ALTERED STATES - EPISODE 2

Plymuth guzzled back an entire canteen of water as the Death Troopers passed by over head. Falling dust disturbed by the vibrations of their heavy boots on the concrete glowed in the pin holes of light emanating from ancient grates in the walkway long since packed tight with earth. A few good stomps and they would be exposed but it seemed that the soldiers were unaware of the old drainage system above them, 'probably completely covered on the surface', considered the mariner.

Only after his thirst was quenched did, Plymuth divert is full attention to the danger that lurked above them. Naturally he dehydrated quicker than most, it wasn't matter of life and death but Plymuth took every opportunity he could to enjoy a cool drink. Aside from the necessity it also helped him ignore the wild beast in the corner of the room. He didn't know what was worse. Dealing with the Death Troopers or being trapped in tight space with the mad tigress. Thankfully she calmed down quickly, the other hybrids instinctively gave her space and Plymuth did the same, avoiding any eye contact or quick movements she might mistake for hostility. He in fact knew a little bit about animal behavior from working with the bull 'storm seals' they trained for protection. Vicious beasts, but loyal to the death.

Listening to the foot steps above them, Plymuth really didn't care what happened. Sitting there in the dark with three humanoids so different from him, his thoughts keps on drifting back to Avalon. His home. Now just a ruined platform in the middle of the sea, wiped out by Humans. Humans, like the ones hunting them right now. The more he thought of the horrors that befell his people, the angrier Plymuth grew. His muscles rippled beneath his shirt as rage coursed through his viens. Sweat began to bead his forehead and he secretly hoped the troopers discovered them. He was tired of being the last of his kind. Tired of hiding and most of all tired of being hunted by Humans.

Gavin turned his muddy eyes up to Kitty when she tapped him on the shoulder and smiled as he accepted the scrap.

"Thanks," he said before turning his attention back to the opening. The vibrations were dying down, becoming less heavy and more muffled with the lighter steps of so many citizens, the smells more of dust and less of burning ammo. Tilting his head upward, Gavin sniffed the air and listened as the last soldiers seemed to move past their hiding place. When he glanced to the others, he saw that they, too, seemed to notice the falling quiet. "Let's just be sure," he whispered to them. Calling to his fuzzy little friends, he sent two little gray scouts scuttling down the path from which they'd come, their pattering footsteps echoing in the growing silence. A few minutes passed in silence in which Gavin waited with all the nonchalance of waiting for a bus. Finally, he before the rats even returned, he turned to face the others with a small smile. "I think we are safe to fight another day," he said, using a grim expression he and the other rat hybrids had used back at the lab after another day of cruel training and experiments.

Shifting himself around in the tiny space, he looked at them all in the near complete darkness and nibbled on the scrap Kitty had given him.

"So if I may ask," he began, "where did you all go? I woke up in the hotel and you were gone." His tone was conversational, betraying none of the hurt or confusion he had felt before. He then turned to Plymuth, his eyes narrowing as recognition drifted slowly into them. "And . . . you look familiar..." he added.

Kitty felt herself relaxing more and more as the threat shifted further away from the hiding place Gavin had secured for them. So much so that the hybrid tigress actually closed her eyes for a few minutes seeming to sleep. Of course when Gavin’s soft, hushed voice filled the small space, her eyes opened and she studied the fellow hybrid. In the confusion she had forgotten all about him. All she knew when she woke up was that Leo and the truck, the strange man with the slave girl and the slave girl was gone.

Now, as she sat listening to Gavin’s questions, she realized what she and Tom had done to him was no better than what Leo and the others had done to her and Tom. Now she knew where the old saying “Two wrongs don’t make a right” came from. Shifting her weight slightly so she could easily use her hands to sign, Kitty tried the best she could to explain not knowing if Gavin could understand her or not. Hopefully Tom would interpret for her if Gavin didn’t understand.

very sorry….woke up….leo gone…truck gone….slave girl gone…..bad man gone…..felt abandoned….decided to leave place since nothing left…..picked up trail of pretty boy….followed to this place….wish had stayed in other place now….

The guilt she felt for abandoning Gavin ran deep and the more she thought about what had happened, the worst she felt for it. Blinking a few times and looking away from his gaze, Kitty thought for a few moments then shifted her weight once more and moved a little closer to the Rat hybrid and signed again before extending her hand.

so very sorry for abandoning you…..no mean to…..know how you felt when realize all gone….please forgive….not happen again….promise….

Kitty’s gold gaze had returned to a normal look and as she looked to Gavin now, there was sincerity in her eyes letting him know she felt terrible for what happened to the man who now saved their lives….again.

Plymuth couldn't be sure where and when this 'rat-man' would have come across him. "Got the wrong the guy, pal." he told him as his eyes wandered back up the ceiling.

A soothing calm began to wash over the mariner like a cool shower. He could tell from the sounds that the danger had passed just like the 'rat-man' had foretold. Now it was just a matter of lying low for a while and letting the situation blow over.

Listening to Tom's translation of the 'tiger-girl's' apology, Plymuth realized that the 'rat-man' was at the Oasis hotel when all hell broke loose, but he still didn't recall him. Probably due to the fact that man was so nondescript that he seemed to literally blend into his surroundings. Oddly, though, crouched beside him in close quarters he observed the man actually was quite distinct.

"The name's Plymuth." The mariner offered to the rat-man as he turned his wide nocturnal eyes on him, "I 'eard those blokes chasin' us were called Deathtroopers and the other normal soldiers were Peacekeepers. Seems they run the place, but there's another militant group here that call themselves, Rangers. Ran inta one o'them, gave me this."

