Diesel X [IC]

[Par Zenith]

Sweet is a good word. Those berries the girl put into his mouth were mighty tasty. Strange, of course, but very tasty. The feeling swirled all over him, the simple idea of food in his body sending goosebumps everywhere. At least psychologically it was a boost, knowing that he had something to eat.

"Thank you...What is that thing?" Eckhart gasped, finally noticing a giant dome above the treeline. Will there ever be a time where surprise is not constant in his life anymore? Wait... Where was his Walker? All this time he had been waiting to be pampered, he forgot all about his Walker! "Put me down.... I need... My Hawk." His speech was getting back to normal, as was his sight. Not entirely though, he still needed more rest and recovery at this point.

"Please, I need to... Where is my Diesel Hawk?" Still not fully recovered, Eckhart scrambled out the young man's arms, and back onto his feet. Stumbling, he fell into the side of a tree. Clearly he was not thinking straight. But what if somebody else had gotten to his machine? What if somebody claimed it as their own? He needed to know what was going on.

Still struggling, stars at the edges of his vision, he tried to ask again. "What is going on?..." He asked, before slumping to the ground, his back at the tree. The stars were still there, but they weren't going to take him this time... But what was that... feeling? There were such heavy vibrations in the ground. He didn't need to be barefoot to notice there was something large, other than the large dome, in the distance.

What the hell was this maelstrom of confusing events anyways? The Giant Dome the light beam cutting the Imperiasaurus to shreds, the cat-machine thing... and the vibrations in the ground? This was all too tiresome. All Eckhart wanted was to sleep and eat. Now, on top of trying to stay awake, and making impressions on these new people, he has to think about his situation again? when will it ever end?

After taking a moment to recap everything that was happening, he decided that these people thought he was crazy. Only an apology would do. Hopefully it wouldn't come out as idiotic as the first several times he attempted to talk.

"S-sorry, I haven't slept in days...Your tribe is in trouble?... We should get in there and do something...." He said, hoping to earn some points he lost in his introduction. Walking past the guy and the girl with as much grace as a fish out of water, he asked them, "This way right?" He didn't even have a clue. He probably wouldn't be able to fight even the weakest opponent, but he had to make up for bringing his dead weight on top of their already chaotic problems.

"Hi there cat-thing! my name... my name is Eckhart" he said, getting closer to the machine as he walked. Well, as he stumbled in its general direction.

[Hejin]

A bunch of things were currently happening around Rick at once. This new machine had come into view, and his tribe was surrounding it like it was some sort of holy monolith. The man who had been in his arms, calling himself by by the name Eckhart, had awoken and was stumbling in the direction of the dome machine. Thirteen seemed unfazed by the situation, and Megan had been going on about Anjen's supposed treachery.

I need to see all this stuff for myself!

Rick narrowed his eyes, and he sighed in relief as he and the other finally made their way to the center of their tribe's encampment. The jungle air was stifling hot today. Rick's boots smashed against the dirt as he approached the gigantic dome construct that had stopped right near their encampment. People were keep their distance, as a stranger seemed to be keeping them at bay with his Diesel Pistol. He definitely didn't look too friendly, at least from Rick's perceptive. In the background, Rick could see his Diesel Pharaoh, which was leaning over, unactivated. Next to it, there lay another Diesel Walker, which was a panther-like beast.

"Alright! I don't know who this guy with the dome-thing is, but I'd like to know what the hell is going on!" Rick announced, with his voice sounding very annoyed. He wanted answers already.

People seemed to turn in unison, but Rick didn't really want their attention. He just wanted to know where the hell Anjen was already.

"I would lower your voice, boy. I think you'd like to hear my proposition before your precious leader meets his end."

Anjen's slimy voice emanated from the center of the tents, and when Rick turned to face him, he saw that the man had Isayo in his position, with a Diesel pistol pointed right up to his chin. Isayo's face showed no fear, despite the clear threat on his life. Anjen was wearing a strangely devilish smile.

At this point in time, the entire tribe's attention was being turned from the immense dome to the new development in front of them. Rick's fists clenched, and he could feel his face getting hot with anger. He almost couldn't believe this.

"You...you asshole!"

Anjen smiled, and simply pushed the Diesel Pistol harder into Isayo's chin.

"I don't think this situation requires much discussion. Let's make things simple. I'm sick of this measly existence. I'd like to leave these putrid jungle-lands, to be specific. If you'd like your leader to live, I require two things."

Rick made the same angered face.

"What do you want, Assjen?"

"First off, I wish that you and the rest of this cursed tribe bow down to the new leading Elder, myself. Second, I want my long-awaited prize." Anjen announced, motioning towards the powered-down Diesel Pharaoh. The smile on his face seemed to grow, while Rick's expression seemed to just sink.

"If you think you're going to take MY Diesel Pharaoh, then you've got something else coming, Assjen!" Rick shouted, his anger level rising with each passing second.

"Oh really? I would think over your response wisely. It could change everything..." the traitorous Elder responded, while the rest of the tribe along with Rick's companions watched the situation unfold, unable to do much.

Anjen's smile just seemed to pierce right into Rick's mind like a painful spike. He closed his eyes and just clenched his teeth. His brain was racing fast.

WHAT THE HELL AM I SUPPOSED TO DO NOW!?!

[sweet_angle66]

Megan just rolled her eyes at the boy named Eckhart as he struggled out of Rick’s hold and then kept rambling on about having to find his Diesel Hawk. She surely wasn’t going to waste anytime finding the boy’s machine when her tribe members were in danger. Although she wasn’t particularly fond of them she didn’t want to see them get hurt, well except for Anjen. She smirked a little as she followed Rick and then cat thing towards the tribe tents.

She stood quietly behind Rick as he stopped, her eyes shifting across the crowd for anything that looked out of place. It didn’t take very long for the traitor to show himself. Anjen walked out towards them holding Isayo at gun point. Hopefully this was the prove Rick wanted, Megan thought as she glanced around the crowd again watching everyone hands to make sure no one would pull out a weapon at them. She couldn’t help but smile a little when Rick called Anjen an asshole. It looked like her bad language had rubbed off on the boy.

Megan tensed a little when Anjen pushed the pistol harder into Isayo’s chin and started making demands on what he wanted. She narrowed her eyes and played close attention to the way Anjen was holding the gun. Unluckily for them his finger was placed right on the trigger so even if they shot him in the head he would still have enough time to pull the trigger. There had to be another but first she would have to get herself a weapon.

Just then she noticed Anjen nodding his head slightly and as she followed his gaze she noticed one of the tribe members next to them smiling cheekily as he reached down for his pistols. It looked as though a few of the tribe had joined Anjen, without hesitation she pulled out one of her kunai. She threw it straight at the guy’s head for a distraction. As he ducked out the way Megan moved right behind him. He didn’t see her coming as she kicked him in the back of his legs before she reached and grabbed his pistol as he fell to the ground. “Didn’t see that coming,” she joked as she pressed the pistol in his back to show that she wasn’t afraid to shot.

