New Pangaea 24-31

Week 5

Day 5

Outpost Four or the Cave was ready for occupancy. I assigned four more personnels from BASE and one each from Outpost Two and Three. There are ten Scientific personnels including the enthusiatic Doctor Tanaki to my six military officer under Sargeant McKay in command. We cleared the two caverns of any dangerous creatures big or small, so we will not have any incidents of medical aids cases.

We named the cavern as Big Boy and Big Mouth, as its namesake will explain the size of the cavern. The difficulty part of the exploration was moving the bulky items down the vertical cave, but we did it by dismantling the casing and moving it down by the components. As the place was well covered by the cave interior, we did not install any building structure but we did installed in a thick cloth like canopy for fear of moisture or dirts onto the sensitive equipments. The living quarters were assign at Big Mouth as everyone wanted to see the stars and skies, except for Doctor Tanaki who prefered Big Boy as he planned his schedules on how and where to explore next in this world of his.

Two M-Bots was assigned there including the famous MB5 for extra security and we dismantled four of the automated revolving twin cannons on BASE to move to the caverns. We had one installed in Big Boy near the vertical cave, facing the tunnel to Big Mouth, while another one was after the exist of the tunnel to Big Mouth. The last two was installed at the mouth of the cave with about one hundred foot apart for any incoming threats. I did arrange for a defense wall to be installed on the perimeter of our current campsite at Big Mouth to cover the side which we are not occupying and the front mouth area.

As of now, we are only covering one tenth of Big Mouth for now.

McKay came to me tell him he need to install in some booster for the communication strength as the walls seems to be blocking their transmission. It seems there are some solid materials unknown yet which can block or reduced the waves. I am sure Intel will love to hear that.

Major Shaw came to me to lament on the lack of military personnels to guard her team here. I explained to her that I am short of personnels and this is the best I can spare. I need eight personnels minimum to operate BASE, and this already on the extreme limits. We are working in two shifts and this not our ideal situation. I have requested for more personnels but there is no reply as yet. One, we are new here and cannot justify the place as useful for colonisation, and two; we have yet to explore the place properly.

Major Shaw gave me her ‘I will see you in hell’ looks and walked away. At that moment, I will prefer to face a raptor with my bare hands than her and those claws.

I walked to the edge of the cave mouth and looked down the slope towards the top of the trees. I estimated we are about a two hundred foots higher than those canopies of leaves, but given the growth of these trees which can touch the height of four hundred or more, we are quite high above. Its a nasty drop height but its worse down there under the trees.

‘MB 5, report.’ I can hear the M-Bot coming near at me from the rear.

‘Man-sized creature climbing up on the ledge at proximity fifty foot. May I initiate deterent action?’ I nodded at the request. MB5 rolled up to the ledge and extend its long arm limbs out. From the top of its upper wrist, a energise blade of two foot appeared. The M-Bot slashed at the undergrowth on the ledge removing it. Where it cannot be reached by the blade, it cut with its precision phaser from its finger. I can hear the howl of a creature dropping down. Its sounded like human or near to it.

‘Close the defense wall back. I seen enough.’ I walked back into Big Mouth and my men.

Day 7

‘New Pangaea, this is Earth Ship EDS Columbus on route to your place. Please acknowledge.’

That was the welcome sign for the personnels on the planet.

‘EDS Columbus, we acknowledged your call. Please advise your ETA. Would you like to have some extra large steaks for your meal?’ I know Comms Specialist Evan is being sarcastic to the officer on the ship, but I let it off.

‘New Pangaea, I would like it. We will there in four hours time, so prepare them rare please. Admiral Stokes out.’ That took the laugh out of Evan but we all had a good laugh after our month long isolation.

Supplies means a lot here as we are receiving our first scheduled supply since we were left stranded here by the last mothership. It does feel stranded then with no subspace communications and limited supplies. We were contemplating to hunt the local inhabitants for food if we do not hear from any ships, much against the complaints of the zoologist and Major Shaw whose preference is for the organic growth of the rooted kind which uses the natural sunlight and soil minerals to grow alongside with proper moisture contents to its roots.