Plymuth pointed to the arm band with '5025-T' written across it in white, its bright green colour subdued by the night vision of the four non-humans. "I believe the guy's name was Salem. Salem Midvale, and I got the feelin' from him that they were none too happy with Stonehaven's current government. You know anything about it?"

Rarmon and Jack had escaped the troopers having slipped into a sewer...Ramon looked to the nimble man still aiming his pistol at the manhole.... “They won’t expect us to go underground with a heavy mech with you.” Rarmon stretched his arms the sewer had dried up thankfully...but he still wouldn’t be able to climb the ladder he had accidently torn off the first five rungs when climbing down. “We will have to find a storm drain of some sort.” Jack nodded pushing the pistol back into its holster he held his finger up after a moment he pointed down one of the ways of the tunnel... “This is the way out I believe.”

The two trudged through the dark Rarmon went first his helmet equipped with a flashlight both could use night vision...but lights were more traditional not scaring people who ordinarily hung down here. Rarmon reaching round he pulled...... “Oh...for f’ sake!” Jack gave a chuckle the bottle of whiskey had been hit only the bottle neck remained Rarmon dropped it with a sigh. “The other bottles are further down.” The two continued to march through the sewer both looking for theexit.

COL Miles McGuire on a special assignment for NASA - tasked to deliver and mount a new communications module to the abondon space station obiting Venus. The countries involved in the joint affair had taken sides and the space station has been abondoned.

During that time frame, the world was at war and tensions were high. While on a space walk to install the communications, Miles experienced several large white flashes coming from behind the moon. Brillant white flashes...the earth was behind the moon and suddenly Miles felt all alone.

Very alone...twenty years have past since that spacewalk around the spacestation, the days before the spacestation, he was in a hyper sleep chamber, sleeping soundly for fifteen years just to get to the space station.

Now, he worked around the clock, preparing for what he knew little about...what existing conditions were on the planet.

The day of and the morning after the Apocalyptic event communications with earth returned nothing but static on the radio comm. He spent days in the space craft, racking his brain...he had no alternate plan. he decided then, that he would salvaged everything he could from the space station, including the new com module and mount it on his craft. He would continuously make an attempt to contact anybody still alive on earth.

On the last day before pulling away from the space station, COL Mcguire notices a fuel leak in one of his space craft capillaries. The trip back to earth would take a lot longer to return and he hoped the earths gravitional pull would do the rest. Miles routinely kept perfecting his robotic devices he built with the parts from the space station to help him keep his sanity. He keep his personal hygiene up, shaving daily and brushing his teeth...and his long hair. He had even reread his Louis La'Mour series of cowboy stories, at least eighteen times and was bored.

That was then...this is now....space travel it seemed like only a few days ago when he left the space station...but in fact it had been almost 27 years since pulling away...and Miles was orbiting the earth for the past 24 hours. There are several hot contaminated spots on his radiac meter ADR-77 instrutment panel reads and interprets the high gamma-beta and alpha readings...

He turns on the tv screen. He views the screen and listens to the taped message sent off in five languages to mankind. Dreams of returning to the good life fades as the first images of what was once Colorado appears on the tv screen. Christ...where's all the trees?

Miles tears open the last of his food supply paks...the reality sinks in...he'sgonna have to make a landing down there and look for food.

Looking for a place to put the craft down and keep it well hidden,he spots this old farm ...

Salem Midvale leaned back in his plush office chair. A treasure he had found on one of his expeditions into the steppes. He was just finishing up a silver can filled with chocolate pudding when one of his men came running in.

"Salem!" he called looking frantically about the control room.

Salem raised a hand but despite the anxious expression on the young man's face remained calm. "Over here. Y'know if you take them goggles off you'd see a little clearer."

The young ranger ran over to central control panel. A mishmash of plasma screens and monitors connected to a fragile network of video camera's they had strung around Stonehaven and beyond. Very few of the images were clear, but they allowed them to at least get an idea of what was going on without wasting precious man power.

"Oh, thank you, sir." Said the younger man in a formal manner, to which Salem furrowed his brows.

"Salem is just fine, son."

As the young ranger lifted up his goggles it became apparent to the senior ranger why he kept them on. His eyes were mottled. A combination of golds and greens, and his pupils were oddly shaped, kind of like a frog's, Salem reckoned. For the most part everything else about the ranger looked normal. Maybe he had a little extra webbing between his fingers but aside from that he was normal, at least that's the way, Salem saw it. Humanoid, Human, what the hell was the difference? Intelligent mammals all of them, but the powers that were saw things differently. They used the Human's natural tendency to shun differences and to set themselves apart from all other living things to their advantage. The prejudice gave them control and that was what he aimed to get rid of.. if he could.

Among the rangers, mutations were not looked upon with disdain. They were all brothers, but this kid was new and obviously he had spend the better part of his life hiding his differences. Salem didn't blame him. Most people were down right mean to Humanoids and it was just easier to go about and pretend you were Human rather than attract unwanted attention.

"Sir... I mean, Salem, I just saw something..." The young man stammered.

"Take it slow, kid. What's your name anyway?"

"Sony."

Salem cast a glance over at one of the monitors behind him and checked out the brand name. The kid didn't know it but he was named after an old piece of technology. His parents probably weren't very imaginative and just called him something they had heard, or read. If they could even read.

"Well, Sony." Said Salem as he slowly rose out of his chair, "You have the look of a man who's seen a ghost. Where were you patrolling?"

