Diesel X: Blackwater Chronicles [IC] [Open and Accepting!]

And the first post to the reboot of my classic RP, Diesel X, is here! As the topic title states, we are looking for more role-players, so if the setting interests you, by all means submit a character and join up.

Nevertheless, onwards to Ixom!

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--

He could feel the horrible creak each time he moved, as tiny, shimmering segments of his skin broke and reformed under the enormous stress.

Metallic or not, resistant to the desert or not, one thing was quite clear about his skin condition. He was rusting, and he was rusting bad.

The whipping sand was little more than a gust of snowflakes to the wizened Nosphor male, but each step forward through the dunes was just another agonizing step towards death. Age had not been kind to his body, and his bronze metallic skin, once a shining glimmer in the desert sun, had dulled down into a burned out brown. His powerful hide had been undergoing oxidation for the last five years. Now, each movement for the Nosphor was one of remarkable pain. And unfortunately, it was the kind of pain that not even the best medicine could save him from.

But there were more important things on the horizon. The elder continued to trek onwards, ignoring the pain, ignoring the lost, desolate feeling of being in the desert, and ignoring the fact that his two hundred and thirty-five year old body was begging for a swift, painless release.

For another hour he trekked, and his journey would have seemed hopeless, if not for the sight of a settlement a half a mile ahead. In the cold dark of the night, there were no lights coming from the settlement's dome-shaped living spaces, but with the light of Ixom's moons, it was all still clear as day.

There seemed to no immediate guard as he inched his way inside the settlement. Most of the humans were asleep. What few guards there were seemed more content with talking to each other than keeping watch, and so the elder managed to avoid their gaze.

It was as he approached what looked like one of the larger buildings, where the leaders congregated, that he began to feel a wretched tug on his metallic heart. He gasped, and in those few moments, his advanced mental processes calculated how many heart beats he had left, how long it would take to to reach the nearest house, and how long he had to speak. His time was short, but it was just enough time.

Dragging himself inside a small, quaint home, he could feel his breath shortening as his walking staff knocked a small chair over. There was a patter of footsteps coming down from the upper level. The elder Nosphor took a bitter breath. He hoped that whoever was up there would come quickly. He only had so much time.

--

When he heard the commotion downstairs, Ichero was up in an instant. With enough insomnia issues to last him a lifetime, and the fact that his N-Eye had been having some technical issues for the last week, it wasn't like he was falling asleep anytime soon.

As he made his way down the steps of the upper level, a small diesel-lamp in hand, Ichero almost immediately spotted the reflective shimmer that told him the person waiting below was a Nosphor. He approached quickly, shirtless, wearing only a long, tan pair of pants, his black hair unkempt from tossing and turning in bed.

The Nosphor barely moved, and Ichero could see he was breathing heavily. The young man's N-Eye jittered wildly, barely capturing the black and white image of the Nosphor before him. Ichero brought the diesel-lamp closer, finally noticing the elderly condition of this stranger.

"Hey, are you alright? We don't see many Nos around here. I thought there weren't any for miles." Ichero said, his right mechanical eye continuing to bug out as he spoke, much to his annoyance.

"...I'm fine." the Nosphor said, through labored breath. "My name is...Hzyen. There is something, I must share with...you..."

Ichero might have been groggy, but he could still see this stranger's condition was only worsening. Even as the Hyzen spoke, he was already filling up a nearby jug with pure blackwater from a small spigot. He put up to the elder's mouth, and but much to his surprise, Hyzen refused to drink it.

"Come on, just take a sip. You're not doing too well, and I know being out in that desert didn't help." Ichero insisted, but Hyzen was steadfast. Instead, he put a hand over Ichero's jittering N-Eye. His eyes looked at it with methodical purpose.

"Your eye. It is damaged." Hyzen said, as his mind began to mentally deconstruct the inner workings of the device.

"Yeah, it's been like that for the last week. But since there aren't any Nos around here, I haven't been able to..." Ichero began, but he was cut off when he felt Hyzen's long finger jab into his N-Eye. There was a sharp click as metal moved against metal, and suddenly, Ichero's eye just stopped moving. His right side vision began to fluctuate, becoming grainy, before settling on a perfect, black and white view.

"...fix it. Wow. I forgot how good Nos were with tech, thanks. My name's Ichero." the young man said, but Hyzen seemed to ignore his words, instead put a firm hand on the boy's shoulder.

"My moments with you are limited, so you must listen. You and your people must know what I am about to divulge. There is a terrible time coming. A time that my own people do not believe is real. It involves the Diesel Race. They are not forgotten as most would think, but are on the verge of returning!"

Ichero almost did a double-take. "What? The Diesel Race? I know that the Nos are smart and all, but that sounds pretty far-fetched. Why would they would to come back to this barren rock anyway?."

Hyzen croaked through his withered breath. "You don't understand, human. There are things in this universe you cannot even begin to comprehend. The proof, the artifacts in Diesel Sanctuaries I have seen with my own eyes, they tell a story I couldn't even begin to explain."

