Discovery Gaming Community

4 Hours from dispatch

We have recently been dispatched to planet Gaia on scientific observation, which will be sent back to new london. Why they are sending us out, i don't know. seems they have enough people out here as it is. anyway, the ship is just docking. Report later.

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8 Hours from dispatch

Alright. We are at the main base now. It seems that the facility has been slightly short of people, but my team is not assigned to the spots that need work. Strange...

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4 days, 3 hours from dispatch

In the field right now. We have found a Gaian wildcat. It seems to be a hardy creature. The skeleton seems to have metal traces flowing through it, reinforcing it, and the hide is near-impenitrable by any weapon that isn't projectile-based. I am recording this in my data files for report back to new london.

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New assignment. Setting 0 time.

New assignment. I'm not at all happy with it. It seems that we are to capture one of these wildcats for...genetic experiments. It is supposed to be a weapon of war...we are to combine it with Human DNA, and create a 'super soldier' of sorts. This will not turn out well, mark my words.

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7 days from assignment.

The assignment is going as-planned. the wildcat DNA has been successfully spliced, and the creation is growing without any problems. I still don't like this, but for a good Fifteen million...how can i refuse? This creation will be the template for an entire race. We can't screw it up.

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3 months from assignment.

The subject is nearly fully grown. Once it has reached a would-be age of eighteen, we will back off the stimulant. Wildcat DNA has shown their lifespan to be near two hundred years-maybe more. If this reacts into the subject's DNA successfully, the soldier would be far more usable than current infantry. I still don't feel right about this...its going to go wrong somehow.

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6 months from assignment.

The subject is now out of the testing chambers, and seems to be progressing spectacularly. 'She' is moving around the complex, and does not seem to be suffering any genetic rejection.
She is a quite spectacular sight indeed. A human form, but covered in a light pink fur, and having a long, straight tail, which she has been using to the best of its ability, it seems to be prehensile, and shes been using it to grab objects she is interested in.
Her face is rather catlike, and she bears two fangs where her canines should be. Her eyes are human, rather than feline, and she has small retractable claws instead of fingernails.
Her learning curve is steep, she already has basic knowledge of language, and she seems to be quite dexterous...
Since the wildcat seems to bear as much canine behaviour as feline, ive started to call her Vixen. I may be becoming too attached, but...ah well. I am going to report again in a week on her progress.
NOTE: I attached a picture of Vixen, a scetch made by our resident artist.

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9 months from assignment.

Good news. The subject has learned how to speak english clearly, and has been progressing with her learning in record time. She can read well, and she has read most of our databases. it seems that a good six hours of her day is spent in the data stores. She likes to spend most of the rest sitting in the courtyard, dozing, or walking around the complex. Her questions are endless, and when I refuse to answer, she simply asks an even more complex question. Ah well, its her personality to be curious.

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9 months, 8 days from assignment. -HIGH PRIORITY-

Problem...oh god, the commander is going to have my head on a silver platter. The gaians made a space-to-surface bombing on our complex. Vixen was in her chamber at the time, and the bombs pierced a large chunk of the southern wing, near the edge of her enclosure. She woke in a panic, and, well, fled. She is now MIA. She has fled from the complex, and we haven't been able to find her. Project Wildcat is over.

Vixen sat in a tree, high above the ground of planet Gaia. Her heart beat with panic and she sobbed quietly as she saw her only home, illuminated in bursts of fire. She wrapped her arms around her legs, and huddled in a ball, her tail holding onto the tree trunk and stabilising her. Resting her head in her arms, her sobbing slowly subsided as she fell asleep.
When she woke, the day was already well into swing. She released her cramped arms, and, grasping the branch, nimbly dropped from branch to branch to the ground. Looking around, she realised how samey the planes looked, and walked off in search of home.
When she stopped to rest an hour later, Vixen knew that she wouldn't be able to find her way back to the complex. Sitting in the grass, she rested for a while, before smelling something that was fairly familiar. Turning towards the source of the smell, she set off at a light jog, cresting a small hill and waiting there. Looking down into the valley, she saw a small pile of purple berries, that had been her favourite food at the complex. She gasped and ran down the valley, stopping and plucking one of the berries from the bunch.
Suddenly, a large snap caught her attention. Several ropes jolted within the clearing, and a bang echoed on the hill, and something hit her in the back, knocking her out.