"North of the city, along Redbone Ridge."

Salem looked surprised. "That's a hot-zone, kid." he expressed knowing well that what people called Redbone Ridge was the southern edge of a massive blast crater. People avoided it... well, normal people, obviously, Sony was a little more resilient to radiation than most. Not an uncommon thing among, Humanoids. "So what did ya see out there that's got ya in such a state?"

"It was a space ship!"

Salem's expression was blank for a moment while he read Sony's face. The boy definitely believed what he was telling him, but perhaps he was mistaken. "You sure?" Asked Midvale trying to contain a smile.

"I swear it!"

Salem straightened up and placed his hands on his hips. "I take swearin' pretty seriously. You sure it wasn't some sort a big bird or the like? There's lots a strange things out there."

"No, sir. It was a space ship just like in my book."

The young ranger reached into his pack and pulled out an old comic book and on the cover was a space craft landing on a strange planet.

Salem took it and studied the cover. "You didn't happen to see this silver guy with the surf board as well?" he asked in a joking manner.

"No, sir." The kid answered seriously.

Salem handed the book back and scratched his head. "Well you saw somethin'. Where did it land?"

"The other side of the crater. We were told never to venture out that far, else I would'a drove around."

"No. You did good. There's nothing out there..." Salem paused and walked over to a table covered with maps, quickly rummaging through them. He grabbed the one he was looking for and spread it open, "... except an old farm."

"A farm?" Questioned Sony, not really familiar with the concept.

"It's a place where people would grow food." Salem explained, "But there's plenty else out there, and to them we're the food."

Salem considered then that Sony actually did see a space craft. Where the hell did it come from? Such things hadn't been around for over seventy years. It wasn't entirely out of the question that someone had been able to maintain and use such technology and if it were true this could be the ace in the hole he had been looking for. With such a craft at his disposal he could challenge the Peace Keeper's and Death Trooper's control.

Salem walked over to his monitors one more time while he gathered up his pack. He gave a quick scan to see if he could spy any of the new Hybrid's he had encountered earlier that day. Still nothing. He hadn't heard any reports from the Death Trooper's making any captures. They always loved to gloat, so no news was good news.

"Com 'on, kid." Called Salem as he ran out the door.

Sony followed close behind. "Where we going?"

"To find your space ship."

Kitty was drifting off for a nap when her eyes suddenly fluttered open and she glanced quickly at the others. Seeing they were on high alert as well, she signed to no one in particular.

hear that?

Tom nodded slightly but didn’t say anything. When the ground trembled slightly, not enough for normal humans to feel but certainly ones like herself, Tom and Gavin could, she tapped Tom;s shoulder again. When he gave her a puzzled yet concerned look again she signed once more.

something big. something not hear before. need to get out of here before find us. hurry…

She tapped Gavin on the shoulder then and gestured for him to show the way out. It wasn’t quite dark yet but it would be soon and she wanted to be ready to move along as soon as the darkness slipped over the land.

They took a break the drain was unusual that was for sure they had found the exit deciding to sit in the tunnel and preparing themselves before leaving. It was an odd exit for a sewer system the ground was dry and walls rose almost a good 20 foot above them on either side… “It’s a dam drain?” Jack stating as he sat beside Rarmon. The huge assault trooper was rearranging his bag lifting a new bottle of whiskey from the deep parts of his bag carefully wrapped in a vest he began to remove his clothing to replace the…small arms bullet riddled vest he would have to patch the coat later.

Finally after many moments of rummaging he had rearranged his bag two boxes of ammunition empty in front of them Jack began to use these as mess tins pulling some standard issue ration packs he poured the contents into the tin he pulled a disk of metal using the same concepts as a car lighter it began to heat up the mess tins…Rarmon finally spoke his input… “A…spaceship has entered the vicinity it took out a Russian satellite on its entry trajectory but our Sat has left the area I will begin hacking the Chinese SAT entering this area to attain what there is to be seen.” Jack only nodded accepting these actions it was unusual a spaceship to have come to earth in such a manner it could mean the military are coming back to earth or simply an expedition to see if anything still crawled on earth, who knew?

Rarmon lifted his head and noticed at the top of the wall a post holding the remnants of a fence to have...a camera attached to it. “These people are being spied on?” Jack gave a shrug as he stirred the meal with a fork... “It could be for security....” Rarmon shook his head looking to Jack... “We could follow them to their HQ clear it out take some hostages guaranteed exit...You do know you didn’t need to make me food?” Jack gave another shrug tapping the fork on the side of the tin. “It is a habit and it would be odd just cooking for myself, imagine it as a chance to get some real food to that brain still in that box of yours instead of those artificial supplements being fed to it.” The two gave chuckles as the last of the sunlight was splayed across the sky indeed it was almost night time and that meant time for them to eat quick and move on.

Slipping into the two seater pod, I look around for a gun or something to use if there's trouble. I find flaregun and laff, I don't even know how to use this thing. I read the directions and stuff it in my gunny sack. Looking around the pod, I decide to abondon the idea of using the pod and will land the space shuttle Endeavor inside the walls of that farm.

The Space Shuttle, part of the Space Transportation System (STS), an American spacecraft operated by NASA for orbital human spaceflight missions. The first of four test flights occurred in the 20th century, which were followed by operational flights. Major missions included launching numerous satellites and interplanetary probes, conducting space science experiments, and servicing and construction of space stations. The Shuttle has been used for orbital space missions by NASA, the U.S. Department of Defense, the European Space Agency, and Germany. The United States funded STS development and shuttle operations.

