[M - B08] Picking up where we left off

[rodiziorobs]

Location: B08 (Greater Direstan)

Tags: N/A

(Previously)

Jex and Scorpio had driven their jeep over a cliff. Scorpio was knocked out cold, and Jex had no radio to call for help. Then she heard the sound of footsteps running toward her and, in horror, an eye staring straight at her through the grass…

Then the creature emerged from the grass.

He wasn’t frightening at all; if anything, he was kinda cute.

“Hey there. Easy now, I’m not going to hurt you. What’s your name, little fella? Huh? Easy, good boy…”

Suddenly a giant hand grabbed Jex and lifted her off the ground!

“Who are you!? a terrible voice boomed. Jex turned and saw herself face to face with a horrifying monster.

Jex screamed in terror. “Don’t eat me!” she cried.

“Ha! I am not going to eat you. I know what you are; I have had your kind before and it gave me terrible indigestion.”

Although still panicked, Jex’ terror subsided slightly. She turned her head in his hand to see him more clearly. It continued speaking.

“I sense that you are not afraid of me. That is good. Foolish, but good.” Pausing, he turned his head to the side and looked at her again. “You are much the same as the others like you. You”—and at this, he slid one of his long bony fingers along the side of her head—“are more interested in your own good. You neglect others for your own benefit. You…want your friend there to still be alive…not because you care for him, but because you fear what your superiors will say if he dies from your carelessness.”

Jex’ mouth dropped open. Embarrassed, she found herself unable to say anything. Her terror began to grow again.

“Of course, Jessica—yes, I know your name. I now know much about you. Even more so, perhaps, than you do.” At this, he set her down and leaned himself against a tree in the river bend. “Of course, as a healer, I am honor-bound to do what I can.”

At this, Jex was surprised to hear her own voice again. “Who are you?” She asked.

The shaggy brown monster sat up and replied, “I am Curupa, shaman of the great Tupiga. I am a practitioner of magical healing and the sworn protector of this land.” Standing up, he continued, “Your species has been a scourge upon me since your arrival here. Although brothers, you war with each other for the right to rob from me and this land. You are all the same, seeking only your own. It sickens me, and every night I hear the trees and the hills sighing the sighs of death that they feel closing in on them. Even at its most barren, the earth is not safe from your pestilence, and you swarm like earwigs upon it.”

Jex was rooted to the spot. A part of her felt guilty, the guilt that she knew Curupa was right. Once again, she was embarrassed.

“You, however, while much the same…I feel a slight difference. I do not care for your species, especially when you care not even for yourselves. But perhaps there is still hope. I feel this same sentiment in you now. But alas, here I am yammering on when there is a soul in the balance. Come, let us see what we can do for your friend.”

“You mean, even though you hate us humans, you will help bring Scorpio back?” Jex asked, mystified, as Curupa scooped her and Scorpio up in his hands.

“It is my duty,” he answered. “But, I will make a condition. I do not demand payment normally, but if I have a chance to save more life by doing so, I will. After I heal him, you must take your people and go. Leave this world forever, and never turn back. I have done my duty to protect this land so far, but if I see another of your kind they will know my wrath and my revenge. Do you understand?”

“I do,” Jex replied. “Besides, I think most of my kind is already gone from here and has been for weeks.”

He stood up to his full height, while the curious green monster from before continued to sniff at Scorpio. “Down, Ophel,” Curupa called.

**********

They soon arrived at a small clearing that looked a little more beaten down and lived in than the rest of the forest. Soon Curupa had built a small fire—small even by Jex’ standards, which surprised her given the monster-healer’s enormous size—and was brewing an awful-smelling green potion.

“It seems your friend is somewhat accident prone?” Curupa asked.

“Yes, he has had a few other mishaps,” Jex replied.

“I can tell. Yet there is something else…I have never known anything like it. It is almost as if his soul is fractured. Like there is a part of him that is not a part of him, or has broken off. Perhaps it is floating out there in the void, or perhaps it was stolen from him, but he seems incomplete. On top of that, I feel that although I will save his life now, there is an omen upon him; he will not live much longer anyway. Death has put its claim on him, and it will come soon. It is the same as with the life here before the arrival of your kind; death is not here yet, but it approaches. Ophel, come.”