A pair of smugglers sat in a camp, far from the complex that was the creator of Vixen. As they sat, one smoking, and the other repairing a dart rifle, an alarm went off near their ship, a shielded Bactrian, and alerted the two that their trap had been released. One grinned at the other.
"I told you that the berries would work," One said, pulling himself off of the ground, and dusting off his jacket. "The animals can't resist the things."
The two loaded their transport, a covered ute, painted for camoflage, and made for a quiet, and quick, form of transportation, and headed in the direction of the trap.

As they reached the clearing, the two lept out to see what they had caught. Gaian wildlife was rare, especially specific breeds, which couldn't be bought, as many rather keep them for themselves. But what they did see made them gawk.
"What is -that-?" One said, with a complete look of disbelief on his face.
The other leant down to look, and stroked Vixen's arm, feeling the fur.
"I don't know...but its kinda cute..." He said. He removed the tangled net, and pressed a syringe into Vixen's arm, injecting a drug that would prevent her from waking, at least for a few hours. Lifting the wildcat over his arm, the un-named smuggler placed her in a padded area in the back of the truck, and they headed back to camp. Within the next twenty minutes they were floating around the planet, and within the next five they were winging their way to New london.

When Vixen woke, everything was blurred, and dulled. She tried to push herself up, but couldn't move her arms seperately, and panic lanced through her. lifting herself up with her legs, she groaned as her back protested to the sharp movement, and she gasped, realising how hurt she was. Raising her hands to her eyes, she rubbed the crust from them, and looked around, more aware then before. She noticed three things.
One: Her arms and legs were bound with metal bands.
Two: She was in a cage covered by black cloth, and the cage was moving.
Three: She was wearing a black hooded cloak, with the hood down around her neck, and a leather collar around her throat.
She let out a light growl, and tried slicing at the collar with her claws. It didn't work, the collar was reinforced somehow. Retracting her claws, she sat in the corner of the cage, and tried not to panic. Calming her breathing, she tried to think of a way to escape, but the thoughts kept escaping her. When she finally had the basis of a plan, she was about to go into action, before the cage stopped.
The left side of the cage opened up, and a hand reached in, clipping a rope, possibly a leash, to the collar. Pulling Vixen from her corner, her captor pulled the hood up, and whispered to her,
"I don't know if you understand me, but you are ours now...at least, until we find a higher bidder. So how about you stay quiet, and we get this over quick, hmm?"
Vixen bared her teeth at him. "Bastard" she hissed at him. The man recoiled, and walked over to his companion. "She can talk!" he said, and the two murmered a little, before returning. The man unlocked the armbands, removing them. a few pink hairs stuck in the joints.
The man pulled on the leash, and Vixen stumbled forward. She walked up the crowded bay, and many people passed her. There was a constant murmer of voices. The floor became sloped beneath Vixen's feet, and she walked up what seemed to be a ramp. The floor leveled, and she was stopped with a hand on her shoulder. The arm released, and then entered her limited field of view, pulling back her hood.
The crowd gasped at Vixen, and she cringed at the light for a moment, before her eyes adjusted. Looking at her surroundings for the first proper time, Vixen realised she was in some sort of market. Further down the bay was several ships, including a majority of CSVs, a few other starfliers and civilian ships, and above all, a ship that captivated her. An Eagle sat in the bay, and her eyes went wide. She had seen the eagles in the complex, but she had never gotten to fly them. But they had captivated her, and she had done several simulations and read up on the eagle, she could probably build one from the ground up.
The man who had held her collar stood up to a microphone, and spoke.
"We got this specimen from planet Gaia, and she seems to be in good health," He said, smiling, and waving his hand out to the crowd. "Any bidders?"
The crowd was silent for a moment, before one man put up a hand. "Five million" he said, before returning to his previous position. Suddenly another man put his hand up, and another. The bids kept coming. The man with the dart gun now had her collar.
I don't plan on being sold... Vixen thought, and her claws slipped out. The man with the gun looked towards her, and she drew her arm back. She swept it forward, carving four deep gouges in the man's face. A spray of blood came off her claws as she retracted them, spinning on one foot and running. Her leash trailed behind her, and she sprinted down the bay, dodging through the crowds with inhuman agility and reflexes. She reached the ships, jumping to the back of the eagle, before entering the ship. She ran to the cockpit, sitting down in the ship.
She laughed to herself, thinking I am sitting in a ship! Time to see what space really is... and flicking the key that started the engine. A dull roar vibrated through the hull as the engine reactor started, and the console in front of Vixen lit up. On the console was three objects: A pair of black leather gloves and a strange half-headband. Vixen pulled up her hood, and put on the gloves. Picking up the headband, Vixen noticed the mess of circuitry on the underside of the band, before placing it on her forehead, sitting just over one of her ears, which she sat against the back of her head, due to the fear and anger she was feeling.
Bright lights flashed in front of her eyes, and Vixen gasped at the information that flooded her mind. The ships console reacted to her thoughts, searching random queries, before stopping. Vixen slowly tested her control, and then grasped the joystick in front of her. Locking the engines, she willed the bay door in front of her to open, and the hinges groaned as the doors started to draw back. Vixen daintily nudged the ship forward, into the inner bay, the doors locking behind her. The outer doors released, and Vixen once again nudged the ship forward. Around her were many large pieces of scrap metal, many larger than her newly 'acquired' ship. She saw a planet far off, and she tilted the ship towards it. A box flicked up around the planet, and as Vixen willed the ship to go towards the planet, a large blinking light came up on the console. CRUISE ENGINE CHARGING came up on the console, and a loading bar filled her view, the neural band altering her vision with the HUD.
As the loading bar filled, the ship shook, and the speed of the ship increased threefold. As it dodged around the pieces of scrap, the fighter winged towards the nearby planet, and Vixen relaxed, her ears moving back into their original position. She rubbed her eyes, and her tail flicked around behind her. The neural net of her ship was new to her, and she only had a basic understanding of it, from the stores of information at the complex. She looked through the stores on board, and found a map of sorts-it showed where she was.A place called 'New london'.
The main scientist on the crew had spoken of it, but not often. As the planet came to fill her view, Vixen knew she needed to find a place to hide. She looked across the map in front of her, before coming to a gate to a place called Leeds. Vixen closed the map, storing its location so she could find it easily, and she took back control of her ship.
She was relatively new to the controls, but the simulations had taught her how to fly, trade lanes, bases and that sort of information, because the simulations were a tutorial to new pilots anyway. She set a route to the Jump Gate, and found the lane that was marked. Maneuvering through the spiderweb of trade lanes, Vixen's eagle soon sat in Leeds, near the planet of the same name. She knew that the energy of her ship stopped her from going much further, and she let her ship load up the docking procedures to her neural net, and she fell slowly through the gravity well of the docking gate to the planet below.
Before departing her ship, she found a pair of black leather boots, high ones with a zipper up the side. They fit well, so she put them on, and she put her hood over her head, stopping her from being seen. And last of all she ripped the leash from her collar, but left the collar, she kind of liked it...she had a rather annoyed opinion on humans now, but she was still open to see some of the other people that weren't trying to enslave her. Pleased that her non-humanity was nicely consealed, she departed her ship, heading for an underground room she saw nearby to get out of the rain.