At launch, the Space Shuttle consisted of a dark orange-colored external tank (ET) two white, slender Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs); and the STS Orbiter Vehicle (OV) which was the payload that wasn't delivered to the space station. This Payload could be launched into higher orbits with either of two different booster stages developed for STS (1 stage PAM or 2 stage IUS).

The shuttle stack launches vertically like a conventional rocket from a mobile launch platform. It lifts off under the power of its two solid rocket boosters (SRBs) and its three main engines (SSMEs), the latter fueled by liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen from the external tank. The old Space Shuttle had a two stage ascent, which didnt exist on the Endeavor. The boosters were used only for the first stage, while the main engines burnt for both stages. About two minutes after liftoff and during flight, the SRBs were released, and shortly would begin falling by parachutes into the ocean to be retrieved by ship for reuse.

The shuttle orbiter and external tank would continue to ascend under power from the three main engines and their inertia. Upon reaching orbit, the main engines were shut down, and the external tank is jettisoned downward and falls to burn up in the atmosphere. This was different on the Endeavor and it was possible for it to be re-used in orbit for various applications. The orbital maneuvering system (OMS) engines could be used to adjust or circularize the achieved orbit.

This orbiter could carry astronauts and payloads such as satellites or space station parts into low earth orbit, into the Earth's upper atmosphere or thermosphere. Usually, a five to seven crew members would ride in the orbiter. Two crew members, the Commander and Pilot, were sufficient for a minimal flight, STS-1 through STS-4. But with the risk of failure, Miles was sent out there as an expendable Pilot and Commander.

A typical payload capacity is about 22,700 kilograms (50,000 lb), and could be raised depending on the choice of launch configuration. The orbiter carries the payload in a large cargo bay with doors that open along the length of its top, a feature which makes the Space Shuttle unique among present spacecraft. This feature made possible the deployment of large satellites such as the Hubble Space Telescope, and also to capture and return large payloads back to Earth.

When the space station space mission was complete , it was supposed to fire its Orbital Maneuvering System (OMS) thrusters to drop out of orbit and re-enter into the lower atmosphere. But with the payloads still onboard the descent was going to be a little harder to control. During the descent, the shuttle orbiter would pass through different layers of the atmosphere and decelerates from hypersonic speed primarily by aerobraking.

In the lower atmosphere and landing phase, it acts as a glider with reaction control system (RCS) thrusters and fly-by wire controlled hydraulically actuated flight surfaces controlling its descent. It then makes a landing on a long runway as a spaceplane. The aerodynamic shape is a compromise between the demands of radically different speeds and air pressures during re-entry, subsonic atmospheric flight, and hypersonic flight. As a result the orbiter has a high sink rate at low altitudes, and transitions from using RCS thrusters in low pressure to flight surfaces at low altitudes. Unfortunately, Miles knew he wasn't using a long runway to land the craft and to use the jets to ease the craft into position would raise suspicion so upon knowing all this, using autopilot was out of the question...

"Commander Miles.....this is VG1...ease back on the flaps use more thrusters.

"Commander Miles.....this is VG1...you're at 50,000 feet and your glide path looks good.

Roger VG1...easing back on flaps, glide path level...


"Commander Miles.....this is VG1...flaps down, ease off the thrusters, keep your nose up

"Commander Miles.....this is VG1...you're at 45,000 feet and closing...temperature is raising 212*

"Commander Miles.....this is VG1...heading 202.7 northwest, airspeed 4500 nautical

"Commander Miles.....this is VG1...you're at 30,000 feet vg1 using after booster rockets to stabilize cabin

"Commander Miles.....this is VG1...come about and fly into the grey clouds

"Commander Miles.....this is VG1...your target is inbound 200 miles airspeed 3000 nautical bearing 202

"Commander Miles.....this is VG1...level after stabilzers keep your nose up Commander..

"Commander Miles.....this is VG1...you're 2000 feet and closing

VG1, anding gear is down, STS STB after booster rockets are now mark...5..4..3..2...1... ignite...rockets are burning...is position....dropping down.....500, 400, 300, 200, 100, 75,,50

"Commander Miles.....this is VG1...kill thrusters.

Roger VG1...10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, touch down..

VG1...the Eagle one has touched down at 0900 hours. Engines shutting down...

The landing went smooth and inside the farm, Miles shut down the instrutment panel and sat looking outside the window...testing the air.

Plymuth awoke when the hybrids started to stir. None of them were particularly chatty so he decided to catch a few winks until time enough passed for them to slip into the streets under the cover of the darkness. Tiger-girl was definitely disturbed by something, but the mariner could neither hear nor smell anything to be concerned about. She was signing something to the 'wolf-guy', Tom, and all Plymuth could make out were the sign's for 'big' and 'hear', so he figured she could detect something. This seemed to prompt the guy who was able to speak to rats to lead them out of their underground hide out and back into the streets so Plymuth grabbed up his gear and followed.

The sun was low on the horizon and red rays of light sifted through the congested town as they climbed out of the hole. The danger had passed and there were far less people on the streets now which made their group a little more conspicuous.

"So what's the plan?" Asked Plymuth as he swiveled his head about checking the streets and allies around them for any signs of those Death Troopers.

The mariner was actually more curious of the others actions rather than concerned. He had pretty much made up his mind to stick around until he found a way to get himself a vehicle, then press on to Tahoe. Stonehaven might have been a rare oasis in the wastelands but it was hardly what he called civilization. It was more like stagnation from his point of view. The town didn't seem all that self-sufficient and there was currently a power struggle occurring between those people who provided security and peace-keeping.