Ichero was about to say something else, but the elder continued without so much as a breath.

"You must go to your people, and tell them what I have told you. They must travel into the East, into the deepest region of the Havex Desert. There lies a place of great power, and hidden secrets of the Diesel Race. Only with their own technology, with the machines they have hidden throughout the dark corners of our world, can we only hope to survive their coming."

"I...I barely get what you're going on about, but I think you need some medical help. Just sit tight, and I can get a healer from nea-" Ichero started to say, but Hyzen put a finger up to his mouth and stopped him from speaking.

"No. My time is over, but the time of our world may not be. And even if your people do not listen, like mine will not, you must go. There are things far greater in this universe than our simple differences."

Hyzen gulped a final breath as is heart began to slow to a stop. "It is only together as single people, not divided...that we have a chance to survive their coming. It must be human...Nosphor...Shadowed One...Zy'rae...and Decephon...alike..."

As Hyzen finished stating the names of the five races of Ixom, his breath finally drifted away, and he went into the calm sleep of eternity. His hand falling to his side, Ichero was left looking onward at the now dead Nosphor, struggling to comprehend exactly what had been said.

Sighing to himself, he took a spare cover from nearby, and placed it over Hyzen's body. He would tell the rest of the residents about this in the morning.

But while they might have believed the old Nosphor's demise, they might not believe the crazy story he had told. Either way, Ichero would have to try.

--

As he sat inside the spacious cantina, thinking to himself over a cool drink of clear, Ichero couldn't help but feel stupid.

He had been right, of course. The residents of his settlement, Encher, didn't believe a word of what Hyzen had said. As one of the human leaders had plainly said to him, going that far out into the Havex Desert was a death wish. The Diesel Race was gone, had been gone for a long time, and they weren't going to be coming back. That was that. Ichero should be worrying about finding a wife and starting a family, not chasing legends in the desert.

But for Ichero, that wasn't enough. Something about the old Nosphor's words that night tugged at him. And now, against the words of the leaders he had followed his whole life, here he was, sitting in a cantina in the huge human meta-city of Talsium.

In this capital of humanity of Ixom, one could easily find numerous non-humans among the crowds. All throughout the great city, pockets of Nosphor made their lives. In some of the subterranean sections below, a Shadowed One minority mined their own fortunes and ran a marketplace for those above. There was even the occasional Zy'rae or blackvox-using Decephon to be found. It was the biggest and only melting pot on Ixom, and the perfect place to find his new recruits.

Because one way or another, Ichero was going on this trip to the Havex Desert and beyond. There was no doubt in his mind.

It didn't matter that his right eye was a mechanical, Nosphor-tech replacement, and it frequently malfunctioned. It didn't matter that he knew close to nothing about machines, Dieseltron or even the Nosphor who had given him the gift of a new eye in the first place. What mattered was that he was here, he was alive, and now he had the legacy of someone else in his midst.

And so, sitting at the bar among the bustling residents of the Ulaz Cantina, he waited. After coming into Talsium, Ichero had put up a general notice within the Great Hub, a large community center located in the center of the meta-city. The exact meeting place for those interested in the notice was the Ulaz Cantina itself. Those interested were instructed to look for the man with the mechanical eye, something Ichero figured would not be hard to find, as he planned on waiting in the cantina as long as he needed to.

His notice called for anyone, of any race, who was knowledgeable in working with mechanical devices and lost Dieseltron. It called for anyone would had braved the deserts and lived to tell the tale. It called for partners who would have to be prepared for a long journey to the East, into the most mysterious regions of the great Havex Desert.

Truthfully though, he just needed anyone who was willing to come, with or without the promise of monetary reward. Soldiers, scientists, mercenaries, fortune seekers, explorers; in the end, it didn't really matter to him. For all Ichero knew, he might be dead before they even made it to the Havex Desert.

But this wasn't about his own life. Based on what Hyzen had told him, Ichero's life would be a small sacrifice, compared to the life of the entire planet of Ixom.

All Ichero could hope now, was that Hyzen wasn't crazy, and that maybe there was really something important out there in the barren desert.

Because as far Ichero knew, the Nosphor were pretty smart.

They couldn't be wrong. And even if they were, they couldn't be that far off from the right answer, right?

---

---

The panting came from a dozen different bodies, rhythmically in and out, harmonizing to the beat of thick and heavy claws against walls of solid Ixom rock. The sound was drowned out, a simple hum, to the ears of a certain worker for she had gone down her own tunnel. The ground sloped at thirty degrees, walls hollowed out just enough for a Visaji to shoulder threw, and a furiously digging female at the very end muttering.

"Texture is soft, grainy. Could be getting close to Blackwater. Rock is damp. Air is heavy." There was a pause in her furious clawing, goggles being pushed up her forehead as a single nail was tapped against her black tongue. The taste was satisfactory, revealing that her predictions had been true, she was close to a Blackwater source for the soil was soaked and loose with it. With one hand pressed against the wall before her, holding her weight, she leaned in to sniff at the rich earth finding the scent musky and normal.

