Survival on an unknown planet (Casual)

[UAZ-469]

Slowly the sunbeams touched the ground, banished the remaining darkness, dispensed their pleasant warmth and supplied the grass and flowers with the needed light to grow. As the sun made its way up the blue, cloudless sky, huge swarms of birds flew across the sky, playing their songs to the thriving life down at the planets surface. Only a few creatures tried to escape the light, quickly hiding in holes, until the night would begin anew to enable huntings. And unnoticed to everything, a slight wind blew over the lands, moving the plants, transporting their seeds to new horizons.
A calm, isolated planet, conquered by the might of wilderness, a true sight to behold... or was it?

In a small canyon, one of the few places not illuminated yet by the star, a heap of boulders were the only witnesses to an incident past night, after they were disturbed in their slumber and then fell down the slope in rage, hoping to crush the one responsible for this act. And – they were successful.
A black assault rifle lay in the grass, a bit dented after making an acquaintance with the rocks, still trying to keep its functionality, even as dirt and bugs attempted to enter the innards. Not far from it, buried under the heap, peeped an extended arm, the hand opened, like an attempt to reach for the gun, before the rockfall put a temporary end to it.
But then suddenly, the fingers began to twitch – and the hand moved to an elevated boulder and pushed it away. And another one, until a helmeted head came to light, previously trapped under the rocks. The person then proceeded to pull himself out, first the other arm, and finally the legs, so in the end he could rise up carefully and stand on shaky legs, holding his hand on the forehead.
“Cholera, that hurts..!”, Andrej mumbled, trying to withstand the returning pain. “What happened..?” Looking around with a blurred view, he hoped to find leads that could tell him the events from last night. How long did he lie here? Where was he? And most important: Where was his squad and why did it leave him behind? Did they think, he was dead? And even if he was: Who or what were they fleeing, that rendered rescuing as too dangerous? Should he feel lucky, because the thing didn't kill him?

Andrej picked up his rifle, checked it and put it on his back via the carrying strap. Then he examined the rest of his gear, starting with his motorized cutlass: The rockfall bent it a bit, but he could still use it in combat, although he preferred the bayonet. So he used it more as a tool to cut objects, wood and plants, even if his superiors would scold him for that, should they find it out. Andrej finished his inspection with the heavy handgun, that resided in his chest holster as if nothing had happened.
Satisfied that his defensive was still under working condition despite the circumstances, he hold a button on his helmet to activate the radio – only to discover in shock that it didn't work. Probably the rockfall must have smashed his radio, as several dents could assure him.
Then, in a desperate attempt to reach someone, he yelled, “HELLO?! ANYBODY HERE?! I NEED HELP, QUICK! SOMEONE, PLEASE, ANSWER!”
No answer – except for his echo.
“Good god, please, help me”, Andrej prayed frightened. “I don't want to die alone, forgotten by everyone...”

To keep himself from going mad out of despair, he tried to remember what brought him here in the first place, but the only memories left were small fragments in his thoughts. He definitely knew he was tasked to search for someone in a swamp and while he forgot who or what it was, the ghostly shapes of a lorry, covered in mud, appeared in front of his mind's eye.
He smiled lightly, as the small spark of hope arose and muttered, “If it is what I think it is, it should provide me with a safe place to live until help arrives. But what, if..?” He shook his head, dismissing the depressing thought and cheered himself up, “No need to worry, it doesn't get much worse than that. And besides, do I have another choice?” But then Andrej noticed one small, yet still important detail: He didn't know the way to the swamp. What was he supposed to do now with a sketchy memory? “Maybe I will remember it while going...”

Without a better alternative, he turned around, climbed over the boulders and went ahead, leaving the canyon.

[Snys93]

(This is an oc of mine, I will do full bio later)

...

As the pilot slow drifted into consciousness, the sound of the crash alarm was blaring with along with a red blinking light of fierce intensity. It was a crash landing to be sure and the violence of the cause still was fresh in mind.

*flashback*

"Mayday! Mayday! This is Crimson Dawn, medical shuttle registry ocean-charlie-17011-3A! Major damage, cause unknown! Location unknown! Attempting crash landing! Repeat, mayday, mayday!!!"

