Co-op Post Between Grand Western Empire and Observation Post 13
Willis is wrapped in bandages and injecting something into his arms when he sensed something approaching him from behind.
Rvian finds Willis recovering from his injuries near the river.
Rvian's immediate reaction would be to point his rifle at Willis.
"Where am I?"
Willis:
"That's a pretty philosophical question." Rvian, with a clearly unamused expression: "I'll reiterate, where and what is this planet? And who are you?"
Willis projects his thoughts into Rvian's mind:
Umm, I don't know either. But I'm a psionic who knows a lot of skills. I think we can help each other figure out where we are. PLEASE DON'T SHOOT ME!Rvian glares at Willis a moment longer before lowering his rifle. "The Codes of Hunting forbid me from harming intelligent life. Though, touch me, irritate me, or do anything threatening, and I'll break your arm, Psion." Rvian shoulders his rifle and offers Willis a seven-fingered hand: "Wait... How do you know my language, and how do you speak without moving your mouth?"
Willis visibly relaxes once the barrel isn't pointed at him anymore. He gladly shook hands with Rvian, his eyes glowing as he responds:
It's kinda complicated to explain, and typically I am not authorized to tell anyone about it. He blinks as he took a closer look at Rvian.
However! Protocal says nothing about what to do if an extraterrestrial asks that question! Here's how I do it... Willis explains the basics of telepathy to Rvian as he packs up his belongings.
By the way! I'm Willis. Research Psi-entist Willis Philips, at your service. Willis grins.
And who are you, my friend-from-another-world? Rvian said nothing as Willis explained. The thought of talking by projecting words into another's mind was a jarring notion he normally would've laughed off. Well, he would've done that a few years back. But confronted with irrefutable evidence, Rvian could not object or deny what Willis said. Psionic powers were far greater than Rvian had originally thought. "...Rvian of the Lutos Region. Sniper turned hunter."
Don-Gador always introduced themselves by name, region, whether or not they'd served in the military, and their current job. But considering Willis was from another world, Rvian decided to hastily add another part to his introduction. "The Lutos Region is a section of jungle from my homeworld, Don-Gavdo."
Willis switched on an in-built microphone and began recording everything Rvian said.
For the record, he tells Rvian.
It is an honor to meet you, Rvian of the Lutos Region. I actually have something to show you, a gift to commemorate the meeting between us, from one civilization to the other. He pauses dramatically, smiling at Rvian.
Gimme one sec. Willis slides down the slope to the bank of the narrow creek, where there lays a huge, feral Jungle Predator. Even tranquilized, its weight alone flattened the patches of wildlife unlucky enough to be in its comatose way. He approaches the beast, while looking back at Rvian occasionally as if saying "Check it out!" to Rvian.
Willis now stops directly in front of the head of the beast, and inhaled sharply. He then reaches forward with his right hand and grasped its skull, mumbling something about dogs. A strange light radiates from his head in a faint phantasmagoric halo, like moonlight. The beast's hind leg began to twitch, its powerful hind muscles kicking shovels of dirt into the creek.
An involuntary shutter ripples across the Jungle Predator's large body, like static electricity passing through from head to tail. Its eyes behind lid rolls back in a blank expression, before awakening with a sudden jolt, jumping directly into the narrow river and splashing water all over Willis!
DON'T SHOOT! Willis projects the mental message across to Rvian.
I got him under control!He looks back at the Jungle Predator, now changing his tone like talking to a child.
"Who's a good boy? The best boy? That's right, it's you..." As he slowly approaches the large cat. The Predator shivers intensely in the middle of the river, looking agitated as large droplets roll off its waterproof fur. However, it did not move, even as Willis inched closer... and closer...
Until he stops right in front of the beast. And he reached over tentatively with one hand. Stroking its head.
Willis slowly turns his head around, a large grin forming on his face as he winked at Rvian.
Cool, isn't it?Rvian watched this all unfold with wide-open eyes. Willis, despite not knowing anything about Don-Gador or their customs, had managed to check every box there was when meeting a Don-Gador. He had presented a gift of meat, the lifeline of Don-Gador, and used the proper honorifics. The Region a Don-Gador was from was the only thing they had akin to a last name. Unless you knew that Don-Gador well, you always mentioned what Region they hailed from after their name. But, more importantly to Rvian, the animal looked really good. It would make a fine dinner, he thought with a nod. A lot of meat and muscle, not much fat. It also seemed to be an adult, the perfect age.