After a shady deal to change the ship's transponders, Vixen was in the air again. Guiding the eagle to a slow halt just out of range of the gravity well of Leeds, she idled the engine, and sat there, exploring the neural net. Then she happened upon a rather interesting find. The neural net of this particular ship was loaded with credits, at least 50 million. After combining that with the hearty sum she had recieved from a strange woman in the bar, Vixen realised she had more money than most people in sirius. Restarting the engines of her ship, Vixen looked over the markets of the neural net. She idled through, until stopping upon a ship that she was quite curious about. the Ahoudori as it was called was a gunboat-class explorer, and it got Vixen thinking.
I can't fly this eagle around forever, i should have somewhere i can rest. she thought, and she tilted her ship towards Kusarian space. Flying down the tradelane, Vixen looked at the location for buying.It was somewhere in Kusari, a way from her current location. She locked the coordinates with a flick of her thoughts, and walked towards the back of the ship, discarding her boots and gloves on the floor, and hanging her robe and modified leggings on a pair of hooks on a wall. She stretched her arms and tail, glad to be free of the heavy garments, and climbed into the bed she had installed in one of the back rooms, a secondary part of the shady deal. Her Eagle was now a living zone, with less energy for firepower, and more directed to the living conditions, she had artificial gravity now running 24/7, a more natural oxygen supply, and selection of other things, for smaller comforts.
Vixen had converted most of the cargo hold into an environmental habitat, with trees and plants, as well as a few small butterflies and other animals that happened to be living in the plants at the time. She had also purchased two small birds, canaries, that lived in the habitat. The jettison hatch had been sealed up, and now soil covered it, suffusing the air with an earthy, natural smell. The green grass was starting to take root , and the trees and bushes were starting to grow, Vixen had tended them well. She went down regularly, and just sat, staring at the simulated holographic sky.