Last thing she wanted to do was find a direct vessel of the iridescent Blackwater and drown herself and the other dozen brothers and sisters down here in the tunnels with her. She had learned her lesson the hard way, and although nobody had gotten seriously hurt, the embarrassment still weighed heavily on her shoulders. Shaking herself free of the memory mentally and physically flexing all of her bright purple spines she returned to her previous activity of digging, though careful to steer herself away from the enriched soil and instead towards the hard rock directly to her left.

---

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Closing time!

A subsonic frequency was yelled from the higher tunnels, passed along by echo through the many caverns and repeated by other workers. The dull clicking had finally reached Raneke's hypersensitive ears, eyes flying open as she realized she had dozed off. It wasn't uncommon for them to sleep while on the job, it actually made it quiet efficient, though some poor and unfortunate souls had caused cave ins and floods by not paying attention. With a soft sigh, Raneke let her arms still, shaking the feeling of sleep away as she turned and padded back down the tunnel she had made.

With arms proportionally the same length as their legs, Visaji could casually trot along on all fours, making travel through the cramped tunnels fast and easy. Coming out of her tunnel, much like getting onto a highway, Raneke merged with the others in a much larger cavern, trotting side by side next to one of her most valued friends: Kanthu. Like always, she looked exhausted and haggard, who wouldn't after a sixteen hour shift of physical labor?

You find anything today? The smaller female clicked at Raneke, the two diverging from the crowd as they sauntered effortlessly up a slope and into a much quieter and reserved tunnel. Small homes lined the walls, made for workers who did not wish to commute from the dig site all the way back to the metacity. They weren't very spacious or comfortable, but they would suffice for any tired worker.

Slowing, Raneke lifted herself into a proper standing position, shrugging her shoulders. "I didn't find much, just a gear or two." She responded back in the well known Ixom language. For some reason it seemed more natural to speak it then to use the usual Visaji subsonic clicks and whistles. It was too complicated for Raneke and as a trader on the surface world, she had quickly learned Ixom was much more accepted than Visaji.

The purple and blue female stood at the door of her small hovel, watching as her friend stopped as well. I'll see you tomorrow, nice and early. Kanthu clicked in farewell before turning on heel and trotting away, the darkness soon engulfing her lean and lanky form.

With a snort, Raneke rolled her eyes and entered the small carved out room she called home. Her side pack slid off her shoulder, finding its way down her arm and onto a small table. Goggles and hat were tossed to the side as the small female Visaji crawled into a sturdy brown hammock, with tough claws she fluffed her pillow, letting out a relaxed sigh.

---

---

Hours must've slipped by for when the woman awoke her limbs felt stiff and tingly, as if she hadn't moved at all. Groaning, she sat up in the hammock which she called her bed, steadying the swaying fabric by putting her feet on the floor. She rubbed her eyes shamelessly, yawning, as she stood and shuffled to where her stuff lay on the table. Sitting on her heels Raneke opened up her pack, digging through the supplies until her fingers brushed up against what she had been looking for.

Pulling the object out, clasping it in her hand, she felt her heartbeat skip, unfolding her fingers to reveal a flawless blue gem. Even in the darkness, Raneke couldn't help but notice it glinted against the littlest of light, reflecting it back to her eyes. Stuffing it back in the pack, the Visaji gathered her hat and goggles, securing the sidepack on one shoulder as she silently left her house.

Easing the door shut behind her, she looked around, checking twice to make sure the coast was completely clear before dropping to her hands and feet, padding down the long and curving tunnels. Each turn or slope she knew like one of her quills, never getting lost or disoriented as she traversed the well worn paths, gradually finding herself ascending from the darker depths. She made barely a noise, whisking by at a decent speed until she found herself at the entrance of the small underground terra-city of Jucka.

Guards at the entrance stiffened as they spotted Raneke, standing straighter and moving to block her path. Name and Identification One clicked professionally, both looking down at her with questioning stares. They were both large males, each outweighing her by at least fifty pounds or more, and they towered over Raneke as if she were still an adolescent.

Raneke Junda, She clicked back, handing the one who had spoken her identification card. His green eyes glanced over it quickly before returning it to her. With a nod, they both stepped aside, allowing her entrance to the not so glamorous terra-city. From there she could catch a ride to the surface world during the cool hours of night and not get caught in the brutal heat of the sun. Trading in the underground was pointless, all anybody had down here were rocks and more rocks. Raneke wanted tools, brushes, anything other than precious stones or worn out pieces of metal.

---

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By the time Raneke had reached the surface, riding in the back of a rather rickety old wagon pulled by two Wortats (large beetle like creatures), it was only a few hours before sunrise, giving her plenty of time to travel by foot from her drop off spot and to the entrance of the great metacity of Talsium. Getting in was rather easy, pretending to not know Ixom and instead clicking violently at the human guard who stood at attention until he let her pass, waving her on with a sigh.