But when it moved, Rvian's thoughts were shoved aside as the beast moved. He unconsciously began raising his arm toward his weapon. When the creature jumped, he drew his rifle and aimed at its head with three seconds. But, At Willis' behest, he reluctantly lowered his firearm and watched. He was clueless as to what Willis was doing. His actions seemed to defy all hunting logic. But Rvian's confusion reached its peak when Willis petted the animal. When he asked Rvian what he thought, Rvian snapped out of his stupor, "You can...control it? Or are you speaking it? And... Does this mean we aren't going to eat it?" If the answer to Rvian's final question was no, he would be a bit sad at not getting to taste a new species.
Willis tries his best to stop giggling.
Yeah... it's a little unethical to do this... but then again I think the kitty wouldn't mind. Please don't eat them tho, Rvian! I think we could use a friend, y'know, to help us get around and stuff...Willis looks back at the Jungle Predator big cat. Please open your mouth. Willis ordered. The big cat stretched its back before obediently opening its large maw full of sharp, inverted teeth, forming a crescent shape that eerily resembles a smile.
"Sheesh." Willis whistled. He picked up a thick branch from the ground and tossed it across to the other side of the creek.
"Fetch, boy!"The beast perked both its ears up as it began to wag its tail like a spinning windmill. It bounded across the river before proudly carrying back the stick in between its mouth, presenting it to Willis.
Willis gave a thumbs up to Rvian. He took the branch, before making his way back up the slope to where Rvian was posted up.
Fun! You want to give it a shot? He offered the branch to Rvian.
The big cat trailed behind Willis, but clearly unnerved by the presence of Rvian. It tried to hide its large body behind Willis' back, which clearly didn't fit.
Rvian went blank at Willis' request not to eat it. Rvian saw no other use for meat except as food. Who would keep an animal as a friend? But the idea of using it to help them move around made sense. The creature's smile unnerved Rvian more than make it seem human. Mostly because the teeth reminded him of a Sawtiger. Then came when it chased a branch like a hunter chased its prey. The bizarre exercise made Rvian tilt his head silently. Was it some form of muscle-building, he wondered.
When Willis offered the branch, Rvian reluctantly accepted it and glared at the cat. He wanted to make it clear to the creature he was only befriending it at Willis's behest. With a silent motion, he threw it like a knife over Willis. "Is there a reason behind this? Shouldnt we be getting a move-on while we search for a way back to ours homes? Speaking of going back, how did you arrive here?" Rvian asked as the animal went after the stick. "And how did you subdue that...cat before I arrived?"
Willis, understanding the need for some privacy, ordered the big cat to chill while he talked with Rvian.
The animal leaped into the air, caught the stick between its teeth, and landed on its feet. It began to chase its own tail, before getting bored and laid down, rolling in the sand.
Darn it, you are right of course! Willis clutched his head comically.
Sorry for the delay! Well, my ma would say that this was actually a bonding experience! This is important since we're gonna be working together as a team, we should get to know each other better.Willis nods at Rvian.
As for how I got here, I think I'm in the very same boat as you. You see, I was working with a team studying some alien ruins, and all of a sudden I was teleported here. My GPS is all messed up, so we must be in a corner of the galaxy far far away, out of reach of working signals.Willis paused, thinking about something. He snapped his finger and the cat comes lolling back with the stick. It dropped off the slimy branch covered in corrosive saliva in front of Rvian as it flipped down onto its belly, asking for a belly scratch.
I tranquilized the kitten. Willis admits.
I know I'm being a bad person for doing that. But it does make domesticating them easier.Rvian watched the cat with his characteristic silence. Its aerial prowess surprised him. "A team... Hm, been a while since I've been a part of one. I used to pair up with a solider on missions a few years back. He watched my back while I prepared my shot." Rvian nodded along with Willis' explanation, growing increasingly somber. "The corners of the galaxy," he mumbled.