Megan jumped a little as she heard a pistol go off, her eyes shot up towards Isayo who still appeared to be standing there without any blood on him. A sign of relief swept over her as she realised that Anjen just fired a warning shot up into the air. He looked rather pissed off now as Megan just smirked at Rick before turning her attention back to the traitor. “How come only you can make demands?...You know I always wanted a swimming pool…how about you go get me a swimming pool and then will talk…unless you want me to shoot your friend.” She grinned cheekily at him then at the man on the ground who looked a little scared.

Anjen just laughed before saying, “go ahead I don’t need him.” She knew he would say that, “Okay…sorry about this.” Megan placed her finger on the trigger looked up at Anjen before she pulled it. The man cried out in pain and everyone seemed to jump a little even Anjen, thinking that she actually just killed the guy. But she just shot him in the arm before looking up at the others again. “I never said I would kill him,” she smiled cheekily. Megan was just playing around a little to buy some time for Rick and the others. Hopefully someone had come up with a plan as she moved to Rick’s side again. Just then Anjen kicked Isayo in the back of the leg as well. Isayo fell to the muddy ground a few of the women’s mouth fell open as they saw there leader laying helplessly on the ground. A few were about to help him up but Anjen aimed his gun at Isayo’s head. Megan raised her gun at Anjen as he spoke, “I sick of this bullshit…give me that goddam Diesel Pharaoh or he dies.”

[ViceVersus]

OOC: I'm assuming I can control Anjen, too.

The scene unfolding before Thirteen nearly gave her processor more information than it could handle. Lines of loyalty were being traded back and forth. Humans, it seemed, were treacherous beasts as well as savage. Thirteen crouched low to the ground, her tail lashing in the air as she observed. It was as though they didn't see her, as though they paid her no heed.

Why kill? Why slay? Why shoot? Her processor whirred, and came with at least a dozen possible outcomes to this situation. What was it about humans that drove them to hurt each other for their own personal benefit? Something clicked audibly in her head, and she understood.

Humans were more animals than she was.

With that click sound she felt she had to make an action. Everyone was behaving foolishly here, and if someone intelligent did not make a move, and quickly.

She flexed her claws and coiled her body. In the lengthening gloom, she might have been hard to spot were it not for her garnet eyes. They were narrowed in calculation. Speed. Velocity. Various equations for applied physics. How fast could she make it across the clearing before another two-legs got hurt?

At last, Anjen noticed another sentient presence in the clearing. He lifted his own stare and took her in, primed and ready to spring. He had only one gun, though, and it was hovering between Megan and Isayo. What was he going to do about this new, rather daunting looking beast? The wheels in his head began to turn.

Thirteen's more literal wheels were finished turning. She gave a soft little growl. Her speaker lurched into motion, and she said only one thing.

"GIVE UP."

The words were, as usual, irregular and patched. Anjen's goons facing a handful of youth, one might think the battle would have been over. But Thirteen was something new and dangerous to the tribe. They had seen her spring before, knew of her speed.

Thirteen had encountered Diesel Rifle bullets before. They were woefully slow, and she lashed her tail in the air expectantly. Her air was threatening in the least. Anjen had to make a move, and he had to make it fast.

[Hejin]

"Stop!"

Rick walked forward, holding his head up high as he made his presence known to everyone in the clearing. Isayo's face seemed to change as he saw Rick take charge. He seemed just a bit happier, despite the gun still being pointed at him. Anjen simply grimaced, but felt slight relief at the fact that Rick had managed to keep Thirteen at bay for just a little longer.

"You've finally agreed to give me your machine, boy?"

Rick looked at Anjen, and glared at him. His fists were clenched tight, as he knew he had no other choice. He spoke in a low voice.

"Take it. Just leave him alone."

With that, Anjen smiled. He stood up, and moved his gun away from Isayo's direction. Walking towards the Diesel Pharaoh, he gestured for Rick to follow him. The boy could do nothing but oblige, and soon, the two were beside the titanic mech, which still remained without power.

"How do I use this weapon, boy?" Anjen asked, his hungry eyes scanning the Diesel Pharaoh from head to toe. He could almost already taste the power that was in front of him. With it, he could be a king of these lands.

"It needs Diesel X to work. Once you supply it with that, you'll be able to use it." Rick replied, his voice sounding defeated. As Anjen turned away for a moment, Rick realized his opportunity had come. He put a rough hand on Anjen's shoulder, suddenly becoming angered.

"But I'm not letting you take it!"

There was the sound of a gunshot. Anjen smiled, and Rick looked down at his stomach. He could see that a red spot was beginning to show through his vest. Suddenly, Rick felt very light-headed, and his breathing quickened. He collapsed on the ground as the man in front of him put what was left of the Diesel X in his pistol into the Diesel Pharaoh. A hum could be heard as the back of the Diesel Pharaoh opened up.

"Thank you, boy. I'll make sure to take good care of this machine."

Some distance away, Isayo's face had gone pale white.

"RICK!"

[ViceVersus]

Dodge! Thirteen whined. Her processor strained, trying and failing to compute what had just happened. Why didn't he DODGE?

The two-legs crumpled to a heap, seeping something that looked like Diesel X. Even from this distance she knew it wasn't so, though. Her sensors did not approve. It was the same odor that emanated from the human earlier. The one whom she hurt.

Now, while Thirteen wasn't a huge fan of the machines that ate up her precious Diesel X, something in the back of her mind snarled. It was much louder and much more primal than any voice the processor could have offered. Before she knew it, she was flexing her claws and flying through the air.

She took Anjen in the middle, and they both crashed to the ground. He had been standing on the platform ready to board the Diesel Pharaoh, so the impact was enough to jar him. She drew back a claw to slice his throat but the processor stopped her. It sent a small jolt of electricity through her system and reason prevailed - Anjen was safe, for now.

Thirteen whirled away from him, but he was not forgotten. Her tail wrapped around his ankle and dragged him along through the bramble as she stalked back to where Rick lay. The pistol had been knocked from his hands from the force of the tackle. His fingers scabbed at her tail, but it was too strong, too muscled.

"Shoot it!"

She heard the command, and acted swiftly. With an almighty wrench, she hauled Anjen in front of her and hunkered down behind the body. To get to her lithe frame, they'd literally have to tear a hole through their leader. Anjen was white, pale, and trembling.

It wasn't fear, though. It was anger.

She tuned out his squabbling. Sometimes the human language become too muddled for her to even attempt to translate. She kept pulling him forward, no mercy shown in her tail's vice-like grip. It was more than prehensile. It was predatory.

The two-legs Eckhart and the two-legs Rick were both out of commission. Thirteen couldn't do much medically for either. She tightened her grip on Anjen's ankle, and stared around her at the bloodstains. She felt ugly, harsh, and cruel.

[DJM2]

What sort of Clusterfuck did I just walk into?

Nathan thought to himself as he watched the events unfold in front of him. There were a few natives in front of the hatch as it swung open. Nathan glanced down at them and saw the look of reverence on their faces. It looked like they thought him to be a deity of some sort. What a foolish notion, that of a Deity. There is no god or gods that control what goes on in the world. Just cold data, bleak human kind, and Diesel X. All that makes the world go around.