First thing was first, if she were to be here for any period of time, she would have to invest in some sort of protection from the sun. So after three shops, one small emerald, and a bit of persuasion Raneke was concealed by a thick black fabric cloak, pulling the hood up as she exited the shop. "Thank you!" Was her last words to the merchant, sliding out into the now busy and bustling streets. Midday had come around faster than the Visaji had anticipated and it was difficult for her to get into rhythm with the foot traffic the humans followed so effortlessly.

One wrong turn later and Raneke found herself hopefully lost standing in the midst of a large community center, a kind human having pointed her in this direction to find a map of the city. So, standing in front of a bulletin board, she stood transfixed, eyes squinted as they read over the numerous pages that were pinned to the wall. Lots of wanted posters, flyers for conventions, and oh...what's this? A calling for anybody who knew mechanical devices and dieseltron?

With her interest piqued, she took down the sheet of paper to read it more extensively, though the further she read, the less fun it sounded. She didn't do deserts, definitely not the Havex desert, no thank you. But why would someone be looking to lead a crew of dieseltron expoerts out into the middle of the harshest deserts on Ixom? Something was up and Raneke wanted to find out.

She had never done something like this before though, she didn't know how to get in contact with the traveler and even if she did, would he even except a Visaji like herself? Raneke had no prior desert knowledge and frankly didn't know if she wanted to gain any, but the thought of being able to work with Diesel X outweighed the instincts telling her to go back underground. Moving a claw she looked at the bottom of the paper, tilting her head. Search for the man with the mechanca eye Well, that wouldn't be too difficult, right?

---

---

After following the instructions on the paper, Raneke found herself in Ulaz Cantina, timidly looking around and ducking her head. Her quick eyes and sensitive nose pinpointed the man from the rest of the crowd and she strode over to him easily, taking a seat in the bar stool next to him unfolding the sheet of paper she had taken and laying it out on the bar top, sliding it towards him. "You are the one requesting a crew?" Her head nodded down towards the paper as sh lifted her hand off of it, hooking one finger under her hood as she pulled it off. "Well, if you're going after dieseltron...You'll need a digger."

Ichero hadn't really been around the other races for most of his life, save for his Nosphor friend Aldor and the Shadowed Ones who accosted him and his settlement about a year ago. So when he heard that voice, that voice speaking in Ixoma but with an unfamiliar accent, he immediately felt a sharp tug on his human heart.

When Ichero looked to his side, and saw the Shadowed One female, black-skinned and marked with brilliant purple and blue, he could instantly feel himself going back. The memories flooded in his mind with the force of a monsoon, but unfortunately for Ichero, these were memories he had been desperately trying for so long to leave behind.

--

Reality became an afterthought as the images played in his head.

His hand shaking his glass of clear, images of the tall, imposing Shadowed One male surged into his thoughts.

He remembered being cornered into his house like a scared animal, watching as the monstrous being snarled at him.

He remembered it speaking in an unintelligible tongue, and he remembered trying to fight back, only to scream in horrible agony as one of the barbed quills hit home deep into his right eye. He remembered feeling that quill being viciously pulled out, bringing the eye with it, and he remembered being in so much pain that he wished he was already dead.

The memories were so painful, so strong, they made his N-Eye start jittering again.

Ichero gasped for a breath, and looked back at Raneke, before looking away.

--

Ichero realized something in this moment. He wasn't much more than a hardy guy who could run a farm. If she wanted to, this Shadowed One could kill him in an instant. This very thought made his heart beat much faster than normal. It took all of Ichero's willpower to make him calm.

But then he remembered Hyzen's dying words. This was a fear of his waiting to be conquered, and nothing more. After all, she wouldn't be the only coming with him.

"So...digger, huh? Exactly how is that going to help us make it through the Havex Desert in one piece?" he began, trying to sound confident.

"I know you...Shadowed Ones...are good in the underground, but we're going through the desert, on the surface. Are you sure you can handle it without going blind?"

Yes, there was anger in that last statement. Ichero had tried to suppress it, but it was there. But if he didn't show his dominance now to her, she could take advantage of him.

All it took was for him to turn his back once, and she might take his life with a barbed quill, or worse, his remaining eye.

---

---

Raneke thought to herself, remembering a time when she was younger, mother shaking a claw and warning her of people like this, especially humans. This guy looked ready to claw his own skin off. His eye was glazed, staring off into the distance, and far away from reality. The mechanical eye on the right was making a bunch of noise, vibrating almost uncontrollably, something the Visaji could hear very well.

A moment passed and it seemed as if the human had shook himself back to sanity, or at least she hoped so. His voice came with a hint of malice, making her stomach twist and claws twitch with frustration at his ignorance. How could she help him get threw one of the most harshest deserts on Ixom? Easily. With her excellent night vision and sense of direction she could lead the group under the cover of night and during the hottest parts of the day dig out shelter under the cool desert rock.

Before she repeated this back to him though, her mouth clicked shut, eyes narrowing dangerously. "Visaji." She corrected, with equal anger in her voice as she responded to the ignorant man. What was he trying to prove? Humans weren't superior in any way to the other races, in fact they looked fleshy and easy to shred with a single swipe of a hand.

