The Nature of the Post-Apocalypse, prologue
This is a story I've been working on with some friends on a Rolpay Reddit sub.
This AU combines various elements of science fiction and post-apocalyptic sagas such as Kenshi, Fallout, Mad Max, Cyberpunk 2077, Star Wars, etc.
Suggestions are welcome... Comment! You'd be doing my self-esteem a favor ;-;
English is not my native language, so if there are any mistakes, please let me know.
....
Transcription from memory. Subject: Falio, Farsul scientist.
Date [Atomic Calendar] January 2, 150
Date [Gregorian Calendar] January 2, 2210
I don't know why I took this job.
Discovering that humans were still alive was like a wake-up call at first.
However, thank all the Gods of the Federation, on that untimely day in [2100] we received that revelation in the form of their true extinction.
This time, they had undoubtedly been extinguished by nuclear weapons
Now, the Venlil government had had the "brilliant idea" to send us to find the weapons the Predators had invented to use in the war against Arxur... Why did I vote for Tarva in the election?
"We'll be on Earth soon," our pilot said
"Earth. What kind of name is that?" asked Arail, a Krakotl woman on our team
"Predators," replied Doctor Fawn, a Surualian
"...Yes, you're right. Why would I ask a group of Predators to think about philosophy? Surely the most advanced thing they have is a big stick tied to a big rock."
An alert appears on the pilot's screen in Predator language.
-Alert-
-Unidentified vessel entering exclusion zone-
-Instructions-
-Provide all essential information about your origin, identity, and purpose-
-Turn around and proceed to the nearest port on Mars or the Moon-
-Approaching the Home Planet without supervision or acclimatization is a high-risk action for physical, mental, and life-
-Message sponsored by: Republic of the Moon, Free States of Mars, Neo-Japanese Empire, Martian Union, People's Union of Mount Olympus, and Republic of New Russia-
"Clearly, this is preprogrammed. Please ignore it. If there were planetary defenses, they must be out of service," I told the pilot.
"I didn't need to say that," said Pilot Venlil as he threw the email into the trash.
Another message arrives.
-Last warning-
-Provide your information and return to Mars or continue on to the Moon-
-Unidentified ships will be marked as pirates and shot down.-
"I'm getting nervous," Fawn said.
"By Inatala, Fawn!" Aral exclaimed. "The humans are dead. Surely those things aren't firing anymore due to lack of maintenance or they've run out of ammo..."
A jolt interrupted us.
"We have enemies!"
"What!"
"Arxus?" I asked, alarmed.
"...No," the pilot said.
He had punched a few keys, and what we saw was a satellite with a missile silo orbiting the nearby reddish planet.
Now that we looked at the planet more closely, there were... Green lights and spots? Impossible. Nothing bright enough to be visible from orbit, except... Oh my God!
"The humans are alive?!" Fawn expressed everyone's fears.
More satellites appeared and began firing their missiles.
"We have to get out of here and warn the Federation!" I shouted at the same time as Fawn.
They'd destroyed the engines!
Unfortunately, Earth's lunar satellites had joined in the bombardment and disabled our engines.
We were in free fall toward the predator planet
"...Ladies and gentlemen... Know that I have always hated each and every one of you," the Venlil said with unnatural sobriety.
Fawn stared at him. "I've hated you since I learned you had the Predatory Disease," she said with the same condescension.
As I ponder how it's possible to say those words in your final moments, we approach land.
...This is going to hurt
...
Time Skip: 7 hours and 29 minutes, January 3, 150
What? Where am I?
"Am I... alive?"
"Thanks to me," I heard Fawn's voice.
"...Thanks."
"It's my job."
"Okay," I heard the voice of the Venlil pilot. When I looked inside, he was trying to pull a flamethrower out of a closet. "Would anyone help me with this?"
"Here I go," Aral said as she and the Venlil pulled out the flamethrower together. Venlil set it on the floor while he pulled out a Exterminator suit
"Are we going to let a sick Predator have a weapon? What if it gets out of control?
"Most of the Terminators on board are dismembered in the break room, along with our mechanic, whose body was mangled in the engine wreckage. We only have two Terminators left... unconscious," he said with predatory aggression.