A thoughtful expression overtook Rvian as he began to run a hand through his black hair, which was tied in a ponytail to keep it out of his sight. "The first thing we must do is find your comrades! The more numbers, the more secure we are. And we'll be able to figure out out situation easier. I was not with anyone when I came here. I was hunting something when I accidentally ran into a room and got sent here. Though, I wonder why we were sent to the jungle rather than a receiving teleportation chamber." Rvian looked to the sky, "There is a very slight chance we may be on a planet near my homeworld. But I cannot verify that until nightfall."
As the cat made its request for scratches, Rvian continued thinking. "Tranquilizing animals is not something to be ashamed about, it is just another way of procuring food. Except in this case. This creature will be of great aid to us," Rvian said as he crouched and looked at the feline's face. "I say we call it Ishmar, the name of a warrior from my home. He was a mighty soldier who had undefeatable luck." Rvian looked at Willis, waiting for his opinion on the name.
Willis beamed at the cat.
What do you think? The big cat meowed loudly, before timidly sliding up against Rvian. They carefully rubbed their furry head gently along Rvian's body, purring.
I think they like it! Ishmar it is! Willis laughed.
Back on Earth, we have this saying that cats have nine lives - hopefully, Ishmar will lend us their luck, to make us super lucky! Because we'll need it! He squints at the masses of silent trees behind Rvian, which obscured their vision.
So, where should we go now, hunter? I would love to link back with the others too - but I have no idea where they are...Rvian slowly patted the cat as he pondered the concept of nine lives. It was a crazy notion that was logic less, making Rvian confused about how such a saying came to be. But he brushed that off and shrugged. "There is no way to know where they are. We'll scour the nearby jungle to see if anyone else ended up in this area. Keep a close eye to the ground for footprints and watch to see if any wildlife seem to be fleeing from something. Those are the general ways to find specific things in forests. However, we'll need to be careful the we dont waste energy unnecessarily and dont run into a predator."
Rvian stood up and leaned his rifle against his shoulder, "I'll go first since I have experience in fighting. Though, my skills lies in ranged combat. My close-quarters skills are mediocre at best." Rvian said as he looked around. There were no vantage points that provided a view of the whole jungle, unfortunately. "We'll need to get a move on quickly if we don't want to risk anyone getting further away from us. If we don't find someone within a few hours, we'll turn our attention to finding some of the ruins that teleported us here. You might be able to discern something about them since you are a scientist."
Yessah! Understood! Willis salutes Rvian. Ishmar does the same, imitating Willis by standing on their hind legs to give Rvian a full cat's military honor. They almost lose their balance mid-salute, and had to bail.
Ishmar bounds over to Willis and stuck their nose in his ear. Willis began to nod, looking back and forth from Rvian to Ishmar.
Hey Rvian, Ishmar here knows the jungle and they volunteer to scout ahead, to look at the tracks. They also said that they know a lot of places with fresh water and edible food in the region, in case we get hungry. Willis translates helpfully.
Ishmar meows in agreement.
Rvian's lips almost formed a smirk as he watched Willis and Ishmar, but before they could, he suppressed it. "Good. Those will both be useful. Tell Ishmar to search in a wide circle," he directed. "Last time I ate was only an hour or so ago, so I have plenty of energy left. What about you, Willis?" He asked as he scanned the jungle for threats again. So far as he could tell, no nostile life was nearby. Ishmar's presence must be causing other creatures to keep their distance, Rvian thought.
"Also, dont call me sir. I havent been a soldier for years and would like to forget I ever was. Sgrak was a hell hole I'd like to leave in the past." Rvian said flatly. His tone left no room for argument. "Hm, one more thing I believe I should mention. I can't eat plants. Nor can any of my brethren. Meat is the only thing that can sustain me, so have Ishmar hunt something for us."
Willis nods excitedly.
Aye, we're just two inter-galactic tourists going on a wild-wild adventure! Ishmar playfully knocked into Willis from behind, only to be wrangled by their chin-fur as the psi-entist swung his leg over the side of Ishmar and hooks his feet beneath their stomach, leap-mounting the huge feline in one fell swoop.
Ouch! Darn these weird back-spikes!
