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JANUARY TEST DRIVE MEME
You awaken to godawful static overlaying a female voice that's too monotone to be anything but a recording. The static makes it difficult to understand the warning, but it's clearly a warning if your surroundings tell you anything...
You're buckled into a sturdy seat bolted to the wall behind you. Around you, there are dozens of others like you, some awake and others still unconscious, but it seems most of the seats lining the walls are occupied. The lights are dim, likely auxiliary lighting, leaving you mostly in the dark. You smell smoke and hear the sizzling crackle of electrical systems popping and shorting out. Some of the seats were jarred off the wall, leaving the occupants either wounded or dead. Count yourself lucky all you have is a headache and various aches accounted to whiplash.
You appear to be in a drop ship or an escape vessel of some form but the pilot is dead and the hull bears a massive gash where it buckled under the impact and sheered off. Through the door-sized opening, you can see vegetation. The air that wafts in is heavy with a humid heat, but it's obviously breathable.
Once you make your way outside, you'll see greenery: Trees, grass, and shrubs tangled with vines that grow wildly and suffocate the trees they climb. In the distance, behind the ship, you can make out a sandy desert that seems to stretch on endlessly. Forward through the trees, however, you may see a crumbling wall, but more importantly, you'll see signs of civilisation. Buildings and other structures seem contained within those decrepit walls. Maybe the natives can fill you in on what's going on, because the last thing you remember isn't being in an escape shuttle. As a matter of fact, you don't remember much about your arrival or where you are. But it's going to be a bit of a hike, better get moving. Though you might want to grab the backpack of supplies under your seat before you go.
With that, the power dies, leaving the drop ship in the dark, crackling and groaning as the hull cools from its catastrophic re-entry.
no subject
Many of them wish to. But they are weak, more trouble than they are worth.
The "leader" [ Note her tone. ] is more interested in what I may offer them for their survival.
There are others. The Plagued - I thought they were Reapers but they're not. And another group, that do not live in the forest or the city but attempt to invade it. They attacked me, so I sent them a message.
[ It involved tearing the throat out of one of their neck's with her teeth whilst her knife was still buried deep in another's jugular. The third was left to retreat back into the desert, where she'd stopped tracking them. Oh, Bandits. At least she got more weapons out of it.
She'd even been kind enough to string their corpses up in trees near the edge of the forest. ]
no subject
[ so they can burn their houses and poison their wells, it would imply. Not that that's how they do war. it's just something equally stupid to allow someone you just met to know. right, not worth putting interest in. ]
The Plagued, I saw them. Killed several. I thought Berserkers too, but they're too weak and half rotted. But they'll likely take out those in the city if we just wait.
[ don't worry about the problem, let nature take its course. there seems more important things to worry about. ]
What of the others you found? Where'd they come in from? Do you know where the closest of the allied clans is from here?
no subject
We may find use for the ones in the city.
[ But she agrees, they'll probably die quickly. ]
The desert. They acted like Reapers, no mind left to appeal to. As for clans, I don't know yet.
[ She hasn't a clue where she is, but she doesn't feel like admitting that yet. ]
no subject
Even Skaikru fended for themselves better than that.
[ even their freaking children. it's clarke that's wanheda, after all. ]
Do you plan to go after them? Into the desert?
[ on the one hand, you wouldn't want them running in, causing problems, then escaping back out again. on the other, crossing a desert without a real idea of where it ends is never a good idea. ]