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Chapter 1 - Mind Block
Everyone awakens slowly and groggy:
A man, looking injured, unlocks
your cryo-tubes and releases you into the cool summer air of a place you have
never seen before.
You wonder for a moment how you
got here and where here is anyway. The last thing you remember is…
"We need to move quickly if we want to live." The injured man says as he interrupts your thoughts. "Those blaster markings suggest we were shot down, and I have already tussled with some local natives. I managed to scare them off, but they could be back in force any moment."
Of the 80 or so Cryo tubes you seem to be the only survivors. The few computers and equipment are damaged beyond repair from the crash. The injured man begin to walk toward the hills when he doubles over. He turns slowly and pulls open his coversuit to reveal a large slash across his mid section
"Seems I am not going to be joining you after all. Take this…"
He hands one of you a basic map of the area.
"One of the attackers dropped this as they fled. There is some equipment and weapons in a damaged section of the ship just over this hill. Use the map to get to a village and get your asses off this rock. And if possible, find and kill the bastards who did this to us."
The man lays flat on the ground and succumbs to his wounds.
Your memories are fragmented, most likely due to the cryo-sleep after effects. You do not know each other, at least you don't remember each other, and you still have no idea how you got here.
The cargo hold has some basic supplies and weapons for each of you. You gather what you can and prepare the one day journey North to the village.
As you approach the outskirts of the village the forest edge clears to reveal a river and small bridge. There are a half dozen or so lizard looking creatures with some primitive weapons.
While trying to evade detections
the lizard men are started to discover one of you hiding in the brush. They
speak an unknown language clearly agitated and fearful. Suddenly a shot rings
out and a firefight ensues. Within moments the primitives are dispatched with
only a single survivor.
One of your party is able to communicate with the captive. In an attempt to intimidate the survivor in the aftermath of this onslaught, he suggests if the creature brings them food and water, they will spare their village. The creature agrees and shortly later arrives with food and water.
Just as the group are about to finally get the food and drink they need after nearly 2 days with neither, they discover the food and water have been poisoned. They move toward the village with intentions unknown.
When they arrive at the village they find mostly women and children. It is
a low industrial area. They will let them rest and heal mostly from fear knowing
the fate of at least 5 of their males who last confronted the group. The frightened
lizard people provide directions to an industrial area about 2 days away that
has a starport. Having what they need, the team leaves the village in peace.
In the second day of their hike
as they approach the last few miles to the City, the group is confronted again.
Not by lizard people this time, but what seems to be a rougher group of Pirates.
"Well boys, looks like this is all that is left of our cargo, but something is better then nothing." Bellows the center most pirate who seems to be the party leader. "Come without a fight and we will let you live."
With little discussion the group responds to his offer with guns and swords blazing.
Meanwhile one of the party members is off deep in the wilderness hunting for food. Having no money and running low on food, she knows they may need this extra food to survive while they wait for transport, not to mention it may have some trade value.
As she is hunting she realizes
suddenly from the scent in the air, she has gone from predator to prey. Suddenly
energy blasts fly though the air as several enemies begin to shoot from positions
in the trees.
These arrogant and small men have chosen the wrong target to hunt. With cunning skill and pure Amazonian aggression, she begins to move quickly and silently through the trees and brush, savagely killing two of her would be attackers before a lucky shot injures her. Suddenly she realizes she may not survive this ordeal. This does not scare her, for her people have been prepared for death in battle from a young age,, but she also knows if she is being hunted so are the others, and even though she finds their presence disturbing, she may need them yet to get off this rock.
She runs back to the camp where the group was staying not knowing what is ahead, but certain at least 2 predators are still behind her.
Back at the camp and battle continues. The Pirates begin to spread out surrounding most of the group. Suddenly one of the members simply vanishes as another standing dead center of the open camp holds some sort of suicide stance. Suddenly the air is filled with gun fire and bullets blaze in all directions. At first it seems more attackers have arrived, but everyone suddenly realizes the man known only as Cleric, is shooting, seemingly wild, in all directions as he… well… dances in the center of all the action.
Moments later is clear, there was
nothing wild about the shooting as all the pirates lay dead and Cleric is
unharmed. Even the two pirates following the Amazon are quickly dispatched
from the flurry of bullets. The only down side is several members of the party
were also injured from this dance of bullets.
The party regroups searches the bodies of their attackers taking some guns
and armor. Among the belongings they fins a small amount of money and transports
papers. Among them a cargo manifest for cargo headed for Archos Prime, a small
desolate world in the Anvil Galaxy. Among the cargo listed are 80 names, including
the party members.
That group arrives at the starport and has barely enough to arrange passage to Archos Prime on a small cargo ship carrying medical supplies. They depart for the 7 hour journey, hoping to discover who was trying to buy them and where they are from.
As they approach Archos Prime and prepare to land, the ship rockets back and forth in orbit. Alarms ring out all around. The loudspeaker echos the captains voice, "We are under attack. Everyone take…."
The sound is cut off. There is loud whine in the air, and suddenly everyone grabs for their throats as all the air escapes the cargo hold. In but a few moments all the atmosphere will be gone and each of you will be nothing but debris in space…
End of Chapter 1