 

 

The crimson dawn had landed in a forest, carving a gap in the treeline until stopping short of a rocky bluff by a waterfall. A thick pillar of smoke ascended from the wreck, sending a clear sign to anyone that a ship went down. The pilot had a desperate need to exit the downed craft and failed to hear the radio chatter while limping away in a bulky spacesuit with heavy helmet and visor down. The hatch and emergency blots blown, the pilot was removed from the derelict, pawing to safety before stopping at a rock with back resting against. Upon inspection, it was clear...the Crimson Dawn would never fly again...

[UAZ-469]

As Andrej stumbled out of the canyon, he entered wide, picturesque plains, its grass and flowers dancing in the wind, almost welcoming him to this wondrous world, full of... death? Because this surely will overtake him if the won't find shelter and food soon, especially before nightfall, where something unspeakable would emerge and hunt him down for food – or pure enjoyment. Not that it was new for him, as his superiors had sent him often together with his squad to different planets before, to retrieve intelligence from the scouts there. But despite Andrej's many experiences and encounters with all kinds of abominations on his previous missions, it still didn't change the fact that his equipment was insufficient to deal with the monstrosities, requiring to rely on their tank, which often was the only thing keeping them from a cruel death. He didn't dare to think about the situations, where even the vehicle's superior firepower couldn't do anything. Maybe the thing, that attacked them yesterday, was one of those creatures, why else were they fleeing?
And the highest experience meant nothing, if you hadn't the proper gear to utilize it, leaving running as your only option for survival.

The old officer continued his unsteady gait, flattening the grass as his heavy boots stepped on it and felt a piercing pain in his chest. Looks like the shock finally wore off and the rockfall didn't damage his equipment only – it was about time to find the lorry! Certainly Andrej would find the needed medicine and bandages there. Who knows if he suffered inner bleedings? His armour could withstand small bore fire, but surely not a rockfall. He then thought about looking for a place where he could sit and remove his armour to see if there were injuries which could be treated immediately, but refrained from doing it since it would take too long and he lacked the necessary resources. The soldier clenched his teeth: He would just have to endure it, until he arrived safely.
“If I only know where it was”, he said, watching the seemingly endless plains as he tried to find a clue – foggy mountains extended over the horizon, almost looking like natural borders, preventing him from escaping by foot. But something just didn't want to fit the scenery... probably because it moved, was black and rose up into the air from something that looked like a dark forest.
No, wait... could it be?
Andrej grinned.

“They came back to rescue me!”, he shouted happily, his hands in the air, cheered and a small tear went down his cheek. “I knew my friends wouldn't leave me behind!” But maybe it was because the machine in charge ordered them to, instead of doing it for their friendship, since it couldn't afford “living” losses. That terrifying machine, that he was only allowed to address as “kapitan”. The kapitan, who introduced him to the pirates in the first place, condemning him into service for all eternity, forcing him to work for their shady goals, which only led to suffering. But who was he to contradict a heart- and soulless, effectively dead... being?
He then pushed his anger and thoughts aside, enabling him to concentrate on the most important thing at the moment – even if he worried about a fire, which would inevitably meant that they crashed. But considering all the previous adventures on deadly worlds, he was sure that a simple crash was nothing that could stop them.

His remaining powers gathered and working to move his legs, he set course to the smoke in the distance.

[Snys93]

The pilot removed the bulky spacesuit, revealing a female figure underneath. Her blond hair and tanned skin caught in the midday sun as the air finally met her bright blue eyes. She let out a deep sigh as she gazed at her surroundings. Seeing nothing much else to do, Muryin took a count of her food stuffs and water supply before starting a fire and camp for herself.

Around her she heard the sounds animals shrieking and bellowing in a strangesymphony. But the alien and the unknown were farthest from her mind. She was pursued to this unknown planet and it was only a matter of time before IT found her. Getting away from the crash site would her first priority.