The supply shuttles came in as per scheduled and drop off the large crates including components and equipments. We soon filled up BASE with the crates including some on the open yard below us. The Cheng’s are still doing an inventory check and they are very excited about it. They also dropped off seedlings for us to grow our own greens in those glass domes. I supposed Major Shaw has a hand in it. She was on board the EDS Columbus with her father in law, Admiral Stokes. But she also gave me a blessing in disguise; twenty more marines newly passed from the training school with four M-BOT’s. She also garner in ten more doctors for her team. The official reply was ‘they all needed life experiences’.

But I have the best in the goodies bag; two ATV2; a modified version of the current ATV. This one comes with a extended carriage that can carry eight more personnels and a twin mounted metal projectile rapid load guns named Scout Rapid Fire. It fires metal projectiles like PH900, but at a faster rate of three hundred rounds per minute.

The admiral pass me his compliments with a case of vintage wine, and a note that says; ‘take care’. I wondered if he meant his daughter in law or me.

Week 6

Day 2

Outpost Five was created on the south west side at the bottom of the plateau.

Its only half an hour ride from Oupost Three, with a cleared path already laid out. Like Outpost Four, it has two military structure complete with the automated revolving twin cannons, and three scientific structure. The personnels assigned to there is eight under the command of Sargeant Kabe and Corporal Simone, both ladies and darned good professionals. The Scientific team volunteers also stands at six personnels, but there will be visiting teams on occassion. I assigned one ATV and two LTV there for their use.

I looked at my remaining vehciles; two ATV and two LTV, and now the new two units of ATV2.

I looked at my current roster of personnels in the outposts;

Outpost One / Tip’s Nest ( Comms ); Lance Corporal Micheal and three specialist. Travel time half an hour.

Outpost Two / East Ends; Corporal Saidin and three specialist. Travel time ten minutes

Outpost Three / Wide Plains; Corporal Duffy and five specialist. Travel time forty minutes.

Outpost Four / Cavern; Sargeant Keefe and five specialist. Travel time fifteen minutes to the vertical cave.

Outpost Five / Southern Belles; Sargeant Kabe and seven specialist. Travel time is fifty five minutes.

We have improved the roads and there are more bearable now, although we had to detour certain locations. I still have twenty two personnel here in BASE now. I moved six more to the Cavern and two to Wide Plains, leaving me with fourteen here. As for the scientific team, they moved among the Outpost so its impossible to keep a roster of the forty members now.

Just when I thought I was ready for the task, I had a crisis in the personnel.

Marine Recruit Jonas locked himself up in the Communication Centre holding Specialist Jocelyn hostage. The recruit wants to get off here to go to New Haven, one of the location which is being colonised. He claims he joined to go there to be with his sister. We cheated him of the trip and re-assigned him here. He has dismantle the electronic lock to the Communications Room and is trying to raise the EDS Columbus. We can access the room but it will take time to do so. In the meantime,I got to convince the recruit of his duty and obligation. I picked up the comms to speak to the young man.

‘Recruit Jonas, this is Commander Bent. I need you to open the door so I can talk to you. Do you understand that, soldier.’

‘I am not your freaking recruit anymore. I am just me and I want to go to see my sister. I had enough of this training and also this command shit.’ This recruit has paranoia and in my view, a very bash up on the head for this soldier. 

‘Who is your command officer before you were posted here?’

‘Sargeant Luker. He is here with us now. Why do you asked?’

‘Recruit, you do not question my authority. I will do what I would do without your concern.’ I motioned to Major Feeley to get me Sargeant Luker.

‘Please do not discipline the sargeant. He is a good man, and I didn’t do this to get him to get into trouble over me. Its my sister; I need to talk to her on comms. She is my only family now. Please don’t do this.’ I can hear the young troubled man pleading now.

‘Jonas. You are in a lot of trouble, son. Let me help you. We will figured out how to help you contact your sister. But you have to be the one to let me help you. Please open the door.’ I was actually whispering my words to him then. It was a silent moment of two minutes before he opened the door. Recruit Jonas hand his gun to me and the other marines grabbed hold of him. I told them to let him go and I took Jonas to my quarters. We had a private session of personal discussion that evening, and I threw him into the brig the next day.