"Besides, who's going to take him? You? Ha... You couldn't even handle a baby Arxur," he said as he put on his fireproof suit.
It was hard not to throw up in scenes like the one Venlil mentioned... Come to think of it, do any of us even know his name?"
I get up from the couch where I'd been lying, the nameless Venlil approaches the hatch
"Are you crazy?! There could be countless Predators there!" Fawn said, terrified at the thought of abandoning the ship. "There are a thousand ways for a Predator to get in through the openings left by the missiles. By staying here, we just give them a place we can't escape... Things you learn in the military," the venlil said.
"But..."
Aral interrupted Fawn. "You're right, Fawn... Staying here is a bad idea."
Fawn turned to look at me, faintly hoping I'd take her side. "Please tell me why you think this is crazy."
"...Actually, it doesn't seem like a bad idea," I said, observing the disappointment and despair on the Surualian's face"
"Relax, Fawn, we're not going anywhere with two unconscious pack members. I just want to see where we land."
The hatch will open after confirming there's no immediate risk to our health.
What we saw was a swamp.
Somehow, our ship had gotten caught in what appeared to be the vines of some strange trees.
But that wasn't the point.
Almost at the entrance was a boat with three... things.
It looked like a sickly cross between an insect and an amphibian or aquatic animal.
[Reference image]
One wore a strange cloth garment that covered his waist down, and another covered his neck and the nape of his neck.
He was beating our boat with a large oar.
Another wore the same clothes as the first, except he wore a large hat made of large, crudely tied, dried leaves. A belt with shotgun pellets hung across his chest.
He had another oar in one hand and a primitive shotgun in the other.
The third, unlike the other two, also wore these same garments across his chest [author's note: a sleeveless undershirt].
I also noticed that his left arm was... metallic?
Luckily for us, his sidelong eyes betrayed his prey-like nature
The one with the hat notices our presence and, like any good prey, is startled by something new and lets out a strange cry that alerts his companions.
Unfortunately for us, their first reaction was that the one holding the oar turned their boat around by hitting one of the logs with his oar, and immediately the three of them drew their weapons.
Metal Arm pulled a light machine gun from a cabinet, also homemade-looking, but just as threatening.
The Venlil, sick, aimed his flamethrower, although I doubt the flames would reach them if a shootout broke out.
"Wait!" I shouted as I pulled the Venlil away from the door.
Hearing me, the three prisoners abandoned their hunched postures and looked at each other in confusion. Did they understand me? Does he have language? Falio, they have the ability to create weapons, they obviously know how to speak.
The three stared at each other and began to make strange noises.
From gurgles to squeals, to the occasional bump on one of her limbs.
"...Well... This is a strange language," Arail said.
"Language? Those are noises." On days like these, she wished she was a lawyer like Mom wanted and didn't have to deal with Fown.
"It's not like anything else," she replied.
After a while, the three of them stopped "arguing" and looked at us.
The one with the hat opened the closet and took out a collapsible metal ladder.
The rowers brought the boat closer and tried to put the ladder in the entrance, but it didn't reach
"Do we have ladders?" I asked.
"Yes... Broken... but we have this," said the Venlil.
With that, he pulled out an inflatable raft and was about to launch it into the water, but the three insect/andibians became alarmed and gestured with their hands for us to stop.
Metal Arm snatched the oar from one of his companions and stared at the water for a few seconds, hitting a floating log.
To my horror, that wasn't a log.
If you asked me what it was, my first thought would be "Arxur."
Now I couldn't help but feel terrified at the sight of all the logs in the water.
The intelligent strangers made even stranger gestures: they pointed in one direction, then at the ladder, and another gesture, extending their arms, and then proceeded to walk away as if we weren't surrounded by predators.
"...I guess we'll just have to wait," said the Venlil.
"I guess so... Uh... This is going to sound embarrassing... But..."
"Selark," said the Venlil.
"Huh?"
"My name is Selark... I know no one here knows my name," said the one now known as Selark.
"...Sorry."
"I've gotten used to it... I guess we'll just have to wait for them to come back," said Selark.
"Yeah... Probably," I said
....
Author's note: Yes, I know. Why is Tarva governor if this isn't happening at the same time as the NOP?... It's just a matter of convenience.