Brave New World: Planet Fall
Name: Devon, ██████, Black
Date of birth: November,23,2202
Place of birth: Earth, United States, New York
Family: 1 brother, 2 parents
Occupation: Thermal Engineer
Assigned Vessel: U.T.S Voyager
Current Time: December, 1, 2225 | 02:00
Current System: Unknown
Well to be honest I don't really know how to start this. I never really saw myself writing my own diary. Heh listen to myself thinking on paper -metaphorically literally I'm typing-. That being said let's get this over with. I find myself craving some way to get this documented. This might be the only way I can stay sane. I do not expect anyone else to read this, so I will write the truth no matter how hard it may be.
Anyways I will start from the very beginning, when everything went horribly wrong for reasons I still do not quite understand. I was aboard the U.T.S voyager, a spaceship that made me go through many painstaking years of university.
It was a normal day on the ship. We would wake up from our cryostasis tubes, stretch, complement each other on how cryo didn't fuck any of us over, and get to work. Life was good. I like a routine because without it everything would be a clusterfuck.
Stretching various parts of my body I look to my right where Rita -My Boss- was standing. Rita is cool in my books. She harsh and to the point. I like that in a girl, she gets shit done. Once the ceremonial stretching is complete Rita steps forwards and addresses the rest of the crew.
"We all know what to do, so let's get to it!" Rita yells out, gaining a good 'Howrah!' and other assorted moral driven statements. Admittingly I myself yell out a hardy toon that I think suits the occasion just right. However when I take my first step I am greeted with sores and pains that no other machine but the cryo tube can give a man.
All in all the cryo tubes are amazing, they cut your time from planet to planet by century's. As amazing as they are they have obvious cut backs. When I signed up for this job I was basically saying goodbye to my family back on earth. The hardest time I ever had on this job was the first day back from my first mission.
The family that I left was now dead, all my friends were nothing but ash and bones buried 10 feet under. I couldn't help but be in a depressed state. Every time I came back to earth I felt empty inside, there was nothing left for me to come back to other then the money.
After a while it got to a point where I would feel more alive on the ship in space, rather than my own home on Earth. At least the people there aged the same way I do. The crew of the ship soon became family, I knew every two hundred and fifty eight of their names.
With a new found smile on my face I look around the cryo station like any other day and head up to do my job. My job is quite simple, on arrival to the planet E.D.N. III I would make sure that all of the thermal energy devices where operating in optimal condition. This meant checking everything from weapons all the way to the very engine that moves this ship.
Now that I think about it, it's quite funny how dependent us humans have become of this new thermal energy. There are some days I wonder what would humanity ever do without us transporting it. Probably send in another ship...
Pushing that aside I walk down the halls of the ship gathering greetings from everyone I walk by. 'Hey, Devon how much you think we're going to hull' is the usually the response I get from the people passing by. Which I in turn reply 'Hopefully enough to feed me' as the quantity that we hull is the amount that we get paid at the end of each mission. So in conclusion thermal energy is basically our money.
It doesn't take long before I reach my first station. Ah the armory, how I both loath and admire you. Weapons are cool in all for some emergency's, but even then I really don't think killing anything is worth it. There are obvious limits to that. Say if the thing was trying to kill you like the god dam Akrid.
Fuck I hate those little bastards. I can't even describe how they look they're that revolting. It doesn't matter how you treat them, they just want to kill you. The amount of friends I lost to the Akrid is un-tallyable if that's even a word. If there is one thing that this job gives you is the ability to move on when someone you're close to dies.
Just writing that feels wrong but it's true. The last friend of mine that died I only mourned him for a day. While the first one I couldn't work for weeks. So overall I don't mind making sure these guns work, if their used to kill the Akrid then why not polish them.
Arriving at the first set of weapons I take a hold of a rifle. It doesn't take me much time to disassemble the rifle to its basic parts, as I do this almost every day I'm not it cryo. Satisfied with the functionality and the overall condition of the first group of rifles, I move over to the second group.
I always looked forward to the second group of rifles as they sit right in front of a large circular window portraying the outside of the ship. Looking outside of the ship into the void that is space always seems to give me a moral boost. Just looking out onto the black canvas with small white dotes scattered randomly across it, reminds me of how far humanity has come.
As I look out of the 4.72inch thick fused silica and borosilicate glass window I start to see the planet come into view. Dissembling the rifle, the smile upon my face slowly gets larger as I look back out the window to see the entire planet come into full view.