He stood in the doorway and looked around to his surroundings. It was a moderate sized village compared to some he had seen. There seemed to have been some sort of organization, although there did not appear to be any at this point.

There was a man unconscious nearby. He looked to be a little dazed and perhaps a little hungry yet there was no striking injury anywhere that could be seen with a simple glance. He looked to be babbling to the people around him, and it also appeared he was from out of the village. A few of his facial features did not fit into the puzzle of a less diverse gene pool of an indigenous hole like this one.

He looked over, near the tents, and there appeared to be a commotion. One of what looked like the elders in the village was holding a gun to the other. It looked like he was making demands. Fisher wasn’t surprised though. It was just a savage. They act like that at times. Their social structure only a façade to a bloodthirsty cretin that cares for nothing but food and killing. Especially the killing…

A young woman near the crowd made a move and took another villager out. By looking at the reactions of the people nearby, there seemed to be two factions in the village right now that were competing a bit. The one that was holding the hostage though appeared to be the minority, albeit a better armed bunch.

The man with the gun seemed to be gesturing to something standing off to the side, the Walker. So, that is what he must want. It seemed that the man had some sense to want the only thing in this village of any value or significance. Nathan let out an involuntary shutter. Such powerful devices should not be in the hands of someone so primitive. He would have to do something about that.

All of a sudden, the man with the gun and another young man started to walk towards the walker. What an idiot, leaving his hostage behind, yet he was still armed. They reached the foot of it when the young man suddenly turned and tried to attack the armed one. A shot rang off and the young man fell to the floor.

Out of nowhere something moving incredibly quickly crashed into the armed one and knocked him to the floor and got him in a hold. What is that thing? It is certainly not human, a machine of some kind perhaps. It looks almost organic though. Wait, I heard only rumors from that savage that something like that existed. I must do more research and see what that is.

Nathan jumped down from the dome onto the soft earth and brushed past the few villagers that surrounded him. They moved aside without any hesitation. He ran over to the scene of all of the action and stopped several meters back from the boy on the ground and the machine. He looked at the creature and had never seen anything like it. Whoever crafted it must have been a genius. A genius like Nathan himself, who the world has not known for some time. He would have to examine it more closely.

The boy on the floor let out a groan brining Nathan’s attention away from the machine. There was a small puddle of blood pooling around him, and the stain had spread across the front of his clothing. He would not make it out here. Serves him right as a savage. They know nothing of intelligence, of fine arts, of the humanities. They just know their hunt, and their dirt and their tents. That’s why it was good that the armed man was down. He had no right to be near the walker. What, why was this boy the one to bring him here?

Problem solved. He was so distracted by this machine that he did not analyze the situation properly enough. It was a simple case. There was a power struggle in the town council that had been going on for some time. This boy finds a walker. One council member decides to use it as a way to gain full control. So primitive, yet it happened so often according to the histories he had gathered over the years. This boy had found a walker. There must be something about him that he was able to locate it, and possibly use it to bring it all the way here from its vault. Perhaps this Savage should live.

Nathan glanced at the machine and stepped closer to the boy. He put his hands up to show it that he was not threatening the villager. It was obviously on his side, and even though Nathan had a pistol, he would not draw it in time to match the velocity of the machine. He walked over to the boy, crouched down, and then lifted him up. A stretcher would be ideal, yet he did not trust any of these savages to hold one. He slung the boy, over his shoulder, in as gentle a manner he could. He drew his pistol and shot at a nearby tree, lighting its branches ablaze. They had Diesel weapons obviously before, yet hopefully the burning was a new trick to most of them.

“No one is to go near this walker until I get back. Do you hear me? Or you will all burn!”

He nodded towards the machine. It did not appear happy, yet it seemed to know that he was not going to harm the boy. What a wonder, it had to be studied. He then turned and walked back towards the dome. He passed through the small crowd with ease before stepping inside. It was time to make use of the room that was designed as the infirmary. It was time to put some of that education to use. He wiped the sweat off his brow, and got to work.

[ViceVersus]

A new two-legs arrived on the scene, but he emanated a new purpose. Her processor flickered as she glared over at his tall, compelling frame. No, he was not of the same vein as the others. She felt most assuredly that this particular human did not belong in the blood-stained jungles.

He had come from the great silvery dome, though. The Dome had caused Rick to tarry quite a lot. Thirteen hadn't paid it any mind before as it held no bearing on her present path. Now that the two-legs seemed to be from what she ignored, her sensors practically ached with the improbability of it all. What was it that was drawing all these strange humans together?

She knew the answer before her processor did. Diesel Walker.

As he came closer, she found her muscles relaxing. This one was here to help - or at least he was here to figure out what the heck was going on. He watched her curiously, and she stared back. Intelligent eyes. A pause in his step. She tightened her grip on Anjen, making conclusions and remarks in her head.

Fire!

It rent through the air, claiming the tree as its own. Thirteen watched the display of power, and her garnet eyes narrowed. Yes. This was a human she would very much like to get to know.

He took Rick and made to carry him off. She felt herself coil once more, but the processor clicked into motion and soothed her. He wasn't here to hurt him, and if he was then it would be most unfortunate for him.

The new two-legs strolled back the way he had come. Thirteen released Anjen, disgusted, leaving him to the justice of his own people. His ankle was very much crushed, and if he were smart he would not be attempting anything particularly clever, or savage in the next while. Thirteen thrashed her tail in the air as though wiping it off his unpleasant aura, and trotted after the new two-legs.

She slinked at his side on all fours. Even without words her intent was very clear. She was coming along, and that was final.

[DJM2]

It was the day of the medical studies examination. Nathan was ready. He had spent the last 26 hours poring over the anatomical textbooks, reading every single surgery report in the archives, listening to presentations in his head over and over again. He was as ready as anyone could be. He was going to sit down, take this exam, and pass. He had to pass. If he did, he would receive a much needed 36 hour vacation period. If he didn’t pass, well, he would not think about it.

He had the slip of paper in front of him that listed the classroom he would be taking it in. He was the first one to take it as he was first in the class, so no one had been able to tell him what it was like. He was ready. He reached the door of the room and opened it, stepping inside. The room was in pitch black. There must have been some mistake; there was no test in here…

A spotlight blared on in the center of the room. There was a naked man lying on a table. There was a smaller table with several medical supplies to the side. There were Xs on his temple, abdomen, an arm, and a leg. Nathan stepped forward to him now knowing what was happening. Suddenly, the man’s eyes opened. He began to scream.

This was it, this was the test. Nathan didn’t know what was wrong, nor did it matter. He was here for a purpose. The screams echoed off the walls of the small room. Nathan grabbed a scalpel and cut into the flesh…

Fisher laid Rick’s body down on a table in the infirmary compartment. The machine had followed him in, yet it was okay. He realized he left the door open to the dome and any of the savages could have walked in, yet he wasn’t concerned. Most of them would be too scared of his little trick.

He grabbed a several small wires and attached them to different parts of Rick’s body. He assumed correctly that they were there to measure his life signs, as a small screen blinked to life on the wall and started beeping. There were no operating tools in the dome when he found it, but he carried his own set he received from The Vision. They were not in great shape, but what was in the world these days. They were kept in a small amount of disinfector solution, so they should not cause an infection of any kind. He took them out of his chest and turned to face his patient.