‘Commander. How long before we released him?’ Major Feeley need to plan her roster of work schedule.

‘Give him three days and then let out. He will do drills and training with Sargeant Luker for the rest of the week. He will be fine by then. Did the communication go through on sub-space?’

‘Yes, Sir. He spoke to his sister on the comms, and it was one long conversation. Are you getting soft, Commander?’ I like Feeley when she is not my second in command, but when she is; she tends to be motherly protective.

‘Log it in as my conversation with EDS Columbus. And don’t ever question my command.’

I seen recruits like Jonas break in situation like this, but we are still their guardian when they joined us, and we still them to fight for us. So a little leeway helps that situation. The Sargeant was punished as he should seen to the situation first.

Day 4

Wide Plains called in for assistance that morning; they think they may had found some interesting discovery. Doctor Leong, the zoologist found traces of footprints that suggested ape-like creatures exist here. This could be his chance to study the primates and answer the human evolution theory which is still in debate. For this study to go on, Doctor Leong need to explore further to the jungle and he cannot do it alone. I knew what he is getting at but this is a dangerous expedition. The team will be on their own for days and without any defense walls. And from what we seen, its suicidal now. Major Shaw disagreed but she was under pressure to work with these people,and their needs.

We finally agreed on the condition that he bring along a team, which consists of Specialist Pedro Mano and one volunteer. I was surprised that Recruit Jonas volunteered and it was agreed that Team Ape was on the go. I assigned them a LTV from BASE but they refused, or Pedro said no. They will be moved on foot and sleep in high shelters, and communicate daily. Pedro took the PH900 Heavy Recoil Rifle for his own use, in addition to his PDW. We got a couple more of the PH900 when the ship unloading supplies.

Report from Doctor Leong Hah Wai; Zoologist/Bio-Tech

Day 5 Week 6

Team Ape

0800hr

Before I start my report, I would like to protest on the naming of my team to respectable primate which could be the answer to our own evolution. The naming of this team has an hidden message to add insults  to the intelligence of this expedition.

We were dropped off at a small clearing overlooking a small pond by the ATV. We are about one mile distance from Outpost Three and two miles to Outpost Five. This was the first location where the footprint of the primate was first found on one of my expeditions.

I named this place; The Original Ponit.

Specialist Pedro and Recruit Jonas immediately setup camp at the location. The sleeping platform was made on the upper branches with a winch assisted sling rope to pull us up and down from the branches. The supplies we brought was left on top of the platform, while some equipments are stored on the ground level. Specialist Pedro then placed sensors alarm around us which will warn us of any intruder coming into our camp. Specialist Pedro told Recruit Jonas to follow me whenever I leave the camp while he will recon the area. If there is trouble, just shoot and he will come to assist.

I spend time to setup the cameras and sensors to record my observation with the help of Jonas. As we were doing our setup, I can hear the sounds of the jungle more clearly than before. I also found numerous species from insects to small fauna which I duly recorded. Finally we are done and returned to our nesting. We covered the equipment with a scent remover spray used in most zoology studies.

On advise of Recruit Jonas, we improvised on a wood barrier at the abse of the tree using cut down branches and small tree trunks. We sharpened some of the branches and has it faced outwards. It may not be much, but its a comfort in these dangerous times.

I would like to point out that the rations given is bland and dry although they are nutritous to the military person, but we are scientist and deserved some extras as we are not trained to eat these.A point I will raise with the command.

While waiting, we recorded about fifty five species which came to the pond including raptors. Nasty birds.

The troops finally arrived at 1600hr led by the main primate, named King. The following is the recording of the troops at the pond.

