[Angela and Denny absent. Mira still in New York; Cliff
remaining at the military runway trying to fix the plane he crash-landed.]
28 April 1933: The
passengers scrambled for their seats, buckling in tight. Mt. Kinabalu (rising
over 13,000 ft) looking oh so close out the windows of the diving plane. Cliff
would call it controlled flight as he muscled the disabled plane to the runway
below. Grounds people confused whether to run from the crashing wreck (after
the nose-gear collapsed) or to it to save lives. Long minutes after the screech
of metal stopped and the dust settled, when a lone military officer approached,
“Good heavens, that was an impressive landing. Captain Lancaster, of the
British Expeditionary Force, at your service. I saw the engine on fire as you
approached. What happened?”
Inside the plane, Shapiro directed the team to hide the
dead night-gaunt bodies in the 47 section back of the plane. As the passengers
disembarked, complaining of whiplash, Porter tried to downplay the airborne
attack, “Turbulence.” Upon seeing Cliff climb out of the pilot seat, the
captain could only comment, “Bloody American cowboys. Men, help them unload the
plane.” Opening a side-cargo door, local conscripts began removing crates.
Shapiro directed the efforts, “Careful that large crate; contains the viral
analyzer equipment. Those other crates are medical supplies for the quarantine
area. Those our own water and rations.” All the while, Shapiro clinging to his
own heavy box (20x20x30) he personally offloaded. One step off the plane and
Shapiro almost melting from the oppressive heat; his shirt drenched and he
sweating profusely.
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Lancaster offering, “You must be famished. Join me for
lunch and tea.” Inside the officer’s hut, the captain took delight at showing
off his latest game-hunt trophy. Hanging from the wall was an elephant head.
Paulo gasping, “What the hell?! That ain’t no elephant! No tusks nor large
elephant ears. A mouth with teeth on the end of its trunk! Almost human ears!
Good god man!” Lancaster beaming with pride, “Bagged it last week. Even the
locals haven’t seen such a thing. But it tastes delicious. Ah, here’s lunch
now. Try some of its meat for yourselves.” Starving, most dug in. Except for
Mikael and Paulo, “Mr. Shapiro, shouldn’t you analyze it first? Could be
infected; a mutated elephant?” Shapiro reluctantly complied; 20 minutes later
giving a thumbs up which had Mikael and Paulo digging in as well.
As they step back out into the compound, the captain
introduces their guide, “This is Abidin. He has the map of the area and is your
interpreter.” And that’s when gate guards can be heard yelling, “I said stop;
don’t come any closer.” All look to see a frail old woman approaching from the
quarantine zone, speaking Malay which the guards don’t understand. “BLAM!” Jen
screaming, “How could you?! Abidin, what was she saying? Only asking for fresh
water?” Paulo suggesting, “Should we retrieve her body for testing?” Shapiro
insistent, “I don’t have to look at her to know this contagion is the
Yellow-Death; not Hepatitis. Your job is to determine if this is a mutation.
And then we neutralize it. Now let’s get in the trucks and get to the
quarantine zone camp.”
Mikael and Paulo climb in the 2nd truck while everyone
else climbs in with Shapiro and the analyzer crate in the 1st truck.
Everyone forlornly looking at the guards closing the gate behind them, “Tell me
we DID get a code word to get back in.” A bumpy road has Shapiro flinching at
every bump as he holds his special box. Porter noticing, “Why the tension?”
Shapiro opens the lid while admitting, “THIS is the failsafe device. A fireball
that will ‘purify’ the area for miles. Let me open the box and show you.” A
spherical orb covered in gears, wheels, a brass disk, and gems placed at random
locations. Suddenly Porter recognizes, “Are those constellations? Different
colored gems equating to star magnitudes? The red star Antares in the
constellation Scorpio. The yellow quartz for Regulus in Leo.”
