Darwin's Soldiers: Disruptive Selection

aabicus (LettuceBacon&Tomato) · **Reply #4780 on:** February 01, 2012, 02:17:41 PM

Dr. Zenarchis' plane landed on a lonely airstrip in Washington DC.

"Kerzach, help the pilot button down the plane and then follow me," Zenarchis. "I have to speak with O'Neil about the skirmish we just witnessed and Montgomery's death."

He strode out of the plane. Five minutes later, his scream echoed back to them.

The pilot drew his sidearm and led the way out of the plane.

Serris · **Reply #4781 on:** February 03, 2012, 02:32:21 AM

Dr. Kerzach grabbed a shotgun from a locker in the plane, loaded it and stepped out of the plane.

The airstrip was dimly lit so he had to move very carefully. The disused airstrip had a heavy scent of jet fuel but Dr. Kerzach's avian physiology cursed him with a nearly nonexistent sense of smell.

"Zenarchis, where are you?" he called out. He silently cursed himself for doing so; he had just given away his position.

Nick22 · **Reply #4782 on:** February 03, 2012, 09:02:51 PM

The morning arrived in the hotel and Aisha Stirred from the bed. " alright guys time to get up" she yawned and stretched. Aisha gor dressed and went over to the other side of the bed " roiux! Time to get up. We're heading out today!
Landon stirred from his bed.. " what time is it? He mummbled. "6:54. I know its early but I'd like to get a move on. Dragonstorms not waiting around, so we can't afford to either.. " landon got out of bed, dressed,headed into the bathroom and splashed some cold water in his face.. ' After a few minutes he came out. ' we'll head down to the breakfast area and wait for the others. I hope they have some good cofee here, but realistically I doubt it..

Serris · **Reply #4783 on:** February 04, 2012, 01:38:24 AM

Alfred was awakened by his cell phone ringing. "Too damn early," he muttered as he groped for his phone.

"Hello?" he said sleepily.

"Hello, Al, bet you're surprised to see me."

"Get lost, you f---ing prankster!"

"Now is that any way to treat someone who just saved your lives last night at Deadwood Youth Correctional Facility?"

Alfred leapt out of bed. He suddenly recognized that voice. The deep, harsh, gravelly voice only belonged to one person - Gustave Chiumbo.

"Gustave? But how?"

"Go to hospital and I'll tell you the real story." The phone clicked as Gustave hung up.

Alfred silently cheered. He then went to the bathroom to freshen up.

aabicus (LettuceBacon&Tomato) · **Reply #4784 on:** February 05, 2012, 04:46:41 AM

When morning came, Sharon cracked open her eyes to see James sleeping on a sheet-covered mattress. The blanket had fallen off of them in the night.

She didn't get out of bed or move immediately. She just spent some time observing her lover, smiling to herself. Death's foreboding warning still loomed over, but she felt a sense of closure, at the least.

Well, if it has to end today...at least it happened, she thought to herself.

--------------------------

Shelton continued snoring loudly in his dark room.

In his dream, he was riding a covered wagon through an amusement park. As umbrellas twirled in the sky to the tune of REM's "Shiny Happy People (Feeling Glad)", he took it off a jump, to the delight and admiration of the dinosaurs.

<If you'd have landed that, I'd give you at least an 8.8,> he heard as he crashed into the roof that was somehow now in the sky.

The horrific crash and the voice wrenched him out of sleep. <ROSS?> He blinked and tried to get his bearings.

<It took longer than I thought to relocate your signal after losing it. It never occured to me that you would have spontaneously teleported several dozen miles without leaving any sort of electronic trail. Would you mind explaining how you did that?>

<Yes.> Shelton crawled out of bed. Like he always did, ROSS gave him a terrible headache. <Just stop talking to me for now.>

<I gave you eight hours of sleep, the optimal length for your age group according to several housewife advice columns,> ROSS continued as Shelton headed into the bathroom. <I've narrowed down your method of transportation to several unlikely possibilities, but most involve faster-than-light travel. What time does your watch say right now?>

Shelton didn't answer as he splashed his face with water, then turned on the shower.

--------------------

(Washington DC)

A huge lumbering creature was prowling the airfield. It was horribly battered, burnt and scarred, but still stumbled around consciously. It smelled Zenarchis, who was cowering behind a large stack of tires hardly twenty feet away from the creature.

"We have to protect Zenarchis!" the pilot gasped. He sprinted to the left to catch the creature's attention. "Hey!" he yelled after he was a slight distance away from the plane, emptying his pistol clip at the creature.

Despite its weakened state, the creature leapt at him from sixty feet away and devoured him in a matter of seconds. It then sniffed the air; it had picked up Kerzach's scent.

