???: Mikael’s eyes
flutter open, taking in the view of a hospital room. He swats at the sweat
dripping from his forehead before realizing he has an IV stuck in his arm. He
yanks it out causing blood to flow. “Doctor, doctor. Come quick; they’re waking
up!” Isaac, Cliff, and Paulo also wake up but are gentler taking their IVs out,
“Where are we? What have you done with our cloths and gear? WHERE ARE OUR
WEAPONS?!”
Cliff and Paulo are already at the window opening the
shutters, surprised at the jungle vista before them. Explains the animal and
insect chatter. Mikael freaking out; already at the door when a doctor arrives,
“Please get back to bed before you faint. You must still be weak from the crash
and sleeping sickness. Don’t you remember? Your plane crashed 2 weeks ago,
you’d been bitten by Tsetse-flies, and in a coma ever since. Where? Why we’re
in the Belgian Congo. I’m Dr. Thibault and this is nurse Fleurette.
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We
requested Caduceus send help for this ‘Sleeping Sickness’ outbreak. Your crazy
pilot tried to land at the old mine airfield…at night! Why not airdrop the
supplies like all the other day deliveries? Oh, you were also bringing people.
Are you doctors or nurses?”
Paulo confused…2 weeks?! He feels his face: no stubble. And
that’s when he notices 2 more nurses in the hospital bay sponge-bathing and
shaving other patients. Dr. T explaining, “Poor Melania and Geertruyd, working
non-stop. Exhaustion, blank stares, yet they forge on. Dedication. Had to shave
you to find the fly bites. Keep you clean and disinfected. You’re the only
people to wake up from the sleeping sickness; we must be doing something right.
Your clothing? In the footlockers. Your gear? Probably still at the crash site
10 miles south towards the diamond mine airfield.” Isaac already dressing and
wondering why the cloths not torn or burned, “How can this be? No scorch marks
from the Caduceus explosion nor tears from a supposed crash.” Cliff just as
confused, “Congo? How the hell did we get here?!” Mikael…hungry, “Any food?”
Confusion leading to distrust. Isaac unsuccessfully
looking for a flashlight to check for shadows. Paulo managing to pocket a
shaving razor before noticing a native tending a bed. He approaches to ask
questions but the black man in a loin cloth berates him, “Why you white men
come and use up medicine meant for my people?! My wife and brother sick. My men
dying from bites.” Paulo appeasing him [Charm – 01], “We came to help. Brought
medicine and more doctors. We’ll find a cure. But we need your help. Can you
take us to the crash site so we can get the medicine and our tools?” Now calm,
“I am Kasongo, chief of my village. I have no men to help. Most sick or dead.
Nurses say they die 4 days after being bit. My wife and brother bitten
yesterday. Please help them.”
Kasongo explains the Tsetse-flies had always been here
but the sickness only started 3 months ago, “Why do you ask? No white man arrived
just before the sickness. Just the doctor and nurses after the outbreak. My men
labored in the mines till it closed a year ago. Those white men left when we no
longer found diamonds. Now we fishermen or farmers. Besides the doctor and
nurses, I have white woman guest. And her servant. Arrived days ago. Come; I
introduce. Maybe they know crash site.” The village barely ten huts and shanty
towns.
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Inside his hut, “I am Professor Carol Roux; this is my assistant Manville.” Cliff already suspicious, “What Level are you? Come now, don’t you work for Caduceus? No? Then what brings you to this god-forsaken place?”
Carol explaining, “I’m a zoologist. We heard of a giant
lizard. I’m thinking dinosaur. I’m here to find and name it. You’ve heard of
the Scottish ‘Nessie’? Well, this is an aquatic creature too. I’ll be famous.”
Manville scoffing, “Dinosaur. What attacked our porters was a giant croc. I
blasted it with my elephant gun but the damn thing just swam away with 3 native
porters in its jaw.” Isaac offering, “I wouldn’t be too skeptical considering
what we’ve seen. Have you heard of Yeti and trolls?” Carol now excited even
more.
Cliff still asking about weapons while Paulo asking about
local legends. Kasongo offering, “My tribe fight Boer Wars. Still have rifles
in my shed; you can use them. Stories? We have many folktales about mbashi the
great turtle. Delivered man on his back across the seas. Protected the
water-hole for the elephant till the lion throttled him and let the other
animals drink. Then there is Mahanga, the giant croc of lake Likaola.” Carol
perking up, “Yes, that is the tale I seek. You call croc; I think it a Plesiosaur.
Long neck, fins…just like the Scottish Nessie.”
Armed with old model Martini-Henri rifles, they accept
Kasongo’s dinner offer: fermented bread and fish. Conversation continuing till
Kasongo mentions, “Other planes drop supplies every 3 days. My men go out to
get them and bring to hospital. They also put antenna up for doctor’s radio.”