Shapiro impressed by his astronomy, “Yes. Yes. The ‘Royal
Stars’ of Persia who regarded them as the ‘guardians of the sky’ in approximately
3000 BCE.
Now the gears are part of the timer I can set for days. Or minutes if the
urgency arises. Although that’s not enough time to get out of the blast radius.
Oh, say 10-15 miles. Maybe more; it’s all experimental and hypothetical. Here’s
how you set it.” He has Porter, Isaac, and Jen’s rapt attention. “Maybe you’d
best wrap it in blankets to absorb the bumps.”
The lead truck stops; the driver out to investigate a new
trail perpendicular to the road. The team gets out to investigate as well.
Grass stomped flat, even trees broken at the trunk. Large prints 3 ft long
spaced 8-10 ft. 3 toed. “Is this the trail where the captain shot his
elephant?” Abidin replying, “No. His hunt was further way. Besides, this is
bipedal; his elephant quadruped.” Guns at the ready as the trucks continue,
eventually arriving at the quarantine camp. Tobacco fields surround the yard.
The main plantation house fronted by a shanty town of huts. Medical tents
opposite. An angry crowd shouting Malayan at the house. Abidin translating,
“They say white-man stir mountain spirits. That why villagers sick.”
And that’s when the straw-hat man stepped out of the
house, “I said either get back to work in the fields or get off my property!”
Mikael stepping forward to mediate [Intimidate], “You no yell at sickies. I
punch your nose.” Kazim backing down, “But I’ve lost workers because of their
filthy unclean huts.” Mikael offering, “So you say they can move into your
house?” Kazim retreating inside, “Just keep them off the porch.” Meanwhile,
Shapiro oversees the analyzer unloading and already has a line of villagers to
test. As for the medical tents: not real doctors. Locals doing their best,
wearing used hospital masks while tending the sick and dying. A dump-ditch
grave out back. Quickly filling up.
A tearful young boy squatting just outside a medical
tent. Distraught at seeing friends and family dying. Porter taking interest to
ask him questions but Abidin elsewhere. Paulo offering rations to gain his
trust without luck. Mikael casually sitting beside the boy as he absently
rummages through his backpack. Just happening to show the snake scale and the
snake statue. Jen trying to charm the little boy but him more interested in the
statue. But without Abidin, communication is hopeless. And that’s when a scream
erupts from the medical tent as Abidin rushes out, “The patient. Yellow
pustules…burst. Spores poof out.” Paulo can’t get his army-surplus gas mask on
quick enough!
Isaac quickly walking to the main house, “Do you have
room for us tonight?” While Mikael stands behind Isaac quietly pounding fist
into palm as a show, Kasim answers, “Of course.” Mikael slipping by, “Thanks
for hospital…ity.” Isaac already helping himself to the bar, “Put it on
Caduceus’ tab. Jen, what would you like?” Kasim left asking, “Who’s
Cadooseeus?” Paulo remaining outside helping Shapiro per Caduceus orders, “At
all costs, keep Shapiro safe. Bring him back.”
29 April: A bleary-eyed
Shapiro greets all, “These patients are already stage 2 or 3. I need the blood
of fresh patients exhibiting the first day symptoms. The spores released last
night should provide who I need. YOU need to get into the field and confirm
mutations while finding the source. Watch out for Inner Night agents.” With
Paulo driving, all climb into one truck as Isaac reasons, “Forget the survey
camp. I say we go to the mountain mining site to find the source.” And thus
Paulo drives off-road, trying to follow a now overgrown trail angling northeast
towards the mountain mining site. Bone-jarring ruts make the drive slow. But
what’s surprising is the vegetation. Never-before-seen plants of all colors. A
faint glow as if phosphorescent.
And that’s when Mikael orders, “Stop, I see something!”
“Blam.” Him climbing out to return holding a large critter by its tail, “I
thought this wild-boar but look at blisters and whiskers. More overgrown rat.”
Jen squeals as Mikael tosses it into the truck bed beside her. “Evidence.
