the peace he sought in his long buried memories of the happy parts of his childhood in exchange for a new more pressing addiction.
At the edge of his endurance, Bash was finally able to force himself asleep even though he continued his doomed march.
After awaking, he found Rocket and they attempted to fix his rifle. This time successfully and with a more amicable conversation. In return he helped Rocket rip apart all sorts of obsolete combat gear to make her new armor.
Once everyone was rested(ish) and healed(ish) everyone went looting the domes (minus one person in the pilot's chair at all times). They loaded up the other 8 replicators, all the seedstock, all the machine parts, all the test equipment, and all the raw material. They scrubbed the computers for every last byte of data to return to the Crimson Blades. They also grabbed the marred fragments of the monuments in the matrix chamber.
Finally the got to the room they had been avoiding: Isculapius' room with the creepy veiled altar. With Bash's new eye he saw the bust was semi-translucent and another bust resided within. It was utterly alien consisting of just a huge toothy maw and a tentacle on top that was curled tightly into a coil like a baby fern frond. He jumped nearly to the ceiling when this internal face turned to Jerzac and opened its mouth to speak though Bash was unable to hear what was said.
Now it was Jerzac's turn to jump and he heard Ň͇̼̙͙̏̊̅͘ỹ͈͔͈͖̥̇̽͝a͓̺̤͚̘̗̠ͪ̕r̹̺͖̃̉̀l̢̲̰͇͎̤̻͒ͩ̍̈́a͕̗̎͟t̵͈̗̮͆̍̉ḩ̥̳̥̘̭ͤo̤̜̼̝̱͂̽̕ͅt̻̝͌ͤ̑̅́e̲̦̮̻͑̎͞p̞̘̟̰͙̻͈ͥ͒ͧ͋́̿̑͘'̛̙̫͕͎͍̭̺͚̃ͭ̽͛s̢͙̠̗͇̝ͣ̓
T̺͈̋͋͢h̷̙̼̟̮̖͓̘ͪ̋́ͯe͚̟̮̰̠ͪ̔̽͟ ͙͕̼̻ͫͩ̕B̧̩̱͇̫̞̞̞͛l̛͙̭̗͎̈́̓ả͎̪͉̯̰̦ͤ̃͜c̎̚҉̤̲̹̟̮ķ̺͔͑͆̆̒ ̨̻̳͙͍̃͒P̳̰ͩ͆͌͌͞h̛͇͚̠ͨͯa̷̺͔̒ͬ̉ͨr͙͈̠̪̻̔͡a̫̙̘͈ͬ͌̐̈͠ơ͔̪̳͈̠̌ͥ͑h͖̜̣͉̰̫̎͠ ̻̩͙̺̝̗͓̙͆̿͢c̖̹̣͓̥̬̉̆́͊͠ą͖͔̤͇̗͌ḽ̜͍͖̟͓ͩ̃̏͠l̢̩͉̭̘̗͚̮̠̓s̵̭͖̻̥̭̞̞͂̆̅̐ ̨̘̜̰͉ͮͦḟ̻͕̩̰̬̗͖̕ǫ͈͕͒̈r̦͖͓͆̌͒̚͟ ̤̘͙̗̤̠̳̌͒̕i̩͔͖̓̊̀̔͜t̡̘̯ͦ̋s̓́͒҉̜͓̳ ̧̻̬͔̱̥̓̊o̺̟͚̦̱̹̒͟ͅw̴̳̩̼͎̮̽̃͐ñ̌͗̈́҉͙̖̻̟͈͇͖
"Can you understand me?" asked Jerzac. Bash looked over to his captain and saw an intense yellow rimmed black glow in the shape of an upside down black Ankh shine through Jerzac's armor.