News that has them return to the hospital already lit with kerosene lanterns.
Arriving to find nurse Geertruyd pulling the sheet over the head of one patient
and then wheeling the gurney outside. Returning for another. And another.
Indeed, patients dropping like flies.
Cliff talking to the other nurse, “We understand the
doctor has a radio?” Melania explains, “He communicates with the local
authorities who have quarantined the area. The provincial governor authorized
spraying insecticide provided by Caduceus to help control the outbreak.” Paulo
perking up at the mention of Caduceus and insecticide. Memories flooding back.
Warehouses, insecticide manifests, the large mosquitoes. And Geertruyd’s long
face. Tired, or…he pulls out his razor. Faking to return it to the nurse but
‘accidently’ cutting her arm instead. A look of surprise before her illusion
drops.
“A serpentfolk!” Geertruyd slashing Paulo with claws.
Cliff rushing forward to grapple, trying to break her neck. Restrained but
struggling, Paulo able to cut her again [critical 01]: she crumbles to the
floor dead. Melania screaming. Dr. Thibault and nurse Fleurette stepping out of
the doctor’s office. Naked. Melania accusing, “I knew you were getting it on.”
They too scream when they see a dead serpent thing on the floor. Isaac and
Mikael rushing to the hospital, drawn by the screaming. Where they find the
doctor treating Paulo’s wound. Isaac shining the kerosene lantern to confirm
human shadows.
Cliff outside to check the gurneys, “These patients are
unconscious but still alive. Where was she taking them and why?” They search
the nurses’ room and Geertruyd’s footlocker. Where they find an advanced radio
receiver. Isaac [Electrical Repair] is able to turn it on, hearing the doctor
conversing with Fleurette in his office. They search the office finding the
radio but also a microphone planted in the wall. Paulo asking, “Who have you
been talking to? What could be so important for her to eavesdrop?” But that’s
when Cliff hears creaking from the other room.
Cliff bolts out the room and outside where he finds
Melania crawling out the window, “Where you going?” Melania crying, “Flies,
sickness, now snake-people. I’m going home.” Almost convincing till Cliff sees
her reaching into her pocket. He swings a right cross, connecting. Melania’s
illusion fades to reveal another snarling serpent, “Ssulithan was right; you humans
are fools. Always a step behind and easily manipulated. There was no crash. We
drugged the others to belief so. Even convinced them weeks have passed.
Yesterday’s Caduceus explosion a charade; just a noise bomb and knockout gas.
Brought you here to learn what you know of the Caduceus operation. What you
learned in Iceland. What is the Inner Night up to?”
Paulo explaining, “I remember Phil Conners saying you can
reveal the serpents either with a strong light or by injuring them to break
their illusions. I figured the kerosene lantern too dim.” Mikael now
intimidating the doctor and nurse to cut themselves. Protests about disease
till Mikael levels his gun, “OK, but at least get me some medical alcohol to
clean the area and scalpel.” Isaac returning with a bottle of gin, taking a
swig before handing it over. Isaac studying the button found in Melania’s
pocket, “Looks like a radio transmitter.” Melania overconfidently divulging, “A
failsafe. To release another swarm of tsetse-flies hidden in the village.
Diversion to escape.”
Melania noticing the translucent scales on Isaac’s arms,
“So YOU are the unclean Ssulithan spoke of. The cursed he brought thru the
gate. Ssulithan? You call him Meadham. He has a portal gate between New York
and here at the mine where we take the humans to experiment on. Where we left
your gear.” He’s heard enough. Kasongo steps forward to beat Melania to death,
“For my wife and brother. And tribesmen. Now let us find those flies hidden in
my village.”
Wearing protective gear found at the hospital, they fan
out with torches. Paulo searching the latrines…gag! Almost an hour till they
hear a crash from a shed. Cliff [Luck -fumble 00; Spot – failure] steps on a
loose board that smashes the large glass bottle hidden below. A cloud of flies swarm
out. Cliff swats at them with his torch but ignites loose trash instead. The
shed quickly an inferno. Cliff standing outside, “The flies are dead.” The shed
owner grieving at his lose till Cliff hands him coins. The native chomping on
the coin with his two good teeth before grinning wide.
Sunday, 9 July: Another
hot and humid day. Armed with Carol’s borrowed binoculars, Cliff insists, “I
want to observe the supply drop to see the plane markings. Then we can go find
the mine.” 9am when the cargo plane (Belgian Congolese flag) drops the pallet.
