The Lost Generation: Issue #8 - [Comm-Links](https://api.star-citizen.wiki/comm-links) - The Lost Generation: Issue #8 The Lost Generation: Issue #8 ============================= Undefined Undefined The Lost Generation [Previous](https://api.star-citizen.wiki/comm-links/12912) [Next](https://api.star-citizen.wiki/comm-links/12915) Content ------- English Violet probably wasn’t a happy color. Exobiologists couldn’t determine whether the flashes of bioluminescent color were a form of communication between the Osoians or simply an external indicator of their mood. Currently, Tonya was leaning towards the latter. The entire Osoian village had their weapons leveled at her as their foreheads all pulsed with the same churning violet. Tonya weighed her options for a moment. Nothing really presented itself as a good idea so she decided on a dumb one. “I have returned!” She said throwing her arms up in the air in her best faux-messiah pose. The Osoian all jumped back and hid behind their raised weapons. They looked at each other, the collective bioluminescence shifted to a paler blue. One turned green shortly before scurrying off. The Osoian adorned with small trinkets pushed a few of the spears aside and stepped closer to Tonya. It made a low clicking noise that almost resembled a glottal stop as it jangled its staff at her. “It is I … Kenlo!” She hoped invoking the chief engineer of the Artemis might do something. The elder/shaman perked up slightly. It angled its head and clicked at her again. “Uh … behold my glory?” She looked around. The Osoians seemed to be exchanging glances. She turned and strode proudly into the cave. The shaman cautiously followed Tonya. The rest of the village filed into the cave, some more guarded than others. She was trying not to think about what kind of damage she was doing to this culture. In her defense, she wasn’t First Contact. The original Artemis had that distinction. In the antechamber with the engine from the Artemis, Tonya found the pictograph with Kenlo. She turned back to the shaman who was staring at her. A dull red pulsed around its features. She mimicked the pose on the wall. Suddenly the shaman turned green. It whirled around to the other Osoians and clicked feverishly. They clicked amongst themselves before raising themselves up onto the tips of their feet, fully extending themselves in some kind of salute. The Osoian who had darted off earlier came rushing in clutching four handfuls of the same writhing grey worms Tonya had seen earlier in the forest. He shoved them at Tonya’s faceplate. “Oh … great. Thank you.” Tonya waved them away. At least they weren’t killing her. The shaman seemed to be in some kind of trance, swaying back and forth as it rhythmically clicked. The other Osoians echoed its clicks and flooded around Tonya, eager to lay their hands on a god. “Easy there, guys.” Tonya tried to wriggle free but they were swarming her. She cranked the volume on the external speaker. “Stop!” Her voice boomed through the cave. The Osoians scattered into hiding places. One of the bigger ones brought up its spear, waiting for her to attack. The notion of running flashed through her mind, but considering how much the increased gravity slowed her down, she quickly realized that ‘running’ was an overstatement. If she made the Osoians angry, there was no chance she could outrun them, and slightly less of a chance she could fight all of them. So she’d have to bide her time. The shaman had recoiled into a kneeling position and hidden its head from her. Tonya reached down and gently pet it, having no idea what else to do. * * * * Over the next few hours, the Osoians prepared a massive feast. The shaman scuttled around, directing the aliens in their tasks. From her rock of honor, Tonya kept a watchful eye on all the cooking pots to make sure that they weren’t planning on using her for any ingredients. Wriggling baby aliens were presented