Jex shuddered at Curupa's last words. Could it be so?

Curupa leaned Scorpio’s body up against the creature’s long green trunk.

“Take this, and spoon a little into his mouth and hair. I will have Ophel carry you back to your people before you go. He will revive consciousness within the next day or so.”

“Why his hair?” Jex asked.

“Because you probably won’t be able to get enough inside of him to do the whole trick, but the smell should get to him eventually and wake him the rest of the way up.”

*********

MEANWHILE…

Somewhere in Kawashita space, Commander Konami sat at his console. Suddenly, a message flashed on his screen and he accepted it.

“Code secure, Agent Sega. What has happened? You had orders for strict radio silence until your scheduled report. Is your cover blown?”

“No sir, but I have urgent news that requires immediate attention. Target Atari may be compromised, sir. I have received confirmation from M.A.N.T.I.S. accountancy personnel that suggests this.”

“What do you mean, compromised? Her identity as a Kawa agent surely has not been revealed? I understood M.A.N.T.I.S. was still under the assumption she was an Octan agent? Especially when our own troops did not recognize her?”

“Her identity is secure, however, she has agreed to talk. Security clearance SCORPIO, by the sounds of it. At least, that must be the code name.”

“After all this time, M.A.N.T.I.S. intelligence still manages to perplex us. Well, if she is going to talk, we don’t know what she might say.”

“What are your orders, sir?”

“I will send an extraction team immediately. Find a way to release her, and we will rendezvous with you both in 14 hours. Use any force necessary, but only as a last resort.

“What if extraction of Atari is impossible sir?”

“Then terminate her and we’ll get you out. Better dead than dishonored. Understood?”

“Understood, sir.”

**********

“Agent Atari, step aside. I’m going to get you out of there.”

“What?”

“Kawashita extraction team will be here in less than 30 minutes, and we’re going to be on it. You’ve spent enough time in this M.A.N.T.I.S. cell already, and Fleet control is anxious to hear your report of both Octan and M.A.N.T.I.S. intelligence operations. Your honorable resilience under pressure will bring you rewards of glory in the halls of Orinishi. Come.”

“I can’t. I can’t tell you why, but I must stay here.”

“I understand you feel duty-bound to complete your mission, but it is over now. Konami himself has authorized your extraction, and with my cover blown now the time to act is this minute.”

Agent Sega blasted the glass, turned to leave, and beckoned for Agent Atari to follow.

“I said, I can’t.”

“Then I have been given orders to not allow you to dishonor yourself by revealing your secrets to the enemy.”

Sega aimed her weapon to fire, but Atari was too fast. She spun through the air and wrestled Sega to the ground, wrenching the weapon from her.

“Relax, Sega. I do not want to kill you, but if you think you are going to terminate me then you can rest easy knowing your death will come honorably at the hand of your enemy…”

TO BE CONTINUED…

Builder’s notes:

Judges! The only new build this week (besides Commander Konami’s console) is the monster-healer Curupa; all other builds are recycled and should not be counted for this week’s score!

More notes under the spoiler:

I have spent a few weeks trying (in vain, and short of time) to get the brick-built monster right. I originally planned it for Halloween week, with a fully built environment, but things got the better of me and I found myself short on motivation to finish, so this is what you get instead.

I am pleased with how Curupa turned out, since I have never done a full-on brick-built creature before, but it was very stressful trying to pose him for pictures, since he is so imbalanced. I will probably try again, and hopefully results are better next time! C&C definitely welcome on him!

On the other hand, to balance the frustration over a lack of building time (hence the recycled M.A.N.T.I.S. prison), I had a lot of fun with the story this week, with the identity of Scorpio’s unknown assailant even surprising me—and I had been planning on using her before AG even got started! There will definitely be more revelations concerning her in the weeks ahead, provided I can find the time to build them…

As always, C&C is much appreciated

Edited November 23, 2015 by rodiziorobs

[SpacerSteve]

The healer guy is really cool. Near use of the pirate pistol for the nostrils. I liked your story too.

[mrcp6d]

Well, somebody just redefined "big-fig"!

Major NPU for Loki's helmet.

[Andromedas Gates]

The judges awarded you 4 points.