However much to my surprise the planet looks much different from when I first saw it. Instead of the deserts of snow covering every inch of the planet, I see lush forests and blue oceans. This is a common sight as being in cryo for so long the planets seem to go through their cycles.
Sighing in relief that half of the mission is over, I go back to the weaponry. "Another thermal hull. Another hefty pay check." I mutter to myself as I move to check the fourth weapon cache. "It's going to be a long day." I state sighing again as I look down the cargo bay to see hundreds of these caches.
To be honest the people that live on E.D.N III don't even need this amount of weapons and ammo. Last time I was down there they were making fire crackers out of the bullets. Taking the gun powder out of the shelling and compiling it into a large pile that they would ignite two clicks from base. Quite the entertainment but nevertheless a waste of money and time.
Time passes by as it always does when I'm inspecting the cargo, that is until I reach my lunch break. As soon as my stomach makes a grumbling sound you can bet I'm heading straight for the cafeteria. That reminds me, the food here is amazing!
Many people back on earth didn't sign up because of the food. They called it revolting but I find it to be quite the opposite. The meals they serve here are vacuumed pack which seems redundant considering we have our own gravity generator. They call them MRE's which means 'meals ready-to-eat' and boy do they come in verities.
The best one in my opinion is the spaghetti which usually comes with the lemonade powder, oh and don't forget the soldier fuel bar. Here in the cafeteria we have our own little market, and the top value meal is the soldier fuel. I have seen people trade five MRE's for that shit, don't get me wrong that bar is one of the best things I have ever ate. You have one and you won't need anything else for the entire day!
With these thoughts flowing through my mind I make my way down to the cafeteria. As expected when I reach the serving area many other people have the same thought in mind. Sighing as I watch the line grow by the second I trudge my lazy ass over to the end.
Once again as expected the line moves slower than the speed of molasses and it takes me a good twenty minutes before I get my MRE packet. With a smile on my face I walk over to the nearest table. No point in contemplating what table to sit at, when I know basically everyone on board.
Sitting down I am greeted with a few hello's and what's ups. Answering the questions I open my MRE packet only to be graced with the sight of my favorite MRE. However knowing this I only pull out my packet of spaghetti. Nevertheless my sly tactics fail almost immediately as Jacob besides me spots my meal.
"DEVON'S GOT SOLDIER FUEL!" Jacob yells out making me want to slap the fuck out of him. However I never get the chance as the next thing I know people are crowding me with offers. God-fucking dammit Jacob when I get out of this I'm gonna fucking change your high blood pressure medication to sugar pills.
I won't actually do that but at that moment it would of tempted me. Trying to shoo all of the people away from me as I don't like to be the center of attention something happens that no one was prepared for.
In the middle of a tug-o-war with my MRE packet a large bang is heard. The sound was so loud that all of the people in the cafeteria cover their ears. Me on the other hand taking this as a perfect distraction grab my MRE packet and bolt it out of the cafeteria.
Smiling with my devious escape I to start to wonder what the fuck that sound was. However the moment I start paying attention to my surroundings, I find myself in a hallway with flashing lights everywhere with people running around frantically.
About to question the sight, my ears start to pitch in. "To battle stations!" The voice over the coms yells as the people in the hallways make their way to the nearest turret while the people with no turret combat experience race to the armory.
Me on the other hand books it the other way stopping by my cryo pod to pick up my laser sniper rifle and my gun blade, or how I like to call it 'fun blade'. With panic now flowing freely through my mind I holster the two weapons respectively and head straight for the PTX bay.
You could say that being in space as an engineer for hundreds of years may be boring but when you have a spare PTX laying around with all sorts of cool tools you find yourself fairly occupied. For example I modified my own PTX as a little side project. I replaced the retractable chainsaw with a energy shield, because what's the point of a chain saw when you have a fist of iron.
Shoving the thoughts out of my head I focus on one thing and one thing only. Get to the fucking PTX and wait. If the ship is under attack from the planet then the PTX's are the first to drop. Suddenly I get the strange feeling that I shouldn't of took that PTX training.
Nevertheless I arrive at times that I myself applaud. However when I look around I am greeted with nothing but silence as the entire PTX room is empty. Other then the PTX's of course. With the thought that they all took up a turret or a weapon I power up my PTX and get ready for what the enemy has to throw at me.
