In reply to GM (msg # 19):

Neva stared at her can of food and smiled as she ate it.  She closed her eyes and savored the bite.  The problem, she thought, with most people and food, is that they had too much of it.  Don't have food for a bit and you'd be surprised at how good even bland can taste.  This canned food, for example, wasn't anywhere near the steak that she had gorged herself on earlier but it was better than dumpster diving.  It was all a matter of perspective.

Ken listens to Thomas carefully.  He knew somewhat of the wilds in his own capacity as a marine but the hunter was a true professional.  "Let's stay alert for shadows if we can Thomas.  Hovercraft seem to be the standard transport out here so anyone following us would be just as able to follow through the water and swamp as we are I think."

"If you can disguise the path of the GEV's then it can't hurt.  It seems like that once we are back on land they'll leave a big swath of disturbed vegetation.  Still, if you can back track it might be worth it one night to head back along our path or maybe even leave you behind briefly as a scout.  We could circle back and get you if you don't see anything."

As they sit down for a meal he pulls up a camp chair next to Neva.  "Not quite the luxury rations we had back in town."

In reply to Ken Jenkins (msg # 21):

"If we hit some savannah, there ought to be something better to eat than this stuff.  Not as bad as cold monkey on a stick.  The problem I see with your idea is that while I can cover a trail, the amount of damage that the GEV's will do is more than I can disguise by myself."

He poked at his food a bit and set the can down for a moment

"I hate cold camp.  I could use a spot of tea.  Anyway, if we do decide to do the backtrail, I'd prefer to have a couple mates along, so's I don't get into more trouble than I can handle."

"That's why I said I was unlike you when I said I was a specialist.  You're a generalist at killing people and breaking things.  I'm a specialist, I only kill them one at a time, from a long distance."

Ken nods to Thomas.  "Sorry if I misspoke.  I agree that the GEV trails would be impossible to hide as they go through the brush." He thinks; "I'd head with you if we do decide to do a back track.  I've plenty of experience setting ambushes that might come in handy."

In reply to Ken Jenkins (msg # 23):

Walker nods.

"We'll see what the morning brings."  Finishing his dinner, he stands and stretches.

"Who's in charge of setting up watches?  I'd prefer to take an early morning one.  I've been watching the fishermen back at the hotel, and I'm curious what I'll learn here."

Ever the barkeep, Linus produced a few sauces and other items to enhance the canned rations, sharing them around with the others.

Ken ate heartily and then volunteered for the first watch.  He set up a system of tripwires and little alarms around camp and then walked his post.

"If you want to, then I think that's a good idea. Otherwise, Juan can set the schedule."

---

3 Hunters/Guides (Juan himself plus Hal Lewis, Fatima Kelendrin). Each has a scoped rifle/revolver/machete)
4 Licened GEV pilots (Ross Carnam, Harmon Jael, Jaime Crain, Harve Cohen. All armed with autopistols/blade.
7 Support Personnel (commo operator: Lev Novo, medic: Xu Li Feng, 5 Gog guards/stevedores: Stanley, Michael, Teodor, Miguel, Karlssen). All armed with revolvers and either shotgun, SMG or scoped carbine.

"If you want to, then I think that's a good idea. Otherwise, Juan can set the schedule."

---

3 Hunters/Guides (Juan himself plus Hal Lewis, Fatima Kelendrin). Each has a scoped rifle/revolver/machete)
4 Licened GEV pilots (Ross Carnam, Harmon Jael, Jaime Crain, Harve Cohen. All armed with autopistols/blade.
7 Support Personnel (commo operator: Lev Novo, medic: Xu Li Feng, 5 Gog guards/stevedores: Stanley, Michael, Teodor, Miguel, Karlssen). All armed with revolvers and either shotgun, SMG or scoped carbine.

Finishing his own dinner, Stanley, their Gog guide/stevedore motioned to speak with Thomas privately.

"I heard you call us "wogs" earlier. I understand that this is a very unpleasant and racist term, denoting contempt and disregard over an inferior. Humans call us "Gogs", which is similar and while better, is used as a term of disdain.

"Really, we are Mirayns, correct? Why not stick to that term to avoid future... confusion. No one will harm you, but I see no reason not to act with tact and respect. After all, we must trust and rely on each other out here."

In reply to Stanley (msg # 29):

"Wogs are people who throw spears at me, or shoot at me, regardless of species.  I have met some humans who were Wogs.  Gogs are an unfortunate slur on the native people from Miryan who talk to me.  That's the difference.  I will, however, keep your thoughts in mind when I speak."

He pauses.

"Do we have any hot water?  If not, I don't want to light a fire for myself, I can live without tea."

Stanley bowed in thanks. "Many thanks, my friend. There are few humans as enlightened as you. You do me a great honour.

"I shall be happy to get you some hot water, we have a heating unit. Do you take anything in it?"

In reply to Stanley (msg # 31):

"Give me a second..."

Thomas dug through his pack and pulled out a sealable plastic box and his canteen cup.  He sprinkled some tea leaves into the cup, and handed it to Stanley.

"Just pour some hot water over this, and I'll let it steep.  It's allegedly English tea, but I'm not convinced.  It's palatable, and this far from Churchill, I'll take it."

In reply to Thomas Walker (msg # 32):

"My friend, it would be my pleasure."

He took the cup, filled it with water to steep and brought it back.

"My apologies, it is time for my watch. I do not trust these offworld devices, they malfunction too often in the jungle and the rain."

Stanley looked up at the drizzling overcast, hitched his shotgun on its sling, then smiled as he departed.

In reply to Stanley (msg # 33):

Walker watched Stanley walk into the rain, and nodded.

