Cerebral Paladin
First Post
Heh. The GM playing to the players' interests is always a good idea. Ladybird is a notorious fan of dinosaurs.
The Cheyenne Mountain Irregulars: A Stargate Story Hour. Updated 7/20
Ladybird
First Post
Cerebral Paladin said:
Hee! Yes, I was quite happy at the prospect of dinosaurs, and happily suprised that Obezyanchik put them on this planet. I don't think it was intended specifically as a present for me, but I certainly enjoyed it.
And the fact that (as we'll see in future episodes) Kathleen has a nephew who's crazy about dinosaurs has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that my own nephew loves dinosaurs. Really. Not an opportunity for me to gratuitously mention my nephew, the Cutest Toddler in the World. Not at all
Ladybird
First Post
Episode 2: Don't Drink the Water. Part 9 - On the Absence of Things
If anything could motivate the stoned villagers and members of SG-14 to action, it was the possibility that a dinosaur might be nearby.
After a hurried conversation with Major McNair that covered most of the same ground as the first meetings with the other members of SG-14 – yes, we’re here to look for you, yes, you missed your check-in – and after she and the villagers had a chance to catch their breath, a small group headed back out to try to find the ‘hagadis.’ Marka , Dr. Haas, and Major McNair led SG-17 upstream, following approximately the same path that Joe and Ked’rec had taken at first, then veering off on another trail, away from the source of the river.
“It was just up ahead,” McNair said, dropping her voice to a sudden whisper as she came to a halt in the middle of the path. “In the blueberry patch in that clearing.” Marka nodded in worried agreement. Ked’rec exchanged a quick look with the other members of SG-17, then took up a point position, weapon raised, ahead of the others. He edged further down the dusty trail, disappearing behind the tree line as he stepped into the clearing.
“It has gone,” Ked’rec called back a moment later. “There is nothing there.”
Relieved, the rest of the group moved into the clearing. Ked’rec already had the video camera out, and was aiming it at the ground as he walked slowly forward, parallel to the path of a set of large footprints. Kathleen pulled out her own camera and went over to take a few snapshots of her own. “Those really do look like dinosaur footprints,” she marveled, as she looked down at the huge clawed marks. “Probably something similar to a velociraptor, only bigger.” Reinhart looked at her curiously, and she shrugged, grinning up at him. “I’ve got an eight-year-old nephew. I know more about dinosaurs than I ever thought I wanted to.”
“According to the UAV surveillance, there was another marshy area not far beyond this clearing.” It was Orieth talking, although (probably in deference to Marka’s presence) he was using Joe’s voice. “Perhaps we should look at it, to see if it contains the same substance as the water in the river.”
To everyone’s surprise, including Marka’s, the water in the second marsh was completely clear. Orieth hurried over, starting to take samples with his usual meticulous care, while Kathleen skirted the edge of the marsh to look at some small plants growing by the edge of the water. “Mr. Healy, could you get some samples of these, too?” she called. “These look like unripe cranberries – I’m wondering how much they’re like Earth cranberries.” She grinned as she looked back down at the little white berries. “This planet is reminding me more and more of Cape Cod by the minute.”
“I believe the creature went off in this direction,” Ked’rec interjected, pointing off towards the scrubby evergreens clustered around the edge of the marsh. “It is gone, but we should still be on our guard in case it returns.”
“All right,” Kathleen agreed. “Now, what about this person that you saw living out here? Joost, was that his name?” She looked to Marka for confirmation, and received a nod of confirmation, and another disapproving frown at the mention of the hermit’s name.
”His cabin is not far from here,” Ked’rec replied. “We can easily lead you to it.”
As the group started to head off down the trail again, Major McNair wiped her forehead with the back of her hand, brushing away perspiration. “Whew! It’s getting hot…” She reached for her canteen, and started to unscrew the top.
“Major, wait!” Kathleen hurried to catch up with her counterpart, and held out her own canteen, filled with fresh water from back on Earth. “Here. Try mine instead.” For once, Kathleen was grateful for the lack of curiosity that the brown water seemed to inspire: Major McNair took the canteen without question, and drank. All right. Let’s see if we can get her sober first, and then we’ll work on the others.
But by the time they were halfway back to the main trail, McNair’s face was pale under the brim of her cap, and she winced as the sun fell across her face. “I don’t know where this headache came from…” she muttered. Kathleen quickly handed over her own canteen again, but her eyes were shadowed with concern.
But McNair’s headache only worsened, and soon she was grimacing in pain, and stumbling over her feet. Kathleen reached out to steady her – but this time, did not offer her own canteen. And after McNair had drunk some more of the brown water from her own canteen, the strained look began to disappear, and she straightened up from under the weight of her pain.