Y̤̞̭̅͂̀ơ̰̣͇͈̮͂u̜̬͓̖̲͇̜̇̓͞r̡̝̰ͩ͗̅ͦͅ ̮͓ͮ̒͑͘n̸̗̙͓̱̩ͭẹ̢͍̲̣̦͚̖̑̊ͩw̳͇̭ͭ͢ ̍̍̏͏͉̖̻̙̦͙͔͇m̴̩̣̊ͅa̝̱͖̞̖̱͕̣̓̓͢s̸̲̝̲̝̫̟̃ͥ͒̊t̂ͤ͑҉̰̬̝̠̱̺͓ȩ̠̜̩̣̩ͬͩͪ̓r͖̖̞̹̘̜͐̀ ̠̣̩̣̔̚͜s̜̞̫̱̤̟͖̜ͯͪ̌͢e̘͇̘̝̱̮̥͌͟e͖̗͉̳̩̭͌ͨ̎͡k̦͔̞̭̝͖̬̣̑̓ͨ̿̕ṣ̼͔͙͙͚̏̄ͪ̕ ̱̜̲͌ͤ̐ͦ͝t̨͉̰̭̣ͮȯ̃̈҉̳̬̮̣̜̳͙̱ ̸̩͇̆̈́r̿̿ͭ҉̻̯̲̳̳̟͎e͕̤̟͎̪ͪͬ̇͋͜ͅţ̞̮͉͎̬̎ͥ̃ṷ̘̹̖͚̲͓̀̀͆̚͡ŗ͚͙̼̗͍̹ͣ̔ͬn͙̙̖̤̳̮̳̤͐̓͡ ̡̞̜̝͓͛ẗ̬͎͛ͩ̽͢ö̴̬͕̩͕̙̻̟̘́͒͆ ̢͙̘͕̹̗ͦt͖͚̯̅̌̽͟ͅh̴̳̙͙͉̩͙͕̋̂i͑̏͑҉̟̯̺̲̼̟s̬͇͚̿͘ ̥̫̣͎̟̖ͭ͂͟g̫̼͔͍͔̦̘̝̑ͦ̎̕a̷͓̥̪̜̙̮̪ͤl̶͇̖͕͎̜̣̫̤ͤͫ̇à҉̺̭̙x̽̑̊̋͏̪̤̩͓ŷ͚̲͚ͪ̀
"Who is he?"
Ḩ̜͈͚̻͉ͫ̉̚e̝̬͚̥͖̭̐ͦ́ ͈̻͒ͦ̽͘ĩ̦̬͙̯̞͍̦͋̆ͭ͠s̵͓͔͙̠̅̃̅ ̵̮̝̈͆̌ͫb̶͎̟̰̬̻̞̞̯̽̋u̠̠̱̹̔ͯͯ̕t̛̼̝̜̤̰͇̪̾ ̢̟̻̭̔̄a̡̗̼̯̮͓̣͆ͥͦ̿ͅ ̵̠̥̉͒ͪH̴̼̰̠̟̥͚̎ͦeͮ̆͑ͪ͏͓̣̣̦r̶̟̖̪̱̻͓̞̐̉à̸͇͙̻̥͈̬̣͙ͩ͐l̡̼̩͐ͦͤ̄dͫ̐̆͏̦̘̹ ͚̩͇̥ͮ͡H̸̜̦̔͒ͅí̧͇̻̭̹̘͊̈m͚̼̮̝̥̪̺̈͡s̷̰̥̳͇̮͔̰͍̓ͭ̑ͭe̹̭͙͙͍͖͖ͮ͟l̷͙̖̰͙ͤ͊ͥf̪̙͋ͧ͞
"I do not seek to serve this Herald"
T̞̙̟͇̝̼̤ͭ͘h̴̟̳̙̝̝̒ͮ͒e̤̞̽ͫ͢ ̨̠̻̝̒ͅS̠̖̩ͥ̎ͪ̚͟t̾͏̤̪̝̝͎ȃ̭̩͈̮̌ͫ͡l͆̚҉̯͈k̫̭̩̗͇̖̉͒͆̎͝e͋̐̾҉͈̤r̛̠̖͓͉̒͐ͩ͐ ̫͍̼̱̝̌́A̷̩̮̯̭̋̀̚̚m̵̝̙̙̻͈ͩo͚͉̣̫̰͎͈̅͗̀̕n̶͎̝̻̩̗ͨg͎̖͔͔̱̬̩ͥͫ̊͢ͅ ͬͩ҉͓̗ẗ͚̳̗̹̥͔̤̹̑ͨ̚͜h̯͓̼̳͇̪̍ͪ͜ḙ̶̰̖̻͇͎͍̯̐͋͒ ̧͓̫̞̫ͭͧ͑̚ͅŜ̘̭̲͙͕̫̘̓͠t̶̰̤̙̱͆ͅa̩̫̫͇͕͔͆̄̀ṙ̛͔͚͖̜̞̿̽s̴̗̰̣̭͍̮̺͑ ̞̘̲͑ͭ̂͛͟d̶̜̰̥̞̩͊ǒ̻̦̯̯̍̈́̈́͘e̬̩̩͔͈̲͆͂͝s̢͎̤͍̠̩͚̬ͥ ̨̯̗̳͖̖̟̊̆̓ṋ̢͔̺͌͋̉ͯo̴͙̦̣̭̫̞̦̲͐̉t̮̞̓̀ ̰͔̤̹̪̾ͪ̃̊͡n͚͈̠͖̼͚͛͢e̙͈̪̬̠̫͙ͭ̋͋͝e̴̝̳̟̠̗̳ͧd̰̠́ͯ͘ ̵̦͍̩̻̼̖̀̉̿̚w̩̼͌̌͝i̦͓͖̠̖͊̆̔ͫ͡l̶̖̥͓̒ͭḻ̻̫̬̱̹͓̬ͭͪ̉͜ḯ̡̮̳̻̩͕ͅn̷͙̱̊ͭg̣̺̼̘̜̑̋͒ͣ̕ ͙͖̖̺̅̌͢s̡͇̩͙̺͚̝̆̊ͦ͑ḙ̵̟͕͕̿r̴̻̻̟͚̤̥̖͉ͣ͂ͨv͙̯ͧ͢a̺͍̟̦̮̮͖ͩ̍̽̈́n̵̺̙ͦͥ̀t͂ͯ̉ͬ҉̗͙̻̞͚̯̙̫s̢̩̤̰͋.̐̂̿҉͉̼̣̙͚̪͓̼ ̜͈̦͓̐̏̀