But sudden winds carry it northward. Kasongo leads his men to retrieve it,
“Medicine for my wife. Back soon.” But an hour ticks by and they still don’t
return. Concern. Finally, Kasongo returns but with less men, “It’s true! Huge
lizard attacked us.” Words that has Manville appearing with his elephant gun.
Carol too armed with an Enfield rifle, “What are we waiting for? Let’s go find
my dinosaur.”
Kasongo wanting to go but Cliff countering, “Your village
needs you.” Mikael taunting, “In Ukraine our women fight too. Bring your entire
village.” Paulo pointing out, “Your wife is here. What if the lizard follows
your scent? You’d best stay here to protect her.” Carol excited till they
travel south, “But the dinosaur is north. This only leads to the mines.” Four
hours trekking along an overgrown dirt road in the protective clothing [CON
save] has them sweating profusely. Paulo guiding [jungle Survival – Hard],
“This way.” Isaac hacking a path with the machete borrowed from Kasongo. Group
Stealth [failure 95]. Isaac signaling halt when he spots [02] a strange
vibrating plant, “Is that a wire tied to that plant?”
Any idea of Stealth gone when Mikael raises his rifle to
fire [Hard], cutting the wire in half. The booming shot soon answered by a
“Roar!” Everyone braced with weapons readied as the ground reverberates and
birds flush from the trees announcing the arrival of two Trex! Not just any
Trex.
These have serpent riders. Helmets on each as if the riders control the
beasts. Sanity check. Manville screams but holds his ground shaking. Professor
Roux drops her Enfield as she bolts screaming and running back the way she
came. Paulo [failure, -5 Sanity: Bout of Madness – showoff] screams more of a
“Charge” as he runs to pick up the dropped Enfield.
Cliff raises his Martini-Henri rifle and takes aim at the
Trex helmet [03-extreme] blasting it into pieces. The Trex roaring in
uncontrolled rage. Mikael aims at the serpent rider (hit) before ducking behind
a tree to reload the breach rifle. The Trex attack: one snapping at Mikael who
dodges behind the tree. The other biting Manville in half! His gun launched
skyward, grabbed by Isaac who delivers it to Mikael. Paulo sprinting forward to
climb the Trex haunch! [fail 95; push 93]. His left hand stuck in the saddle
harness. Dropping the Enfield in his right hand as one Henri rifle slips off
his right shoulder. Yet the crazed Italian shouts, “Look at me!” As he swings
between the Trex legs. Its arms too short to reach him.
Cliff grabs the Enfield and shoots (9 damage): the slug
glancing off the thick hide. Mikael shoots the elephant gun (17 damage) causing
the Trex to flinch and pause. Paulo climbs the harness, removes his 2nd
Henri rifle from his left shoulder, braces behind the serpent rider, and fires
[74-miss]. Isaac’s shot also errant. Cliff reloading and aiming for the other
Trex’s helmet [07-extreme]. It shatters. The Trex roaring and kicking and
snapping at the serpent rider on the other Trex. (Paulo just behind him.) A
clean pluck [66 damage], lifting the rider, then tossing it up to then swallow.
“Crunch!”
Mikael steps around the tree to shoot at an eye, just
stepping behind the tree as the injured Trex snaps at him (miss with only one
good eye). Paulo hanging onto the empty saddle atop the bounding Trex, tries to
cast Wrack [97-failure]. Isaac also trying to cast Shrivel but he
too fails [opposed POW check causes Bout-of-Madness; another showoff]. Cliff
shoots again [Extreme-29 damage]: The Trex collapses to the ground face first
spilling a tumbling Paulo [DEX-success] who springs to his feet, “Tadaa!”
Another elephant-gun blast [12 damage] but Mikael too
slow to hide this time. The Trex snatching him with its teeth before tossing
him up to then swallow! Paulo grabs the dropped elephant-gun, reloads and
blasts [02-extreme: 38 damage] yet it still staggers to attack. Isaac reloading
his Henri (cartridge reload takes 3 rounds). Cliff takes aim and deals the
fatal wound. Silence. Then a slurping sound before Mikael spills out of its
guts [used all his Luck for a death-defying save]. Grinning ear-to-ear
highlights the fangs he now displays. [His curse accelerating due to his major
wounds]
Mikael and Cliff search the empty saddles, excited when
they find familiar staffs, “We saw these laser-rifles at Meadham’s temple.
We’ll takes these; you can have the Enfield and elephant gun.” Adrenaline rush
gone. [Failed CON] Exhaustion from all that fighting while in the sweltering protective
clothing. “We need to return to the hospital to get Mikael patched up.” Paulo takes
time to carve out a claw and Trex tooth for Professor Roux. Isaac carves up
steak, “A fitting meal for Kasongo’s tribe.”
Loved the Calvin comic
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