Kathleen sighed, and dropped back to speak quietly to Reinhart. “It looks like she was starting to go through withdrawal.”
The young lieutenant nodded, his worried frown matching Kathleen’s. “If we want to get SG-14 off of this, we’re going to need to find another way to do it.”
If anything could motivate the stoned villagers and members of SG-14 to action, it was the possibility that a dinosaur might be nearby.
After a hurried conversation with Major McNair that covered most of the same ground as the first meetings with the other members of SG-14 – yes, we’re here to look for you, yes, you missed your check-in – and after she and the villagers had a chance to catch their breath, a small group headed back out to try to find the ‘hagadis.’ Marka , Dr. Haas, and Major McNair led SG-17 upstream, following approximately the same path that Joe and Ked’rec had taken at first, then veering off on another trail, away from the source of the river.
“It was just up ahead,” McNair said, dropping her voice to a sudden whisper as she came to a halt in the middle of the path. “In the blueberry patch in that clearing.” Marka nodded in worried agreement. Ked’rec exchanged a quick look with the other members of SG-17, then took up a point position, weapon raised, ahead of the others. He edged further down the dusty trail, disappearing behind the tree line as he stepped into the clearing.
“It has gone,” Ked’rec called back a moment later. “There is nothing there.”
Relieved, the rest of the group moved into the clearing. Ked’rec already had the video camera out, and was aiming it at the ground as he walked slowly forward, parallel to the path of a set of large footprints. Kathleen pulled out her own camera and went over to take a few snapshots of her own. “Those really do look like dinosaur footprints,” she marveled, as she looked down at the huge clawed marks. “Probably something similar to a velociraptor, only bigger.” Reinhart looked at her curiously, and she shrugged, grinning up at him. “I’ve got an eight-year-old nephew. I know more about dinosaurs than I ever thought I wanted to.”
“According to the UAV surveillance, there was another marshy area not far beyond this clearing.” It was Orieth talking, although (probably in deference to Marka’s presence) he was using Joe’s voice. “Perhaps we should look at it, to see if it contains the same substance as the water in the river.”
To everyone’s surprise, including Marka’s, the water in the second marsh was completely clear. Orieth hurried over, starting to take samples with his usual meticulous care, while Kathleen skirted the edge of the marsh to look at some small plants growing by the edge of the water. “Mr. Healy, could you get some samples of these, too?” she called. “These look like unripe cranberries – I’m wondering how much they’re like Earth cranberries.” She grinned as she looked back down at the little white berries. “This planet is reminding me more and more of Cape Cod by the minute.”
“I believe the creature went off in this direction,” Ked’rec interjected, pointing off towards the scrubby evergreens clustered around the edge of the marsh. “It is gone, but we should still be on our guard in case it returns.”
“All right,” Kathleen agreed. “Now, what about this person that you saw living out here? Joost, was that his name?” She looked to Marka for confirmation, and received a nod of confirmation, and another disapproving frown at the mention of the hermit’s name.
”His cabin is not far from here,” Ked’rec replied. “We can easily lead you to it.”
As the group started to head off down the trail again, Major McNair wiped her forehead with the back of her hand, brushing away perspiration. “Whew! It’s getting hot…” She reached for her canteen, and started to unscrew the top.
“Major, wait!” Kathleen hurried to catch up with her counterpart, and held out her own canteen, filled with fresh water from back on Earth. “Here. Try mine instead.” For once, Kathleen was grateful for the lack of curiosity that the brown water seemed to inspire: Major McNair took the canteen without question, and drank. All right. Let’s see if we can get her sober first, and then we’ll work on the others.
But by the time they were halfway back to the main trail, McNair’s face was pale under the brim of her cap, and she winced as the sun fell across her face. “I don’t know where this headache came from…” she muttered. Kathleen quickly handed over her own canteen again, but her eyes were shadowed with concern.
But McNair’s headache only worsened, and soon she was grimacing in pain, and stumbling over her feet. Kathleen reached out to steady her – but this time, did not offer her own canteen. And after McNair had drunk some more of the brown water from her own canteen, the strained look began to disappear, and she straightened up from under the weight of her pain.
Kathleen sighed, and dropped back to speak quietly to Reinhart. “It looks like she was starting to go through withdrawal.”
The young lieutenant nodded, his worried frown matching Kathleen’s. “If we want to get SG-14 off of this, we’re going to need to find another way to do it.”
Cerebral Paladin
First Post
Incidentally, for those looking for another fix of Ladybird storyhour goodness, she's currently guest writing Aphonion Tales. I think she's doing a great job, and I think that storyhour as a whole is worth reading (not that I'm biased or anything-- I'm the primary author of that storyhour). She'll be writing up one session's worth, there.