Once I'm all settled in with my PTX-M52 -which is what I like to call it now that I modified it- I run the basic routine, testing out the guns and each limb. With the PTX now ready to go I await in the cockpit ready for boarding, at least I think their boarding.
Time seems to pass by very slowly as I look around the desolate hangar. To be honest I'm starting to get a little worried that no one else is in the PTX bay. There must be like twenty PTX pilots on board, why aren't any getting suited up.
I am taken from my thoughts when the part of the ship to my right explodes and my PTX is thrown to the side only for it to be sucked back due to the hull breach in space. Frantically thinking I jam the PTX's arm straight into the ships floor stopping the PTX from getting sucked out.
Still in shock I turn the rear view camera on to see what is taking place right behind me. To my surprise all of the PTX's are being sucked out of the ship and into the void. What catches my eye though is that people are flying out of the hallway and into the hole now. I am motionless as I watch the crew one by one get sucked into the abyss.
Turning my attention back to the PTX I notice that its slowly losing grip on the ship. With nothing left to do I accept my faith and release the controls in hopes to de-orbit this thing. Once the PTX releases the ship it jolts towards the hole and is sucked out into space causing me to bang my head hard against the controls.
Thankfully I keep my conscious state and watch as I am jettisoned out of the ship and towards the planet. However when I'm a good distance away I am surprised to see that no one is attacking the ship. Instead I see multiple parts of the ship explode as if it was all a inside job.
With my sights glued to the ship as we both fall into the planet's atmosphere I can't help but recall the people within the ship. "I knew every single one of their names." I state to myself while a small tear rolls down my face. All hope that I once had of them surviving is put to rest when I see the thermal engines ignite and explode, causing a chain reaction that spreads throughout the ship.
"There is nothing left to see." I state to myself with more tears rolling down my face. Turning the PTX up right I initiate re-entry mode. As the PTX tears through the skies I sit there in the cockpit looking down in my hands where I hold my MRE packet. I can't help but let out a couple more tears as the PTX closes in on the ground. I can practically feel the heat from re-entry.
Wiping the tears from my eyes and getting a hold of myself I brace for impact. One thought flowing through my mind. Whoever did this is going to die! I state as the PTX fires its re-entry boosters slowing it down until it hits the ground with enough force to create a medium sized creator.
Once the dust settled I take a damage report. I know that these things can handle re-entry but I never tested out how much functionality it had after touchdown. For all I know this could just be a really expensive drop pod.
Flipping some switches and pressing some buttons I soon realize that re-entry has completely fried everything. No power what's so ever seems to be stored. Looks like re-entry took up all of the power. I state to myself as I open up the front hatch manually.
Opening the front hatch I'm greeted with the night sky. Looking up I can see multiple shooting stars that I can only assume is the rest of the ship. Feeling the pain once again I force myself to make a quick salute and turn my head away. They were good men and women, they don't deserve to die like that.
Hopping out of the PTX I grab a container of emergency thermal energy and a harmonizer. Never know when you're going to need one. Closing the hatch I begin to take in the surroundings. To my surprise when I look around I notice that I have seemed to have landed in a forest. The more I look around the more off this forest seems, the trees are in rows.
Confusing me further more when I look up to the trees I notice that their apple trees. "What the fuck!" I say to myself as I do a three sixty to see if I can find anything. Much to my despise I only manage to see more apple trees. To be honest that's all I can see. Apples, apples as far as the eye can see.
"Where the fuck am I!?" I state walking away from the PTX to see if I can find any form of life. However the more I think about that the less I actually want to find life knowing that I'm now on E.D.N III. With my luck I will just run into more of those demonic Akrid. With that thought in my mind I pull out my rifle. Not the best thing to do but it will put a single Akrid down with no effort.
The only options I have available to me is stay at the PTX or go out and explore, maybe find some form of human civilization in the process. Boy wouldn't that be nice. Being the impatient person I am I choose the obvious choice and start to wander the dark and eerie forest.
Its bin so long that I have lost track of time wandering this stupid forest. The more I think about it the more I think that this is a farm rather than a forest. There is no way that a forest grew like this naturally. The trees aren't in perfect lines like back on earth but they're pretty dam close.
*Crack*
Swinging around I un-holster my gun pointing it into the dark forest. I'm not going crazy that was a crack wasn't it? I state to myself starting to re-enter panic mode. "Show yourself!" I yell out into the forest only to get more rustling and cracks in response.