to her. Trinkets were fashioned for her. The larger guard who stood its ground when Tonya shouted lurked in the shade of a nearby hut, watching her. She could tell it was not a fan of what was happening. Tonya agreed. She wanted nothing more than to extricate herself from the place as quickly as possible. More than likely, Senzen was off and burning for Kallis System. She itemized her knowledge of the system, trying to figure out why the Artemis would go there. Astrographically speaking, it was relatively close to Oso. Perhaps the original Janus and the Engineering crew had modified/improved their scanners and saw something she wasn’t aware of, something that indicated the possibility of a habitable planet. The problem was that since Kallis was younger in its development than any other known systems in the UEE or beyond, it had been under almost constant observation by a scientific community eager to study the formation of planets up close. Certainly one of them would have discovered any signs of an Artemis settlement. More than likely, Tonya would have to settle for another clue on the trail. Again, this was all speculation. She needed to get there, assess the situation, and process the facts. If that was the Artemis’ destination, there were nine planets in that system. So that was a point in her favor — it was a lot of terrain for Senzen to cover. A crack echoed through the canyon. The Osoians glanced up at the canopy of trees shielding them from the sky and then went back to their work. Tonya would know that sound anywhere. Someone had just broken atmo. A spark of optimism fluttered in her heart. Perhaps Senzen had only just left. Maybe she wasn’t too far behind after all. The optimism quickly faded when she heard six more cracks echo down through the trees from every direction. That was not good. That could only mean one thing … The military was here. Tonya slowly rose from her rock throne with her eyes fixed on the sky. She heard the rumble of heavy thrusters approaching. The massive trees began to sway in the churning wind. More than likely, Senzen had given them her exact position on his way out of the system. The shaman quickly approached, respectfully trying to usher her back toward her rock. The larger guard raised its weapons, looking back and forth between Tonya and the sky. “Thanks but I should probably get going.” She started backing away from the Osoians, many of whom were now staring in the direction of the ominous noises coming from beyond the canopy. The guard blocked Tonya’s path, both its weapons aimed at her. The shaman rushed between them, clicking feverishly at the guard and swatting the stone blades away with its staff. “Stop!” a sonically augmented voice shouted from the top of the canyon by the cave. Tonya looked up. It was a UEE soldier in an exosuit. More and more soldiers emerged at the top of the canyon. The Osoians scattered in a desperate panic at the sight of the strange new monsters in black military armor. “You are in violation of the Fair Chance Act section –“ A rock ricocheted off the soldier’s helmet. He yelped, more out of surprise than pain, and ducked behind cover. Some of the Osoians started hurling spears and rocks at the other soldiers. The few primitive weapons that hit bounced harmlessly off of the modern armor. Tonya used the distraction to take off as fast as she could and plunge into the dense forest. Waves of terrified alien creatures fled from the thunderous engine noise. Tonya trudged her way through the thick foliage. She heard zaps from stun weapons discharging in the village behind her. “Hey, you!” a voice yelled far to Tonya’s right. She locked eyes with a soldier a few dozen meters away. The rest of his unit was in a staggered advance position, heading toward the village. Tonya started ‘running.’ The soldier did too, moving to intercept her. Even as her limbs ached from the strained movement, she had to acknowledge how bizarre this chase would look to the outside observer; as hard as they pushed, they both looked like they were moving in slow motion. An energy blast suddenly zipped past Tonya and burned into a tree trunk. “Dammit, stop!” the soldier yelled and aimed for a second shot. Tonya stopped. She couldn’t go on and hated getting shocked. She turned and raised her hands. Sweat poured down her face and the faceplate was fighting to keep the barrier clear from fog. She could hear the soldier’s labored breathing over his speakers. He even struggled to keep the gun level as he closed the distance to her. “This is Blackbriar-Two-Nine, I have suspect in custody,” he said over his comm. “Sending position –” Suddenly, the Osoian shaman leapt from the dense underbrush. It swung its staff and cracked it across the soldier’s midsection. “What the hell?” The soldier started to aim at the shaman when the guard emerged on the other side and grabbed the rifle. All three toppled to the ground and wrestled for the gun. Tonya caught the Osoian guard’s eye for a second. She gave it a nod and a smile then took off. After forty minutes of massive exertion and a few liters of sweat, Tonya finally got back to where the Beacon II was hidden. She stomped into the airlock and sealed it. The antechamber began to pressurize as vents sprayed decontamination mist. She couldn’t wait to get out of this environment suit. She’d probably have to burn it from all the sweat. Finally the inner door popped open. Tonya stepped inside her ship. She grabbed a towel and wiped her face as she made her way through the cargo hold. “Hey Janus, feel like flying for a bit? I might go to sleep for a week.” No response. Tonya climbed up toward the cockpit. She slowed to a stop. A UEE soldier had dozed off in the pilot’s chair. She heard footfalls on the grate behind her. Tonya glanced back. Two more soldiers. One was shoveling some of her food-snacks into his mouth. The other soldier casually aimed her rifle at Tonya. The soldier in the pilot chair woke up at the sound of the soldier eating. He stretched his arms and yawned before looking at her. “Freeze.” . . . to be continued Violett war wahrscheinlich keine glückliche Farbe. Exobiologen konnten nicht feststellen, ob die Blitze der biolumineszierenden Farbe eine Form der Kommunikation zwischen den Osoianern oder einfach ein externer Indikator ihrer Stimmung waren. Gegenwärtig neigte Tonya zu Letzterem. Das gesamte osoianische Dorf ließ ihre Waffen auf sie richten, während ihre Stirnen alle mit dem gleichen schäumenden Veilchen gepulst waren. Tonya wog für einen Moment ihre Optionen ab. Nichts präsentierte sich wirklich als eine gute Idee, also entschied sie sich für eine dumme. "Ich bin zurückgekehrt!" Sie sagte, sie würde ihre Arme in ihrer besten Faux-Messiah-Pose in die Luft werfen. Die Osoianer sprangen alle zurück und versteckten sich hinter ihren erhobenen Waffen. Sie sahen sich an, die kollektive Biolumineszenz verlagerte sich zu einem helleren Blau. Einer wurde kurz vor dem Losfahren grün. Der mit kleinen Schmuckstücken verzierte Osoianer schob einige der Speere zur Seite und trat näher an Tonya heran. Es machte ein leises Klickgeräusch, das fast einem glottalen Anschlag ähnelte, als es seinen Stab an ihr rüttelte. "Ich bin es... Kenlo!" Sie hoffte, dass der Aufruf des Chefingenieurs der Artemis etwas bewirken könnte. Der Älteste/Schamane erholte sich leicht. Er winkelte seinen Kopf und klickte sie wieder an. "Uh.... siehe meine Herrlichkeit?" Sie sah sich um. Die Osoianer schienen sich die Blicke zu teilen. Sie drehte sich um und ging stolz in die Höhle. Der Schamane folgte Tonya vorsichtig. Der Rest des Dorfes reichte in die Höhle ein, einige mehr bewacht als andere. Sie versuchte, nicht darüber nachzudenken, welchen Schaden sie dieser Kultur zufügte. Zu ihrer Verteidigung, sie war nicht der erste Kontakt. Die ursprünglichen Artemis hatten diese