Do you like the book so far? Follow it and comment! Creation IS hard....
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Ehud POV
I woke up lying on the floor in a puddle of my own blood. I stood up with some difficulty and reached for my neck. I felt around, but there was nothing. Not even a scar. And yet, my memories and the blood on the floor is proof enough of my wounds...
Right? I cleaned up my blood, mainly with sawdust from wood I had cut to line the floor, and went outside. I just stared around for a while, jumping when I heard more of that whispering. Before I could run inside though, I then saw something. A flare. A very well aimed green flare. I turned off the machine and waited.
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Goran POV
After I got within good viewing range of that base, I fired a green flare into the air from the flare kit. I waited for a few minutes before noticing that the 'flare machine' or whatever it is had stopped working, and then a second, dedicated green flare flew up. I smiled, and started walking in that direction.
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Grand Sage POV
"So... the Terran is strong. He has to have been to survive the landing. I can only hope that the other Terran reaches him before anything else does. Sending those bright smoke towers up that are of unnatural color is very noticeable."
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Ehud POV
I gleefully fired a green flare after enough of the colored smoke stuff had dissipated, watching for a while before going back inside. I loved that I had 'talked' with another survivor, but if they come over it would probably take a while. I began working on the bunker, upgrading it by advancing my bedroom, starting a second one just in case, and I even started a kitchen!
Two days later, and the planetary observation whatever that I made had actually mapped out the day cycle, and I had remodeled my watch accordingly. The day was twenty seven hours and thirty nine seconds long. It also estimated that the years were exactly seven hundred days long.
I had also dug out and started working on a garage of sorts. I also started working on a path down the mountain for whatever I end up making. I suddenly heard a knock on the door. I froze and went over to it, opening it and then yelling in joy when I saw who was behind it.
It was Goran. We both hugged each other, before he said "Dude how'd you survive?" I said "I almost didn't, I think I only made it because a tree caught the parachute on my seat and stopped me. I even woke up hanging inches from the ground by just a single strap!"
He said "Nice place." I said "Well, I've been here since like day three, and I was lucky enough to have my drill and welder on me, and I found a grinder in my cargo for some reason." he just chuckled and said "So... what now?"
I said "I'm... not sure. I've been working on a garage so that I can make a vehicle to extend my travel range. Maybe we can work on a communications array after that?" he nodded, and I showed him the bunker, how it works, and also brought him to the garage. I kept working, and he started going back and forth, bringing me parts from around.
After another few days of work, we finished his bedroom and the garage. We stood there, grinning and tired. The only reason we weren't sweaty is because of how cold it was. I then opened and closed the doors to test them, was satisfied, and then said "Wanna work on a jeep now?" he just said "Break first. No arguing."
I nodded, but went to work on a jeep anyways. He eventually came back over and started helping me.
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??? POV
"My lord! Our scouts have reported that around the areas of the divine arrows, they found strange metal contraptions with people with short and round ears! And they would occasionally find some sort of chair with a bag of some sort attached to it's back! Only one has been found alive, and they ran and were killed before they could escape!"
"Only one alive? Tell me... why did you kill the only survivor? Why not bring him in for questioning?" the servant gulped before saying "I do not know why the soldiers killed them. They refused to tell me." the king sighed, saying "Find another survivor. And tell the soldiers we need them alive! We must know how many there are and why they are here!"
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Goran POV
I completely forgot that Ehud is a workaholic! It's super annoying. But hey, I doubt I could have made what he did in five months, let alone one like him. He already has a good frame for the jeep though. He even has wheels started! It's going to mainly be an off road jeep, so he has designed it accordingly.
He started working on an engine unit a few days ago. I think it's done, but I don't check on his progress, I just bring him parts. I have no idea how to help. Although, I did check out that computer and whatnot he made, and I tell you it is amazing. And the twenty seven hour day explains a lot.
I heard him call me, and I came in and saw him standing in front of the jeep, oil splattered and displaying the finished and armored engine unit plus seats in the making. He said "Do ya like it so far?" I just nodded peeking around it a bit before leaving again. I am not a workaholic.
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Ehud POV
I finished the engine, armoured it, and then started seats, and Goran only nods!? About what I expected! He always has called me a workaholic. I call him lazy when he does. We both laugh either way. I then worked on the seats and the other stuff like the gearshift, making it after a while.
I also started the frame work of doors, a roof, and a windshield for the front and back, but I had to stop after it got dark and the lights turned off to save power. While power is made day and night, the solar panel is still pretty vital for the operations, so at night the secondary systems like lights turn off.
The next morning I went back to the jeep, finishing the frame, setting in the windows, and making a frame for the covered back I would have for cargo. At this point there was almost nothing left, so it was finished rather quickly. That, and AtomWare tools are amazing.