The bullet went into his side, right into his cut. It was a lucky shot or miss rather as if it was anymore near his center there would have been a greater chance of hitting something important. He mashed up a few leaves from his chest and mixed them into some water before pouring it down Rick’s throat. They didn’t taste so good, but their numbing properties would be the best he could give him to heal the pain during the surgery. Hopefully he would stay unconscious.

He took a scalpel and began to excise around the area where the bullet entered. Clean cut, good. Next, he began to search around the cavity. It was not long before he saw the bullet. It had lodged itself in a muscular region in his abdomen. No organs were really hit which was excellent, and there were not too many broken blood vessels. It looked good until he noticed the black liquid that was slowly flowing around.

Fuck. He should have expected that the Diesel ammunition here was poorly crafted. Diesel bullets are created by highly compressing Diesel X. After the compression, they were stored in a sealed canister until loaded into another sealed chamber in the gun. When the pressurization was removed, particularly when the gun was fired, the bullets would slowly begin to break back down into the liquid form. This breakdown would most definitely kill anyone that the bullets remained in for too long, as the reactive nature of Diesel X would burn the body from the inside out. It appeared that this primitive bullet was already starting to break down. This would be more complicated, yet it didn’t matter. Nathan knew his goal. It didn’t matter this was a savage. He had a use, and he needed to be preserved. It was time to work.

With the adept hand of an expert, Nathan began working. First he used a syringe to drain the Diesel X that was already flowing about. He then proceeded to remove the bullet with a pair of tweezers. Following this, he began to seal up and reconnect the blood veins that were ruptured. The whole procedure took close to an hour before he finally sutured up the initial cut. He hadn’t flinched once the entire surgery. Thankfully, the savage did not wake up, or he would have been in for a shock.

Nathan stepped away from the boy. He was unconscious, and would be asleep for some time longer, yet he would make a recovery. It was not a mortal shot, and the surgery went well, or as well as it could. While the full extent of the after effects were not known, it was likely there would be some residual damage. The fact that the Diesel X had begun to leak caused some harm to the surrounding area that could not be repaired in surgery. There was a good chance that he would be plagued by it with pain for a long time. That was inconsequential though, he was alive.

Fisher was tired, yet he would be okay. There was so much that had to be done. There were the other walkers; there was the machine that was sitting nearby. There were the other savages that came in these walkers. They all had to be organized. They all had to be researched. They all had to be controlled. It looked like this filthy village also needed to gather itself again. As soon as this boy woke up, it would be time to get organized, and to get to work.

[sweet_angle66]

Megan held her right arm outstretched in front of her, holding the Diesel X pistol in her hand as she pointed it straight at Anjen’s head. She so badly just wanted to pull the trigger and put an end to it all but knew that if she did Isayo’s life would end to. Her eyes narrowed as Rick walked towards Anjen. What is he thinking? His plan better not be to hand over his Walker. She followed their movement closing waiting for maybe some weird movement or gesture from Rick that suggests to her that he has it all under control.

She left her arm cramping up a little as she held it outstretched for so long but ignored the stinging pain as she was more afraid of missing her chance to assassinate Anjen. Just a quick shot straight in the head, maybe if she had enough time she might be able to get him right between the eyes. That would be one marvellous shot. Megan smirked a little as she day dreamed but not before she heard a loud bang. She jumped a bit knowing that it wasn’t her gun that just went off.

Her eyes focused back to relate seeing a few tribe members running franticly towards their tents while others just stood their frozen in position. Who fired? Who fired? Megan felt her heart racing faster as her eyes shifted all over the place trying to work out what was going on.

“Rick!”

The name seemed to echo a number of times inside her head as her arm dropped to her side. Her brown eyes trailed towards where they had last seen Rick standing in front of the Walker. It felt like time had slowed down and as if she was watching everything in slow motion as she saw Rick falling to the ground. She felt people brushing and pushing passed her but just ignored it as she just stared blankly at Rick’s body on the ground. For the first time she appeared to have nothing to say, her mind was completely empty.

“Shit!” Megan finally snapped out of her trance when a nearby tree caught on fire. Everything seemed to return back to normal speed as she looked up noticing a strange looking man standing before them ordering them not to do anything until he got back. She saw that the man had Rick on his shoulders and was about to open her mouth to say something along the lines of ‘what the hell do you think your doing with my friend?’ But she then closed it again. For some reason she felt as though she could trust the man with Rick’s life. He looked like a well educated and loyal man who unlike her would probably know a lot about gunshot wounds.

Anjen! Megan looked over to try and find the traitor and saw that the robot-cat thing was already taking care of him. Her face seemed to light up a little before she watched as the stranger disappeared in the bushes. It didn’t take long until the robot-cat let Anjen go and followed the strange. It looked as though that thing was rather protective over Rick. She decided not to follow for some reason, probably because she didn’t really want to know if he makes it or not. As she stood there she kind of felt as though it was her fault that he got shot because she didn’t have his back. Her hands tightened into fists before she realised she still had a pistol in her hands.

Looking down at her right hand she smirked a little evilly before glancing over at Eckhart who still seemed to be a little out of it. Anjen in the mean time got back onto his feet still looking rather pissed off and severely beaten up. Megan slowly walked towards him just nodding her head and smiling mockingly. “So did you enjoy shooting Rick? Cause it sure looked rather fun,” she joked. “Leave me alone…you heard what the strange said, ‘don’t do anything before I get back. So you can’t touch me,” he staggered a little before evening out his balance. “Since when do you listen to a strange anyway,” she walked around him before stopping right in front of him, staring straight into his eyes. “This isn’t over,” without warning she swung her right arm around and hit him straight in the side of the face with the end of the pistol. “That man is going to burn you….” Anjen coughed up some blood. Megan walked away from him shaking her head, “as if he can tell the difference between what the cat did and what I did.”

She walked over to Eckhart giving him a small kick in the leg, “want some more berries?” She sat down next to him laying the pistol down next to her before pulling out the small packet of berries. Megan handed some over to the boy before popping a few of them in her own mouth.

[ViceVersus]

Thirteen sat quietly, her tail wrapped neatly around her legs. Scarlet eyes took in the delicate procedure with a clinical, precise sort of attitude. Her processor whirred and gave her useful things like scientific names and proper medical procedure. The gears in her head clicked along as though content. This was a comfortable, aesthetically pleasing place for anyone with mechanized parts.

The machines hooked up to the two-legs thrummed and hummed with their own power, yet it was a life-force Thirteen could not identify. She let her attention stray from the operation to the beings of silicone and plastic. They beeped, they gave off a pulse. But were they alive, like she was?

No.

Something curious to consider.

She sensed the Diesel X in his veins, but did not budge an inch. There was something nasty and fouling about blood that turned the delicious fuel into something ... vile. Thirteen blinked twice.

It seemed the new two-legs was done. He closed up the wounds with a few expert stitches, and stepped away from the operating table. In turn, Thirteen got to her feet. Her speaker clicked to life.

"WHAT is your name?"