"Stanley, I'd like to pull an early morning watch, preferably around dawn, and the last one.  I agree on electronics and rain, you see."

Once he and Stanley had finished negotiating the watch schedule, he looked to the others.

"I have maintenance to do, so I'll catch up with you folks later."

He got up and took his case in one hand, and his tea in the other, to the cargo GEV, where there would be a flat spot out of the rain.  Setting the tea on a crate, safe from where he'd be working on his weapons, he laid the case out flat, and pulled a small can of oil from his backpack.  Carefully, he oiled the weapons, and checked his barrels for rust or fouling.

When done, he pulled non-lubricated condoms out of the maintenance kit, and fitted it over the barrel of the rifle and one over the barrel of the shotgun.  The rifle, he put away, the shotgun he kept to hand.

Poking around in the cargo GEV, he cleared/repacked tighter until he's created a flat space long enough for him to sleep on.  It was close to the roof of the GEV, but beat sleeping in a tent.

That done, he took his tea, and the shotgun, and sat down in a doorway on the vehicle, to watch the rain come down.

Once he'd eaten, Linus settled down.

"Wake me if you want me to stand a watch," he said, then laid down and was out like a light, snoring gently.

Ken headed out and greeted Stanley as he took the first watch.  "It's good to have you along Stanley.  We can use all of the steady hands we can manage.  What do you think of our crew of GEV pilots and help?  Do you know of their reputations?"

In reply to Ken Jenkins (msg # 36):

Neva approached the Cargo GEV and looked around.  "You done staking out your position yet?  I'm going to move some things for me to sleep in here."

She had hoped to be first to the GEV but since Thomas beat her to it, the unspoken rules said he had first pick.

In reply to Neva Alexovna Morozova (msg # 37):

"I grabbed a slot, close to the door.  Beats sleeping in the mud, I have, and will in the future, done enough of that."

In reply to Thomas Walker (msg # 38):

Neva smiled.  "Yeah, I hear you on that.  I'll bunk down in the middle of the supplies then.  I don't mind rain but I can do without the mud."

A steady rain began to fall, warm on their skins despite the darkness.

"I do not know many of them personally, other than the other Mirayns.

"I know Juan, of course, the lead guide. Mister Carnam, the chief pilot, is a well-known hovercraft owner-operator, I have worked with him before, he treats us well. His pilots (Harmon Jael, Jaime Crain, Harve Cohen) you can probably trust to be competent.

"I do not know the other guides, Hal Lewis or Fatima Kelendrin, the radio operator or the medic."

Ken nods to Stanley.  "Keep your eyes and ears open as well as those of your fellow Miryans if you would. I'm afraid that we may be sabotaged given how Old Lin was killed."

He will avail himself of a tent for the night while not on watch.

In reply to Ken Jenkins (msg # 41):

"I will make sure to keep an eye out for sabotage. You try and get some rest, yes?"

He finished his own drink, then headed for his post. Night cries filled the jungle around them, a slightly cool breeze came off the large lake.

Ken nodded to Stanley and made his own check of the camp before turning in.

<ooc> I would think tacticcs-1 might give Ken some idea of camp security and moving through the wilderness safely. </ooc>

In reply to Ken Jenkins (msg # 43):

Ken's tactical knowledge confirmed that military and expedition camps were different. The expedition relied on a perimeter of remote and beam sensors backed up by sentries. It was crescent-shaped, along the water where the vehicles were parked. Although people had been all right in picking up garbage, he still found some trash to police up.

A full military camp (company to battalion sized and above) would be basically triangular, with bunker fighting positions dug in at the corners and foxholes in between. Jungle would be cleared for fire lanes, there would be a command bunker, possibly fallback positions. A patrol camp on the other hand would leave as little visual signature as possible, with camouflaged tents, dugouts and lean-tos. Maybe they could do something like that, he didn't know how Lorain or Juan would take the suggestion!

The night was noisy but passed peacefully. Nothing breached the perimeter, there were a few false alarms due to the wildlife. The nylon tents worked well versus the rain and mud. There were tables and cooking gear set up, people ate well around a sputtering fire, then turned in. The cargo GEV was a little stuffy and rocked in the current of the river.

Day 2: 364-1107

The morning dawned grey and muggy. There was no rain, for once, and camp was stuck with only a few mishaps as people were unfamilliar with the gear, this being the second day.

They set out again, entering the Nahahnir river where it drained into the lake. The river was no longer traveling through swamp but jungle. So far, they didn't see anything of archaeological interest, no Reynarik ruins or traces of civilisation like stone river piers. It implied that Dr. Messandi (Sr.) had perhaps made side trips up various tributaries or ventured away from the river in his travels. Either way, they were going for speed and Lorain insisted they pressed on. If they came up empty farther up the river, they could return to explore later.

The only encounter of note was with an enormous Syanniltuk, an elephant-sized beast sometimes domesticated as a mount and beast of burden by tribal Mirayns. It was swimming across their path and they startled it. Harve Cohen was piloting the scout craft, he narrowly avoided the creature as it reared up out of the water! Ken and Linus had to hang on for dear life to avoid being thrown.

They soon passed it by and the gigantic 6-legged beast resumed its swim.


That night, they set up camp in the jungle on the shore of another immense lake. It was raining again, but at least the ground was more solid and they didn't have to hunt for an islet like they would in the swamp. The insects were still pretty bad.

Distance travelled:    600km
Distance to Date:     1100km
Distance to Adylatra: 3150km
Distance remaining:   2050km
This message was last edited by the GM at 12:50, Tue 10 July 2012.