Ladybird
First Post
Awwwww Thank you for the plug, CP!
I'm having a lot of fun with the change of style (high fantasy vs. sci-fi) that writing the Aphonion Story Hour has given me. CP himself is a tough act to follow in the Story Hour department (there's no way that I could keep all those elven names and twisty plots straight the way he does!) but I'm grateful for his vote of confidence!
And for anyone who is reading Aphonion, I will have another post up soon...and another Cheyenne post up on my usual weekly schedule, as long as work and academia don't rise up to swallow me again...
Thank you for the plug, CP! I'm having a lot of fun with the change of style (high fantasy vs. sci-fi) that writing the Aphonion Story Hour has given me. CP himself is a tough act to follow in the Story Hour department (there's no way that I could keep all those elven names and twisty plots straight the way he does!) but I'm grateful for his vote of confidence!
And for anyone who is reading Aphonion, I will have another post up soon...and another Cheyenne post up on my usual weekly schedule, as long as work and academia don't rise up to swallow me again...
Ladybird
First Post
Episode 2: Don't Drink the Water. Part 10 - The Old Man of the Mountain
The scrubby pine forest dimmed as the sun sank towards the horizon, providing respite from the heat of the day. The scurrying sounds of animals and strange hooting calls of birds echoed between the trees as the group made their way up the winding trail towards Joost’s isolated cabin. Marka’s expression was darkening, too, as they drew closer.
“She doesn’t approve of him,” Dr. Haas said quietly, relaying the young villager’s discontented words to the others. Major McNair had gone back to the village to rest, leaving only Dr. Haas and Marka to accompany SG-17 to the reclusive man’s cabin. “She won’t say exactly why, but she doesn’t.”
Kathleen glanced worriedly behind her at Marka. “Does she have any tips on how we should approach him?”
“If it were up to her, I don’t think we’d be going at all,” Dr. Haas replied.
“I shall remain outside to keep watch,” Ked’rec offered, as the group rounded the bend into Joost’s clearing. “It does not appear that there will be a great deal of room inside his house.”
“All right,” Kathleen agreed. With swift, silent steps, the Jaffa split off from the group, heading off to patrol the edge of the clearing, while the others made their way up the path towards the cabin.
The rough-hewn wooden door swung open, and a man stood in the open doorway, staring warily at the group of strangers. Joost was only in his late 40s, but his hair was heavily sprinkled with gray, and his face bore the weathered lines of someone who had had a hard life, and one spent mostly outside in the strong sun. His eyes were pale blue, and narrowed sharply as he gave an inquisitive glance at the odd clothing and equipment of the Stargate personnel.
Kathleen met his eyes directly, and a matching spark rose to answer his look, along with a smile. Finally – someone on this planet who’s curious! she thought. Now this, I can work with… “Dr. Haas, could you translate, please?” The other woman nodded, and Kathleen looked back up at Joost, offering another smile as she began, “Hello. We’re sorry to disturb you, but we were hoping that we could speak to you for a while.” She spoke slowly, leaving gaps for Dr. Haas to translate, but Joost was looking at Kathleen, listening intently to the unfamiliar language as she spoke it. “We’re explorers. From very far away,” she added, not going into any more detail than that for now. “We’re trying to get an idea of what this area is like, and you seem to be in the best place of anyone to observe the environment – the plants and wildlife. And the water,” Kathleen added, after a slight hesitation. “You have your own source of water here, don’t you?” Joost nodded slowly. Behind her, Kathleen could feel Marka starting to tense uncomfortably. “I’m curious about that, too.”
Throughout the speech, Joost’s expression had been softening, and while he didn’t exactly smile, the crinkles around his eyes rearranged themselves in a slightly more benevolent way as he nodded. “Come in.” With relief all around – except for Marka, who hung back with a disapproving glower – the group stepped inside. “So, are you from the coast?” Joost asked, through Dr. Haas, with another inquisitive look at the visitors’ strange clothes as they tried to arrange themselves around the small, sparsely-furnished cabin. “We haven’t had much trade with them lately, but I didn’t think that things had changed quite so much.”
“No, we’re from…er, farther away,” Kathleen said awkwardly.
Joost nodded, taking in the information with a thoughtful expression. “Well, it’s good to see travelers again, at least. There hasn’t been anything going on in this part of the riverlands for years.” He shot a disapproving look at Marka, who bristled upright at the implied insult, but she said nothing in return.
“It’s good to find someone who’s interested in meeting travelers,” Kathleen offered, along with another smile.
Joost rolled his eyes, but good-naturedly. “I wouldn’t be living out here if I wanted to talk to people. But it’s better than what’s going on in the village.”