Mutation. No?” Porter interrupting, “Did you hear that?!” Soon, if everyone
didn’t hear, they surely felt the vibrations of something LARGE crashing thru
the forest coming their way. All out of the truck except Paulo still behind the
wheel; guns at the ready. When a huge horrendous beast crashes into view. Tall
as a house if not taller, and charging at the truck!
Paulo stomping the accelerator [Drive- fail]. “CRASH.”
The rear of the truck slammed sideways almost smacking into Mikael and Isaac
standing at the ready. The impact so severe, the rear axle broken; Paulo rattled
as he’s slammed across the cab interior. Jen leveling her shotgun, “Blam.” The
pellets tinkling off its armored hide, “Oh shit.” Using the window for support,
Paulo takes aim, “Blam.” [Critical 01 for 31 damage] Porter also draws blood
from his shot. But its Isaac’s tommy-gun that fells the beast. [Extreme 06; all
8 bullets hit] Its hide shredded by the rounds; organs spilling out. “I think
this the 3-toed beast that left the trail just outside the airfield.”
But Jen spots more trails, “Here’s a hoofed print that
angles west. This claw-like print follows our trail towards the mountain.”
Abandoning the truck, they load up gear and follow the claw trail. Almost an
hour trudging along, Paulo and Mikael in the lead. Paulo, head down looking for
prints, doesn’t see the massive web stretched across the trail. Mikael, just
catching a glimpse, dodges the sticky webbing. Mikael teasing the Italian as he
cuts the web; till he sees ripples flowing across the webbing. Looking up to
see a large purple spider walking the webbing toward him! “SPIDERS! Someone
finish cutting him out.” [Sanity check] Jen (who was coming to aid Paulo) now
cowering in the brush (Bout of Madness – cowardly), especially when she sees a
2nd spider descending from the other side.
Mikael throws a grenade into the webbing behind one
spider, “Blam.” Shrapnel causing the spider to squeal as it rushes forward to
bite him [CON save]. The other spider attacks Isaac who fights it off with his
tommy-gun stock. Paulo desperately trying to cut himself free. Porter leveling
his shotgun. “Tinkle” as the pellets deflect off the hard chitin armor. A rapid string of shots as Isaac levels his
tommy-gun turning two spider legs to pulp as ichor drenches the grass. Mikael
fights off another attack before he throws another grenade; the spider
skittering away to attack Paulo instead. Paulo just cutting himself free to
dodge out of the way, giving himself time to throw his own grenade that kills
his attacker. Porter finishing off the last spider with his own grenade. Jen
finally comes out of hiding to find Isaac standing over one of the beasts, “I
remember the mummy describing ‘Leng’ spiders that only exist in a dreamworld.
Is this part of the Inner Night plot? What does the dreamworld have to do with
a contagion?”
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They trudge on for another hour, closer to the mountain
base. Where they find strange fruit laying on the ground, emitting a weird
purple glow. “Look, there’s a cave opening up the mountain. Looks like one of
those flying beasts (that attacked the plane) is guarding the entrance.” As
everyone looks skyward, Porter presses along the pass, “Cover me.” He stealths
up the mountain reaching the cave. With rifle at the ready, he waves for the
next one up. Isaac then Paulo successful climb. Mikael offers, “You next little
lady.” But Jen refuses (still suffering Temporary Insanity - cowardly). Mikael
halfway up when he slips; drawing the attention of the gaunt that flies down
and past the cave opening. Right into the aim of Porter and Isaac who blast it
out of the sky. Mikael scrambles up. Then a faint voice, “Wait for me.” Jen
having reconsidered.
Porter enters the cave finding smooth metal walls in a
hexagon pattern. But outside, Mikael and Isaac spot movement along the trail.
With binoculars, “It’s Shapiro. And he’s frantically waving at us. Wonder what
he wants? Must be important to come all this way on his own.” Almost 20 minutes
before Shapiro gets within shouting range, “You must follow me back to camp.