Kitty moved along silently as Gavin guided them out of their cramped hiding place. As tom and Plymuth fell in behind them, she sniffed the air as they stepped out into the darkened streets of Stonehaven. The smell of fuel lingered heavy on the air and she furrowed her brows. When Plymuth asked what the plan was, Kitty signed to him knowing he could understand the gist of what she was telling him.

we try to leave and hope we not end up food. stay quiet, head down, guns ready just in case.

Like wraiths, the mutant and hybrids moved along in the shadows of the buildings avoiding any contact with the locals as much as they could. When they finally reached the wall that kept the locals in and all others out, Kitty frowned. There didn’t appear to be any way out for them now. but thankfully, Gavin once again found them a way.

With a few gestures, they made their way to what appeared to be some sort of grate over a hole along the edge of the wall. With Tom’s help, they were able to lift the grate enough for Gavin to slip inside. When he reported it appeared to be some sort of sewer they all made a face but decided it was better than hanging around here.

Once they were all in the drainage system, the water reached just over their ankles and while it may not have smelled all that good, Kitty had smelled a lot worse. Like Rex. Trying to make as little noise as possible, they moved through the drain until they reached an opening that was covered in another grate. This one wasn’t as easy as the other and what they ended up doing was pulling two of the iron posts free then sliding through it.

It wasn’t easy and they had to convince Plymuth to hand his belongings through fist but eventually he relented and when he was through Kitty handed his things back to him. When he took hold of the pack he carried, Kitty didn’t let go right away and when he lifted his gaze to hers, her tiger eyes, with pupils rather large, seemed to bore into his. She gave him a slow nod letting him know everything was still secure. It was her way of letting him know he was among the closest thing to friends he could get. After all, he was as deep into this as the rest of them were right now.

Once they cleared the grate, the water spilled out into what appeared to be some sort of storm water channel. It was elevated on both sides and it was clear to see by the pattern in the dirt the water flowed quickly away from Stonehaven. They needed to quickly find shelter in case the nocturnal predators came looking for another free meal.

Stonehaven as it name suggested was indeed a haven from the nocturnal predators that prowled the night. Those that stayed within the confines of the settlement were safe, but those who ventured outside or below it took their lives into their own hands. Plymuth had figured this out and questioned their present course of action. Still, he followed without making his apprehensions known. This band of what he understood to be some sort of collection of 'lab rats' gone awry were trustworthy enough but he was hardly the trusting type. Since the slaughter of his people and destruction of his home, Plymuth had only his wits to depend on and didn't find it easy to rely on others.

"I don't know about this?" Mentioned Plymuth, "It's getting dark and suffice to say, bad things usually come out at night would you all not agree?"

It was obvious that they had passed outside of the towns perimeter but the ancient sewer system continued on. 'Where did it go?', Plymuth wondered. Stonehaven was once an refinery, so perhaps they were in some sort of run-off system, but if that was the case where did the drain spill?

The oxygen levels were slightly off, he knew the air was thinner in Colorado but these readings indicated higher level of carbon dioxide that filtered the air due to fuel exhaust...thats odd??? Miles ran all kinds of tests from the Commanders chair.

He knew he’d be lucky if no one saw or heard the spacecraft at all, but knew there were life forms running around down here from the infrared images his cameras had picked up while orbiting earth.

Running the last test, for biological, nuclear and chemical agents, He also noticed how dry the planet was. So before leaving the craft, he would send out two robotic probes, one to take soil samples and the other to test the lake water he spotted while orbiting earth. These robotic probes would analysis the samples right on the spot and send the data back to the space shuttle almost instantly. Both had still and video cameras to take high resolution pictures and videos with good clarity for background imaging as well. He would wait until all the tests he had to perform came out positive without endangering his self to the elements or worse the strange life forms he saw. Now he wished he had some kind of gun.

To say the least, Kitty was on edge. And the wound on her thigh was throbbing telling her she’d best find a way to clean it properly or she’d be suffering with an infection she’d just as soon not deal with. As they slinked their way past Stonehaven’s protective embrace, the tigress looked over at Plymuth and nodded as her own apprehensions were along the same lines as his.

As Gavin and Tom scouted out ahead of them, she signed once more, going slow so he could keep up with what she was doing while moving her lips at the same time so he could follow along that way as well. There were only a few times she had to repeat herself and while she wasn’t the most patient of beings, she practiced a good deal while dealing with the stranger.

true. but no can stay there. too dangerous for us. travel at night only way to insure not dehydrate and get burned by sun. tom and gavin look for tunnels. easier to deal with trouble in there and keep safe until figure out which way to go.

As they waited for the other two to return, Kitty studied the man intently. A couple of times he glanced at her and felt her scrutiny. Finally he became uncomfortable and stared back at her. Realizing what she’d been doing, she glanced away then signed she was sorry. Looking back at him, she signed again.

sorry. bad habit. taught to observe others and read body language. you no trust anyone. not uncommon. hard to get used to others helping you. better chance as group than single person. where you headed?

She looked away for a moment, scanning the area. Her nose twitch slightly as she sniffed the air and caught Tom and Gavin’s scents on the breeze telling her they were still close by but still moving away from them.