“There’s nothing wrong with the village!” Marka snapped suddenly, breaking Dr. Haas out of the steady rhythm of her translation. The botanist looked back and forth between the two locals, startled and uncomfortable, but continued to translate, even as Marka’s unfocused anger rose. “Just because you think that you’re too good for the rest of us – “
“It isn’t that,” Joost retorted. “You’re too caught up in that brown water to see what it’s doing to you.” He turned to Kathleen again, speaking with greater force as he explained, “It’s changing them. Drinking that water makes them lazy, and tired all the time. You’ve seen the village? The fields that don’t have any crops in them? The houses that are standing empty around the edges, because there aren’t any people in them? Nobody’s having children anymore, are they?”
“We’re happy with the way we live! We have everything we need.” Marka protested, with rising anger, but the slow cadence of her words drew an ‘I told you so’ look from Joost.
“My father could see what was happening,” Joost went on, looking back to the visitors. “Trade was going down even then, because nobody had the energy to go down the river to the coast. They just sat around and drank that water. My father always wanted to move out of the village, but never managed to do it. Still, he spent most of his time out in the woods – he’s the one who taught me how to fend for myself. So as soon as I was old enough, I came out here.”
“You build this place yourself?” Joe interjected, with faint admiration in his voice. Dr. Haas looked back, surprised at the laconic Tok’ra’s participation, but she translated anyway, drawing a small, proud smile from Joost in response as he nodded.
“It wasn’t easy,” Joost continued. “But it was better than staying in the village. Better than being around all those people all the time. And better than keeping on drinking that water. Although it wasn’t easy to stop drinking it,” he added, his eyes growing shadowed and distant.
“How bad was it, when you stopped?” Kathleen asked, her voice soft with sympathy.
“Bad,” Joost said quietly. “Bad enough that I couldn’t get into the village for a few days. Bad enough that I thought…” He shook his head sharply, dismissing the memories, but Kathleen and Reinhart exchanged worried looks as they recalled Major McNair's illness from just a brief period of withdrawal. Joost's frown lingered while he continued. “The cranberries helped. But it took a while for me to figure that out.”
“Cranberries?” Kathleen repeated, looking quizzically at Dr. Haas for confirmation of the word.
Joost nodded. “If you eat enough cranberries, it doesn’t matter how much of the brown water you drink – it won’t have any effect. My father said that that’s how we got along in the past. But nobody eats cranberries anymore. My father taught me how to prepare them, but they’re hard to cook. Nobody has the energy to figure it out these days. Just like everything else,” he said, with a pointed look at Marka, who glowered back.
“It’s just like methadone!” Reinhart exclaimed. Everyone turned to look at him, varying degrees of puzzlement on their faces. The young lieutenant flushed a little, and struggled to explain. “Well, methadone is used to treat heroin addiction. It acts on the same receptors in the brain that heroin does, so it blocks the heroin from having any effect. It sounds like these cranberries work the same way.”
“So that’s the cure?” Kathleen started to smile, startled and relieved by the simplicity of it all.
Reinhart hesitated. “Well, not exactly…”
“You can get hooked on methadone just like you can on heroin,” Joe put in. Another round of surprised looks was directed towards him, and he shrugged, muttering. “Saw a lot of it at the VA.” He pushed back Orieth’s tentative wave of sympathy at the shared memory, and let out a snort that drew a few more curious looks.
But Reinhart was already talking again. “That’s right. So we have to make sure that the same thing won’t happen with the cranberries.”
”All right,” Kathleen nodded. “Let’s take samples and get the chemistry folks back at the SGC on it. And we’ll ask them to get some Earth cranberries, too,” she added with a grin. “If the same chemicals are in Earth cranberries, then we’ll be able to get this thing fixed in no time.”
Reinhart glanced over at Marka, who had resumed glaring at Joost. “Except if they don’t want to fix it,” he said quietly.
“Well, we’ll still need to – “ A sharp rap at the wall cut off Kathleen’s next statement. Outside, framed dimly in the moonlight, Ked’rec had come to attention, his head was cocked, silent and listening. A few seconds later, Joe heard it too – a low grumbling sound that rose higher and opened up into a roar.
“Hagadis!” gasped Marka.
[Coming up next: When Dinosaurs Attack! – and the party’s very first combat.]
The scrubby pine forest dimmed as the sun sank towards the horizon, providing respite from the heat of the day. The scurrying sounds of animals and strange hooting calls of birds echoed between the trees as the group made their way up the winding trail towards Joost’s isolated cabin. Marka’s expression was darkening, too, as they drew closer.
