Return to the lab and take a tissue sample from the aquatic thingimabob and runt tests, on human tissue and whatnot.
Getting hold of that thing is not easy as it squits enough ink to completely blacken its tank, but finally you get hold of it long enough to get your sample. Results from it are pretty similar to your previous test, only handful of bacterias survives in human tissue and are swiftly handled by immune system although there's one that does not only survive but also flourishes. It seems to prefer commensalistic relationship with human tissue like so many other earth bacterias does. It is mostly harmless, but the other few probably need some sort of vaccine to help immune system deal with them faster.
Reread The Report.
The Report is less a written report and more a massive data dump from probe's sensors with helpful notes from other people. It contains a lot of data about this solar system, all planetary bodies, their orbits, mass and other readings. You ignore it all and navigate to the part that interests you most, presence of life. Hmm, hmm... ah, there! Large creatures with incredible variance in physique! Although... now that you are reading it again, it could also mean just multiple different species. And the more you read it the more likely the latter interpretation seems.
Kick wildly at where I think the dog is, remove my helmet with one hand and throw it far away from me. Aim carefully and finish that dog with my next shot.
It's hard to kick it from this position but you do manage to get akward knee kick in. And judging by yelp it makes you probably hit it somewhere sensitive, maybe even the shoulder you wounded earlier. Not that it really matters since now it bites really hard on the leg you kicked it with, effectively pinning both your legs down. Enviro-suit withstands its efforts to gnaw throught, but you will most definitely get nasty bruises.
You detach the helmet, throw it away and place barrel of your gun right next to skull of the wolf-creature. There's no way to miss it from this distance and moment later bits of its brain decorates the moss around. "Safe" you whisper with relief.
You notice something small and blue rocketing towards your head from direction you threw your helmet and just barely manage raise an arm to block it. Your arm twitches and goes numb with audible crackling. You can't feel it but it still moves. Then another one dives from from up front. This one you manage to swat away with your pistol and identify it as a small bird, azure/turquoise in color.
You don't see the third one coming, but rather feel your hair raising up. Half second later pain strikes through your skull and you lose your consciousness.
Now that internal threats are handled....
Rush to the command center and triangulate Guni's position to patch it through to Mark.
Guni's suit is no longer sending signal but her flyer is. Looks like it is right next to the forest. You get its coordinates and send it to Mark.
"I can confirm that the radio pings are coming from a group of predators, the ones that got the prey to walk to them, the ability's might be related..."
Mark is cut of by gunshots before silence
"I heard shots in the forest moving to rescue what ever poor sap is there. Command can you locate all active suits and feed me the location of the gun shots broadcast."
Locate and go to gunshots, rescue the idiot that went out alone on the unexplored planet without big guns
Cromwell gives you location of Guni's flyer, right on edge of forest. You land next to it but do not see Guni anywhere, that fool probably wandered into the forest... Better find her quickly before she gets eaten. You know from experience that even smallest things can kill big animals. When going alone into forest one should be properly prepared, carrying various antidotes for possible poisonous animals, heavy weapons in case something big mistakes you for dinner. All you have with you is weapons, taser pistol, smg and small gauss rifle. Less than optimal, but is must do. Saving lives takes priority over preparation.
Luckily to you it doesn't take long to find her. The situation is interesting; there is a wolf-like creature laying on her legs, missing part of its skull, and another one laying few meters away, equally dead. A small container over there and her helmet in opposite direction. A quick check proves that she's alive, but unconscious. You pull the creature off her and inspect her legs. Looks like the suit did its job protecting her, there's no holes or tears.
After being notified of the evident struggle, Pendle grabs some emergency medical supplies (Enough to stabilize the patient; full treatment will occur at base, as it'd likely be heavy), and a side arm, then heads for the point that the signal was found to be from.
You grab extended first aid kit and are almost in airlock when an idea occurs to you. Maybe it would be better to take a ground vehicle rather than just run all the way over there? And in worst care you'll have a corpse to deal with. You sop on your heels and run to hangar. There you demand an ATV and trailer for transporting wounded people. Both are prepared for you and soon you are driving towards the forest. Guided by Mark's signal you quickly find them both. After very quick and very basic inspection you reach same conclusion as Mark did; she's alive, no external wounds and no broken bones. Situation is much better than you feared, but her lack of helmet makes you very, very worried.
1: Guni Debres, Mark Redtail, Jonathan Pendle, ATV and trailer
3: Two personal flyers
Currently we have following samples on ship:
* Springy grass (Partially studied)
* Soil samples (Studied) - Awaiting reaction from Geo teams.
* Seven corpses of large four eyed birds (Studied)
* Living aquatic creature in a water tank. (Not studied)
Author
Topic: The Mind: Day 4 - Finale (Read 112691 times)