StarfallRaptor · **Reply #4785 on:** February 05, 2012, 06:59:07 PM

Roux rolled out of the bed, landing in a heap of tangled sheets and legs.
"Mph...Already, Aisha? I was hoping for some quality cuddle time..."
She giggled as she fished around for what little clothes she had...
_________________________________________________________________________

Neku stood up, body crackling with electricity as he looked around his room...
_________________________________________________________________________

Hawkeye yawned, standing up from his system sleep cycle.
"Morning...hmph. Alright, I guess it's a good thing that I finished these..."
He muttered, looking at the table, where several silver bracelets and similar items shone...

Cancerian Tiger · **Reply #4786 on:** February 05, 2012, 07:36:22 PM

A heavyweight person walked hard down the corridor outside Dr. Williams' room, causing her ears to twitch in response to the sound. She then gazed sleepily over at an alarm clock on the nightstand.

"Morning already? Holy crap," she said groggily to herself before stretching out.

Serris · **Reply #4787 on:** February 06, 2012, 02:56:42 AM

(Platanna Town)

Dr. Zanasiu got out of bed and grabbed the clothes that were in the bathroom. They had dried enough to put on.

While the man was putting his clothes on, Sharon entered the bathroom to wash up.

------------------------

Alfred headed down to the lobby to get breakfast. Unfortunately, it was too early so he just sat on the couch and read a newspaper.

------------------------

(Washington DC)

Dr. Kerzach ran back to the plane and got in the turret. He spooled up the gatling gun and opened fire on the creature. Thankfully, the tracer fire lit up the night to the point he could see the creature.

MrDrake · **Reply #4788 on:** February 07, 2012, 12:24:13 AM

Kiara sat up as the morning sun entered her room. She glanced to Kagetora who seemed to be still asleep as she stretch and getting out of bed lazily, gabbing her walking stick and heading out towards the kichen area of their room withot bothering to get dressed straight away.

She turned the jug on and started to boil it up just so she could get some coffee into her system and wake herself up more easily, yawning again as she just waited there.

aabicus (LettuceBacon&Tomato) · **Reply #4789 on:** February 07, 2012, 12:35:46 AM

The creature charged forward, but stumbled in the wake of the hail of gunfire. After several dozen seconds of concentrated fire, its ammo-riddled body finally collapsed. It was practically a bloody pulp of blood and bullets by the time it finally succumbed.

Zenarchis returned to the ship and observed the creature. His face betrayed neither recognition nor surprise. "We need to leave in case it is not quite dead; if I'm correct in this creature's origins, I believe it has regenerative properties. Sadly we no longer have a pilot."

He turned to Kerzach. "If I recall correctly, you flew a small plane like this one from New Peenemunde to Deadwood. Is that right?"

---------------------------

Shelton wrapped a towel around his waist and retrieved his clothes. He observed his black DS-1 windbreaker. It was still too obvious to walk around in. He'd have to find another shirt, and while it pained him, he knew where he could get one.

Serris · **Reply #4790 on:** February 08, 2012, 02:13:24 AM

(DC Airstrip)

Dr. Kerzach nodded. "Indeed, sir." He then got out of the turret and got in the pilot's seat and buckled himself in.

He looked at the fuel gauge. Unfortunately, they were low on fuel and the airstrip looked like it hadn't been used for years.

"Dr. Zenarchis, he said as he started the engines. "We are low on fuel. I do not know how far we can make it but -" he got out a navigation chart and an aviation guide "- we should land at the nearest small airport and refuel. As this is a jet plane, fuel will be a little harder to find."

-------------------

(Platanna Town Hotel)

Alfred paid the manager the money he owed for cracking the floor tiles. By now, the breakfast bar was open and the guests were starting to arrive. He grabbed a plate and helped himself to some hashbrowns, pancakes and four bananas.

Zachary was the next to arrive but a big Bison clad in jeans and a muscle tee-shirt cut in line. He kept his face neutral but his tail lashed side to side - a classic sign of equine displeasure.

Spc. Crota, Sgt. Masters and Neville were the next to arrive as they stood in line behind Zachary.

Spc. Crota yawned, exposing two long fangs as he grabbed his plate. "Where is everyone else?"

Neville helped himself to some pancakes along with an apple. "Probably still sleeping."

aabicus (LettuceBacon&Tomato) · **Reply #4791 on:** February 08, 2012, 06:15:37 PM

Alfred grabbed some more hash browns and followed Neville to a table. "We need to get back to the hospital," he said. "I got a call from Gustave. He's alive."

Neville choked on his orange juice. "What?"

Crota hadn't sat down yet. His plate was still empty; he was looking at the steaming tray of bacon only a few people down the line from him.

Zachary sat down with his food. "We can make the trip. We have to pick up Aimee from the airport too, right Neville?"

"Her plane lands in one hour," Neville agreed, as Shelton entered the breakfast bar. Not bothering to wait in line, he piled all the remaining bacon on a plate and walked to the table past Crota, who looked scandalized.