“She doesn’t approve of him,” Dr. Haas said quietly, relaying the young villager’s discontented words to the others. Major McNair had gone back to the village to rest, leaving only Dr. Haas and Marka to accompany SG-17 to the reclusive man’s cabin. “She won’t say exactly why, but she doesn’t.”
Kathleen glanced worriedly behind her at Marka. “Does she have any tips on how we should approach him?”
“If it were up to her, I don’t think we’d be going at all,” Dr. Haas replied.
“I shall remain outside to keep watch,” Ked’rec offered, as the group rounded the bend into Joost’s clearing. “It does not appear that there will be a great deal of room inside his house.”
“All right,” Kathleen agreed. With swift, silent steps, the Jaffa split off from the group, heading off to patrol the edge of the clearing, while the others made their way up the path towards the cabin.
The rough-hewn wooden door swung open, and a man stood in the open doorway, staring warily at the group of strangers. Joost was only in his late 40s, but his hair was heavily sprinkled with gray, and his face bore the weathered lines of someone who had had a hard life, and one spent mostly outside in the strong sun. His eyes were pale blue, and narrowed sharply as he gave an inquisitive glance at the odd clothing and equipment of the Stargate personnel.
Kathleen met his eyes directly, and a matching spark rose to answer his look, along with a smile. Finally – someone on this planet who’s curious! she thought. Now this, I can work with… “Dr. Haas, could you translate, please?” The other woman nodded, and Kathleen looked back up at Joost, offering another smile as she began, “Hello. We’re sorry to disturb you, but we were hoping that we could speak to you for a while.” She spoke slowly, leaving gaps for Dr. Haas to translate, but Joost was looking at Kathleen, listening intently to the unfamiliar language as she spoke it. “We’re explorers. From very far away,” she added, not going into any more detail than that for now. “We’re trying to get an idea of what this area is like, and you seem to be in the best place of anyone to observe the environment – the plants and wildlife. And the water,” Kathleen added, after a slight hesitation. “You have your own source of water here, don’t you?” Joost nodded slowly. Behind her, Kathleen could feel Marka starting to tense uncomfortably. “I’m curious about that, too.”
Throughout the speech, Joost’s expression had been softening, and while he didn’t exactly smile, the crinkles around his eyes rearranged themselves in a slightly more benevolent way as he nodded. “Come in.” With relief all around – except for Marka, who hung back with a disapproving glower – the group stepped inside. “So, are you from the coast?” Joost asked, through Dr. Haas, with another inquisitive look at the visitors’ strange clothes as they tried to arrange themselves around the small, sparsely-furnished cabin. “We haven’t had much trade with them lately, but I didn’t think that things had changed quite so much.”
“No, we’re from…er, farther away,” Kathleen said awkwardly.
Joost nodded, taking in the information with a thoughtful expression. “Well, it’s good to see travelers again, at least. There hasn’t been anything going on in this part of the riverlands for years.” He shot a disapproving look at Marka, who bristled upright at the implied insult, but she said nothing in return.
“It’s good to find someone who’s interested in meeting travelers,” Kathleen offered, along with another smile.
Joost rolled his eyes, but good-naturedly. “I wouldn’t be living out here if I wanted to talk to people. But it’s better than what’s going on in the village.”
“There’s nothing wrong with the village!” Marka snapped suddenly, breaking Dr. Haas out of the steady rhythm of her translation. The botanist looked back and forth between the two locals, startled and uncomfortable, but continued to translate, even as Marka’s unfocused anger rose. “Just because you think that you’re too good for the rest of us – “
“It isn’t that,” Joost retorted. “You’re too caught up in that brown water to see what it’s doing to you.” He turned to Kathleen again, speaking with greater force as he explained, “It’s changing them. Drinking that water makes them lazy, and tired all the time. You’ve seen the village? The fields that don’t have any crops in them? The houses that are standing empty around the edges, because there aren’t any people in them? Nobody’s having children anymore, are they?”
“We’re happy with the way we live! We have everything we need.” Marka protested, with rising anger, but the slow cadence of her words drew an ‘I told you so’ look from Joost.
“My father could see what was happening,” Joost went on, looking back to the visitors. “Trade was going down even then, because nobody had the energy to go down the river to the coast. They just sat around and drank that water. My father always wanted to move out of the village, but never managed to do it. Still, he spent most of his time out in the woods – he’s the one who taught me how to fend for myself. So as soon as I was old enough, I came out here.”
“You build this place yourself?” Joe interjected, with faint admiration in his voice. Dr. Haas looked back, surprised at the laconic Tok’ra’s participation, but she translated anyway, drawing a small, proud smile from Joost in response as he nodded.
