[OT] - Story thread: Xenology Resurrected

[dogscoff]

Far out on the outskirts of an uninhabitted system, a ship drifts. To a casual observer- if there can ever be such a thing so deep in space- it would appear lifeless: No movement, no lights, nothing. However, if that observer were to listen in on certain frequencies, they would soon realise that life has not yet given up on the unfortunates within.

Not yet, anyway.

"If I dump it straight onto the speakers, you can tell it's clearly an audio transmission." She did so, and a scratchy, undulating garble filled the bridge.
"That's just noise, could be anything," the Captain grimaced.
"No wait," the subordinate said hurriedly, "keep listening."
The garble continued, but suddenly the unmistakable clang of metal on metal could be heard. Then a hissing, spitting sound that could easily have been a welding torch. The garble continued over the top of it all.
"Hmm." Said the Captain, much to the relief of his subordinate. "Do you think it's some kind of alien language? They must be trying to communicate with us."
"Yes Sir." The subordinate replied. "Well, maybe sir." The Captain shot her a sharp look at the contradiction, and she rushed to explain herself. "What I mean is, they might be trying to communicate with anyone. we picked up the signal the second we warped into the system and it hasn't stopped since, so it doesn't seem to be directed specifically at us. They might not even know we're here."
"Any idea at all what they might be saying?"
"No sir. The design and markings on the ship are similar to a ship that appeared near one of our colonies Last year, but they just warped away again, and there's been no contact since. We don't know their language."
"Hmm." Said the Captain again.
"However," said the subordinate, looking rather pleased with herself, "The warp point they are sitting on looks a lot like the ones that have damaged some of our ships in the past and they haven't moved at all since we arrived."
"So you think they're damaged?" A new expression came into the captain's eyes. "That would explain the sounds in the background of the transmission- if they were making repairs."
"Yes sir, I think you're right sir." The Captain looked at the screen a little longer, then to address the rest of the bridge.
"Very well, take us over there. I want to see if they really are damaged."

A week later, two ships drifted at rest relative to one another. The huge, insubsantial potential of the warp point glowered menacingly above them both.
"Definitely damaged, sir," shouted a voice across the bridge. The Captain turned to the owner of the voice with urgent eyes. "Great big holes all over it, and debris everywhere."
"Bring us alongside. Get the crews suited, we're going over there. There's no time to waste. I'll be leading this personally."

The larger of the two ships disgorged a hundred tiny shapes, which maneuvered their way over to the smaller vessel and explored every possible ingress. When none was apparent a number of compact, mobile airlocks were fitted to the ship's torn and dented skin and holes cut behind them, allowing the suited figures to enter. The first airlock party to breach the hull reported an unbreathable atmosphere, and fitted nose-breathers as they slid out of their suits.

The captain was the first to enter, and the first to encounter one of the aliens. It was about two metres tall, angular, slender-limbed and a dark-brown in colour. Its entire body seemed to be riddled with technology, which spouted aggressively from every part of the creature as though some kind of electric wasp had laid an egg within it and now its young were eating their way free. Although the creature's features were unlike anything the Captain had ever seen, its alarm was obvious at the intrusion. His species had an instinct for recognising fear, distress and weakness and it was instinct that dictated his next action.

He sprang like a striped arrow, his red and yellow markings nothing more than a blur until he struck the creature in its middle, boring and digging into it and as it struggled and screamed. He ploughed on regardless, wrapping his tail around its limbs for purchase and tearing aside the computerised implants wherever they blocked access to his victim's organs. Captain Shreekep heard the screams, muffled by the creature's own meat, and realised with triumph that the garbled sound in the transmission had indeed been the voice of one of these aliens, no doubt issuing a warning or calling desperately for help. More of them came running at the sound but they were too few. They were larger and heavier than the attackers and when they managed to organise an armed defence they laid waste to them by the dozen, but for every blood-crazed raider that fell writhing to ground there were two, three, five more, each one a frenzied tube of tooth and muscle with no purpose other than to kill and to feed.

The battle Lasted less than half an hour, culminating in a grisly bloodbath on the bridge, following which Captain Shreekep proudly curled himself in the blood-soaked command seat and writhed in victory. The ship was beyond repair with the facilities available but he could make a decent amount selling details of the ship's location to a repair and salvage operator he knew. Furthermore, he had managed to keep a few of the creatures alive, and they- along with the remaining frozen carcasses of their fallen comrades- would fetch an excellent price as exotic delicacies back home. Finally, his own dead would keep his ships food stores stocked up for months- after all the laws against cannibalism weren't strictly enforced out here, and with plenty of meat on board he would have no trouble attracting crew members to replace the 40% losses he had suffered in the boarding action. He didn't think it too much, after all, life is cheap to the KanesS.

******************************

That's right, those sneaky snakes are back. Welcome to the Xenology: Resurrection thread. On the marvellous initiative of Unknown_Enemy, we've restarted the game and the story will continue more or less where it dropped off, minus a few players. Expect some continuity-wierdness, as things haven't progressed quite as they did the first time around, but rest assured Kleesh, Shrikeesh and the Eden Overmind have not been forgotten.

Click below to read the beginnings of these stories:
Xenology - Original thread