"If you were smart, which I assume you are, you plan to travel at night, sleep by day? I don't see how'd you make it any other way." She pointed out, sitting back in her chair and folding her arms across her chest. "Besides, if you can make it with one eye," Her clawed finger pointed at his eye. "I can make it with both of mine." She sounded confident of her abilities, clicking the same finger she had pointed at him against the tinted glass of the goggles that sat on her forehead.

"You have a name? Mine's Raneke." The Visaji female introduced with a small bow of her head, offering her open right hand for him to shake. It was said that an open right hand meant she intended no harm or mischief. A moment passed and he did not return the gesture, leaving her hand hanging in the air between them, which she dropped quickly, refolding it with the other over her chest. "Look, I'm not gonna prick you, if that's what you're thinking." Raneke reassured.

Why waste a quill? Was her motto to life, she quiet liked all of her quills and how they shimmered blue and purple in complete darkness, the hollow bristles flexing with toned muscles along her spine and shoulders. Not once in her life had she fired off one of the poisonous barbs, instead she collected them whenever they shed or happened to fall off. They made great place markers for when she was in large, intertwining tunnels, and would lead her back to the main line.

"Who is us by the way?" Raneke asked, straightening up as she looked around to see if he had any other people, all the patrons in the bar seemed preoccupied with somebody or something else. "Looks like you need me more than I need you." She pointed out, moving her hands to rest on the bar, sharp nails thrumming in line against the wood, leaving little pockets where the tips dug into. "Look, if you want me to come with, you don't gotta beg or anything. I'll go. But I want to know what I'm getting out of it." Raneke uttered through a sigh.

What kind of share was she getting from this little jaunt out to the Havex Desert? There was no way she'd risk her life out there for nothing, there had to be something promised if she were to even consider setting foot out in that hot sand. So, now was this human's one and only chance to sell her into tagging along. What could he offer? A slow smile curled at the corner of Raneke's lips as she leaned forward, listening intently. "Why go all the way out there, huh? What secret do you know?" Her voice was barely a whisper, eyes gleaming with excitement.

---

---

"As far as secrets are concerned, there are none that I know of." Ichero lied, thinking over all the words Raneke had just said to him. Should he tell her about what Hyzen had said to him? Of course not, she wouldn't believe him, she'd think he was crazy. And the last thing he needed was a suspicious Shadowed One with him out there in the desert.

"The trip itself is of little concern. You'll be adequately paid once we return from our destination in the desert, I can assure you." He lied again.

What money did he have? Almost none. As a self-sustaining farmer, he had about less than a 100,000 ixa-notes saved. Most mercenaries charged at least half a million for a trip like this, and that was just up front. Of course, Ichero didn't have to tell her that.

Ichero had watched her put her hand out and pull away before, and feeling somewhat apologetic, he offered his own handshake. He could feel the prick of diamond-hard claws as he shook the Shadowed One's hand, and his eye jittered slightly in response. Those pricks couldn't help but remind him of the momentary pain from long ago; the one that came right before his entire right eye had been dislodged from its socket.

"Look, you can trust me. This trip will be more than worth it for you." he reassured her.

"My name is Ichero, and I'll need the all the help I can get, Sha-, ahem, I mean, Visaji help included. Someone of your digging caliber would be invaluable, since I know little to nothing about the subject. But you're right about asking who else is coming. That part isn't set in stone yet." Ichero remarked, taking a gulp of his clear.

The cool liquid washed down his throat as he thought about what to say next.

"As it stands, Raneke, we don't have any adequate transportation. And until that problem is solved, we have nowhere to go, unless you think you can dig for a solid three hundred miles into the desert."

He took another sip, clearly more relaxed than he should be.

"Of course, if you know anyone, or have any ideas, please, feel free to speak up."

Ichero hoped she would. Because if no one with a DesertReach or other transport came for his notice, then they were already out of options.

It had been a long walk, but Talise was used to it. It had been, what was it, two, three years since she'd left her home for the first time? At least. She didn't like traveling, this wasn't for her amusement, but she felt it necessary to learn all she could about the other races of the world.

In that time that she'd been away from home (with frequent visits, of course) she had learned a lot, but she knew that it was only a fraction of what could be learned. There was a lot to be done. Her goal was to spread information, teach the different races about each other - get them to understand one another.

As it was now, Nosphor got along with humans, but Decephons couldn't stand them, Visaji (Talise had learned not to call them Shadowed Ones by now) were so secretive nobody really understood them, and Zy'rae liked nobody but themselves.

Talise hoped to change that. She held out a secret hope that if all five races could be united, if they could come to understand one another, and learn to work together, then maybe, just maybe, the Diesel Race would return.

So she hoped, but then at other times she felt foolish for holding out such hope, as no one knew where they had gone. Then again, there was a nagging possibility that since no one truly knew what the Diesel Race were like, possibly their return would not be for the good of the planet. But still, she liked to think they would come back, and make things a lot nicer when they did.

She had come to realize by now, that even if the uniting of races wouldn't bring the Diesel Race back, it would still be better for the planet.