“It wasn’t easy,” Joost continued. “But it was better than staying in the village. Better than being around all those people all the time. And better than keeping on drinking that water. Although it wasn’t easy to stop drinking it,” he added, his eyes growing shadowed and distant.
“How bad was it, when you stopped?” Kathleen asked, her voice soft with sympathy.
“Bad,” Joost said quietly. “Bad enough that I couldn’t get into the village for a few days. Bad enough that I thought…” He shook his head sharply, dismissing the memories, but Kathleen and Reinhart exchanged worried looks as they recalled Major McNair's illness from just a brief period of withdrawal. Joost's frown lingered while he continued. “The cranberries helped. But it took a while for me to figure that out.”
“Cranberries?” Kathleen repeated, looking quizzically at Dr. Haas for confirmation of the word.
Joost nodded. “If you eat enough cranberries, it doesn’t matter how much of the brown water you drink – it won’t have any effect. My father said that that’s how we got along in the past. But nobody eats cranberries anymore. My father taught me how to prepare them, but they’re hard to cook. Nobody has the energy to figure it out these days. Just like everything else,” he said, with a pointed look at Marka, who glowered back.
“It’s just like methadone!” Reinhart exclaimed. Everyone turned to look at him, varying degrees of puzzlement on their faces. The young lieutenant flushed a little, and struggled to explain. “Well, methadone is used to treat heroin addiction. It acts on the same receptors in the brain that heroin does, so it blocks the heroin from having any effect. It sounds like these cranberries work the same way.”
“So that’s the cure?” Kathleen started to smile, startled and relieved by the simplicity of it all.
Reinhart hesitated. “Well, not exactly…”
“You can get hooked on methadone just like you can on heroin,” Joe put in. Another round of surprised looks was directed towards him, and he shrugged, muttering. “Saw a lot of it at the VA.” He pushed back Orieth’s tentative wave of sympathy at the shared memory, and let out a snort that drew a few more curious looks.
But Reinhart was already talking again. “That’s right. So we have to make sure that the same thing won’t happen with the cranberries.”
”All right,” Kathleen nodded. “Let’s take samples and get the chemistry folks back at the SGC on it. And we’ll ask them to get some Earth cranberries, too,” she added with a grin. “If the same chemicals are in Earth cranberries, then we’ll be able to get this thing fixed in no time.”
Reinhart glanced over at Marka, who had resumed glaring at Joost. “Except if they don’t want to fix it,” he said quietly.
“Well, we’ll still need to – “ A sharp rap at the wall cut off Kathleen’s next statement. Outside, framed dimly in the moonlight, Ked’rec had come to attention, his head was cocked, silent and listening. A few seconds later, Joe heard it too – a low grumbling sound that rose higher and opened up into a roar.
“Hagadis!” gasped Marka.
[Coming up next: When Dinosaurs Attack! – and the party’s very first combat.]
We want to see the Dinosaur!
We want to see the Dinosaur!
We want to see the Dinosaur!
So bring him out, here, on the floor!
We want to see the Dinosaur!
We want to see the Dinosaur!
We want to see the Dinosaur!
One's not enough, so give us more!
We want to see the Dinosaur!
We want to see the Dinosaur!
We want to see the Dinosaur!...
We want to see the Dinosaur!
We want to see the Dinosaur!
So bring him out, here, on the floor!
We want to see the Dinosaur!
We want to see the Dinosaur!
We want to see the Dinosaur!
One's not enough, so give us more!
We want to see the Dinosaur!
We want to see the Dinosaur!
We want to see the Dinosaur!...
Ladybird said:*giggle* Thank you, Steverooo! I am greatly amused
And, as I said over in Aphonion Tales, I apologize for the tardiness of this week's update - I've been out of town. I will have a glorious dinosaur fight for all of you, once I've gotten over my jetlag
I thought that you (and yer favorite Nevvy, the Cutest Toddler in All the World) might find that amusing...
No worries. We'll wait!
Ladybird
First Post
Episode 2: Don't Drink the Water. Part 11 - When Dinosaurs Attack!
By the time the hagadis roared a second time, everyone was on their feet.
“Stay here!” Kathleen cried, motioning to Joost and Marka. For once, the two locals were in agreement with each other – Marka sat as if frozen to her rough wooden chair, and Joost gave Kathleen a single curt nod of assent.
Another roar echoed through the dim forest. Ked’rec’s gun let out a staccato burst of bullets, and the hagadis shrieked in pain.
“What do I do?” Dr. Haas looked at Kathleen with wide, frightened eyes, her voice high and tight with apprehension.