I went and tested the jeep out. And while it did need fuel, that can be gotten from ice and breaking it into hydrogen and oxygen, and both of those can be used as fuel. The jeep also had batteries for power, so the engine was more to charge them on the go. Pretty basic, any well made car from a factory back on Earth would do better. But it will do.
Over the next few days, me and Goran drove around, getting various materials, and we even found some iron and silver ore! This was useful as we could now upgrade our AtmoWare tools. It worked like a charm, with the new tools being a bit over three times as fast and efficient as the previous tools. The drill can also dislocate more material at a time.
We explored further and further away, and then I came up with an idea. What if we start working on a satellite array for communications and exploratory purposes in orbit? I began working on it. And by that, I mean I tried and tested basic rocket blueprints. The results...
Nothing worked. And I don't mean I didn't have the fuel or thrust to launch a payload into space, I mean the thrusters and engines would not work. They would ignite and start trying to push the payload, but they wouldn't move. Me and Goran were very confused. Rockets don't stop being able to fly. And the gravity here is practically identical to Earth's, along with the atmosphere.
I eventually gave up on the project and continued tinkering around with that rocket blueprint I had started all those years ago. It had taken a grand form at this point. It was beautiful. A sleek and elegant shape, painted in such a way to become invisible in space or the night. It has curved back wings with retractable gatling guns with five triangular barrels.
It's thrusters were also something else. I don't know what inspired me to do it, but the thrusters are rather... controversial. Instead of hydrogen as fuel, they use oxygen and a carbon and neon catalyst. It shouldn't work, but I just did it for some reason. The entire thing is also armoured in a way that should prevent flight.
And yet, despite these problems and physical limitations, I decided. Why not try and build it? It won't work, but I would love to see it in person. Maybe relocate the engine and ignite it, see if it explodes, doesn't work, or what. I began working on it right away.
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??? POV
As I was hunting through the forest on a mountain near the Field of Judgement that had been chosen, trying to get some good food before the Purge begins with fervor, I heard a very strange noise. It was a rumbling... purr growl? I began looking around, eventually noticing a path on the mountain far above me.
On it was some sort of strange monster with white and light gray markings, nearly invisible against the snow. However, I also saw two people seemingly riding it. It was making the noise as it quickly but also quietly sped across the path, making sharp turns and moving in unnatural ways that I would never even presume to be possible. I quickly ran, not wanting anything to do with it.
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Goran POV
Me and Ehud were driving in the jeep, with Ehud making very sharp turns to see if he could make me puke. He had gotten close once when I looked down the edge of the cliff to my right and saw a sickening plummet, but I held it back.
We quickly got back home, and I went to the bathroom, humming as I washed my hand. I then looked up and saw It. I just sighed before finishing washing my hands and going to leave. What was It you wonder? I have no idea. It's a strange, humanoid figure, with only the outline visible. It was also a dark, crimson red color with black eyes that seem to judge me.
It had been stalking me for a while, half appearing around doors, showing itself in mirrors, and just generally being disturbing. I was very freaked out for the first while, but I quickly got used to it. It also hasn't done anything other than scare me. Oddly enough, it appeared around the same time the Ehud began working on his 'Dream' ship.
Speaking of Ehud, I went and came in just in time to duck a chucked wrench. He was standing triumphantly in front of a set of almost beautiful engine units he had seemingly finished. And when I say almost beautiful, I mean in the barely finished, unarmored state they were in they were almost beautiful. I could only imagine what they would look like when they were done.
He turned around and saw me, saying "What d'ya think!" I just nodded and that seemed to satisfy him. We have both known forever that he is a workaholic and I'm in contrast a little lazy. We balance each other out, and tolerate each others 'flaws' meanwhile. I went and warmed up some meat. When we began running low on food, I tried my hand at cooking some of that wolf meat and to our pleasant surprise, I'm a natural cook!
And by that I mean I make food very tasty and edible even without spices, as well as healthy, but I am no where near an expert. At least I don't burn the food like Ehud. As I turned and sat down, I noticed It sit down in the corner of my eye. I just ignored it as usual.
Over the next few weeks, everything was very normal. Ehud worked twenty one hours a day, I hunted a little with our guns and cooked food for us, and It just stalked me. Again, normal at this point. Ehud then suddenly burst through the door to the hangar bay he had made a couple days ago for his project, literally charged to the computer room, and starting doing something.
I just shrugged and went back to eating. I swear that It also watched Ehud and the door to the computer room for a minute before going back to watching me. Weird, it's never done that before.
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Ehud POV
I burst through the hangar door as an inspiration hit me. I had tested out a miniature version of the rockets I had designed outdoors and the results... sky high. Literally, the rocket when activated just went from motionless to hundreds of meters per second and not only went over five kilometers away, but it also tore itself apart with its speed and lack of armour.