Plymuth stared coldly into the strange eyes of the tiger-woman pondering whether or not to trust her, then he remembered the faith displayed by Humans and Non-Humans alike back on the eastern coast. He never would have made this far without their kindness and generosity and so he took a lesson from that. Slipping off is backpack he procured a small tube from a side pocket. He then unzipped one of the pockets and pulled out a magazine that was wrapped in plastic and supported by a hard cardboard backing. Carefully he slipped out the ancient media then pressed the bottom of the tube which started to glow with a dim light. Plymuth imagined the hybrid could see in the dark like he could, maybe better, but if she saw anything like he did it was difficult to appreciate full colour without a light source.

The cover of the magazine was well preserved. A vibrant red sun set over the ocean and painted the white sands of picturesque beach with shades of pinks and orange. Written in a swirly white coloured text at the top of the cover read 'Vacation Paradises'. He held the cover before her, so she could get a good look at it, then opened the book to a page he could easily find with his eyes shut.


The title read, 'Lake Tahoe' and there was a picture of a beautiful blue lake surrounded by trees and white substance which some still remembered to be snow. It was a paradise, but anyone who had survived in this world long enough knew that such things no longer existed.

"That's where I'm headed." Plymuth told her and immediately read the doubt in Kitty's expression but before she could sign a response interjected, "Yeah, I know. When I fist found this magazine I figured everything in it was gone and this lake was just a dried up mud hole, but on my way here I met more people than I can remember who all believed this place was real. They said that someone was there, someone who had healed the waters and those waters would in turn heal those in need."

Plymuth closed the magazine and tucked it back in its cover.

"I didn't believe it at first, part of me still doesn't but I have to go and see. That's what all these, 'pilgrims', told me... 'go and see' they said, so that's what I'm doin'. I'm not sure where the rest of you are headed, but that's my destination. I'm not one to steer the course of another but if you're curious maybe you should 'go and see' for yourself."

Plymuth extinguished the light, closed up his pack and tossed it back on. He had never considered himself to be a pilgrim but perhaps that what he was. He was definitely seeking something, but who wasn't?

As Kitty’s eyes observed the scene in the picture, she felt her heart rate speed up just a little. Blinking she looked up at him then back to the picture and studied it even more. As he explained where he was going and why, she furrowed her brows. But then she remembered the strange dreams she had of this place called “Paradise”. Could this be the place?

When Plymuth put the picture back and told her how he discovered the place and that the waters had some kind of healing powers, she was a bit skeptical to say the least. But, who was she to say there wasn’t? She contemplated what she was going to do now that her home was destroyed and she finally looked back at him.

would like to go see if place really exists. try not to be trouble. help any way i can. if alright with you.

She let a sly smile ease over her features then and tilted her head.

if not, i just follow along behind you.

There was humor in her statement but Plymuth also knew she was telling the truth.

Plymuth made out that Kitty wanted to tag along and nodded.

"You're free to walk the same direction." He told her, "Just make sure ya keep your nose outta my things."

As soon as, Plymuth spoke the words he regretted them. It had been a while since he had people about he could depend on but he was just ready to become part of the pack. He really didn't know how to talk to people anymore, especially when they got close and right now all he saw in these hybrids were liabilities, then again, maybe he just didn't ever want to experience having anyone near to him taken away again.

"We better catch the others up." he mentioned and carried on down the tunnel.

There was no doubt Kitty didn’t appreciate what Plymuth said about keeping her nose out of his things. If she could have talked like him he would have heard her tell him there wasn’t anything he had she wanted. As it was, she merely made it loud and clear without saying a word how she felt about his instructions.

When he suggested they join the others, she couldn’t have agreed more. He was an odd person, that was for certain. She’d never really spent a lot of time around people who weren’t sick or dieing but somehow she thought they weren’t quite as rude as this man. She had to wonder if he didn’t care for the fact she was a hybrid to which that may change the way they interacted in the future, but for now, she let this settle in the back of her mind.

As they slinked forward, Kitty sniffed the air and caught Tom and Gavin’s scents. It wasn’t long before the two came into view and indicated another opening that seemed to run parallel to the tunnel they were in but didn’t have any water in it.

As Plymuth slid into the tunnel Kitty looked around before she too slipped into the tunnel and waited for her eyes to adjust to the dimmer light. The tunnel was large enough for them all to stand up in without bending over but the things that seemed to bother Kitty the most was the strange scent she was picking up. She remembered it from someplace before but where she couldn’t recall.

As Tom gestured for them to follow him, they all started walking down the tunnel single file. Each one would look behind them from time to time just to make sure they were alone. At one point Kitty saw something glistening on the walls and reached out to touch it. The substance was dry but even in its dried state it seemed to sparkle in the filtered light that crept in from time to time. Bringing her fingers to her nose she furrowed her brows and realized this was the scent that seemed to overwhelm her. For some reason, she had a sense of foreboding about this but without any proof as to why, she couldn’t make the others stop.

The first images to come back, we're astonishing. The telescope view setting showed the image set at 100 miles.

That can't be right that looks like, like the Mojave desert....

Miles turned the robotic probe to point north and looked at the next image...

Flashing on the bottom of the screen in bold print ((REDBONE RIDGE))

As he looked at that image, the probe alarm went off....
((WARNING))
((WARNING))
((WARNING))

((COMMANDER Miles a warning has been issued for RADIATION EMISSIONS))

Explain VG1...