[Monokuma]

(Gonna hop in with a new creation after some dormancy-)

 

With a heavy streak of light, a hunk of metal could have been seen barrel rolling in circles toward the ever closer soil, its thundering sound startling any avian species for miles. Inside the ship was a different story, its singular pilot being thrashed around, seat belts severed. No screams of pain were ever emitted, but instead laughter ruled. The pilot, after her line of laughter had ceased, began to reach for the ejector seat, and as the window opened, howls of laughter began again, launching what seemed to be a speck of dust high in the sky with a parachute attached...As she descended into a patch of trees, all she muttered were giggles, despite knowing her aircraft had been destroyed.

She thought to herself. "And to think...I built that yesterday...Needed some work anyway."

[Snys93]

After putting out her fire and salvaging what tools and medical supplies she could from her downed shuttle, Muryin set off for a better defendable position. She headed in the direction of a primeval pine forest and a gorge that might have what she desperately needed. It was odd how there was zero wildlife spotted, a world such as this would teaming with prehistoric-like beasts like those you would find in a natural history museum as a collection of bones or giant stuffed animals. Little did Muryin know that when you speak o the devil, he shall appear.

Muryin heard a growling hissing noise behind her and slowly pivoted her gaze to meet a startling sight. It looked both mammal and reptilian with furry feathers and small ears. A salva coating escaped it's jaws as it revealed rows of teeth. Muryin felt the urge to run...now! Terrified she dove behind a tree for cover as it leaped to attack, sinking it's jaws into the pine bark and not the escapee. Desperate she ran weaving between the trees while the beast gave chase after freeing it's sharp fangs from the pine. To her luck it wasn't exactly an agile hunter, but it was determined to have this particular meal.

[UAZ-469]

Enjoying the gorgeous nature like a well-crafted painting, he tripped and almost fell. Andrej then turned around to examine the ground, looking for the wrongdoer who outrageously tried to hinder him: Roots sticking out, stones or a piece of wood? Or a camouflaged animal? Neither: Instead he found, well hidden under the plants, a large, yet thin and black painted piece of metal, its cracked edges showing holes that could only originate from teeth.
“That has to be a part of the tank's side skirts”, he suspected, thinking about the meaning for a moment – then widened his eyes in terror after he realized a particular thing. “Holy mother of god, so such a monster DOES exist indeed on this very world! I need to find a hideout immediately!” Andrej decided to not waste time and continued his way to the supposed crash site. Hopefully his friends weren't already attacked by it.

As he came closer to the woods, he began to hear the strangely coordinated shrieks of unknown creatures, that only got louder and louder, reminding him of some kind of... music? The soldier clearly wouldn't call it music, as it sounded more like a horde of gorillas trying to create alternative versions of Mozart's most famous songs, but had no grasp on the concept of melodies. And without a proper teacher, they would never succeed.
Nevertheless, Andrej's experiences told him that such sounds were never a good sign – which automatically led him to equip his assault rifle, watching the dark spaces between the trunks closely, as he cautiously approached the trees. He knew it was a horrible idea entering unknown terrain without someone backing him up, especially if it appeared to be infested with monsters that were able to rip heavily armoured vehicles apart, but he had to do it for his companions. Since everyone volunteered to protect each other at all costs to see the light of the next day, it was only the most natural thing in the universe to save them. Without their strong bond due to their fates, Andrej was sure that all of them would have suffered nasty deaths by now. Including himself.

Suddenly he stopped after hearing the distant sound of quick steps – and something, that seemed to jump around, likely on the hunt for prey. It didn't seem to be of a large size, so he was confident that his weaponry was enough to chase it away if necessary. But one thing still wondered him: Why didn't he hear gunshots? Andrej's small company was armed to the teeth like he was and way more experienced in combat, so they shouldn't have problems with it. Did their gear got destroyed in the crash?
“Hold on, I'm coming!”, he said and ran towards the sounds, the trusty rifle tightly in his hands.

[Snys93]

Muryin stumbled through the brush as the spacing between the trees became tighter. Her breath quicken in desperation as she. clawed her way to survival, steadily losing ground as the beast advanced. The creature was fierce, tearing through the lesser bush and smaller trees that stood in its way. She withdrew her sidearm and fired three rounds into the beast's skull. The shots rang in the air startling birds for miles around.

