Heart of Fire Tracking Tread

[Enigma_Nova]

Oh blast.
Looks like I winzipped the wrong bloody thing >_<''

[GeoModder]

Did you had to restrain yourself from a 'hey idiot' post, Jam?

[Kody]

The sirens sounded jarring me from my sleep. I wondered who would attack Spartan Command as I hurriedly pulled on my boots.

Outside my room soldiers were already taking up their posts at the inner city guns. Grim faces peering out over the city in an alertness that was trained into them from daily drills. I hurried down towards central command noticing that the majority of the posts were already occupied. I was setting a bad example by being so late, but I just couldn’t stand sleeping in my boots which was a standard practise among the soldiers.

“Kody, I’m glad you could make it”, Lieutenant Xavier commented dryly as I walked in. The other Lieutenants were clustered around a holographic table. Looking at what seemed to be a writhing mass of fungus.

“How can fungus move?”, I spoke out loud.

“It’s not fungus, what you see are millions of mindworms. Santiago has already encountered them before in the fungus”, Xavier explained. “We just didn’t realise the mindworms were able to leave the fungus.”

“How long before they attack?” I asked. Judging from the expressions to that question they had gone through this before I had arrived.

“We don’t know how fast they move, but they’re threatening Spartan Command”, Xavier said. “We’re going to use the rover team to beat them off. We’ll need you to handle the city defences.”

So their opinion of me was that low. Not that I wanted to face an alien lifeform. Anyway Xavier was the battle commander second to Santiago, I was just delegated construction.

~~~~~

The edge of the mindworm boil was a mere 30 metres away, undulating in a grotesque fleshy orange mass with a 50 metre diameter. While the worms seemed indifferent to the presence of the humans the soldiers seemed unnerved and seemed to constantly glance around for danger.

“I don’t think we have enough ammo to completely destroy it, but if we can disperse it by shooting through the middle then it won’t be a threat”, Xavier shouted. “Shoot through the centre when I give the order.”

As the soldiers got out of the rovers to make a firing line in front of the boil a strange insect like chittering sound suddenly came from all directions. The soldiers looked around in bewilderment expecting to see an enemy surrounding them, but there was nothing except for the boil.

They couldn’t stand this much longer. “Fire”, Xavier yelled.

The chittering was suddenly drowned by the rattle of semi-automatic rifle fire and a large chunk of the worms exploded into a slushy slurry that splattered the grass a weird orange pink. Bits of chipped husks flew further raining down on the exposed rover team.

”It’s working!” one of the other Lieutenants shouted as they started to advance while shooting a path deeper into the boil.

There was splashing as water suddenly engulfed the rover team, and quickly climbed up past everyone’s heads. Xavier held his breath as he desperately tried to swim to the surface and air, but he felt as heavy as a rock and couldn’t swim upwards. His lungs started to spasm and he could feel himself blacking out as spots appeared in his vision. It’s not wet, he suddenly realised.

He forced back the spasm and took a breath even though every instinct told him that he would drown. Cold air flooded his lungs and the spots in his vision started to recede. He took a look around and froze in shock at all the soldiers failing in their rovers.

“It’s an illusion!” he shouted. “The water is an illusion!”
Xavier started to run between the soldiers shaking them until they started breathing. As he rushed to another rover he noticed the mindworms were moving towards them.

“Grab your guns and fire at will!”

The world exploded in orange pink ichor as the rattle of guns resumed. The mindworms were much closer now and the exploding worms splattered over the uniforms while the husks left scratches on exposed flesh that seemed to burn from the alien juices. The mindworms moved like snakes slithering across the ground to be blown to bits by rifle fire only to be replaced by more worms deeper from in the boil.

It wasn’t working he realised in horror as he slammed another clip into his rifle and swept bullets across the approaching worms. Everyone firing together at one part of the closely packed boil was one thing, but stopping the waves of worms from approaching wasn’t effective with bullets.

“Back to the rovers! We’ll be flanked! Rolling retreat in two teams”

The unit automatically split into two with the first half moving back 5 metres before stopping and shooting while the second half retreated. Each team provided cover as the other retreated.

“Sir the rovers are infested!” came the cry behind him.

It was true. The worms were coming out of the ground behind them and were concentrating themselves in and around the rovers. They would be able to kill the worms without blowing up the rovers. They also hadn’t taken any extra ammunition, having only two clips each.

“Conserve ammo, we’ll need every last shot. Retreat to the rocks in three teams.”

There was a cry to his left and he watched as a soldier fell clutching his leg. Mindworms swarmed over his body and he started screaming as he rolled crushing most of the worms attacking him until the main part of the boil rolled over hiding him from view. The screaming continued unabated but there was nothing that could be done.

Xavier felt a sharp pain in his calf as a mindworm wiggled up his trousers and bit him. Lunging downwards he grabbed it and pulled it out before cracking it into two with his hands. He stepped on another mindworm and kicked a few others before firing his rifle and continuing the retreat.