Willis tipped an imaginary hat at Rvian while sitting on top of Ishmar, albeit a little uncomfortable.
I'm ready to rock n roll! He declared while desperately grappling onto Ishmar, struggling to maintain balance amidst protesting meows.
An adventure I'd like to end, Rvian thought as be walked toward Ishmar. He nodded at Willis' impressive leap-mount. "You know, those spikes could be poisonous. I wouldn't recommend touching them. Also, Ishmar seems to object to you being on his back." He noted as he tried to calm Ishmar with a head pat.
"Though, I'm not sure what you mean by... rock n roll. And we perhaps might have to consider going on foot to avoid complications," Rvian stated. "We can move more stealthily by walking than riding a large predator. Though, perhaps using him as transport would lower the chances of your teammates from assailing Ishmar." Rvian grew increasingly frustrated as they wasted time. He wanted to move as quickly as possible. Even wasting a second was unacceptable in his mind. But he did not voice those thoughts lest he annoy his new comrade, who Rvian was taking a liking to, but the fact Willis was a Psion was something Rvian was having trouble ignoring.
Willis was about to respond to Rvian when Ishmar finally snapped. They hoisted Willis off their back using their tail and flung Willis into the air in an arc. With soft forest detritus breaking his fall, Willis gracefully skimmed the ground like a skipping stone before finally landing just beneath Rvian's feet.
Ah, there goes my dream of being a rock n roll space cowboy. Willis lamented, bouncing back onto his feet as he brushes dirt from his hair. He then reached behind his explorer's belt to take out a featureless, disk-shaped device mounted on a harness. He secures the straps around Ishmar, who has calmed down by now thanks to Rvian's head pats.
Willis then grabs his PDA, a silver hologram bracelet clipped to his wrist, opens the tracker app, and activates the tracker which is now mounted on Ishmar. The harness' shoulder-mounted LED pings with a soft green hue, signaling its activation, before going back to its original state.
Willis also relays Rvian's instructions to Ishmar (Search for others, hunt for food). The big cat nods, and meows at Rvian one last time before taking the lead to head into the forest. For their size, Ishmar moves with surprising grace; ducking under branches and skirting around fallen trees. They're so confident and wiry, they move through the forest silently, like a dancer, quickly disappearing from view.
I've planted a tracking device on Ishmar so we know how far he is from us at all times. Willis tells Rvian as he turns around and showed the hunter his PDA, a red glyph dancing on a diaphanous holographic screen symbolizing Ishmar's relative position from them.
Here, take one too, so we can keep in touch. Willis hands Rvian a spare UEC standard-issued PDA.
You'll need to set up an account, create a profile, then add me as a friend. My username is Littlebitzs#9857, the one with a rising mushroom cloud as my pfp. "Convenient," Rvian mumbled as he looked at where Ishmar had disappeared. The PDA was unlike anything he had seen. He hadn't heard of anything akin to PDAs either. Perhaps there was technology like it in the Caplis Region, the home Region of the Council of Huntship and largest city on Don-Gavdo. When Willis offered Rvian a spare PDA, he accepted and looked at its square screen.
He stared for a few moments longer before looking at Willis. Words danced across the screen in bizarre patterns Rvian couldn't decipher. He looked up at Willis, "I can't read anything on this." There were dozens of languages used by the Don-Gador. Because of the forests, they lived isolated from each other for centuries. Many developed their own languages. Though they all looked vaguely similar, there was almost no overlap grammar or word-wise. However, the letters on the PDA didn't resemble anything spoken by the Don-Gador.
Don't worry. Once we get to a safer place, I'll teach you about our language, so you can use our devices.Though, the PDA and tracking device made something clear to Rvian. It seemed like Willis' species was far ahead of the Don-Gador in terms of technological advancement. Not to mention it seemed like tech was better distributed on Willis' homeworld. "Come on. We should get a move on ourselves. We'll go the opposite direction of Ishmar," Rvian said as he nodded toward the jungle.
Willis unzips an inner pocket, and takes out a roll of fabric which quickly expanded into a thick ripstop poncho. He wraps it around himself like a cloak, making only his face visible.
Let's go!And so, the two made their way deeper into the forest. Rvian in front, Willis following behind, carrying his toolkit.