Vixen awoke to a dull throb in the front of her head. She noted it as the alarm telling her she had arrived on-destination, and sent an acknowledgement, and the throb ceased. She got out of her bed, leaving her clothes for now, and walked down into her habitat. She sighed and sat near the cycling water-source, a small river with a waterfall. She looked out at the holographicly made roof, and she stretched her limbs. She lifted herself up, and, with a flick of her tail, wandered back up to her room. Donning her leggings and robe once again, she walked down to the cockpit. She put on her boots, and, using her tail subconsciously, as if it were another limb, she picked up the gloves, taking them and putting them on. She then walked to the back of the cockpit, and took out the item she had found in the back of the room the other day.
Opening a hatch in the back, Vixen retrieved a black singlet, as well as a harness and pistol. She weighted it in her hand for a moment, before deciding it was necessary to have a weapon, when she knew she had at least two groups searching for her. Thinking of weapons, she removed her robe, and donned the singlet and harness. She sat the pistol within its holster, stretching so it was a comfortable fit. She put her robe over the top.
Removing her gloves, vixen looked at the tips of each finger. She reached back into the hatch, and drew out a small knife used for repairs, cutting and stripping wires, and, with care, she cut a small cross into the end of each finger. Replacing the glove, Vixen extended her claws. The holes let the claws move through freely, and she smiled, pleased. Retracting the claws, the leather flaps fell back into place, hiding her claws once again. She repeated the process with the other glove, and, when she felt safe, she walked out onto the base.

As she set down on the deck floor, Vixen looked around. She walked up to the ship dealer, and called him over from a starflier he was inspecting.
"I believe you have a ship for me?" She said. "An Ahoudori, second-hand?"
"Ah yes," He replied, drawing something up on a piece of paper. "Yes, the Ahoudori...may i ask your name?"
Vixen smiled. "My names Vixen."
"Well...Vixen...come this way. I think you'll be surprised."
As they walked over to the Ahoudori, which was sitting in a large, pressurised bay, Vixen looked up at the ship, before pulling her hood back down, making sure the mechanic couldn't see her face. She looked the ship up and down. It was slightly bigger than most other gunboats, but held the same amount of weapons on it, and relitively equal hull.
Walking inside, Vixen was treated to a view she quite liked. The rooms were spacious, and there were some decks larger, that could be used for gardens, or a larger version of the habitat on Vixen's eagle.
"I have a few special requests" Vixen said to the mechanic, once back at his desk. The mechanic waved his hand across the table as a sign to continue.
"The top area," She said, "Could you possibly make it some kind of glass, or polimer? I want to be able to see space from there. Also, the name. I have decided to name the ship Meeku.Wildcat, for a few reasons. Think you can do this?"
The mechanic nodded, and went back to his work. Vixen went back to her eagle, and set an alarm. Sealing the doors, Vixen once again stripped down, and went back to sleep.

The dull throb of her neural alarm once again woke Vixen. She growled slightly in annoyance of being woken, and slowly stood, dressing in her only attire. It struck her that she should buy some more clothing, and she stored the thought away for when she had time. Pulling on her gloves, she flicked her hood over her head, and walked down to the bay. Observing the Ahoudori's new top bay, a glassy dome, she walked over to the bay, and drew an envelope with the money from inside her robe. She passed it to the mechanic, who looked it over, and then handed a code to Vixen. She walked up inside the ship, and retrieved a small chip from the pocket of her pants.
She had the computer on-board her eagle synthesise it the previous day, it was the control chip for the Neural band that was ever-present on her forehead. Loading it into a slot, Vixen felt a new connection in her brain, and she extended through it. It was daunting, for there was a lot more controls than the Eagle, but as Vixen looked around, the consoles onboard lit up. It was taking most of her concentration to hold control of the ship, and she was getting a small headache. She activated the engines, and the Wildcat lifted off of the deck, its engines forcing its way out of the artificial gravity well the station provided.
Idling in space, the hum of its engines pettered out, and Vixen took off her robe, wearing only her pants and a black singlet, and took control of her eagle, guiding it into the bay. Once that was done, she re-activated the engines, and guided the ship to a land zone on planet Honshu, far from the city, in a small valley. Walking down into the engineer's quarters of the ship, Vixen took out a toolbox and some welding tools. She leaned against the doorway, and looked at the ship she now commanded. "Its going to be a long day" she muttered to herself, walking down towards the engine room.