Alpha without gamma—From inspection of the Chart of the Nuclides and various reports containing diagrams and tables of radionuclide transformations, it is apparent that alpha emitters that do not emit gamma radiation are not very plentiful. Polonium-213, with a half-life of 4.2 microseconds, is transformed to 208Pb by emission of an alpha particle. According to International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) Publication 38, nearly 100 percent of the transformations are to the ground state with emission of a 8.376 MeV alpha particle (no gamma). However, a 7.613 MeV alpha particle is listed as occurring with a yield of 4.0 x 10-5; presumably this transition is followed by a gamma-ray emission with a yield of no more than 4.0 x 10-5. In another example, 238Cm, half-life of 2.4 hours, is listed as transforming with a 10.0 percent yield to the ground state of 234Pu with the emission of a 6.25 MeV alpha particle and with a 90.0 percent yield to 238Am by electron capture (an alternative to positron decay). Gamma emissions for 238Cm have a yield of less than 4.2 x 10-5. Thus, for all practical purposes the level of gamma radiation for these two alpha-emitting radionuclides is not detectable.


VG1 what the hell is that supposed to mean...I mean com'n you know I'm not some rocket scientist...what the hell

Commander Miles ...For all practical purposes the level of gamma radiation for these two alpha-emitting radionuclides is not detectable.


(((HIGH CONCENTRATIONS OF RADIATIVE DECAY ALPHA and BETA)))

Oh here we go again..I have to find another human I can talk to that makes sense...

VG1 explain the difference in the two Radiative Decays LPHA BETA and GAMMA Radiation...

Gamma radiation is the product of radioactive atoms. Depending upon the ratio of neutrons to protons within its nucleus, an isotope of a particular element may be stable or unstable. When the binding energy is not strong enough to hold the nucleus of an atom together, the atom is said to be unstable. Atoms with unstable nuclei are constantly changing as a result of the imbalance of energy within the nucleus. Over time, the nuclei of unstable isotopes spontaneously disintegrate, or transform, in a process known as radioactive decay. Various types of penetrating radiation may be emitted from the nucleus and/or its surrounding electrons. Nuclides which undergo radioactive decay are called radionuclides. Any material which contains measurable amounts of one or more radionuclides is a radioactive material.

Types Radiation Produced by Radioactive Decay
When an atom undergoes radioactive decay, it emits one or more forms of radiation with sufficient energy to ionize the atoms with which it interacts. Ionizing radiation can consist of high speed subatomic particles ejected from the nucleus or electromagnetic radiation (gamma-rays) emitted by either the nucleus or orbital electrons.

Alpha Particles
Certain radionuclides of high atomic mass (Ra226, U238, Pu239) decay by the emission of alpha particles. These alpha particles are tightly bound units of two neutrons and two protons each (He4 nucleus) and have a positive charge. Emission of an alpha particle from the nucleus results in a decrease of two units of atomic number (Z) and four units of mass number (A). Alpha particles are emitted with discrete energies characteristic of the particular transformation from which they originate. All alpha particles from a particular radionuclide transformation will have identical energies.

Beta Particles
A nucleus with an unstable ratio of neutrons to protons may decay through the emission of a high speed electron called a beta particle. This results in a net change of one unit of atomic number (Z). Beta particles have a negative charge and the beta particles emitted by a specific radionuclide will range in energy from near zero up to a maximum value, which is characteristic of the particular transformation.

Gamma-rays
A nucleus which is in an excited state may emit one or more photons (packets of electromagnetic radiation) of discrete energies. The emission of gamma rays does not alter the number of protons or neutrons in the nucleus but instead has the effect of moving the nucleus from a higher to a lower energy state (unstable to stable). Gamma ray emission frequently follows beta decay, alpha decay, and other nuclear decay processes.


thank you VG1

so in layman terms GAMMA DECAY with its high levels of energy is the most dangerous one...

Commander Miles ...YES...

GAMMA RAYS is the MOST DANGEROUS TO LIFE

VG1 if I could obtain a few samples of this material, is it possible to make Uranium 238?

VG1..answer

VG1 answer..

Commander Miles...YES it is possible to make a Atom Bomb

Holy shit...are you serious?

VG! How strong are the concentrations of Gamma radiation? Is it possible this is where one of the explosions occured and can we take smples to indicate how long ago did earth destroy itself...in halflifes...70 80 or 100 years ago?


Christ...if its been 80 years ago...is there any humans left?

Miles puts on a suit and opens the hatch. The radiation equipment is in tack and the robotic machines are back with rock samples. He takes the samples and does some tests on site as he does this he feels like something is watching him but doesn't have a clue what it is or where its hiding. Miles checks to see if he has his side arm and feels an empty holster. Crap! He looks back at the craft and decides its safe for now and continues to work.

Before the destruction of his home, Plymuth was a very different man. Being the sole survivor of your entire species and watching your world torn before your eyes has that kind of effect on people, not that the mariner would admit it. Despite what he had been through he believed that he was perfectly adjusted, unfortunately nothing could be further from the truth. Never again would, Plymuth ever let anyone or anything get close to him, the pain of loss was just too much to bear and he wasn't going on very much.

The walls of the tunnel were becoming damp and far up ahead rushing water could be heard, a sound that often generated anxiety in land mammals but naturally was relaxing for the aquatic humanoid. It still a ways off, however, and as the mariner breathed in the moist air to detect whether or not the water was fresh, he caught a waft of a stench that made him recoil. The others whose hybrid natures allowed their bodies to retain sensitive olfactory organs probably detected the smell some time before him by had remained silent about it, but Plymuth was a little more vocal.

"Anyone else smell wet dog?"

The question he posed seemed to be a self fulfilling prophecy. Right after he uttered the words loud vicious growls echoed through the tunnel and instinctively, Plymuth's hand reached for his knife.