Report from Doctor Leong Hah Wai; Zoologist/Bio-Tech/

1830hr

We just witnessed probably the first form of the incredible primate as its comes into our view. There is the prime primate named silverbacks which is a large species walking on their limbs, and in tow is the troop. I counted three more adults silverbacks primates and ten females primates of which three are young ones. There is another four blackbacks with an assorted twelve more of the young ones in tow from babes to young adult. The prime primate took the lead and reached the pond first. The primate took a whiff of the area for scents of any predator and then took its drink of water. It will then moved to a clump of bushes and sits itself there watching the troop as they take their turns in the pond. After the drinking feast, they will proceed to lie around the pond to picked up whatever greens they can eat. The primates are expected to consume a twice a day between rests.

It was then I saw an incredible bout between two silveback apes. The challenger walked up to the other silverback who was harassing a young female. It started off with a few proddings and pushes before it erupt into a full fight. Both primates grabbed at each other trying to find a hold that they can drop the opponent. They will encircle each other to look for the correct opening, and pushed for it. This was what happened and the primate on the top starts to punch the fallen foe. But the fallen foe has yet to give up as it kicked up with its legs and shoved the other one on top aside. It got up and spring onto the  challenger primate and lands its teeth on the left shoulder of the primate. Its bite must had been painful as the primate shriek out in pain and pushed the offending ape off its shoulder. It held onto the bleeding shoulder with its right hand and ran off. The vctorious ape gave out a thunderous roar and took its place near the pond. Its stooped down to sip the water and pushed it right hand into the water. It came out grabbing a slittering reptile which it hurl to the other bank side of the pond. The reptile slitters back into the water for security. The ape then proceeded to sit down and picked up what appear to be a fruit. It munched into it watched by the prime primate like their King on the throne. Wiithout any warning, the prime primate rushed at the victorious ape and started hitting it on its back. The other smaller silverback quickly took its to its heel and ran for the other side of the pond. The prime primate then stood on its hind legs and howled out its victorious call. Its still the King here.

Report from Specialist Pedro Mano; Tracker and Sniper.Stealth Expert.

1914hr

I saw the creature coming in at the ground level from my high platform. It looked like a Coelophysis and it could lost or detached from its pack. But I am not sure. But I am sure its eyeing our supply and will be a threat the duo ahead on the branch. I scanned the surrounding and evaluate my odds. The creature is a about five foot in length and looks to be a nimble creature that way its moves.

I have little time, so I lowered myself down the by the high tensile wire attached to the pulley at the top of the heavy branch. Its designed to lower and pulled me up to the branch quick and silent. I took out myK2  energise blade and rapple downwards heads first and slash the creature off its head with one swing of the blade. The headless creature went into a frenzy and ran around knocking into the trees and undergrowth before it dropped dead. I was winched up and saw the feeding frenzy going on in the forest flooring.

I switched off my blade and took a sigh of gratitude on my own skills. Thats the third would be predator I have taken care of today. I can still recall those nightmares of my previous injuries and how I fought to survive till today.

Its going to be a long night. Sleep well, Doctor.

Day 6

Communications told me of the update on Team Ape, and I am relieved by it. They will be back tomorrow and I hoped to have a positive report from them.

‘Commander, I would like to request to use the Bubble for a survelliance of my people.’ When Major Shaw puts in such a request, you normally nod your consent or be ready to be questioned and answered by her. I nodded my approval so she can get out of my Command Centre.

‘Commander, we have uploaded the inventory report of all the supplies from EDS Columbus. You might want to see this.’

The SB2001S; a super lightweight design superbike for military uses. Its a powerful single seater rider mounted two hubless wheel vehicle for those who needs speed and mobilityin traversing these jungles. Its a Track Speed Bike build for enthusiats who likes to feel the feel of running at highspeed without much care on safety. For the exploration uses, it has a built in comms unit and a mounted metal projectile gun with twenty shots ammo load on each side of the front of the bike. Its a mean machine for one likes to ride wild. And there are two of these ‘creatures’ named as ‘Dragonflight’.

I was on the bike sweeping the plateau to reach Tip’s Nest in record time to see the Major Shaw taking off on the Bubble. I turned the machine around and speed onto the other outposts. When I reached the plains, I saw a T-Rex chasing its dinner. I sped by it and gave it my run around it with the speed of my bike Then I ran circled around it and got it very agitated that it forgotten its dinner. I was away before it jaws can snapped me.