Unterscheidung. In der Vorkammer mit dem Motor des Artemis fand Tonya das Piktogramm mit Kenlo. Sie wandte sich wieder an den Schamanen, der sie anstarrte. Ein mattes Rot pulsierte um seine Gesichtszüge herum. Sie ahmte die Pose an der Wand nach. Plötzlich wurde der Schamane grün. Er wirbelte zu den anderen Osoianern herum und klickte fieberhaft. Sie klickten untereinander, bevor sie sich auf die Spitzen ihrer Füße erhoben und sich in einer Art Salut voll ausstreckten. Der Osoianer, der zuvor abgefeuert hatte, kam, um vier Handvoll der gleichen sich windenden grauen Würmer, die Tonya zuvor im Wald gesehen hatte, zu fassen. Er schob sie auf Tonyas Gesichtsplatte. "Oh.... großartig. Ich danke dir." Tonya winkte sie weg. Wenigstens haben sie sie nicht getötet. Der Schamane schien sich in einer Art Trance zu befinden und schwankte hin und her, während er rhythmisch klickte. Die anderen Osoianer hielten ihre Klicks zurück und strömten um Tonya herum, begierig darauf, ihre Hände auf einen Gott zu legen. "Langsam, Leute." Tonya versuchte, sich frei zu winden, aber sie schwärmten sie. Sie drehte die Lautstärke auf den externen Lautsprecher. " Aufhören!" Ihre Stimme dröhnte durch die Höhle. Die Osoianer verstreuten sich in Verstecke. Einer der größeren brachte seinen Speer hoch und wartete darauf, dass sie angreift. Der Gedanke des Laufens durchdrang ihren Geist, aber wenn man bedenkt, wie sehr die erhöhte Schwerkraft sie verlangsamte, wurde ihr schnell klar, dass "Laufen" eine Übertreibung war. Wenn sie die Osoianer wütend machte, gab es keine Chance, dass sie ihnen davonlaufen konnte, und etwas weniger Chancen, dass sie alle bekämpfen konnte. Also musste sie auf ihre Zeit warten. Der Schamane hatte sich in eine kniende Position zurückgezogen und seinen Kopf vor ihr verborgen. Tonya griff nach unten und streichelte ihn sanft und hatte keine Ahnung, was sie sonst tun sollte. * * * * In den nächsten Stunden bereiteten die Osoianer ein großes Fest vor. Der Schamane huschte herum und führte die Außerirdischen bei ihren Aufgaben an. Von ihrem Ehrenfelsen aus beobachtete Tonya alle Kochtöpfe, um sicherzustellen, dass sie sie nicht für irgendwelche Zutaten verwenden wollten. Wässernde Baby-Außerirdische wurden ihr vorgestellt. Schmuckstücke wurden für sie angefertigt. Die größere Wache, die ihren Boden stand, als Tonya schrie, lauert im Schatten einer nahegelegenen Hütte und beobachtet sie. Sie konnte erkennen, dass es kein Fan von dem war, was geschah. Tonya stimmte zu. Sie wollte nichts anderes, als sich so schnell wie möglich von dem Ort zu befreien. Wahrscheinlich war Senzen ausgeschaltet und brannte für das Kallis-System. Sie schilderte ihr Wissen über das System und versuchte herauszufinden, warum die Artemis dorthin gehen würden. Astrographisch gesehen war es relativ nah an Oso. Vielleicht hatten der ursprüngliche Janus und die Ingenieure ihre Scanner modifiziert/verbessert und sahen etwas, was ihr nicht bekannt war, etwas, das auf die Möglichkeit eines bewohnbaren Planeten hinwies. Das Problem war, dass Kallis, da es in seiner Entwicklung jünger war als alle anderen bekannten Systeme in der UEE oder darüber hinaus, unter fast ständiger Beobachtung einer wissenschaftlichen Gemeinschaft stand, die die Bildung von Planeten aus der Nähe untersuchen wollte. Sicherlich hätte einer von ihnen irgendwelche Anzeichen einer Artemis-Siedlung entdeckt. Mehr als wahrscheinlich müsste sich Tonya mit einem weiteren Hinweis auf den Weg begnügen. Nochmals, das war alles Spekulation. Sie musste dorthin gelangen, die Situation einschätzen und die Fakten verarbeiten. Wenn das das Ziel der Artemis war, gab es neun Planeten in diesem System. Das war also ein Punkt zu ihren Gunsten - es war viel Terrain für Senzen. Ein Riss hallte durch den Canyon. Die Osoianer blickten auf das Dach der Bäume, die sie vor dem Himmel schützten, und gingen dann zurück zu ihrer Arbeit. Tonya würde dieses Geräusch überall