So Talise had set that as her goal. Bring understanding to the people of the planet, and through that understanding unite them. Simple as that.

Yeah, simple. She was well aware that she would need help. That's why she had come to this city - to see if she could find some willing souls, preferably from all different races, to teach them about her culture, and learn from them about theirs.

Talsium, the huge city, was perfect for this. A sampling of every race mingled with everyone else, and now that she had decided to find individuals, rather than visit the entire races themselves, well, no better place to start than here.

As she walked into the city, she decided to go over to the Great Hub - the best place to look for notices and other things which would advertise people wanting to work with others. Talise figured that if she joined with someone wanting a crew or group for some reason, that didn't ask for one specific race, then she would have a good chance of meeting those from other races and getting to know them.

Then all she had to do, after getting people to tolerate other races, was convince them to convince their friends to be tolerant, and then those people would convince their friends, and then those people... so on and so forth. She had figured it out, if everyone convinced half of their friends, the world would reach a point where it was tolerant enough... in about two or three lifetimes after she died of old age. Well, it was a start at least. And surely there were others out there who felt the same as she did, right?

As she walked over the Great Hub, she drew a few stares from the others around her. She was used to it by now, but it still made her wish she could blend in better. Her skin was so light - almost white - compared to other Decephons - not to mention her petite stature and two extra tentacles. She certainly wasn't born to blend in.

When she got there she started browsing the notices, looking for ones that seemed promising. After a few catching her eye only for her to turn them down for some reason or another, another one grabbed her attention. Not so much the knowledgeable about machines part or the desert part, but the long journey part. Talise had been in the desert before, although not for very long, but she knew how to survive there. A long journey would be good, because she could get to know the other members of the group well before they had to part ways, and she would also have the chance to travel to other cities.

She looked once more at the place it said to meet. Ulaz Cantina. She would have to go there and talk to... a human with a mechanical eye. Interesting. She would have to ask him questions, find out if this really was a journey that would work for her - and find out what on earth, besides to meet people, would drag someone out into a desert. It must be important.

After getting slightly lost, Talise made her way into the cantina. It took her a while to find the man with the mechanical eye, there were so many people inside. She finally found him, though. He was talking with a Visaji, and he appeared to be younger, maybe early twenties. That was good, at least. A Visaji and a human, outwardly appearing to get along, and the human was younger, not as likely to be set in his ways as the older humans were. This looked like a good start.

"Pardon my interruption." Talise tried to speak in a polite tone of voice while still making herself heard over the noise of the cantina. She knew the blackvox she wore didn't make a perfect impression of the Ixom language. Although clear, it was kind of gurgly to those who could speak without one. She spoke in her clearest voice possible, making sure to enunciate. "Are you the one who is requesting companions to join you on a long journey?"

Raneke looked away from Ichero as he shook her hand, obviously having a change of heart. Her pale green eyes focused on the table after thir quick itroduction, listening intently though as the human man spoke. He was promising a pay for her time and resources, but had a point: They couldnt dig 300 miles across the open desert, they would need transportation. The Visai turned her head to the side slightly, elongated ears pricking to the sound of footsteps approaching. Despite having a smiliar apperance to the humans, there were certain differences that seperated the races.

A visaji was much taller, though they were light and quick, with long legs and arms. Their faces werent as flat as a humans and jutted slightly more and they had ebony hair that covered their erect and slender ears. They flicked back and forth like a cat's at the littlest of sounds, rotating like satillites. Raneke's eyes with wide as they looked up at the gracefully tall female Decephon. "Oh what a treat!" Raneke stood up from her seat, using both hands to shake the woman's hand. "I've never been this close to a Decephon before." Her curious eyes took in every minute detail as she circled the pale woman.

Standing on her tiptoes she gently tapped a claw to her blackvox, sucpciously trying to figure out how te contraption work. "You're speaking is very clear, the blackvox doesnt seem to give you much speech impairment." Raneke pointed out, stopping in front of her. "Oh, I do admire your tentacles, tell me...Do they move on their own or do you control them?" She was babling now, though she couldnt help but wonder how this race lived and thrived. "My my my, look at me, where are my manners? My name is Raneke, pleased to meet you."


With her small fit over, she stood still, though her green eyes couldnt stop studying the Decephon female. With ears forward and expression open, she waited for Ichero to respond, seeing as he was the one leading this adventure out into the desert. Sitting back down, Raneke smiled warmly to the both of them. Her gaze wavered from the Decephon and to the human man, head tilting as she studied him. Actually loking at him she couldnt deny how handsome he was, even the marring mechanical eye added to his rugged and experienced look. Using her sense of smell she could tell that he was a healthy young male in his prime, perhaps a year or two older than herself. There was a scent of open air and plants lingering around him, a farmer, a long way from home. All three of them were away from home, though this was a human meta-city, a very large one, so Ichero was probably the most at home. The Decephon female and Raneke were the outsiders, even though there were others of their kind, they were a minority race around these parts.