“If you can shoot decently, come with us.” Kathleen’s words were short and clipped, coming nearly as quickly as Ked’rec’s machine gun fire. “Otherwise, stay here and stay safe. Reinhart, go out the front way. Mr. Healy – “
But Joe was already out the door by the time Kathleen turned to him, his gun raised and bored eyes suddenly wide and alert. Currents of anxious adrenaline ran through him – he could never be sure whose they were. It was Orieth who was thinking Danger! Danger!; he knew that. But there was excitement coming from somewhere deep inside him, too, rising up as he lifted his gun, and cresting in a shout as he came around the corner of the cabin to face the hagadis.
The creature was over eight feet tall, with huge taloned feet at the end of muscular legs, and viciously sharp claws on its waving arms. Its scaly hide shone dully in the moonlight, and its wide mouth opened as it advanced towards Ked’rec.
The Jaffa instantly sprang backwards, lowering his weapon to fire upon the hagadis again. His shots were joined by another burst from Joe, advancing even as Orieth’s thoughts continued to beat against his mind in rising panic.
Kathleen, turning the corner a second after Joe, watched the scene with her own mind racing. I’ll never be able to hit it, she thought, swinging her rifle down to take aim. Not at this distance. But if I can get it distracted…
The dinosaur lunged towards Ked’rec, claws slashing and head bending to bite at him. Kathleen sent a flurry of bullets flying just above the creature’s head. It reared back in furious confusion, still striking out towards Ked’rec – but it was distracted enough for the Jaffa to spring nimbly aside, taking aim once more.
Footsteps crunched on the dry, sandy ground as Reinhart and Haas stepped out of the cabin. With his eyes narrowed to scan the clearing and broad shoulders poised protectively in front of Dr. Haas, the young lieutenant was on his guard – and the first to spot the rustling in the bushes. “Another one!” he shouted. “Over here!”
The first hagadis let out another roar of pain as another one of Ked’rec’s shots hit home, but the sound was followed by another, higher-pitched sound – Dr. Haas, crying out in terror as a second dinosaur sprang forwards out of the bushes, directly at her.
I think they’ve got that one covered, Kathleen thought, and she wheeled around to face the second dinosaur. If it worked once, it can work again. And it looks like Dr. Haas will need more protection than Ked’rec. She sent a burst of shots towards the second creature, hoping to distract it in the same way that she had distracted the first.
Almost exactly at the same time, Dr. Haas let loose with a single, precise shot of her own. To everyone’s surprise, most of all her own, the shot hit true, slamming into the hagadis’s scaly chest, and sending the creature flailing backwards in confusion and pain.
From the other side of the clearing, there was an echoing shot from Joe’s gun and an echoing shriek from the first dinosaur. It was now staggering raggedly around the treeline, scattering blood on the sandy ground and flailing its arms weakly at Ked’rec. “You got this one?” Joe asked Ked’rec. Instead of answering, the Jaffa took a silent step to the side, lowering his gun and sweeping his staff weapon out in a wide arc until it was aimed directly at the hagadis. “Guess so,” Joe grunted, and trotted a few steps towards the second.
With the same intense, unearthly focus, Dr. Haas fired off another round at the second lizard as it stepped forward, and with the same deadly result. Joe’s shots followed a few seconds later, with a force that nearly spun the hagadis around. It staggered, wavering for a moment – and then collapsed to the ground.
The first hagadis was wavering, too, its beady eyes fixed on the imposing form of Ked’rec. The staff weapon zipped quietly, its edges glowing in the near-darkness as it charged. And the hagadis turned and ran.
Ked’rec’s stoic face settled into an expression of faint disappointment as he lowered his staff weapon and set it down, unused.
“We did it!” Reinhart cried, as he dashed towards the fallen body of the second hagadis. Dr. Haas stood frozen in place, still slightly stunned by her own success. Kathleen gave the botanist a light, comforting touch on the shoulder as she moved to take a closer look at the dinosaur’s body for herself. Reinhart was still exulting, “They’re never gonna believe we got something like this! A brand-new team, led by a cryptographer – uh, sorry, ma’am…” The young lieutentant’s face turned bright red in the dim moonlight.
Kathleen just laughed, although there was a wry twist to her smile as she answered, “It’s all right, Reinhart. I know how people talk. They’ll be pretty impressed that we bagged ourselves a dinosaur.”
Reinhart nodded enthusiastically. “We bagged ourselves a big-ass dinosaur! Uh. Ma’am.”
By the time the hagadis roared a second time, everyone was on their feet.
“Stay here!” Kathleen cried, motioning to Joost and Marka. For once, the two locals were in agreement with each other – Marka sat as if frozen to her rough wooden chair, and Joost gave Kathleen a single curt nod of assent.