"What the hell was that!" Plymuth shouted, assuming these animal people might be a little more knowledgeable of the fauna.

Along the edges of the tunnel water gathered but the group had paid little attention to it. They never considered that some of the puddles were actually smaller tunnels filled with water until the creatures emerged from them. Their slick bodies slid out of the watery holes as if they were passing under the tunnel wall from a dry area on the other side. It was an ambush!

The creatures were most like rats. Really, big rats, varying size with the largest ones appearing to weigh well over three hundred pounds. They were dark in colour and the shine of their eyes denoted exceptional night vision. Their heavy jaws were armed with long jagged teeth designed for gnawing, but they could no doubt deliver a serious bite and that wasn't the only weapon in their arsenal. There claws were sharp and at the ends of their long, bald, corded tails were spikes, not unlike a larger version of those possessed by porcupine. A bumpy carapace began at the end of their snouts and ran along their backs to the base of their tales providing added defense.

Plymuth didn't waste any time. In but a few moments they were surrounded by ten or more of the monstrous rats and more were probably on the way. He reached into an accessible pocket of his pack and pulled out a flare. "All of ye, shield your eyes!" He told them and waited only a second before striking it.

The mariner could only hope that the hybrid's eyes could adjust to light and dark conditions as quickly as his could because he sure as hell didn't believe the odds were in their favor, not in such a cramped space. Instantly the the tunnel was engulfed in bright green light and the subterranean creatures screeched in pain as they turned away and huddled against the walls. Pymuth kept his head down and eyes away from the light and sprinted forward toward the sound of the rushing water. He didn't know whether or not the others would follow him, he hoped, but the mariner had little understanding of the nature of these creatures. He only knew that the rushing water was most likely a canal of some sort and realizing that they were in some ancient water system assumed they find a doorway or at least find a more defensible position.

Kitty, Tom and Gavin had all picked up on the scent and all three were moving along looking like they were ready to spring at any moment. All three of them could hear the shuffling all around them as the creatures began to move into position. There was nowhere for them to run and nowhere for them to hide so they had to meet the creatures where they did.

When the creatures finally revealed themselves, Kitty, Tom and Gavin quickly drew into a tight circle and placed themselves shoulder to shoulder. Tom was already starting to let the wolf emerge while Kitty roared then growled viciously. Gavin was trying to make contact with them and when they didn’t seem to react to him he began contacting the ones he could.

As Kitty took in the forms and saw the spikes on their tails and the thick armor like stripe down their backs, she knew it wouldn’t be easy to defeat these things. And that didn’t count on the gnashing teeth and razor sharp claws she knew could easily rip them to shreds. The three hybrids were ready to fight when Plymuth called out to them to shield their eyes.

As the flar came to life and illuminated the tunnel in its bright green light, Kitty and Tom were able to shield their eyes enough to be able to see but Gavin was a different story. He had removed his sunglasses when they entered the darkness of the tunnels so he could see better., When the flare came to life he cried out in pain and quickly covered his eyes.

As Plymuth began making a path for them to move through, Kitty grabbed a hold of Gavin’s shoulder and half dragged half carried him with her. Hissing, snarling and growling the entire time, she let these creatures know she wasn’t afraid of them and if worse came to worse, she would take a few of them out with her when they finally decided to attack. Thankfully, Plymuth’s flare was holding them at bay but for how much longer, Kitty didn’t know.

Long enough, she hoped.

Plymuth's assumption was correct. The tunnel was intersected by a large underground canal of fast moving water. There was no bridge; it appeared that there was one once upon a time but it had long since been destroyed leaving them to either leap or swim across the twelve yard gap. On the other side was a narrow ledge nearly two yards above the water's surface which offered a good defensible position against the giant rat-like creatures. Pulling their bodies out of the water and attempting to scale the smooth stone wall would be a challenge for the creatures.

Sprinting as fast as he go, burdened by his heavy gear the mariner knew he couldn't make the leap. Even without his packs it would be close, but then he didn't have any fear of the water. Without any hesitation, he hurled himself into the canal and tossed the flare onto the far ledge.

Plymuth splashed down and sank beneath the water. All of his equipment was completely waterproof. Being amphibious, the ocean dweller had to be prepared to protect his possessions if ever he should have to take to the water.

The old myth that cats didn’t like water was just that…a myth. Kitty loved the water. As long as it wasn’t poisoned. AS they grew close to the water she could smell this water was pure. When Plymuth jumped into the water, Kitty, Tom and Gavin gladly followed. The current was strong but the hybrids were as well. As they were carried a few feet downstream, they eventually made their way to the other side.

This is where it got tricky. The wall was quite smooth and it was all the hybrids could do to hold on and keep the current from sweeping them away. Still, they were able to use their claws and sheer strength to get some sort of hold onto the wall. Each one of them tried to scaled the slippery stone to reach the ledge and help the others up.

Finally it was Tom who took the belt off his pants and found something on the ledge he could wrap the belt around and use it to help haul himself up onto the ledge. Once he was on the ledge, Tom reached down and grasped Kitty’s forearm and hauled her to the ledge then reached down to help haul Plymuth up. Gavin was having trouble seeing Tom as Kitty wasn’t there to guide him. The flare was still bright enough to cause him considerable pain in his eyes.

The rat creatures began to move about and Kitty knew it was only a matter of moments before they grew brave enough to try and attack, painful light or not. Tapping Plymuth’s shoulder, she pointed at the creatures as they began to move towards them. The urgency of her tapping left no secret as to how important it was they do SOMETHING. And quick.