Ichero couldn't help but perk up just a little bit as he watched the Decephon and Shadowed One interact with one another. He was for the most part, a relative stranger to the races of Ixom, and save for the Shadowed Ones, he'd never really seen them up close. It was quite fascinating to look upon the female Decephon that had approached them at the bar. Compared to the arid desert colors that made up the surrounding establishment, Talise's ghostly white certainly made her stand out.

But would she be a true asset on this quest? Ichero knew this was an important point to consider. Sure, he could see the blackvox on around her gills, and he knew that she could subsist on land as long as she had a supply of blackwater.

But the Havex Desert was a dry, arid and dangerous place. What if they were unable to find any blackwater for miles? If this Decephon ran out, what then? Despite the fact that Ichero needed recruits for his "quest", he had to think about their well-being as well. He wasn't about to just let anyone possibly die out there with him in the desert.

"I was, requesting companions, yes. But what skills do you have exactly, what can you do to help us out there?" Ichero pressed.

"I mean, not sound insensitive, but Decephons, your race, they thrive in the blackwater. And unless I can get a black-suit or a multipurpose vehicle before we head out, I don't think I'll be leading us into the blackwater much."

Ichero was ready to say more, to hopefully put some sense into the white Decephon's mind, when a heavy hand came down on his shoulder. A wave of familiarity came over him, and when he turned around, he saw a face he thought he would probably never see again.

"I see you're as hardy as always, Ichero. Now if only you could expand that brain of yours." the low, calm voice of Aldor said as the ruby-skinned Nosphor smiled. Ichero was caught in momentary awe as he stood up from his seat, mesmerized by Aldor's very presence.

"Aldor? My friend, it has been too long! I thought you were with the militia; hundreds of miles from here!" he said, his voice just a bit too loud due to his excitement.

"I was, but I've been pursuing different interests since then. Mainly, the pursuit of knowledge. I understand you're looking for a group of able people, to journey with you into the deepest part of the Havex Desert?" Aldor said, his voice so smooth and knowing.

Ichero looked around at the Decephon, the Shadowed One and the Nosphor before him. All they needed was a Zy'rae now, and they'd be a complete set. Ignoring this highly unlikely possibility though, he addressed the group as a whole.

"Well, it involves going into the Havex Desert. A...a friend of mine commissioned me to obtain something for him from there. Something he lost. The only issue is that we haven't any transportation, and so I'm worried for this Decephon here. Oh, I never got your name by the way." Ichero said, adding the last part specifically for Talise.

"Interesting." Aldor replied, "It just so happens that I have an amphibious DesertReach with me outside. It's a larger model, and can fit five or six at least. There might even be a blacksuit or two aboard."

Aldor turned to Talise. "But my friend does have a point. In the desert, blackwater is not in abundance, and most of the supplies will have to be distilled for Diesel X to run the DesertReach. Even if we reach a water source once, we may not reach one again for miles, as only so much can be carried. You present a liability to our group, and all Ichero seems to want to know is whether or not you are able to counteract that liability with a considerable benefit."

Ichero smiled almost awkwardly. He had forgotten how Nosphor had a tendency to speak in complex terms.

"We just want to know what you can do for us. Raneke here, as a S-, I mean Visaji, can dig. Which means we have shelter when we need to stop for the night. She also probably knows the underground better than any of us."

Ichero cleared his throat. "I guess what I'm trying to say is...what can you do?"

When the Visaji approached her, Talise just kind of stood there, a bit uncomfortably - she didn't remember Visaji being this in-your-face. Well, it had been a while since she had talked with any, maybe she had just forgotten what they were like. When the girl finally gave her name and sat down, Talise relaxed a bit, and shook hands.

She was about to introduce herself, but then the man spoke up, questioning her. He put out quite the number of reasons not to bring her along - was she not wanted after all?

Talise's hope sank a little bit at the argument the man with the mechanical eye presented. She should have known it wouldn't be quite as easy as just walking up and getting instant acceptance. Not one to back down, though, she struggled to make a case for herself.

She figured the best thing to do would be to start with an introduction, be honest, and try to win them over.

"My name is Talise. I have to admit I do not have as much to bring to the table. As a matter of fact, my reasons for joining are rather selfish. However, I have experience traveling - I am a lot more used to being out of blackwater than most of my kin. I have even been through the desert for a short time, once before."

She paused for a second, organizing her thoughts, thinking of the best way to sell herself to the group.

"I am a Communer, I am not sure how useful that would end up being to you but it is something."

The looks on the faces of the group didn't seem like she was getting very far, so she decided to just explain herself from the beginning.

"The reason I want to come with you... well, it's a... goal, of mine, I want to..."

Talise realized what she was about to say would probably sound stupid, conceited, and naive. But she took a deep breath and said it anyways.

"I want to unite the races. I want to teach every race about all the others. I want them to learn, to be educated, to get rid of all the bigotry and racism in the entire planet of Ixom. I know this is more than one single being can do alone, so I want to teach others, who can in turn teach others, until the knowledge and acceptance spreads throughout the world.

