The Nature of the Post-Apocalypse, Chapter 2: Welcome to the Swamp
Subject: Doctor Falio, Farsul Scientist.
Date [Atomic Calendar]: January 3, 150
After a while, when one of the Terminators finally awakens (a Drezjin named Krial), the boat returns.
This time they had a larger ladder, made of wood and scrap metal, with ropes holding it up.
Once again, the two rowers aligned the boat with the ship's entrance and set up the ladder, which this time reached us.
Selark and Krial were the first to leave (Krial was wary of our rescuers, but eventually agreed).
We all got out except Fawn.
"Quickly, Fawn. We don't have all day."
The one in the hat made several gurgles, squeals, and slapped certain parts of his body while making various gestures.
"...We don't understand anything," Selark said.
"He doesn't understand you either," said an unfamiliar voice.
Everyone, except the rowers, turned to look at the voice's owner. It was "metal arm," who spoke the most widely spoken language among humans: English.
"Yes, yes, I speak English. What a surprise!" he said indifferently. "I don't like talking to outsiders. You know, from the little I've seen of you, I know you wouldn't survive a single day in the swamp without us." “You probably would have been eaten by Crocodiles, Bot-nin would have crawled into your can, cut your head off, and taken everything of value, They would have encountered the manhunters., who would have kidnapped you and sold you into slavery in New Orleans, Critical Mass would have stolen your weapons for their “revolution,” and then you would have been on your own, letting any of the above and the cannibal tribes hunt you down… History tells itself with cannibals,” he said, pulling out a brown bottle labeled with three “Xs”. “Brandy, anyone?... No?... Okay.” He took a sip before replacing the cork and setting it down beside him. “And even if you did make it out of the swamp, you’d have to deal with Governor Bloome’s Eden Rengers, and your fate wouldn’t be much different from being caught by the Manhunters.”
"That's why I trust you... You're not a threat... Some of you are unconscious, for God's sake!"
Everyone, except the apathetic Selark, shuddered at the casualness with which Metal Arm spoke of all the dangers that inhabited this swamp.
"How do you live here? Humans must have eaten you alive years ago!" Fawn said.
"Number one: The only ones on this list who would eat us are swamp beasts and cannibals... Number two: Get out of that damn tin can and come here! It's getting dark, and the Bot-Nin and Cannibals increase their patrols around here at night, and I want to avoid fighting ninja robots or humans who use other humans' femurs as weapons!"
Fawn only backed away further, faced with the metal arm's aggressiveness and the dangers that lurked there.
"Fawn, calm down... These people know this place well. Nothing's going to happen to us." Arail tried to calm Fawn, but her fear made her unconvincing.
Before we could continue speaking, a dart lodged in the tip of Fawn's left hind leg. She quickly lost her balance and fell into the boat, making sounds that sounded like muffled screams.
"What did you do to Fawn?" Krial cried, terrified
"Spiral Frog poison dart, one touch and you won't be able to move for a few hours... Cannibals love it, luckily we're immune to most poisons... I wish humans could say the same... Now put that flamethrower down," he said, putting away the sniper rifle he used to launch the dart.
"W-why do you care about predators? They're dangerous!" I asked.
"Humans? Dangerous? As long as they're not cannibals, Critical Mass morons, or Manhunters, most swamp humans are good people... Almost all of them come here for the same reason I came back."
A metallic arm points to a part of his body.
There were a series of burns that formed a barcode, a serial number, and a logo that was a scale with two strange symbols that, according to my translator, was a letter in the human alphabet called "C."
Below this logo is the text "Trade Coalition"
"All kinds of scoundrels live here... Yes... But it's a better place than slave farms..."
I knew predators would enslave their prey, but each other? How outrageous!
How many atrocities do humans commit against each other to make their prey feel empathy for them?
"Feel empathy for predators? Great, we're dealing with predatory diseases," said the exterminator, Krial
"...What?" said Metal Arm
"That's a topic for another day," said Arail, covering Krial's mouth as he laughed nervously
If the Yotul had taught us anything, it's that no matter how misguided the primitives' beliefs were, if you let them know, they would be furious, and nothing would stop them from throwing us over the side of the ship at the mercy of the predators
The ship continues to take us deeper into the swamp
"So... what's your name?" Arail asked Metal Arm.