‘Commander, you might want to come in. We got a problem with Outpost Three.’ I hate commands.

And  I hate Outpost Three.

‘Corporal Duffy, do you copy?’ I looked at the Specialist on the comms and she shook her head. They have not called in since their last update six hours ago. Outpost Three and Five are the only exceptional outpost to do a four hours checked in due to their location. I signaled the team to move out; twelve personnel in the ATV2, including three medics specialist. Its now almost 1600hr and I got forty minutes to get there.

We made it to the outpost perimeter and saw the defense wall down. I motioned to the driver to move slowly into the yard. The structures are still there but two of them has the entrance opened. It was one of the military and one science lab. There were scenes of carnage there with bloods and dead raptors around. I can hear the automated revolving twin cannons still active and its scanning for hostiles. I saw the ATV still there with one LTV. The other LTV is turned on its side at the end of the yard.

I signaled the team to split into two squads of six each. Squad One will explore the structure with me, while the Squad Two to check the perimeter. As we stepped out, the intact military unit opened its door and out came Corporal Duffy followed by others.

Report from Corporal Duffy, Outpost Three.

Day 6 Week 6

0900hr

There are six of us with six Scientific personnels that day. At 0845hr, Doctor Kincaid requested for permission to take a ATV with his assistant Doctor Michel Plant to do some field tests. I assigned Specialist Caroline to guard them. I was standing at the yard when I saw them climbed into the LTV. Specialist Caroline called in on her comms for the wall section at the exit to be switched off. For some reason, the person at the command centre pulled the wrong switch; it shut off the entire wall.

‘Get the darned wall up!’ I shouted but the call was too late.

Two raptors has rushed in on seeing the opportunity and headed for the LTV which is about to leave. I saw the threat and unslung my PDW to shoot at the raptors but more turned up. My earlier blast did hit the raptors but its did not do much damage. I was switch to full charge when I saw the others coming in too. I had to switch my attention and shoot at those too. I managed to get on with a concentrated blast on one raptor but these guns are not effective unless its concentrated and near.

The automated cannons then came into action, but the raptors were agile and fast. One of them has cleared by me and ran into the Command Centre. Inside is Recruit Stevens and Specialist Tham. I don;t think they made it as I heard shots, and then another two raptor ran in. I wanted to help but I know I will be dead inside too.

I ran for the other military structure and locked the place up. Inside was Recruit Tomlins and Recruit Ian firing from the firing vents. I looked towards the science units and saw it secured. I comms the other scientist to stayed in and grab their weapons. The scientist did what they were trained in; firing like we did with their guns biut they are firing blind.

I saw the LTV overturned as one of the scientist tried to evade the raptors by driving to the other side of the yard. But they could not make it as one of the raptors jumped into the driver’s seat. The LTV went off on a sharp turn and overturned. I saw Doctor Kincaid staggering out with wounds bleeding but next he was attacked by another raptor. Two more raptors jumped into the LTV and I can hardly described the scene. Specialist Caroline jumped out of the LTV covered in blood but she did not run far before she collapsed.

I saw one raptors went into the science structure which we used as store. Soon the others followed it suit. By then we have stopped firing and watched the feeding as the raptors tore the storage unit inside out and comms structure. We tried to communicate but our long range units are in the other structure.

It was over as soon as it started and we sat to wait until we saw you coming.

I found more to it than reported by Corporal Duffy. The cannons works as he said but it was not calibrated correctly so its was firing off its actual target line. Hence the poor shooting of the cannons.

More to it, we found six raptors carcasses, and we reckon the pack that came was about twenty of them or more. I switched back the defense wall and did the necessary to the outpost.

We lost three military and two scientist personnel that day. There are more things to do than riding a bike across the land.

Day 7

We had our first burial details that day at the newly assigned location named Boot’s Hill, after the a name we found in the archive. We do not buried the dead as we fear it will contaminate the ground, so we incinerate them in a special structure for this purpose. But we did buried the ashes into the ground as a sign of respect.

Five good people were laid to rest, and we all said our own prayers to our new existence in New Pangaea.