Fucker wants to play it the hard way does he? Oh I can play it the hard way. I say to myself as I flick on the flashlight on my rifle. "What are you waiting for Akrid!" I yell out causing the rustling to get louder. "Come and fucking get me!" I say as I have literally nothing to live for now. My job, my family, my friends are all dead.
To my surprise the rustling stops and I put down my gun. Looks like the fucker's to shy. I say to myself with a smile coming across my face. That is until a fucking wolf comes out of the fucking bushes and jumps right on me.
Being caught off guard I pull my rifle and slide it right up against the wolfs body. Much to my amazement the wolf has no fur, instead he's made completely out of wood. "You're all sorts of fucked up." I state as I pull the trigger and the rifle lets out a round strong enough to push the wolf one foot into the air and off of me.
"Fuckin' right you stay down. Fuckin' rekt." I say with a grin on my face. "Next time don't make too much noise." I say brushing the dirt off my uniform and continuing to walk. I don't remember E.D.N III having wooden wolfs? How the fuck is that even possible? I ask myself as I push through the various shrubs and bushes.
As I ask myself these question's I once again hear more rustling in the bushes. "Oh you want some of this to huh?" I exclaim pointing my rifle down range towards the bush. However much to my disliking instead of one wolf a whole fucking pack comes out running straight for me.
As if today can't get any worse! I say to myself as I feel a drop of rain. "OF FUCKING COURSE!" I yell out to no one in particular. While running I spot a small building up ahead in a clearing. Civilization! I yell mentally as I bolt it to the building even faster then I was with the wolfs. Not to mention they're still chasing me. Fuckers are persistent.
My legs start to burn and my throat starts to get dry as I push myself to the limits. Taking a risk I turn my head back to see how far away I made it from the wolfs. Much to my disliking when I turn around I see that they're right behind me and catching up.
Giving my last reserved energy I push myself past my limits. Within no time I find myself in front of a barn door. I shove open the door with gusto and slide inside slamming the door behind me getting a reassuring sound of the wolfs running into it.
Sighing in relief I barricade the door shut with whatever is around and turn around. However it seems that destiny has a new path for me when I lay eyes on a small orange object coming towards me. My vision is all blurred from pushing myself to the limits so I do what I do best in a panicked state and shoot the fucker.
I watch as the orange object hits the floor and skids to a stop in front of me. Much to my disliking when the orange object halts right in front of me I start to regain my focus only to see a pony. "Ah man I fucking killed an innocent animal!" I state slightly upset with myself.
I never liked to use a gun as ironic as that is. Just because I fix them doesn't mean I have to like their purpose. Nevertheless I am taking back when the pony twitches and groans. "Holy shit it's still alive!" I say immediately kneeling down. "I'm so sorry." I state as the pony turns its head over to me.
"Yah saying that I'm going tah die?" The mare state in a rather surprising southern accent, catching me completely off guard.
"WHAT THE FUCK!" I yell out as I jump back and land on my ass shuffling away from the talking pony. "Y-y-you talked!" I state pointing at the mare as she gets a confused look on her face along with the one of pain.
"Of course ah can!" The mare states clutching her stomach where the laser when straight through. I start to wince as I can see her internals from here and the blood starting to poor out. How this mare is still alive after that is far beyond my comprehension. I state to myself.
The mare goes silent and I can see the tears streaming down her face that only leads me to begin worrying. You can't let this pony die Devon! She's sentient! I say to myself as I pull out my harmonizer.
You have to do it Devon! You don't need it right now. The voice inside me beckons me to heal the mare and I know it's the right thing to do. Getting over the fact that one day I might need this I strap the harmonizer to the mares right front hoof.
"Okay all you have to do is (press and hold the start button) let the harmonizer do its work. You have to mentally let the energy into your blood stream." I state as and the mare seems to be nodding. Soon to what I expected the hole that when straight through her body seems to be repairing its self. Since this is a rather large wound it's going to take up a lot of the thermal energy, I would say about one quarter of the tank.
Sadly I'm going to have to break it to this mare that from now on she is dependent on this stuff for the rest of her life. It's going to be her new food, her new water, at least it beats the alternative and telling her she's going to die today.
It doesn't take long before the mares wound heals completely and she stubble's to her feet, tears still streaming down her face. Yeah that harmonizer is a bitch, but it beats dying any day. Once the mare is standing up straight she whips the tears from her face.