The old patched words were becoming more and more smooth as she learned and heard words. Hopefully this man would be able to give her a new boost to her vocabulary. She tilted her head to the side, wondering how he would reply.

[Hejin]

Anjen's head was spinning rapidly. He could feel something warm dripping from the side of his mouth. Putting his hand up to it, he could feel that there was quite a large gash in the side of his lip. Fresh blood was dripping out fast.

Must...get...the machine!

Anjen's mind continued to roll as he crawled towards the form of the Diesel Pharaoh. It remained unactivated, only a few feet away. If he could just get inside the cockpit, then he could show these fools who the real king around here was.

"It's mine! I am the king of this tribe!" Anjen screamed in madness, his hands grasping at the dirt ground as he ignored the pain in his crushed ankle.

"You are no king, Anjen."

Anjen looked up, and looking down at him was Isayo, with Felek and the rest of the tribe right behind him. The wizened elder wore a face of disappointment. In one of his hands was a long, hard-looking staff. Anjen grimaced up at him as blood dripped down his face.

"Your punishment is due. You are an Elder of this tribe no longer."

With those words, a swift crack could be heard as Anjen's face was battered from one side by Isayo's staff. A few of the former Elder's teeth flew out of his mouth, and he went down quickly, having fallen into unconsciousness from the blow.

At this point, more members of the tribe had gathered behind Isayo, who continued to wear the same expression as he looked down at his fallen companion. His stance was stoic, and he held the staff tightly in one hand.

"What must we do with him now, Elder? Is his punishment going to be death?" a tribesman asked. Isayo did not turn to face the speaker, and his voice came out almost monotone.

"I will decide on that later. For now, he will be locked in one of the cages. His fate was in his own hands, and he has already decided it with his actions.

--

A gray fog. That was all Rick could really perceive in front of him.

Everything felt very slow, as if he was stuck inside gelatin. There was a strange sensation in his gut. It was burning and freezing at the same time.

Suddenly, the world moved much, much faster. RIck's breath came quickly, as if someone punched him in the stomach.

The fog was disappearing. He could see shapes around him. One had an obvious tail. The other seemed to be almost towering above him. Rick's eyes adjusted to a new light. He felt himself trying to get back up. He was close, until a pain in his lower stomach pierced into him like a burning spike. He winced, and laid back down.

They were clear now. One of them was Thirteen. She was talking...with some stranger. Rick looked at her, then looked back at the stranger, smiling weakly.

"I guess I made it through then..."

[DJM2]

“Why have you come before us, the Sightbearers?”

“I have seen The Vision. Crescat Scientia, Vita Excolatur.”

“Thou who wishes to perfect life and increase knowledge. Have you passed the trials that repeal blindness?”

“My eyes are open, my resolve untarnished. I have passed the trials, and come before you enlightened and dutifully marked. The arbiter may affirm me.”

“Arbiter, has this youth received his sight and born our markings?”

“Brother Sightbearer, he has for, with my vision, have I seen it.”

“Your sight is accepted brother. Now child, are you prepared? Will you take it upon yourself to devote yourself to the Vision? To forward our goals? To put forth the discovery of knowledge and the preservation of the past as your purpose? Will you take these goals and apply them to your every move? To put them before your own life? Will you devote yourself to the greater good of mankind? Will you choose to sacrifice if necessary to serve the greater good? To make decisions and to take actions that will keep the Vision alive? To this will you devote your eternal will, your mortal life, and your sacred Soul?”

“To the vision I will devote my eternal will, mortal life, and sacred soul. Here solemnly, I ask for my eyes to be opened, for my blindness to be purged, for my life to begin. I will accept our charge and oath.”

“So Be It”

The light of a thousand suns filled the chamber. He felt as his eyes were seared. Blazing, brightest of it all in the center was the emblem of the Vision. It burned into his brain and washed over his body, and pierced his soul. The shining blaze soon dimmed, and he stood there with his eyes for the first time truly opened.

“Thou has received the Vision. May it bind you eternally, and may thou carry it with honor. Now rise brother Nathan, for you are one of us.”

With his eyes closed, Nathan could see the image burned into his eyelids forever. It was the Vision, and he would carry it till the day he died, even if it no longer carried him. It felt like so long ago, yet it was a mere blink of the eye in the terms of the history of the world, and the universe in which it resided. No matter, he would always continue to strive for what he wholeheartedly swore towards.

“What is your name?”

His eyes flashed open, and he saw the machine sitting in front of him. Its voice was mechanical, yet it still had a voice. He must have dozed off after the long surgery, which was unacceptable. Not too long must have passed, but too much time was lost. This machine was a marvel.

“My name is Nathan Fisher.” He said aloud to it while scrutinizing over its every feature. It was a machine which must have been constructed, yet he had never seen anything like it. Even before the impact, there was no record of such technology existing. Then again, there was no record of the walkers existing either. It was a paradox, one that he hoped to unravel.

“I am what you would call a scientist, of a historian, or a doctor. Frankly, I’m a renaissance man, if you can compare me to the sort. I am quite a fan of da Vinci if you were to place me, though I feel I have more parallels to Newton, Galileo, or even Einstein perhaps. No matter, I am quiet fascinated by you, and if I may return a query, what might your name be? And how did you come about to be here among savages, of even in existence at all?”

He stared at it for a moment and it did not respond. It had spoken to him before and it asked for his name, so it must have some sort of fundaments of human society stored in its data cores. Perhaps, it contained a learning mechanism, which permitted it to learn more of human interaction as time passed. If that was the case, then it may very well have misunderstood his digression about famous thinkers. It would not have come across their names in its former company. Perhaps if it leaned more, it would be able to more adequately communicate, reducing the time necessary to study it.

“Follow me” he said as he turned and walked to another compartment room. It was his study, and within it he kept all of his books, and audio recordings. He turned to a CD player on a shelf to the side, and flipped on a lecture that was once recorded at a university of the olden days about linguistics of Latin based languages. While it might have been a little advanced, it would give the machine some fundaments of speech, as well as some insight into academics and philosophy. Hopefully, it would be able to absorb some of it to fine tune its communications. Anything to make it more approachable for research.

While the recording was playing, he continued to observe it. It had many differences, yet it appeared to have an almost similar design technology as the walkers. If that was the case perhaps it fueled itself similarly through Diesel X. He left the room and walked to the other side of the dome where a great Diesel X storage tank was located. It was not filled to its capacity, yet it was at least half filled when he found the dome, and he had added some more of the mysterious liquid since. He took a storage canister from the nearby floor and filled it with the Diesel X before returning to the Study. The recording, which was unfortunately half missing, was coming to its end. “Come let us return to the primary chamber. Perhaps this will help you to operate more sufficiently.”

They walked back the main room near the medical bay. It appeared that the boy he had operated on was beginning to stir. He had to admit, that for a savage, he had some ability to deal with injury, or perhaps that was just the pain medication he had given him.

“I guess I made it through then…”

Nathan walked towards him, and checked his vitals on the screen before detaching the wires from his body. In a very different tone then which he treated the machine he responded.