erkennen. Jemand hatte gerade die Atmo gebrochen. Ein Funke Optimismus flatterte in ihrem Herzen. Vielleicht war Senzen gerade erst gegangen. Vielleicht war sie doch nicht allzu weit zurück. Der Optimismus verblasste schnell, als sie hörte, wie sechs weitere Risse aus allen Richtungen durch die Bäume hallten. Das war nicht gut. Das konnte nur eines bedeuten.... Das Militär war hier. Tonya erhob sich langsam von ihrem Felsenthron mit den Augen am Himmel. Sie hörte das Rumpeln schwerer Triebwerke. Die massiven Bäume begannen im tosenden Wind zu schwanken. Wahrscheinlich hatte Senzen ihnen auf dem Weg aus dem System ihre genaue Position mitgeteilt. Der Schamane näherte sich schnell und versuchte respektvoll, ihren Rücken zu ihrem Felsen zu führen. Die größere Wache hob ihre Waffen und blickte zwischen Tonya und dem Himmel hin und her. "Danke, aber ich sollte jetzt besser gehen." Sie fing an, sich von den Osoianern zurückzuziehen, von denen viele nun in Richtung der ominösen Geräusche starrten, die von außerhalb des Vordachs kamen. Die Wache blockierte Tonyas Weg, beide Waffen waren auf sie gerichtet. Der Schamane eilte zwischen ihnen, klickte fieberhaft auf die Wache und schlug die Steinklingen mit seinem Stab weg. "Stop!" eine klanglich erweiterte Stimme, die von der Spitze des Canyons an der Höhle schrie. Tonya sah auf. Es war ein UEE-Soldat in einem Exosuit. Immer mehr Soldaten tauchten auf der Spitze des Canyons auf. Die Osoianer verstreuten sich in verzweifelter Panik beim Anblick der seltsamen neuen Monster in schwarzer Militärrüstung. "Du verstößt gegen den Fair Chance Act Abschnitt -" Ein Stein rikschierte vom Helm des Soldaten. Er schrie, eher überrascht als schmerzhaft, und duckte sich hinter Deckung. Einige der Osoianer begannen, Speere und Felsen auf die anderen Soldaten zu werfen. Die wenigen primitiven Waffen, die getroffen wurden, prallten harmlos von der modernen Rüstung ab. Tonya nutzte die Ablenkung, um so schnell wie möglich abzuheben und in den dichten Wald zu tauchen. Wellen von verängstigten außerirdischen Kreaturen flohen vor dem donnernden Motorenlärm. Tonya schleppte sich durch das dicke Laub. Sie hörte Schläge von Betäubungswaffen, die sich in dem Dorf hinter ihr entluden. "Hey, du!" schrie eine Stimme weit nach Tonya's Rechten. Sie schloss die Augen mit einem Soldaten, der ein paar Dutzend Meter entfernt war. Der Rest seiner Einheit befand sich in einer versetzten Vorhutposition und steuerte auf das Dorf zu. Tonya fing an zu "rennen". Der Soldat tat es auch und bewegte sich, um sie abzufangen. Selbst als ihre Gliedmaßen von der angespannten Bewegung gequält wurden, musste sie erkennen, wie bizarr diese Verfolgungsjagd für den äußeren Betrachter aussehen würde; so hart sie auch drückten, sie sahen beide aus, als würden sie sich in Zeitlupe bewegen. Eine Energieexplosion schoss plötzlich an Tonya vorbei und brannte in einen Baumstamm. "Verdammt, hör auf!" schrie der Soldat und zielte auf einen zweiten Schuss. Tonya blieb stehen. Sie konnte nicht weitermachen und hasste es, schockiert zu sein. Sie drehte sich um und hob ihre Hände. Schweiß strömte über ihr Gesicht und die Frontplatte kämpfte, um die Barriere frei von Nebel zu halten. Sie konnte hören, wie der Soldat über seine Lautsprecher atmete. Er kämpfte sogar darum, die Waffe waagerecht zu halten, als er den Abstand zu ihr schloss. "Das ist Blackbriar - Zwei - Neun, ich habe den Verdacht in Gewahrsam", sagte er über sein Komm. "Sendeposition -" Plötzlich sprang der oesische Schamane aus dem dichten Unterholz. Er schwang seinen Stab und knackte ihn über das Mittelteil des Soldaten. "Was zum Teufel?" Der Soldat begann auf den Schamanen zu zielen, als der Wächter auf der anderen Seite auftauchte und das Gewehr ergriff. Alle drei stürzten zu Boden und rangen um die Waffe. Tonya fiel dem östereichischen Wachmann für eine Sekunde ins Auge. Sie nickte und lächelte und hob dann ab. Nach vierzig