Soon the feeling of gilt is lifted and I sigh in relief that this is all over. However when the mare recomposes herself, I start to think that she might be a little ticked that you shot her. "What in Celestia did you do that for!" The orange mare yells.
Celestia? First time I heard that word. "To be honest with you. You looked a lot like an Akrid. You know being all orange and stuff. It also doesn't help that wooden wolf's just tried to eat me whole." I state getting up from my seat. "I'm sorry you had to go through that experience." I say with a apologetic tone. "Must of hurt like a bitch."
"Darn straight it hurt. Ah have never felt that kind of pain before!" The mare yells once again making me a bit annoyed at the her tone. Then again I just shot a hole through her so I guess she is in the right here. "And what in tar nation is an Akrid?!"
Really she lives on E.D.N III and has never seen an Akrid. I would call her lucky but then again she just got a free stomach pump. "Really? You have never seen an Akrid?" I ask with a shocked tone. "This planet is teaming with them, their more common than the common cold!" I claim amazed that she has never seen one before.
"I can't say I have." The pony states looking at the harmonizer that is strapped to her hoof.
She must live in the right part of the planet then. "The Akrid are a species that lives off and is practically made out of thermal energy. They are nasty little creatures that don't know any form of mercy." I lecture.
"Thermal what now?" The citrus colored mare states. "And what is this contraption yah put on ma'h hoof." She says as she tries to take it off.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you." I state in a knowing tone that I love so very much. "Last guy that took that off experienced shooting pains throughout his body. Then weeks later he started to lose intelligence. In the end the guy died."
The orange mare thinks about your statement. "So ya telling me this here contraption is keeping me alive?"
Nodding with a sadden expression I think about what I am currently doing. Wait I'm talking to a fucking pony! How is this possible? With this question burning in my mind I can't help but ask it. "Yeah sorry but it was the only way I could keep you alive. But to more important matters, how the fuck can you talk?"
"That's more important den ma'h life!" She shouts out.
Being caught of guard that I forgot that's what we were even talking about. "Sorry..." I state not wanting to insult the first talking pony I have met. I will admit this is not the strangest thing I have seen but it's pretty far up there.
"What are ya anyways? I never seen a critter like you before?" Did she just call me a critter? Whatever I will let that one slide seeing as I blasted a hole straight through her. "You look mighty like a diamond dog are you one of them?"
What the hell is a diamond dog? I don't even. "Look, I'm a human from Earth." I state with a serious tone. "I was supposed to help with the thermal extraction here on E.D.N III." I say looking directly into the ponies green eyes.
"Well ah can tell ya that y'all messed up. This here is Equestria!" Equestria, is that what the indigenous life here calls the planet? Man I can't wait till I tell the people back on.... board..... "Yah all right sugar-cube?" The pony states bringing me out of my thoughts.
"Yeah.... yeah I'm all right." I say walking to the door of the barn. Better start searching for humans. I say to myself as I start to take down the barricade.
"What are yah doing! I thought you said Timberwolves are out there! Ah also have no idea how this contraption works!" The ponies states making me turn back around. I really feel sorry for the mare I really do, but there is really nothing else I can do. With the thermal energy depleted I would say she's got a week.
In my mind I find it better that she not know that. "I know the Timberwolves are out there..." I say with sadness present in my voice. "As for the contraption on your hoof just leave it there and you will be fine." I state obviously lying.
The orange colored mare looks at me for a moment before speaking. "I can tell when a pony is lying." Well I'm not really a pony but I catch the drift.
"As I said sorry. There is nothing I can do." I state once again lying, I could always stay here and make sure there is enough thermal energy. Then again where am I going to get the energy? It's not like I can go Akrid hunting with no harmonizer of my own. When I get no response from the mare I give her a warm smile as I push the last bits of the barricade away and swing open the door. Much to what I have thought all three Timberwolves stand there ready to pounce. However to their surprise I pull out my 'fun gun' and unload a clip, causing all three Timberwolves to burst into bits.
Once again I really hate using my weapons like this but when they give me no choice I have to. Sighing I turn around to see a shocked mare completely frozen in spot "sorry that you had to see that to." I state before closing the barn door behind me and walking out into the cold night air. The only thoughts that run through my head is the name of every single person upon that ship.
I’m coming back in… and it’s the saddest moment of my life. ~ Ed White