“Yes child, you have survived and it looks like you will continue to live whatever life you have out here in the jungle. I saw what you did, and it was foolish, yet if I were in your place I would have to see what my options were and evaluate all the options. Let me introduce myself, my name is Nathan Fisher. I saved your miserable life from that bullet which the rebellious leader lodged into you. I presume, that you were the one who found that walker standing nearby outside. If that is correct, then we have to talk. You and the rest of those beings out there. If you can stand, let us go and greet them. If not, there is a crutch here you may use, and I will give you some more medication. The pain in your gut will never be gone, yet in time it may subside.” He gestured towards the entry hatch.

“Shall we?

[Hejin]

While still just a bit groggy, Rick felt himself already beginning to stand up. He held back the urge to wince, as he could feel an intense piercing pain in his lower stomach. Ignoring it, Rick walked right besides Nathan, although a little slower than usual.

"Let's go..."

A few minutes passed as Rick moved ahead of Thirteen and Nathan, despite the pain he was in at the moment. The boy's face showed signs of discomfort, but he wouldn't dare even make a sound at a moment like this.

"Rick!" Isayo said out loud, before he and the rest of tribe nearly ran into the boy. Rick looked up at the foremost elder of the tribe for a few seconds, before the bearded man caught him in a tight hug. Once again, Rick held back the urge to cry out in alarm. as being hugged was affecting the pain in his wound just a little bit.

"Are you alright?" Isayo asked, putting a hand on Rick's shoulder as a sign of concern.

"I'm fine. I'm not the one we should be worrying about..." Rick said, before making a gesture towards Nathan.

"He wants to speak with us. It's about the Diesel Walkers."

Isayo's expression changed suddenly, and he looked more angered than anything else.

"These machines should be left in this jungle...have you not seen what kind of violence they have caused for our tribe?"

Rick sighed deeply.

"I have. But still..."

RIck looked up, and stood up straight so he was imposing enough to all who could hear him.

"Aren't you all sick of having to survive out here, like this? In the Archeo-Age, people had great cities which protected them from nature. Why can't we have the same? We have the tools we need now. These machines...these Diesel Walkers, I guess you could call them...they're here for a reason."

"Just where do you expect us to go, Rick?" one of the many voices of the tribe asked.

"We're going north. I don't know when, but I know that this jungle gets clearer the farther north one goes. It eventually leads into the arcticlands, but I know there's got to be some sort of midway between the two. At least, that's what I'm hoping."

"You're basing this off hope, Rick? Do you know how vast these jungles are? Do you realize all the manner of predatory creatures that we'll end up having to face?" Felek said sternly from behind Isayo.

"Well...that's why we have these Diesel Walkers."

[sweet_angle66]

Megan sat there playing around with a few berries in her hands before she heard someone call Rick’s name out. Her head immediately popped up noticing the return of Rick, the strange and the robot cat. Her face lit up surprised to see that he was actually alive; it looked as though her day dreaming didn’t cost someone’s life. She stood up as she was about to go approach him but the rest of the villagers were already crowding all around him. So she decided to instead give him some room as it looked like Isayo and he had a few things to talk about.

Megan sat back down in the dirty crossing her legs as she popped another berry in her mouth before turning towards Eckhart to offer him now. It was the first time she probably looked at the boy, “want some more?” She noticed some red stuff around his mouth and thought it might’ve been from the berries but when she looked at the rest of his body she noticed there was more red stuff over his clothing and right arm. Her hand reached out and touched some of the red stuff on his arm which felt rather sticky. As she brought her fingers to her nose, rubbing them together it smelt a lot like blood.

Noticing that he was still a little out of it she moved closer towards him leaning over towards his right arm as she grabbed some of the fabric of his clothing. “Sorry about this,” she half smiled as she pulled the fabric apart tearing a hole in his shirt to reveal bite marks. It looked like he was attacked by a Ansenoraptor. “Jeez no wonder you’re all pale and weak…” Megan pushed off from her hands and rose to her feet again. Turning towards the crowd of tribe members, she waited patiently for an opening for her to speak which was something she didn’t do a lot.

“Um…Excuse me…it’s nice to see that you have recovered Rick,” she smiled before her face turned serious again. “But I just wanted to say that your friend Eckhart looks like he has been wounded and bitten by some creature…maybe someone should take a look at him.”

[ViceVersus]

Newton. Einstein.

Thirteen's processor began to hum. Great stores of information flowed in clicks and chunks - works and words of the illustrious physicist, various equations and mathematical conjectures. Her scarlet eyes flickered. This two-legs, this renaissance man had triggered the largest flow from her system yet. She barely had the presence of processor to follow him into the separate compartment, but the gears whirred and she moved anyways.

CD player.

She hunkered down in front of the object, reaching out a claw and prodding it only slightly. Her tail danced curiously in the air; it was lithe and carefree now, but not an hour ago it had crushed the bones in a man's ankle. Thirteen didn't seem to be too concerned with the contrast, she was listening to Joseph R. Orgel's Sadlier lectures.

"Attrition. Noun. From the Latin attritio, attritionis. A gradual wearing down or weakening - alternately, a gradual or natural decrease in size, strength or number - "

Track four neared its end, and went straight to track five. They were all short songs. Thirteen's processor whirred. Mindful not to wound the player, she reached out and depressed the 'track select' button another eight times.

"Track thirteen - Coerce. Verb. From the latin arcere. To force someone to do something against his or her will. Related forms - coercion, coerciveness - "

Displeased with this choice of word for her name, Thirteen clicked the square on the player, and felt she was done learning about languages.

At this time Nathan Fisher chose to enter the room once more. As he came, Thirteen's processor could sense the presence of Diesel X somewhere near. The machine in her was largely unaffected, but the beast felt its stomach clench. She might not be always hungry, but she could always eat something.

She lunged forward with her uncanny speed, and emptied the container of any substance within minutes. When she emerged, she sent the two-legs a withering stare.

"I operate sufficiently enough, thank you."

When her speaker clicked to life this time, they weren't patched words stuffed together, words heard only from outside sources. It seemed that her own verbal banks had been activated now that there were sufficient words to keep it in business. She sat back and curled her tail around her legs, contemplating the reality of having her own voice. It was a strange concept.

The two-legs had moved on already back to the operating room. Thirteen loped after him.

She was overjoyed to see that Rick was alright, but prudently kept such a feeling to herself. She curled up in the corner, draping her tail over her shoulder and cleaned her paws delicately after such a succulent feast.

It seemed that the two-legs both decided to move out. Thirteen hadn't any other immediate plans, and padded along with them. If people were to start shooting again, though, she might have some sort of objections.

Quiet settled even as Rick and the others conferred quietly, back outside. Thirteen cared little for the two-legs who had been laying around eating berries while the others were getting wounded. He had not done anything useful except pass unconscious on his back. She lifted a paw and regarded him with some distaste.

The two-legs Nathan was by her though. Her tail prodded him in the leg. When he lowered his head, indicating he was ready to hear what she said, her speaker clicked to life and she began.

"My data banks have already stored extensive knowledge about those subjects. My processor is not a learning mechanism, but an unlocking mechanism. It expands based on interaction and necessity. Thank you for that, Nathan Fisher. As you can see, my communication has been increased greatly."