They are all sick. You must kill them.” But Paulo notices, “For a man drenched
from the heat as he stepped out of the plane, and now running full tilt after
us, he’s remarkably dry.” Focused, they notice his loose skin, “That’s not
Shapiro!” Jen cowers inside the cave as gunshots ring out. Paulo [critical 01]
swears he had his head sighted [the serpentman burned Luck to survive] as
Shapiro dives for cover. Porter’s shot nicks an arm. Isaac’s tommy-gun
[critical 01] riddles the body.
Isaac and Paulo climb down to check the body as the
others enter the cave. Isaac soon returns as Paulo hangs back. No one sees what
he stuffs in his backpack. Inside the cave: a short metal hexagonal path that
opens to a hexagonal shaped chamber. Almost honey-bee combed except made of
metal. A metal hexagonal stepped pyramid rises in the center flanked by two
floating hexagonal bars. Isaac the first to recognize [Electrical Repair],
“Reminds me of copper wiring wrapped around a coil and flanked by 2 magnets to
form a generator. Doesn’t look broke; just not turned on.” Mikael calls from an
adjoining chamber, “This look like control room.”
All make their way to the control room where 3 of the 6
sides look like large screen. Buttons, levers, and dials adorn the other 3
sides. Paulo enters and recognizes the writing, “More Naacal. This button
activates the screens, this lever opens a gate, this button is for
communication.” Pushing the first button, the screens light up revealing a heavenly
view of earth. “Look at the dots around the world. One in Persia, another
Iceland, one south Atlantic, and multiple ones in South America. Look, there’s
one in Bolivia where we found the temple. Are these other serpent structure
locations?” Jen speaking up, “Could that one be the Lost-City of Atlantis?”
Mikael has already backtracked into the other chamber to
checkout the side passage, “It blocked. Fused rock. I guess old lava flow.”
Paulo takes a few pictures before suggesting, “Maybe the gate button opens a
secret passage.” But as he pushes the button, all can hear the whirring from
the other chamber. Even from here they can all see the generator spinning to
life. Paulo pushes the button again, “That ain’t the kind of gate I was
thinking!” The others already springing into motion, planting dynamite around
the generator, “I think we all agree, nothing’s coming thru THAT gate.”
Long minutes brainstorming ways to activate the lever
with everyone safely in the entrance passage. “A counter-weight. Tie twine to
the lever, roll the other end around a climbing piton. As it unravels, I’ll
have time to run into the other chamber before the piton falls over the ledge,
flipping the lever.” Just as planned, Isaac rushes into the entrance passage
just as the generator spins into life. “Get ready to light the fuze.” Except
everyone was not expecting the monstrosity that began to form in the swirling
black mass above the spinning generator! A GIANT worm writhing and twisting and
snapping its 3-jawed mouth!
[Sanity check] Isaac recognizing the threat, “Good God,
that could devour the planet!” Porter shaken but able to light the fuze. Jen
cracked and cowering; wanting to run for her life but now afraid of daylight.
Paulo cracked [Bout of Madness – red mist; oppose everyone] and screaming at
Porter, “What are you doing?! Are you mad?” Paulo pulls out a dagger to throw
at the man about to collapse the alien outpost. But Paulo crumples to the
ground as Mikael cold-cocks him with a right-cross. With the fuze sizzling, the
Russian picks up Paulo as he yells, “Run for lives!” Porter slowed as he tugs
at Jen fighting his efforts to save her. Mikael hands off Paulo to Isaac so he
can punch/knock out Jen, “See? She now cooperate.”
Two-thirds of the way down the mountain when they are
thrown to the ground as the dynamite explodes. A cloud of dirt and debris shot out
of the cave entrance. Isaac sits up to brush himself clean [Archaeology], “Do
you realize that outpost was older than the Bolivian temple?” Paulo wakes to
find his shirt covered in blood and his nose broken, “What happened? Did I trip
and fall?” Jen wakes draped over Mikael’s shoulder, “Let me down, let me down!