[Monokuma]

As Loran descended peacefully into the forest, her giggling had been tamed recently, replaced with a shock following three loud gunshots roaring in the air, accidentally detaching her chute in her panic. Now falling at a greater pace, her only line of cushions were the branches of the various trees, becoming scratched and bruised as she fell down to the ground, face first.

Luckily not landing flat on a rock, a patch of alien foliage was her last impact, and after crawling out of it, her white fur had been overcome with a slight red hue after observing her wounds. After calming herself down, her occupation came to mind first, planning to walk around to research the area, but not before going to examine where the gunshots came from...

[Snys93]

The beast was unphased and Muryin was left with little options. She had gone as far as she could, for the trees had grown too narrow and was backed into a corner. Her standard issue colonial 45 caliber pistol might as well been a cap gun in terms of effectiveness. The hellish creature snarled as it fought and squeezed through the larger trees to get at the battlefield medic. She braced her back against the obstruction behind her as it tried greedily to snap her into its wide jaws before thundering it closed like a giant steel trap. The mouth of the 'thing', so terrible with its rows of teeth surrounding a dark, black pit with no foreseeable bottom that a light could not penetrate.

Light, that was it! Quickly she loaded her flaregun and waited for it to open its fearsome mouth. Finally it did and Muryin would aimed for the back of its throat fired. The creature swallowed the flare which became lodged in the lower esophagus and exploded causing the predator great pain as it screeched an ungodly squeal. Muryin shielded her eyes from the flare, waiting for the beasts retreat back into the forest and disappeared from sight. Only it's cries of agony rang among the trees which too faded into faint echoes. Tired, Muryin removed herself from the narrow cropping and went in search of higher ground.

(Kinda how I envisioned it would sound like)

[UAZ-469]

Andrej's lungs burned from all the running, his legs carrying the additional weight without rest. But he didn't care. Too important were his companions to worry about such a petty affair, as he could rest later after he saved them. Not to imagine how they would react if their rescue was thwarted just because Andrej was out of breath.
But then, out of a sudden, birds of all kinds were startled and left their natural homes, as three gunshots followed. While the soldier got a fright first, he smiled afterwards: Good to know that his friends didn't forget how to fight and their weapons still worked. Now everything should be fine, right? Except for the tank-busting monster, of course.
Shortly after, almost to prove him that they really didn't need his support, he heard the disturbing squeals from an unknown creature and then movements through bushes and foliage. Wait, was that a glimpse of it in the distance? He didn't see it clearly, but lucky for him, it retreated away from his path, so Andrej could finally make his way unharmed to the crash site. The man even thought about calling his companions' names, but refrained from it out of fear for luring more dangerous animals. That monster certainly wasn't the only one out here, and what he needed the least of all was an entire horde of them, out for his blood.

Closing the distance to his target, the sound of raging waters got into his ears. A waterfall? His mood lightened up, because he found a hopefully clean source of water at last, where he could fill up his canteen. Why shouldn't he set up a camp here for today and prepare for his likely long march tomorrow? Given how bad his aiming was, he would probably take an entire day just to bag an animal, but if the waterfall flew into a river, then he would build a makeshift fishing-rod to catch some fish. Andrej definitely wouldn't die from hunger and thirst here.
As he approached the location, he finally was able to discern a smoking shuttle – and something in his chest gained a lot of weight. He already could tell from its colour that it wasn't a pirate ship, as theirs were always painted in black. His arms hanging down disappointed, he groaned, “Great, crowed too soon. Guess, I will have to wait a bit longer until they return...wait a minute...” He paused.
Another survivor?! Despite the failed rescue operation, he was not alone anymore!
Realizing his newly gained luck, he sprinted once again towards the ship. Its pilot needed help as soon as possible!

The ship lay indeed next to a waterfall, the blown hatch not far from it, but no sign of the survivor, except for an extinguished fire and camp. “So the person who repelled that monster must have been its pilot”, Andrej mused. “But it doesn't look like he's going to return to it soon, seeing how hard to defend it is. And judging from its condition, it will probably never fly again without thorough repairs.”
Suddenly his stomach rumbled – right, he hadn't eat anything for today and checking his coat pockets revealed that his rations were already gone. Which wasn't necessarily a bad thing, considering how horrible they tasted.
Thinking twice and looking around to see if someone watched him, Andrej decided regretfully, “I hope he won't mind if I take a little from his supplies.”
In the end he put his rifle to the back, approached the shuttle and searched.