[DJM2]

Nathan followed the boy outside of the dome, shutting the hatch just after the machine passed through. He must have been hearing things, as it sounded like just a moment ago, the machine spoke in a perfect dialect. It was nothing to pay mind to, and was likely just the rattle and hum of the dome. He followed the boy across the small stretch of land towards the village where the bulk of the crowd was located as well as the elders. He was using the crutch rather well, yet he was moving too quickly on it by passing ahead. The idiot. At least he had the sense to use the crutch in the first place.

“We’re going north…”

So, this child wants to lead this entire village north? He is right; there is the great plain to the north of this blasted Jungle. I was just there several months ago doing some work, yet it is not necessarily close to this part of the jungle. It is relatively easy to move through the Jungle with just one person. The two of us did it for all those years… I did it on my own. It was even easier after the dome, though with a village this size, it would not be easy. They were blasted fools, at least half of them would be killed, and the other half injured at some point. Yet to rebuild was my goal… our goal…

The whole village began to bicker after Rick told them his idea. Some of the murmur was positive, and some of it negative. It would definitely be a change in a way of life for these people. The terrain would be different, the threats would be different, the other humans would be different, not to mention what it would be like to live in a city if that ever happened. The planes were the place to do it though. There was water, material for construction, food. There were even some species of edible cattle that were still around. It was just all about getting there. The stretch of jungle heading north is a brutal one, and few but those who have seen the Vision have the wit to survive it. They would need help, help of someone who had been to that part of the world. Perhaps, it was Nathan’s best shot to study the walkers to travel with these savages up north. They would have ample time on the road, and it would be a shame if those who found the walkers all died without any help.

“But I just wanted to say that your friend Eckhart looks like he has been wounded and bitten by some creature…maybe someone should take a look at him.”
Nathan turned to the girl who had just spoken. She was one of the villagers, though she looked more like Rick than many of the others. More driven, less savage, and cleaner. Could she have found a walker as well? As she spoke, she gestured over to the man Nathan had seen on the ground before. He had originally just shrugged him off as merely in shock, yet he still had not recovered. Perhaps there was something wrong.

“Step aside” Nathan growled at a couple villagers that were in the way. Without paying mind to anyone else he walked over to the man and kneeled down over him. He looked different. It seemed like DNA had worked well for him, yet it was a different DNA pool than that of this particular tribe. He must have been originally from elsewhere, yet how did he get here? Could it have yet again been another walker?

He quickly analyzed the man’s body for injury. There was a section of his clothing that was torn off and under it was the wound. It looked to be particularly dirty, and it was unlikely that it was washed. They appeared to be some sort of bite marks, and that made them much more dangerous. Judging by the size, and angle, could it must have been a breed of raptor. Too thin for a Antreporic, yet too short for a Herculan. That just left an Ansenoraptor as the culprit. While they are not poisonous, they can pack quite a variety of bacteria on their mouths. It had to be treated soon or this native would go septic. He was also in too bad a shape to be transported at this time, and would lose too much blood in the process.

He stood up and gestured to a nearby native. “Hold this cloth against the wound and apply pressure until I return.” With that, he spun around and walked back to the dome. Several minutes later he returned to the injured man, except this time he had a bag slung over his shoulder. He sat down next to him and got to work.

First he took scissors and cut out a greater hole in the shirt to clear the work space. Next he took a bucket of purified water, and began to rinse off the wound and the surrounding area in order to see the wound more properly. It was not the nastiest injury he had ever seen, yet it was not cute. Certainly treatable though. The next step would be to disinfect the area. He took out a small bottle of a liquid from his bag unscrewed the lid.

“Now, this is going to sting quite a bit, but it is necessary.” He then poured the fluid all over the bites. It sizzled as it flowed over the wound. The boy grunted, yet he was fine. The last step now would be to close it up. From out of the bag, Nathan pulled out a suture. “I can only give you minimal pain medication here, as I need to save the more potent stuff for more desperate surgery. I will give you some, but you will feel this. Quite a bit…”

With that Nathan expertly got to work sewing up the wound. With a few skillful stitches, he tied the thread off. He would have to remove them in a few days time, but it would allow the wound to heal. “You are going to be fine, at least I believe so. Come and check in with me in several days so I can examine your condition to make sure you don’t get an infection.” He then stood up, and returned to the crowd.

Upon returning to the group, not much had changed. They were still arguing about a trip heading up north. The machine came up next to him, and touched him in the leg to gain his attention.

"My data banks have already stored extensive knowledge about those subjects. My processor is not a learning mechanism, but an unlocking mechanism. It expands based on interaction and necessity. Thank you for that, Nathan Fisher. As you can see, my communication has been increased greatly."

Nathan looked at it in shock for a moment. So it had spoken before. What a spectacular construct. An unlocking mechanism it says? It was different than his original speculation, yet this raised even more questions. If this unlocked the ability to speak, and knowledge about history and science, then someone who knew all of these things must have programmed it. Who knew what else it had in its database, stored away, waiting to be unlocked. If it had knowledge of its creation, and its build locked away inside, what feats of science could be accomplished!

“I can see that, and may I say, I am truly impressed. Never in my decades of travel have I ever come across something such as you. It seems I was correct that you sustain yourself off of Diesel. I have a large supply of that for you should you ever need. I have so much to ask you, so many questions about you. What is it that I can call you?” The murmur of the crowd grew significantly louder and seemed heated. “Excuse me for just a moment…”

Nathan turned back to the crowd. “We will never find our way there!” “This is what we must do” “How will we eat” “What dangers will we face? “The time is now to move on!” The great cacophony of arguing voices grew too loud for Nathan to stand. He shoved his way to the center of the group and raised his voice.

“My Name is Nathan Fisher. I am from lands across the sea, and have traveled my whole life. I came in the great dome you see over on the edge of this pitiful place. It seems that some of you wish to travel north to build a city? Well, how do you propose to do this? Do you know what lives out there? Do you know what danger lurks in these jungles and beyond? Things you have never imagined, Nightmares you have never conjured. Even if you do make it north, do you know how to build a city? Do you have an engineer among you? A scientist? A doctor? No, you have divided leaders on the verge of civil war. You have Nothing!

Yet, I commend you for this initiative. I have never before seen it among people like you. Perhaps you are capable of something more than wallowing in the dust all your lives. Therefore, I will help you. This world needs a bastion of civilization in the open. You need a place to strive for in order for you to reach your potential. I am an Engineer. I am a Scientist. I am a Doctor. I am everything you are not, and more. I have seen the vision, and know the way to go. I have been to the plains. I have even lived there for longer than many of you have been alive. I have been around this globe many times. I will guide you north; help you with your city. I will make my own demands in turn, yet they will come in time, and will not be unreasonable. First of those will be to study the Diesel Walkers that have recently be found, for I am a man of science.

You can decide among yourselves if you want my help, but I guarantee you won’t make it there without it. You can continue to play in your jungle till your bodies rot off the earth, or you can be something better, something that the world looks to.”

What the fuck have I gotten myself into?