"Ak-kritr," said Metal Arm. "...Call me Ak."
At one point, on the shore, I saw something that left me speechless.
It was a machine
A group of 11 humanoid-shaped machines, some with one eye in front, others with two, and some with three
They wore a different fabric than our rescuers', undoubtedly thicker
One covered their legs, except for the metal feet
Another, over their chest, looked crisscrossed
And a coat like the ones politicians wear, but much thinner because it was made of the same fabric as the rest of their wores
Some wore wide, conical hats, undoubtedly more elaborate than those of our saviors
The one in front had wood and metal strapped to his legs, shoulders, and chest
Suddenly, a hat with leaves interrupted my vision
"I wouldn't stare at the Bo-nin for too long if I were you; they're a bit irritable," Ak said
I looked at my companions and the rowers
The rowers had their backs to where the robots were walking, while the one with the hat (whose hat was gone; I assume it's the one I'm wearing now) held the Krial, who, despite the warning, tried to see the robots
"How do you irritate a machine just by looking at it? They're machines, they don't think," Krial said.
One of the "Bot-nin" suddenly turns; its single eye goes from bright yellow to orange as it beeps, drawing the attention of its companions.
"Idiot, it heard you!" Ak said quietly to Krial
Within seconds, all the robots' headlights turned orange and they were walking toward us.
The rowers tried to row faster.
"Hey! Any problems?" the junk-armored robot said in an artificial voice; it was like listening to a person on a walkie-talkie.
I didn't quite assume a robot could show emotions when Ki picked up the machine gun and slung it over his shoulder
"It's new to the swamp... And to the planet, if you know what I mean."
"I've seen aliens before, idiot. Those morons know the difference between a thinking robot and one that doesn't."
"What do you mean, 'I've seen aliens before'?"
The robot jumped, grabbed a vine, and made it to the center of the boat
"I think it's time you abandoned my ship. I wish," said Ka
"You think a group of Lurkers and their pets scare me? They're all cowards! Your little friends are scared to death!"
The robot pointed at the rowers, who were gripping their oars tightly
"I'm sure you're scared to death too. Like your whole damn race, you're a coward, aren't you?"
The robot turned to look at its companions, who all started to... Laugh? It's hard to define what that sound is
"So I propose a deal: you give us 'Batman' and we'll..."
"Hey, janitor," Ka said.
"...What did you call me...?"
The robot turned around, its red "eyes" flashing, only to get punched in the "face."
The robot fell into the water and onto a "log," which turned out to be one of those Aquatic Predators. Its head detached from the robot, and despite being only metal, it began to spin and bite at it
The other robots turned on their red lights and pulled out long, thin swords and some homemade firearms
"Get on the ground!"
This made up for the exchange of bullets, as those without weapons ran for the water
...
Memory Transcript Subject: Jelsif, Hunter, Arxur Domain
I don't know what Isif was thinking when she sent me here.
She barely sees a prey ship and sends us hunting it. Clearly she wants to inflate her record of successful hunts.
And that brings me here, to the grave of the only predatory brothers apart from us.
Being here stirs up quite a few emotions.
"Your savagery, we're near the last known location of the prey," said the logistics officer.
"Perfect, track the prey ship's location," I said.
The communications officer raised his claw to get my attention.
"We have received an unknown message, in human language."
"What? How?" I asked. Humans are extinct. How would we receive a message from her?
I returned to the screen and read the email that appeared
-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 Mother Planet without supervision or acclimatization is a high-risk action for physical, mental, and vital health-
-Message sponsored by: Republic of the Moon, Free States of Mars, Neo-Japanese Empire, Martian Union, Mount Olympus People's Union, and the Republic of New Russia-
"Your orders?" the logistics officer asked.
"...Erase it, it must be some preprogrammed message from when the war hadn't yet escalated to the point of using nuclear weapons," I said.
[End of chapter]
...
Well, another chapter comes to an end.
If anyone knows the Dominion military ranks, please let me know.
Even if the information isn't canon ;-;
And for those of you who are creating theories, no, I'm not including the Krev so soon... First of all, I don't know how to fit them into the story :D (I haven't even seen NOP 2 yet, I blame school for my misery ;-;)