"Nice shirt," Alfred sniggered. Shelton had bought a Barney purple shirt emblazoned with the hotel logo from the gift shop.

Shelton sleepily ate his bacon.

--------------------

"We'll make do, I have money," Zenarchis acquiesced. "You have proven to be an extremely useful assistant. I should have chosen brains over brawn in my bodyguards before you."

Serris · **Reply #4792 on:** February 08, 2012, 08:27:12 PM

Spc. Crota piled catfish sausage and nova salmon on his plate. "So Gustave's an immortal apparently."

Dr. Zanasiu arrived with Sharon and Dr. Bailey and stood in-line.

Dr. Bailey immediately poured himself a cup of the strongest coffee they had. "So what's the plan?" he asked.

"Let's eat, then talk about our plans for today," Dr. Zanasiu said.

------------------

Alfred was eating his rather sizable portion of hash browns with a mug of ice cold orange juice.

"Man, and I thought I had a huge appetite," Neville muttered as he used his pocketknife to peel his apple.

Sgt. Masters gulped down two whole catfish sausages - without chewing. "You know, we really should see if Gustave's okay."

"I'd rather not. Don't know when he just might up and dismember you for looking at him weird," Spc. Crota muttered as he slithered up to them and climbed onto the couch next to the wall.

------------------

(Somewhere over Delaware)

The plane cruised through the clear blue sky at 17,000 feet.

Dr. Kerzach was eating a bowl of vegetarian chili while the plane flew on autopilot.

Dr. Zenarchis was in the passenger compartment planning his next move.

aabicus (LettuceBacon&Tomato) · **Reply #4793 on:** February 11, 2012, 05:14:58 AM

After an hour Neville stood up. "Who wants to go with me to the airport to pick up Aimee?"

"Will we also go see Gustave?" asked Alfred.

"Other direction. We can swing around and pick the rest up later."

Shelton shook his head. "I'd rather go outside as infrequently as possible. I'm hoping they'll think I died at Deadwood."

"Good choice of clothes. That tacky purple shirt is totally conspicuous," Crota commented sacrastically.

"Shelton, we've still got your Schutzhund suit in the car," mentioned Zachary. "Just be careful with it, or you'll break a vein of paint."

Something clicked in Shelton's head. "Can I come too?" he said. "I need James and... Someone else. Someone Dragonstorm already knows is against them."

"I'll go," said Sharon, standing up.

"What?" asked Alfred.

"There was an incident involving a computer backup base... long story," she replied as she followed Neville out of the room."

Nick22 · **Reply #4794 on:** February 11, 2012, 08:17:21 PM

I'll come with you Aisha said to the others " aisha said picking at her hash browns, which were soggy and greasy.. " i want how the heck Gustave managed to survive his wouns.."
I'd like to know that too Landon saiod spping from his cofee while gazing casually at a newspaper. " His injuries were really bad.. apparently, he managed somehow to recover..

Serris · **Reply #4795 on:** February 13, 2012, 02:18:43 AM

Neville went outside to the SUV and started the engine. He breathed in the warm desert air.

Sharon and Dr. Zanasiu got in and waited for Aisha and Dr. Landon.

---------------

Dr. Bailey turned to the other members in the group. An empty plate and a mug of coffee was in front of him. "All right, we need to buy ammo and supplies for our target shooting practice."

Spc. Crota, Sgt. Masters and the Mongoose Cobalt soldier knew what the Monitor Lizard meant by "target shooting".

---------------

(Platanna Town Medical Center)

Gustave was lying in the hospital bed. His face was covered in bandages and an IV stuck out of his left arm. Some bloody bandages covered the stab wound in his muscular chest.

A Krait nurse came in with his breakfast - catfish hash and some water. "Here you are sir," he said.

"Thanks," Gustave growled as he dug into the plate. The nurse slithered out as Gustave picked up the remote control. He let loose a rather remarkable stream of profanity as he found out that the TV would cost him money.

aabicus (LettuceBacon&Tomato) · **Reply #4796 on:** February 14, 2012, 12:38:43 AM

About an hour later, Neville arrived at the airport. "Aimee!" he yelled, waving his hand out the window.

Though Aisha and Landon were still in the car, the others weren't.

aabicus (LettuceBacon&Tomato) · **Reply #4797 on:** February 18, 2012, 04:55:43 PM

Zachary looked around at everyone. "Once Neville gets back, who's going to go see Gustave with us?"he asked.

StarfallRaptor · **Reply #4798 on:** February 18, 2012, 06:05:14 PM

Roux casually teleported into the car in Aisha's lap.
"Hey, hun."
She giggled...

Nick22 · **Reply #4799 on:** February 18, 2012, 06:33:08 PM

wher have you been? aisjha askjed as they got out of the car and began to follow thew others..