Another roar echoed through the dim forest. Ked’rec’s gun let out a staccato burst of bullets, and the hagadis shrieked in pain.
“What do I do?” Dr. Haas looked at Kathleen with wide, frightened eyes, her voice high and tight with apprehension.
“If you can shoot decently, come with us.” Kathleen’s words were short and clipped, coming nearly as quickly as Ked’rec’s machine gun fire. “Otherwise, stay here and stay safe. Reinhart, go out the front way. Mr. Healy – “
But Joe was already out the door by the time Kathleen turned to him, his gun raised and bored eyes suddenly wide and alert. Currents of anxious adrenaline ran through him – he could never be sure whose they were. It was Orieth who was thinking Danger! Danger!; he knew that. But there was excitement coming from somewhere deep inside him, too, rising up as he lifted his gun, and cresting in a shout as he came around the corner of the cabin to face the hagadis.
The creature was over eight feet tall, with huge taloned feet at the end of muscular legs, and viciously sharp claws on its waving arms. Its scaly hide shone dully in the moonlight, and its wide mouth opened as it advanced towards Ked’rec.
The Jaffa instantly sprang backwards, lowering his weapon to fire upon the hagadis again. His shots were joined by another burst from Joe, advancing even as Orieth’s thoughts continued to beat against his mind in rising panic.
Kathleen, turning the corner a second after Joe, watched the scene with her own mind racing. I’ll never be able to hit it, she thought, swinging her rifle down to take aim. Not at this distance. But if I can get it distracted…
The dinosaur lunged towards Ked’rec, claws slashing and head bending to bite at him. Kathleen sent a flurry of bullets flying just above the creature’s head. It reared back in furious confusion, still striking out towards Ked’rec – but it was distracted enough for the Jaffa to spring nimbly aside, taking aim once more.
Footsteps crunched on the dry, sandy ground as Reinhart and Haas stepped out of the cabin. With his eyes narrowed to scan the clearing and broad shoulders poised protectively in front of Dr. Haas, the young lieutenant was on his guard – and the first to spot the rustling in the bushes. “Another one!” he shouted. “Over here!”
The first hagadis let out another roar of pain as another one of Ked’rec’s shots hit home, but the sound was followed by another, higher-pitched sound – Dr. Haas, crying out in terror as a second dinosaur sprang forwards out of the bushes, directly at her.
I think they’ve got that one covered, Kathleen thought, and she wheeled around to face the second dinosaur. If it worked once, it can work again. And it looks like Dr. Haas will need more protection than Ked’rec. She sent a burst of shots towards the second creature, hoping to distract it in the same way that she had distracted the first.
Almost exactly at the same time, Dr. Haas let loose with a single, precise shot of her own. To everyone’s surprise, most of all her own, the shot hit true, slamming into the hagadis’s scaly chest, and sending the creature flailing backwards in confusion and pain.
From the other side of the clearing, there was an echoing shot from Joe’s gun and an echoing shriek from the first dinosaur. It was now staggering raggedly around the treeline, scattering blood on the sandy ground and flailing its arms weakly at Ked’rec. “You got this one?” Joe asked Ked’rec. Instead of answering, the Jaffa took a silent step to the side, lowering his gun and sweeping his staff weapon out in a wide arc until it was aimed directly at the hagadis. “Guess so,” Joe grunted, and trotted a few steps towards the second.
With the same intense, unearthly focus, Dr. Haas fired off another round at the second lizard as it stepped forward, and with the same deadly result. Joe’s shots followed a few seconds later, with a force that nearly spun the hagadis around. It staggered, wavering for a moment – and then collapsed to the ground.
The first hagadis was wavering, too, its beady eyes fixed on the imposing form of Ked’rec. The staff weapon zipped quietly, its edges glowing in the near-darkness as it charged. And the hagadis turned and ran.
Ked’rec’s stoic face settled into an expression of faint disappointment as he lowered his staff weapon and set it down, unused.
“We did it!” Reinhart cried, as he dashed towards the fallen body of the second hagadis. Dr. Haas stood frozen in place, still slightly stunned by her own success. Kathleen gave the botanist a light, comforting touch on the shoulder as she moved to take a closer look at the dinosaur’s body for herself. Reinhart was still exulting, “They’re never gonna believe we got something like this! A brand-new team, led by a cryptographer – uh, sorry, ma’am…” The young lieutentant’s face turned bright red in the dim moonlight.
Kathleen just laughed, although there was a wry twist to her smile as she answered, “It’s all right, Reinhart. I know how people talk. They’ll be pretty impressed that we bagged ourselves a dinosaur.”
Reinhart nodded enthusiastically. “We bagged ourselves a big-ass dinosaur! Uh. Ma’am.”
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