The reason I want to come with you is because it is a long journey. When I walked in here, I saw a human getting along with a Visaji. I thought to myself, this looks perfect. They are open-minded enough to be willing to work together. My hopes were that I could travel with you, and learn about your cultures as I did so, and I could teach you about mine if you were willing.

When we went home, after the journey was over and we knew each other as friends, we could tell our friends about the other cultures. Bring our friends around to an open-minded view. They would go to their homes, teach their friends, teach them to be open-minded. The chain would continue. Eventually, with everyone teaching everyone else, the world would start to be accepting. Maybe, even, the races would join together, with all different races living in the same cities, as neighbors."

The next thing she said was in a more quiet tone, as it was something she had not told a lot of others.

"It... it is my personal belief that if the races were to unite, the Diesel Race would return."

After going off on her rather lengthy explanation, she was afraid to meet the eyes of those around her. She fully expected to hear laughter, she had been laughed at many times in the course of her travels. If that were to happen, though, she would simply leave, and look for others. She had searched before, she could search again. She would eventually find someone, someone willing to work with her. It was simply a matter of time.

The cat like Viasji had picked up the noise and scent of the Nosphor that had come up behind Ichero. Out of instinct she hissed ungracefully, scrambling back in her seat and eyeing the man furiously up and down. The racial tension between the two could be felt in the air, popping and sizzling like lightning. Nearly two hundred years ago the Nosphor and Visaji had gone to war over land and precious minerals. The Nosphor had won by a landslide, leaving Raneke's race broken. It was then that ther race had retreated underground, for good, all their surface cities laid to waste and inhabitable.

"Unite the races?" Raneke echoed in a curious tone, ignoring the Nosphor and adjusting the coat that lay on her shoulders. "To bring back the diesel race..." The last part wasnt a question, instead a statment. "Now why hadnt I thought of that?" The Visaji exclaimed, slamming a fist on the counter top. "It seems reasonable enough..." The dark skinned Visaji muttered. Shaking her head before getting lost in her own thoughts, Raneke returned to the conversation that Ichero and Talise had begun. The Decephon had said before she had experience in the desert, that could come in handy.

"However, back on the topic of the journey ahead of us," Raneke straightened up, laying her chin in her hand as she spoke. "Even if you have a Desertreach, it'll need fuel and we'll need supplies." Raneke blinked her green eyes twice. "That'll weigh us down and take up a spot. So only five may go...By the way things are going, one of each race. All we need is one more...The flyer." The Visaji woman pointed out, still glaring out of the corner of her eyes at the Nosphor who stood behind Ichero.

No matter how much her gut was telling her to just go home and dig her head back in the moist soil, Raneke felt the need to help and be a part of this odd group. She didn't wish to spend a long amount of time on the surface world or within the presence of a Nosphor, but, this was a once in a life time opportunity and who knew...It may just reunite the races like Talise wanted.

The ruby-skinned Nosphor could not help but chuckle at the sound of Talise's declaration.

"I admire your sinceriety." Aldor commented, putting a reassuring hand on the Decephon's ghost white shoulder. "But I'll be the first to tell you that peace and understanding do not come so easily. This is Ixom, remember. There's been no true peace and understanding for thousands of years."

Ichero took another sip of his clear, turning towards Talise as he thought about Aldor's words.

"And as far as the Zy'rae are concerned..." Ichero looked towards the crowd, making sure he didn't spot any of the beings in question before finishing his statement. "...I'm sure everyone's familiar with their "Deadened Time" and the sky-city of As'Valas. They think we caused that city to fall from the sky, so I'm betting that they aren't big fans of us humans."

Aldor nodded in agreement. "It's not that your idea is in vain, Talise. It's just such an extreme goal, something that I can't even begin to calculate what the odds are. I don't want to discourage you, but..."

Ichero took a last gulp of his clear, having suddenly become quite impatient. "What my friend is trying to say, in the nicest way possible, is that if he can't figure out how likely it is to bring the races together, then it's a lost cause."

"Besides, we have more important things to worry about than love and tolerance. If Aldor has our transportation, we can obtain supplies in the market, and then we should be able to leave for the Havex Desert tonight. And if there's no objections to that motion, then those who are willing to risk their lives are more than welcome to join us."

The sense of dread injected into Ichero's voice was very much done on purpose. He paused before stating his next, more ominous statement.

"But let be it known, that I'm not taking responsibility if you don't make it back with us. If you decide to come on this this journey, you come completely on your own accord, and the possible consequences will be yours alone."

"I fully understand just how difficult it will be. However, I am willing to put forward all that is in me to try and fulfill my goal."

Talise looked up, meeting the eyes of the human, the Visaji, and the Nosphor in turn.

"Mere calculations do not mean anything. Just because there has been no peace for over a thousand years does not mean it cannot happen."

She steadily held Ichero's gaze.

"The responsibility is all my own should I fail in any way on this journey. I am not asking for anything more than companionship. I simply ask that you be willing to teach me about your culture, and in turn be willing to learn about mine as we travel."

She looked back down, as if waiting for judgement - though he had said she would be able to come, she still felt uncertain that she would be accepted by the group.