I then made an armoured missile version, and it was very satisfying. I then suddenly got an idea. If it works, then not only would it easily overcome the weight of the ships heavy armour, but also... what if I weaponize the ship? And the first weapon other than the already there gatlings? A flare 'cannon'.
So, remember the Sh0ckW4ve flares? Well, I scanned and reverse engineered the one I had in awe of it's effects, and it's surprisingly easy to make. Well, what if I make lots of them, and then use them as ammo for a flare cannon on the ship as a shock and awe weapon?
I added this idea as a note to the blueprint, before leaving much more calmly and going back to the ship to work on it more. I got happier and happier over the next month as the ship surely came together. Finally, only the last few touches to the very front of it were needed. I have described a bit of it, but time to finish.
It is the black I mentioned, and it has a sleek design. It's wings are curved back and are also very sharp on the edges for some reason. I don't know why I did it but I did. And not just normal sharp, but nano molecular edge sharp, and it can cut through literally anything if I reach a high enough speed, which should be easy with the engines.
The front is curved and tapered. The underside has three retractable electro magnetic landing 'feet' that seamlessly fit into the ship when shut. The bottom also has a beautiful curved design to everything, and nothing is flat. It all slopes around and is capable of deflecting a lot of blows from below.
The top is almost a polar opposite, with almost no surfaces that are not flat. It is angular and, well, sleek, and it emphasizes the cockpit and engine unit of the whole thing. There are also hidden chaff launchers meant to distract enemies. And, the way the top is built, it is invisible to radar, meaning that radar has a very low chance of detecting the ship from anything above it.
I then dragged Goran out, and I swear he glanced at something... behind the ship? Odd. I showed him the ship and said "Behold! My work and glory!" he just replied by saying "I dunno... can't really see anything..." before I lightly punched him in the shoulder. He just snickered and said "It's neat and all, but does it work?" I said "Of course! I wouldn't build this and show you just to forget to fuel it!"
I then showed him the hatch on the top as I discretely went and plugged a fuel line into the ship. I had in fact forgotten to fuel it. I then went in after Goran and showed him around. Unlike the outside, the inside is almost a complete opposite, built for luxury. It was in lighter gray colors, and it even had some gold highlights.
I then brought him to the cockpit and showed him how to pilot it. I then remotely detached the fuel line, sat in the pilots seat, and directed him to the co-pilots seat. He sat down, and I turned on all the ships systems with much more fanfare than needed. I then gently eased the ship into the air, smiling as nothing went wrong.
We then slowly but surely accelerated as I carefully controlled the acceleration. I then went higher and higher, and only started going down as Goran said he didn't want to go to space again. I then rushed us down, my vision slightly going black as the G-forces hit us. Luckily, gravity manipulation has been under the UTPB's belt for centuries.
I then directed us to another location, wanting to explore. I had a tracker of sorts that would allow us to retrace our steps to base, so it was fine. I then noticed something very very odd. There was a city. And not a city like the UTPB has, but a rural village style city.
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??? POV
As I stood on the watch tower looking for any potential threat, I noticed an odd black shape above the city, It was barely visible, so I took a spy glass, a new invention, and used it to look at the speck closer. It was some sort of strange monster, and as I watched in horror, it sharply turned and began speeding down to the city at impossible speeds.
I called out the alarm, and archers lined up as dragon riders took to the sky. This isn't a crown city for no reason! I watched in shock as the dragons spewed their iconic attacks, and yet the strange creature just dodged them with ease. Suddenly, a white beam burst from the creature and flew over to hover in front of the city.
As I stared at the strange glowing white thing, it suddenly exploded and the ground faintly shook under me as I went blind from the sudden and blinding light. Given the screams and roars around me, I wasn't the only one. My vision slowly faded to normal, and I watched in horror as the creature turned around at started spitting fire of some sort at the dragons, easily tearing through them!
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Ehud POV
Now I was mad. Whatever these things were, they were trying to damage my work! I spent months toiling day and night to make it, and I am not going to give it up that easily. I dodged the weird chemical attacks they sent at me, and as I got too close to one, I finally released my shock card.
A boom flare. This one was modified to glow like a normal flare for about five seconds before it activates like a normal one. It's meant to make people look at it going 'What the heck is that glow?' before it explodes, acting almost like a flash bang grenade.
It worked like a charm, and over half of the creatures wheeled around blind after it exploded. I wheeled around and opened fire with the gatling guns, shredding most of the creatures. One charged at me as I cut it through with gunfire, and it didn't die because the barrels overheated and had to stop or melt.
It then tried to ram me, so I responded by 'ramming' it. With my ships wings. It cut clear through it, instantly killing it, and I then noticed someone fall off it. Was that an alien or something? I noticed that my fuel was running low, so I quickly went back to base.