I need to get out of this sunlight.” Mikael clinches tight as he gets Isaac to
cover her face, “You no fight me. I not want to chase you. I punch you again.”
Almost dusk when they finally arrive back at the tobacco
plantation. Jen now calm. Paulo sounding stuffy with tissue crammed up his
nose. Shapiro’s tent in disarray. The viral analyzer tipped on its side. Papers
scattered everywhere. Shapiro’s
special box found on the floor. Isaac anxiously examining it, “Looks OK on the
outside but let me open it to make sure everyone is alright. Yeah, the gears
are in place. That’s strange; the dial is lit and reads 30. [tick]. Oh shit, it
now reads 29!” Someone activated it! We gotta get the hell out of here!”
All run to the last truck, Paulo climbing into the cab
and starting it. Flooring the accelerating without even knowing if the others
have climbed into the bed. All the commotion having drawn villagers outside
their shanty town. Kids crying and running toward the truck. Jen pleading,
“Stop, we need to save as many as we can.” Isaac reasoning more soundly as he
tosses candy their way, “They could be infected. We have to save ourselves so
we can report back to New York.” As the truck speeds towards the base, guards
are already signally stop. Rifles raised. Paulo stomps harder on the gas pedal.
And that’s when everything becomes slow motion. The
bullet hitting Paulo square in the lung (CONsave- critical 01]. The guards
diving for cover as the gate barrier splinters upon impact with the bumper. The
rear of the truck sheared off as an invisible force-field cleaves thru the
truck’s rear axle. A fireball erupting behind them lighting the night sky as if
a new sunrise. The fireball revealing the inside of the invisible dome that
contains the blast. Jen flinching to hid her eyes from daylight. The axle-less
truck flipped bed over hood throwing all passengers out of the truck. Once
again Paulo rattled inside a truck cab.
The only noise heard was the rifle shots and the truck
cartwheeling along the road. The noise of the explosion contained within the
dome. Captain Lancaster hobbling out of his quarters still trying to put on a
boot, “What happened?” (Now you’d think even a new Caduceus agent would have
enough sense to make up a cover story, “The volcano erupted.” But no,) Isaac
told the truth, “We had to contain the contagion. A special bomb purified the
zone. Unfortunately, nothing within that zone lived. But at least we’re safe.”
The captain could only blankly stare, unable and not-wanting to understand.
It was a long night as the team briefed Cliff. Cliff
explaining how a 2nd plane arrived with medical supplies, “Seems
Caduceus actually sent someone to interrogate Tyranissh who provided the cure. This
plane arrived with drugs to put patients in a coma till they can be properly
treated. Yeah, I tried to fix the other plane but with the landing gear
collapsed, the body shredded by those beasts…” Cliff interrupted when Isaac and
Mikael both jump up to run towards the outhouse. Realization THEY are in the
first stage of the Yellow Death. “Quick, we need to drug them for the return
flight.”
30 April: The plane climbed
from the runway as Cliff steered away from Mt. Kinabalu, leaving captain
Lancaster’s British Expeditionary Force in charge of any cleanup and cover
story. Porter and Paulo peered out the windows just in case any winged beasts
arrived. But within an hour, exhaustion took over the team. Snoring drowning
out the roar of the engines. Cliff in his comfort zone for the long flight
home, with the Caduceus co-pilot monitoring the fuel gauges. “Did you hear how
I managed to land that other plane? There I was…”
Meanwhile, back at the British airfield, as the local
conscripts labored to move the wrecked plane off the end of the runway, “What
is that smell?” Seems the hot Borneo air was aging the gaunt bodies hidden in
the wrecks hold. Luck that the bodies decomposed enough to make them
unrecognizable. But the locals knew legends and myths.
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