Minuten massiver Anstrengung und ein paar Litern Schweiß gelangte Tonya schließlich zurück zu dem Ort, an dem der Beacon II versteckt war. Sie stampfte in die Luftschleuse und versiegelte sie. Die Vorkammer begann sich unter Druck zu setzen, als die Entlüftungsöffnungen mit Dekontaminationsnebel besprüht wurden. Sie konnte es kaum erwarten, aus diesem Umgebungsanzug auszusteigen. Sie müsste es wahrscheinlich durch den ganzen Schweiß verbrennen. Schließlich sprang die Innentür auf. Tonya trat in ihr Schiff ein. Sie packte ein Handtuch und wischte sich das Gesicht, als sie sich auf den Weg durch den Frachtraum machte. "Hey Janus, möchtest du für eine Weile fliegen? Ich gehe vielleicht für eine Woche schlafen." Keine Antwort. Tonya kletterte nach oben zum Cockpit. Sie wurde langsamer bis zum Anschlag. Ein UEE-Soldat war im Pilotenstuhl eingenickt. Sie hörte Schritte auf dem Gitter hinter sich. Tonya blickte zurück. Zwei weitere Soldaten. Einer schaufelte sich einige ihrer Snacks in den Mund. Die andere Soldatin richtete ihr Gewehr beiläufig auf Tonya. Der Soldat auf dem Pilotenstuhl wachte beim Geräusch des Essens des Soldaten auf. Er streckte seine Arme aus und gähnte, bevor er sie ansah. " Keine Bewegung." . ... wird fortgesetzt Violet probably wasn’t a happy color. Exobiologists couldn’t determine whether the flashes of bioluminescent color were a form of communication between the Osoians or simply an external indicator of their mood. Currently, Tonya was leaning towards the latter. The entire Osoian village had their weapons leveled at her as their foreheads all pulsed with the same churning violet. Tonya weighed her options for a moment. Nothing really presented itself as a good idea so she decided on a dumb one. “I have returned!” She said throwing her arms up in the air in her best faux-messiah pose. The Osoian all jumped back and hid behind their raised weapons. They looked at each other, the collective bioluminescence shifted to a paler blue. One turned green shortly before scurrying off. The Osoian adorned with small trinkets pushed a few of the spears aside and stepped closer to Tonya. It made a low clicking noise that almost resembled a glottal stop as it jangled its staff at her. “It is I … Kenlo!” She hoped invoking the chief engineer of the Artemis might do something. The elder/shaman perked up slightly. It angled its head and clicked at her again. “Uh … behold my glory?” She looked around. The Osoians seemed to be exchanging glances. She turned and strode proudly into the cave. The shaman cautiously followed Tonya. The rest of the village filed into the cave, some more guarded than others. She was trying not to think about what kind of damage she was doing to this culture. In her defense, she wasn’t First Contact. The original Artemis had that distinction. In the antechamber with the engine from the Artemis, Tonya found the pictograph with Kenlo. She turned back to the shaman who was staring at her. A dull red pulsed around its features. She mimicked the pose on the wall. Suddenly the shaman turned green. It whirled around to the other Osoians and clicked feverishly. They clicked amongst themselves before raising themselves up onto the tips of their feet, fully extending themselves in some kind of salute. The Osoian who had darted off earlier came rushing in clutching four handfuls of the same writhing grey worms Tonya had seen earlier in the forest. He shoved them at Tonya’s faceplate. “Oh … great. Thank you.” Tonya waved them away. At least they weren’t killing her. The shaman seemed to be in some kind of trance, swaying back and forth as it rhythmically clicked. The other Osoians echoed its clicks and flooded around Tonya, eager to lay their hands on a god. “Easy there, guys.” Tonya tried to wriggle free but they were swarming her. She cranked the volume on the external speaker. “Stop!” Her voice boomed through the cave. The Osoians scattered into hiding