Within a matter of two weeks, Vixen had completely refitted the ship to her wont. The upper deck had flowing water, and was now a habitat, full of trees and plants. A small table sat in one corner of the field. Birds and animals sat within, few, but enough to keep Vixen company. As Vixen walked into the enclosure, a large dog, a golden retriever, or the closest in sirius to the original retriever (Which was close indeed) ran up to her, bounding around. She laughed and patted the dog, throwing a stick from one of the nearby trees to keep the retriever occupied.
She had also made other changes, sacrificing speed for stability, the engine now worked smoothly and quietly, so her little habitation was seemingly real. As she went back to the control room, the door locking smoothly behind her, she looked into the system. The ship was going well, everything up to scratch. As she wandered down the stairs to her chair, where the surroundings in an almost-360-degree view were visible. She put her robe on for the first time in a while. She had cleaned it, so it was softer, free from the grime of what she'd been doing the past month. Donned in her usual attire, she left for the city on honshu, in anticipation of getting some new clothing. It was a kusarian place, but she didn't mind. After the hour of shopping, she came back on-board with a multitude of clothes, which she set up in her room aboard the ship.

When Vixen emerged, she was wearing the piece she had liked the most from her shopping. A black silk kimono, without the bow-it had a row of buttons down the front. The silk felt soft on her skin, and she went to sit within her garden, content to idle along until she felt the wont to do something.

--Loading Neural Log--
--Calibrating to mindscape--
--Recording--

Alright...I, Vixen, have decided to make this log. I don't care who reads it, it doesn't matter...I have begun looping a transmission from my current orbit of Cambridge. Hopefully, i will be able to gather a basic knowledge of who are my friends, and who are my enemies. It could save my life one day...
I really, do not know what to do. Its lonely on this ship. But i'm not ready to take anothers life into my hands, just to possibly loose it. It won't happen, i won't let it. If i were to find someone, it would need to be one who cannot die...its a laughable idea, and yet...ah, these thoughts plague my waking dreams. I need to sleep more than most, it seems to be the one downside to all the upsides.
Ah, the coffee is ready...i have taken it as a habit of mine, the coffee stills me, and i can stay awake for much longer. Which is sometimes neccessary, due to the repairs and such i've needed to do on my ship. Sacrifice of speed for stability. Great.

--Log terminated--
--Saving mindscape for next entry--

--Loading Neural Log--
--Calibrating to mindscape--
--Recording--

Mmh...it seems that my message has drawn an enemy to me...or more so, to genetic modification. I swear, it took me a good three or four times to actually read the message properly...my head is still hurting...Well, i could be expected to draw someone from my escapade, can't expect everyone to fall in love with me...though most men seem to anyway...

New notes on Mr. Kimble, who deigned to follow me through most of liberty. Apparently hes been detained in Bretonia...that sure is amusing...ah well, time to get back to repairs.

--Log terminated--

--Loading Neural Log--
--Calibrating to mindscape--
--Recording--

Oh damn. Oh damn indeed. I can't take this damned thing off. This Neural band, if i remove it, i go through the worst form of pain...it hurts my mind, my thoughts have been integrated with the machine, i feel so small...the infinite calculatory power of the Eagle's mainframe compliments my own...

Another topic...My eagle's engine room, well, exploded. I now have a rather large cut down the side of my leg from shrapnel...it seems i bleed easily...no broken bones though, thats to be expected...ugh...i'm feeling rather weak...the withdrawal from the neural band, mixed with this wine my science-person got me...oh, right.

It seems a certain unknown-type-peoples like me. So now i have a science-person who follows me around. Its not that bad, rather boring actually. But he is pushing the limits, truly...such as calling me 'kittycat' and buying me a ball of string? Grr...one day he's going to slip up.

*I can't let him know this, but that string was actually rather fun...it keeps me occupied...mmh...*

Anyway, i think i'll visit Buffalo base, see if i can get some cheap meds...ah well...

--Log terminated--

--Loading Neural Log--
--Calibrating to mindscape--
--Recording--

yay! Good news. I've finally gotten the Meeya-Wildcat off the ground. I paraded it all through Bretonia and Liberty, before halting in New york. Where some guy decided to call me an animal, and then said i wasn't ALLOWED to condemn him to hell. Well, i can condemn anyone i want.

Annnyyywwwaaayyy. This neural band continues to strengthen its hold on me. Controlling the entire gunboat, weapons, engines, and all that, takes a lot of mind-strength. I'm rather proud of myself, actually. But still, it has its drawbacks...like the headaches...the strength it takes to control it sapps me, and my mind is nearly constantly stinging...

But there is a cure. Of sorts...Wool, an autopilot, and a whole bunch of shiny things. Oh, and wine. The stuff is quite ticklish, its a curious potion. leaves my emotions flowing over, i must watch my tongue...Well, time for another glass, i think. If you're going to live, enjoy life. Byebye!

--Log terminated--