[Snys93]

Muryin stopped for a breather and sat on a rock. She was not having a good day and longed to be back at base with her friends and comrades. After counting her ammo stories and reloading her sidearm to full, Muryin noticed that she dropped a photograph of her and fellow academy mates. She stared at the photo wondering if she would ever see them again and was so transfixed she didn't notice the hours pass by. Her senses returned however when she heard something coming through the brush and hid in a panic the rock she was sitting on while withdrawing her pistol.

[Monokuma]

Ignoring the sting of her cuts for the time being, her small size was covered by the various foliage as Loran neared the location of the gunshots, slightly scared in the hearing of more during the travels, she crept up, seeing a figure on a stone, but couldn't identify it for the moment.

She had the habit of remaining unarmed, but if the time came, her chronomancy would be her only defense. In her effort, she spoke to the figure seen on the rock.

"Y-You're friendly, no...?"

[Snys93]

Her head shot up. "W-Who is there?!" There was panic in her voice, as she looked around for whomever inquired of her. "I do not have any wish to fight you, please show yourself. Are you hurt? I am a medical officer, I can help."

Muryin stood up from her place and holstered her weapon. "Please come out, I would not hurt you."

[Arashikage]

A small white furred leopard crawled from the remains of her escape pod.  This definitely did not bode well...  She looked about to see anything but her vision was obscured by thick jungle.  "Okay... I've seen the movies, I know what to do" She assured herself, stepping back into the pod as she looked for anything useful. When she had climbed into the pod initially, the launch button must have gotten bumped from the other side, because she was alone.  She found a medkit, a flare gun, and a rather large knife.  Slinging the medkit over her shoulder, she picked up the flare gun and knife, stepping out of the wreckage of the pod and looking around.  "First thing's first... Make a shelter... I guess I can use the pod..." She mumbled to herself before setting off.  She carved out a section of bark from every third tree to mark her trail. 

[Monokuma]

Loran was actually kinda happy to hear a response, but still overall shaken by her own fear. Despite the foliage and the nearby trees cloaking her size, she jumped up and down repeatedly, showing her white (and slightly bloody) head. Eventually she clambered up to the rock in a dainty fashion, revealing herself to the mysterious figure.

For a polar bear like her, the figure towered over her as well, but nonetheless, she was grateful for meeting them, her face gleaming like a child.

"Ah, y-yes, hi! I'm actually quite glad I met you! A-are you a native, or are you here about other stuff?" She asks, all while staring upright at the figure's face, curiously happy.

[Arashikage]

The snow leopard had to use one of the bandages in her medkit to patch up a gash she had gotten during the pod ride down to the planet.  It was right at the joint of her elbow, and her left arm wasn't exactly as useful now as it could have been.  Too bad she was left handed...

It had taken her a few hours, but she noticed that she wasn't seeing as many familiar items around.  She looked around, hoping to find something to lead her back to the pod, but nothing was in sight.  She had marked trails earlier, but she was distracted by her own thoughts and the pain of her left elbow, so she forgot to keep marking.  She was unmistakably, undoubtedly, totally, 100% lost.  Her icy blue eyes darted across the landscape, trying desperately to find a trail marker, or something that might lead her out of the jungle.  If she had to spend a night without shelter, she was sure she wouldn't survive. 

[UAZ-469]

Ending his rather short search, because the interior was still smoking and hindering his sight, he left the shuttle and looked at the wreck, as if just staring at it would miraculously let food and resources appear. It didn't work, of course.
“Argh, already looted or burnt”, he discovered and turned his head to the waters, “Well, time to get my hands dirty. The fish certainly won't catch themselves.” Andrej started to walk to the shore and took his rifle: he would use the bayonet to stab the fish, just like an improvised harpoon or spear, as his cutlass was heavier and he didn't want to risk a malfunction to the engine due to getting wet. But before reaching the waters, he stopped – and looked back to the shuttle.
The cockpit was opened.
“This could work... even if the kapitan will punish me for this.”
Andrej then proceeded to climb into the seat and examined the multitude of buttons and screens.