H̼̫̙͎̦̉͞e̢͍̗͎͕̫̗̤͒͛̒ ̞̮͉̥̗̜̖̪͋ͤ̄̍͟w̻̮̬͋ͤ̿́ĭ̠̯̥̺̰͓̝̮ͣ̋̑͟l̯̤͚ͫ́́l̥͍͔̦͔̹̟̖̑̆̉ͨ͠ ̨̞͈͍ͩͅs̬̪̖̺̦ͤ̌͆̒̀ͅͅȗ̴̘̯̎ͭc̵̻̺̳̬̘̙̤̹̎c̵͉͍͇ͮͩe̡̳̱̮̝̔̏̓é̟̮̰͇͎̊̓́͜d̢̘̗̝̓̿ ̸̙̼̝̜̺̣̾ͅw̯͎̥̟̝ͥ͐̅͡i̖̺̜̻͛͒͟t̘͇̩͙̻ͯ̆̄̔͢h͈̳͂̀͡ ̛̖͇͈̒w̸͇̱̗̻ͩ̇̚h̷̖̟ͣͦ̅̅a̡̩̖̠̥̤̐̈́ẗ̻̝͢ ̡̫͎̻̻̱̪̲̈̎̇h̺̺͋͋͝è҉̥̝̟̱ ̷̲͙̝̼͖̝̓̽t̙̺̳̦̤̠̹̠͛͑̑͜a̷̘͙̱͒̐̌ͨk͎̟̖̮͔̖̓ͪ͢e̡̤̼ͭs͈͙͉͛̐̌͘ ̧̗̳̼͉͉̌͛ą͎̪̹̩̣̫̪̹ͤn̛̯͈͕͈̭̖̂ͨ̔d̶̫͓̘̱̽ ̗̘̣́̑̀f̣̙ͯ̈́ͭ͆͟ǫ͎͖̭̭̺ͤ̈͋r̨͉͎̼̠͉̠̅̾͌͒ͅcͬͭ͏̳̫̖e̷̦̻͉̝͎͙̟̓ ̠̼ͥͧ͝t̤̳̰̘̀̔͑́h̵͍̻̖̜ͯ͂ͮ̔ͅe͔̣̦̮̻͕͔͋̄̀ ̧̤͔̹̰̟̀ͤ̿ṵ̶͔̰͉̫̙͚̄n̨̟̟̖ͤ͌̑ͦͅw̩̺̞̝͓̥͔ͯͮ́́î̠͍̦̼̬̱̥̭͟l͎̹̙̤͗̿̎͝ͅlͥͮ҉̺̲̻̦iͩ̈̓͂҉̩̮n̦̻͕̦̻͚͒́ͅg̱̰̠̖̃ͦ͛͞ ̯͓̯̥̩̣̈́͘t̴̪̰͕͇͍̘̮̰ͦ̅̚ǫ̼̘̼̀̊ͥ̓ ̢̗̦͊̌ḩ̪̞̣͓̭͔̫͊͐̑ͣi̠̞͈͑ͮͩ͢ş͎̜̥̤͊ͅ ̢̬̩͒̓e͈̣͚̼̾ͫ̑͜n̞̹̞͚̝̪̞̅͞ḍ͙ͩ́̈́͛̀s̸̟͙̻̩̥̩̋.̛̙͚͚̍̒̒
The bust stopped talking but Jerzac's chest kept burning and the tentacles around Bash's eye writhed for almost an hour afterwards.
Bash lobbied to take the bust along for answers but Jerzac gave and emphatic FUCK NO! Bash ended up persuading Jerzac to his side when he explained how Rocket was acting weird and maybe she could sense something about it since jerzac could hear and Bash could see it. With the begrudging agreement, Jerzac had Genji bring it aboard. Interestingly, despite Genji mystical powers he was unable to sense anything in that whole exchange with the statue.
Once everyone was back on board the ship, Bash, Genji, Jerzac, and Professor Muhali took the jeep to inspect the exterior of the complex. They first went to the primary landing site to find the dimples had reset following the swarm ambush. Next they went across the wadi to look at some of the monuments Rocket saw from the agricultural hub.
At the first one they recorded each of its 8' high faces then dug in the dirt several feet but the monument continued without change. Confused they dug out some ultrasonic equipment and hooked it up to the pillar. The powerful sensor reached down a full kilometer before the image started to fuzz out. Rocket was listening in over the comms and decided to start building an ansible powered probe to map into the ground.
While she worked on that the away crew cut off a slice of the lead monument for later analysis and continued to the next one to repeat these tests. After several monuments Bash saw some unnatural rubble behind some rocks. Warily approaching he saw a monument that had shattered like it had been supercooled and struch from above to shatter into sharp spikes like were already on the ship from the matrix chamber. Thinking about those and looking here, there still seemed to be a good amount of shards missing.
None of the other sites had any new information to add other than more of the untranslatable text. By the time these investigations were completed Rocket had her instrument rigged up. She hammered the probes into the ground around the ship and set off a system strength scan then looked on with awe. These monuments drilled all the way through Telecore's crust into the mantle and covered the planet like a pincushion.
Unable to figure out answers other than saving lots of data for later analysis, the Kormoran flew west towards the last lead available: the crack the Meridath swarm escaped to and its odd prisoner.