places. One of the bigger ones brought up its spear, waiting for her to attack. The notion of running flashed through her mind, but considering how much the increased gravity slowed her down, she quickly realized that ‘running’ was an overstatement. If she made the Osoians angry, there was no chance she could outrun them, and slightly less of a chance she could fight all of them. So she’d have to bide her time. The shaman had recoiled into a kneeling position and hidden its head from her. Tonya reached down and gently pet it, having no idea what else to do. * * * * Over the next few hours, the Osoians prepared a massive feast. The shaman scuttled around, directing the aliens in their tasks. From her rock of honor, Tonya kept a watchful eye on all the cooking pots to make sure that they weren’t planning on using her for any ingredients. Wriggling baby aliens were presented to her. Trinkets were fashioned for her. The larger guard who stood its ground when Tonya shouted lurked in the shade of a nearby hut, watching her. She could tell it was not a fan of what was happening. Tonya agreed. She wanted nothing more than to extricate herself from the place as quickly as possible. More than likely, Senzen was off and burning for Kallis System. She itemized her knowledge of the system, trying to figure out why the Artemis would go there. Astrographically speaking, it was relatively close to Oso. Perhaps the original Janus and the Engineering crew had modified/improved their scanners and saw something she wasn’t aware of, something that indicated the possibility of a habitable planet. The problem was that since Kallis was younger in its development than any other known systems in the UEE or beyond, it had been under almost constant observation by a scientific community eager to study the formation of planets up close. Certainly one of them would have discovered any signs of an Artemis settlement. More than likely, Tonya would have to settle for another clue on the trail. Again, this was all speculation. She needed to get there, assess the situation, and process the facts. If that was the Artemis’ destination, there were nine planets in that system. So that was a point in her favor — it was a lot of terrain for Senzen to cover. A crack echoed through the canyon. The Osoians glanced up at the canopy of trees shielding them from the sky and then went back to their work. Tonya would know that sound anywhere. Someone had just broken atmo. A spark of optimism fluttered in her heart. Perhaps Senzen had only just left. Maybe she wasn’t too far behind after all. The optimism quickly faded when she heard six more cracks echo down through the trees from every direction. That was not good. That could only mean one thing … The military was here. Tonya slowly rose from her rock throne with her eyes fixed on the sky. She heard the rumble of heavy thrusters approaching. The massive trees began to sway in the churning wind. More than likely, Senzen had given them her exact position on his way out of the system. The shaman quickly approached, respectfully trying to usher her back toward her rock. The larger guard raised its weapons, looking back and forth between Tonya and the sky. “Thanks but I should probably get going.” She started backing away from the Osoians, many of whom were now staring in the direction of the ominous noises coming from beyond the canopy. The guard blocked Tonya’s path, both its weapons aimed at her. The shaman rushed between them, clicking feverishly at the guard and swatting the stone blades away with its staff. “Stop!” a sonically augmented voice shouted from the top of the canyon by the cave. Tonya looked up. It was a UEE soldier in an exosuit. More and more soldiers emerged at the top of the canyon. The Osoians scattered in a desperate panic at the sight of the strange new monsters in black military armor. “You are in violation of the Fair Chance Act section –“ A rock ricocheted off the soldier’s helmet. He yelped, more out of surprise than pain, and ducked behind cover. Some of the Osoians started hurling spears and rocks at the other soldiers. The few primitive weapons that hit bounced harmlessly off of the modern armor. Tonya used the distraction to take off as fast as she could and plunge into the dense forest. Waves of terrified alien creatures fled from the thunderous engine noise. Tonya trudged her way through the thick foliage. She heard zaps from stun weapons discharging in the village behind her. “Hey, you!” a voice yelled far to Tonya’s right. She locked eyes with a soldier a few dozen meters away. The rest of his unit was in a staggered advance position, heading toward the village. Tonya started ‘running.’ The soldier did too, moving to intercept her. Even as her limbs ached from the strained movement, she had to acknowledge how bizarre this chase would look to the outside observer; as hard as they pushed, they both looked like they were moving in slow motion. An energy blast suddenly zipped past Tonya and burned into a tree trunk. “Dammit, stop!” the soldier yelled and aimed for a second shot. Tonya stopped. She couldn’t go on and hated getting shocked. She turned and raised her hands. Sweat poured down her face and the faceplate was fighting to keep the barrier clear from fog. She could hear the soldier’s labored breathing over his speakers. He even struggled to keep the gun level as he closed the distance to her. “This is Blackbriar-Two-Nine, I have suspect in custody,” he said over his comm. “Sending position –” Suddenly, the Osoian shaman leapt from the dense underbrush. It swung its staff and cracked it across the soldier’s midsection. “What the hell?” The soldier started to aim at the shaman when the guard emerged on the other side and grabbed the rifle. All three toppled to the ground and wrestled for the gun. Tonya caught the Osoian guard’s eye for a second. She gave it a nod and a smile then took off. After forty minutes of massive exertion and a few liters of sweat, Tonya finally got back to where the Beacon II was hidden. She stomped into the airlock and sealed it. The antechamber began to pressurize as vents sprayed decontamination mist. She couldn’t wait to get out of this environment suit. She’d probably have to burn it from all the sweat. Finally the inner door popped open. Tonya stepped inside her ship. She grabbed a towel and wiped her face as she made her way through the cargo hold. “Hey Janus, feel like flying for a bit? I might go to sleep for a week.” No response. Tonya climbed up toward the cockpit. She slowed to a stop. A UEE soldier had dozed off in the pilot’s chair. She heard footfalls on the grate behind her. Tonya glanced back. Two more soldiers. One was shoveling some of her food-snacks into his mouth. The other soldier casually aimed her rifle at Tonya. The soldier in the pilot chair woke up at the sound of the soldier eating. He stretched his arms and yawned before looking at her. “Freeze.” . . . to be continued Links ----- No links available. Images ------ 1 image/jpeg [ ![](https://robertsspaceindustries.com/media/f2lyrm83u0tc8r/source/TonyaOrielSerial_FI_1_Crop.jpg) ](https://robertsspaceindustries.com/media/f2lyrm83u0tc8r/source/TonyaOrielSerial_FI_1_Crop.jpg) TonyaOrielSerial_FI_1_Crop.jpg [Details](https://api.star-citizen.wiki/comm-links/images/248) Last Modified 12 years ago Size 664.94 KB [Source](https://robertsspaceindustries.com/media/f2lyrm83u0tc8r/source/TonyaOrielSerial_FI_1_Crop.jpg) [Info](https://api.star-citizen.wiki/comm-links/images/248) Metadata -------- CIG ID 12914 Channel Undefined Category Undefined Series The Lost Generation Comments 40 Published 13 years ago (2013-03-07T00:00:00+00:00) [RSI Article](https://robertsspaceindustries.com/comm-link/spectrum-dispatch/12914-The-Lost-Generation-Issue-8) [API](https://api.star-citizen.wiki/api/comm-links/12914)