He had no idea how it worked and, like most of his fellow pirates, couldn't fly a space ship. Not that the former wasn't part of their training, but if an AI did the job just fine and much better than a living being, then why should they pay attention to it? Flying on the other hand was completely optional, and even then every AI was a more capable pilot. But now, as Andrej hadn't an AI to help him, he was pressing the buttons like a curious child, hoping that it would work sometime and constantly said, with pauses of breath in between, “Hello? Is someone there? Answer please! This is an emergency!”

[Snys93]

The elf of small stature smiled back at the anthropomorphic being, "Heavens no, my medical shuttle crashed here while I was on a mercy mission. My name is Muryin Zacca, Corporal 1st class of the Colonial Unified Alliance."

 

....

 

(Answers for Andrej)

The medical shuttle artificial intelligence booted up on a holographic imager as a slim woman in a medical uniform. "Welcome, are you in need of a medical emergency? Unfortunately, our staff is not present. Please standby until someone is available to assist you. If you have any questions, please ask now."

[Arashikage]

The leopard heard shouts coming vaguely to the east, and she began to walk towards the sounds.  Perhaps she wasn't alone?  She couldn't think of an animal that mimicked the sound of a voice.  Slowly, the girl pushed past bush after bush until she came across a shuttle crashed in the dirt.  She gasped and stepped back, seeing the man in the cockpit shouting at a console screen.  Did he just crash?  Why didn't she hear the impact?  Was he just coming to?  She opted to wait in the bushes to see what happened.

[UAZ-469]

He awkwardly stared at the sudden appearance of a holographic woman, telling him about missing personnel and then offering to answer questions. That wasn't exactly what he expected, and the program doesn't seem to be as advanced as their own vehicles, especially not the kapitan and Bosman, so she probably wouldn't be able to replace a real person to talk to. But lucky for Andrej that his wife wasn't here, because he can't deny the woman's attractiveness. Otherwise his sweetheart would have refused to cook anything for him for the rest of the day, and she was very strict about that.
Trying to concentrate on the important subject, he asked the hologram, “Perfect! Could you send a distress signal, please? I will also give you the right frequencies!”

And now he hoped that the AI didn't figure out what he was up to, because the kapitan forbid his troops to be discovered by someone else, since it would endanger their operations.
But Andrej didn't care - for now.

[Monokuma]

Loran seems to giggle past the ever increasing sting of her body, taking a small humor into both of their situations. She salutes in a semi-serious fashion with a smile, in a sense of honor, as well. As she speaks, her injuries are still minor, but staggers nonetheless.

"Loran Macrine, ma'am, although my crew calls me Airbear. Official Pilot of the U.H.S Starlight, Capital Class! Nice to meet ya!"

[Arashikage]

The leopard stayed in wait behind the bushes.  Unfortunately, she was not half as stealthy as she thought she was.  This paired with her white fur was a pretty good indicator that she was there behind the bushes.  She gripped the still sheathed knife, holding it close as a sort of security measure.  

[Snys93]

"Nice to meet you Loran," said with a sincere smile which quickly turned to a frown upon noticing the blood on her scalp. "Oh my, does it hurt? If you like I can disinfect for you."

Suddenly an alarm blared from hercomlink. Quickly Muryin checked it. "Someone is in my ship. So there are others on this planet."

 

...

 

(Answer for Andrej)

"Sending..." Suddenly a tone sound. "I am sorry sir, but I am unable to fulfill your request. The transmitter unit has been damaged. Shall I notify the crew?"

[Monokuma]

"It actually does hurt, I guess...Little run in with gravity and trees with the parachute. Should have all white fur, hehehe."

She seems to do a pirouette as she humors herself, showing her scrapes, despite her scalp being the worst. "I can wash off the rest-" She stops at her words of others.

"You mean you and me aren't the only ones with horrible luck...?"