[Hejin]

Rick looked back at Nathan, and over the next minute, he thought long and hard about just what they were all going to get themselves into. Truly, it would be a journey of epic proportions, as it would involve them trekking through the thick jungles, and possibly even having to cross large, predator-filled bodies of water. With the Diesel Walkers, it was now possible, but even still, the danger was immense.

Rick wondered on...

...is it really worth it?

He looked back at the Diesel Pharaoh, admiring the machine's gigantic figure and size. He sighed deeply, before readying his voice to a volume that all surrounding him would be able to hear.

"I'm taking up on his offer." Rick said with confidence in his voice. "Without Nathan, we probably wouldn't be able to make heads or tails in the surrounding lands. I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm going with him. I'm sick of this life, and I know you are all too."

With that, Rick turned from everyone else, and headed straight towards his Diesel Pharaoh. In the back of his mind, he hoped they would listen. He wanted them to agree with him, to come with him and Nathan to a better future. And with the help of Thirteen, Eckhart, Megan and the others, they might just be able to make it.

--

Isayo thought long and hard, rubbing his beard. He wondered what was going on in Rick's mind. The boy could be rash and a bit hard-headed at times, so this moment was no exception. Still, what he was saying had some sense. With these machines, perhaps they stood a chance against the dangers in the jungles. Perhaps they could find somewhere they could truly call home, up in the northern lands...

"I believe what Rick is saying makes enough sense. This man might be a stranger, but he sounds knowledgeable enough that he can guide us safely. Trusting in his knowledge of the Archeo-Age might be our only hope at a time like this."

Isayo turned, facing everyone.

"Who objects to following Nathan Fisher north, where a better future might await us all? I believe this is the best course of action for the tribe, but I would like to hear your opinions as well."

For the next few seconds, no one dared say a word. Some might have disagreed with the whole idea, but they felt too embarrassed to bring it up in front of the elder of the tribe. Instead, the only one to speak was Anjen, who sounded utterly displeased as his hands gripped the bars of his cage tightly.

"You're all fools. The junglelands will swallow you up before you even make a day's worth of travel. Find some sense and let this lunatic leave us be!"

Isayo narrowed his eyes, responding to Anjen in an authoritative voice.

"You are the fool, my former friend. You thought that manipulation and treachery would gain you a higher place of power, but all it did was expose you for the lowly creature you really are. You should be glad...as I could easily decide to leave you here and let the jungle decide your fate."

Isayo turned back to Nathan, his expression softening.

"I believe that my tribe is under your guidance, Nathan Fisher."

[sweet_angle66]

Megan moved away from Eckhart as Nathan Fischer came walking over to take a look at the boy. He then walked off the same way as earlier when he took injured Rick with him. His home must be close she thought as she just sat there. Occasionally she would pay attention to the commotion going on about heading north but her main focus was on how the doctor/scientist/engineer fixed up Eckhart. She was rather curious seeing all these weird equipment and watched as he sewed up the boy’s wound.

A smile spread across her face as she saw that Nathan was finished. He had down a fabulous job she though although she didn’t know a lot about medicine but it looked like Eckhart was going to be just fine. Megan now focused back on the group and it appeared as though Rick was rather eager to go north as well. Nathan offer to join them and Isayo agreed on it as well, which meant that they were all going. She wasn’t really sure if she wanted to go. It was almost if they all kind of had to go, she noticed a few people frowning at the idea.

Usually when the elders made a decision for the whole tribe she always seemed to go against it but right now she had know idea. Megan kind of wanted to go but then again she didn’t. What if they travel all the way north and end up finding nothing at all? It would’ve been such a waste of time. But then again what if they do find something? She rubbed her eyes a little and then yawned before getting to her feet brushing some dirt of her shorts.

Megan glanced over at Rick sighed before walking over towards him, Nathan and the cat like thing. “Can’t let you guys have all the fun,” she half smiled not really sure if this was the right decision or not. It was the first time she actually didn’t seem to fire an attack that Isayo or the others for their decision.

[DJM2]

“Dearest, you need to let them have their chance. They have not all had the upbringing that you were fortunate enough to receive.” She said lying in the bed next to him, her arm draped across his bare chest. “You need to remember that I am closer to being one of them than I am to being like you. I haven’t seen your vision.”

He sighed and turned his head to look at her. “You are not one of them, you are far more intelligent and far more beautiful, and maybe you are right. Tomorrow I will speak with the elders and see what can be done about the problem.”

She smiled. “That is the spirit. Maybe one day they can be like your people. Maybe the whole world can be like how it was in the past. That’s what I want to live to see. I want to see man rise again above the darkness that has befallen the globe. I want to see the light that humans carry in their hearts burn like a thousand suns, erasing the shadow and barbarism of the Earth today. Will you help me to reach this goal Nathan? Will you help me bring life back to the world?”

He felt a strong feeling pulsating from his heart. God he loved her. “My love, you have such a way with words. I will do anything for you. You know that. Together, we will accomplish your dream. You will be there to see it a reality! I promise this to you with all my heart and soul. In the morning…”

He was cut off by a thunderous noise. A great blue light streaked across the sky and a radiant glow appeared in the distance as the jungle was lit ablaze. There were screams of agony followed by fierce howling war cries.

He leaped out of bed and pulled his pants on. “Nathan! What is it? What is happening?” He cocked his pistol and put on his jacket. He turned to her. “Stay here!” He then pivoted and ran into the brush.

The elder had spoken his reply, and it seemed like the rest of the village agreed in unison. The boy Rick started walking towards his walker signaling he was ready to go. With this new undertaking he would not be able to study it at this instant, yet he would surely get a chance on the long road north.

“So be it. If that is what you wish for your fate, than we shall depart at first light tomorrow. If you are not packed and ready to go at that point, you will be left behind. Elder, you can lead your villagers how you wish, but when it comes to our travel, you will listen to me and you might just survive long enough to see a green field. It will not be easy out there, and any deviation from my instructions will surely result in death.”

It was not an enormous tribe. It was larger than most yet it would still be manageable for travel. They would surely have some casualties. It was inevitable in these jungles, yet if these worthless villagers had any sense in their inferior minds, they would listen to him.

“You must take a head count of your population. I need to know the exact age, gender, and skill set of each member of this village. I also require a tally of all of your food supplies and cattle. I am sure you are not worthless enough to not have anything to write on. Also, I want an exact count of how many weapons you have and how much ammunition you have for each. Bring me these lists and your entire Diesel X Supply within an hour. I will be waiting in the dome until then planning the trip and the logistics. Those of you, who have found walkers, get them together and line them up. Before Dawn, I will refuel your Diesel supplies. Upon first light I will give you all further instructions and we shall depart from this shit hole.”

With that, he promptly turned around and walked back to the dome. Whether he liked it or not, he was going to make this trip with them. He had to fulfill his promise. This was as good a bunch of uncivilized cretins as any to begin with.

He stepped up into the dome and sealed the hatch behind him before proceeding into the main area. He flipped his marker board over, and cleared the command table in the center of the room that until now had just collected dust. He flipped open his book of indigenous wildlife to this jungle, pulled out his maps of the region and began calculating what it would take to get these miserable beings to the north in as few pieces as possible.