~~~~~

“We got separated from the rovers,” the radio crackled. “Current position is sector D4. We’re surrounded and do not have enough ammo to break free. The mindworms used a psychic attack to distract us while we were outflanked. Rifles did not prove to be an effective weapon against the mindworms...” stactic as the signal broke up “... hold the city, not enough rovers left in depot to attempt a rescue in time... is an order...”

I was going to do something stupid I knew it.

Only one rover left as I noted as I looked around the vehicle depot. There was little in the way of heavy weaponry too. I skimmed past empty weapon crates, spare parts, welders and tires. It looked like the rover team had taken most of the equipment with them. My eyes came to rest on the barrels of propane gas that we used as fuel.

“You two come here”, I gestured to two of the workers in the depot. As they came closer I recognised one of them.

“Trevor”, I said “I need your help.”

~~~~~

The rover bounced and I cringed yet again. I wasn’t quite happy sitting with 20 canisters of combustibles between my legs. I hoped that we reached sector D4 before we blew up.

We had heard the rattle of sporadic gunfire before we saw the mass of mindworms appear over a rise. It was huge maybe 70 metres wide and I found it quite disgusting.

“Okay keep driving slowly while we flame a path through”, I directed at Trevor. “Apparently they’re able to psychically attack us so...” I paused. “...just do your best to resist.”

I lit the welder and connected the hose to a canister, then watched as the other two privates I had recruited do the same. Trevor started edging us forward, as water started to seep over the sides of the rover. This can’t be real, this must be the psychic attack.

“It’s an illusion”, I said trying to ignore my instincts and breathe normally. I almost choked as the water went over my head, but continued to breathe.

The mindworms had noticed us and appeared to be moving towards us as we both closed the distance. Calmly as I could, I turned on the propane and started to sweep sheets of flame over the approaching mindworms. The others did the same.

The mindworms appeared to shrivel up in the flames filling the air with acidic fumes. At first they redoubled their attack, but it just served to kill more of them faster. Worms that had already caught flames wiggled back into the mass setting their neighbours alight. They were retreating now as we pushed forward rolling over fried husks. Suddenly it felt as if I was engulfed in flames and I momentarily lost control as I tried to extinguish the flames. I had never felt such pain as the fire ate away my flesh to the bone, but when I looked I could still see my hands unburnt even though they hurt.

“It’s not real”, I croaked as loudly as I could to the others desperately trying to extinguish their own imaginary fires.

Climbing to my feet I picked up the dropped makeshift flamer that somehow had managed not to explode when I dropped it. I started sending more sheets of flame towards the mindworms were tentatively approaching.

“It still feels like I’m burning”, I heard someone say to my left. I knew exactly what he meant. We knew it wasn’t real, but it still felt like it was real.

“Start driving forward again”, I said as I climbed back into the rover.

The others had recovered although their faces told me they were still in pain. We restarted our slow advance into the boil flaming in all directions and watching as burning chunks of the boil dropped off as ashes. After a while the way forward opened up and we found the rover unit ahead holding an outcropping of rock.

“Take some of the canisters”, I shouted when we got close enough.

~~~~~

It had taken a little over an hour, but we had finally destroyed the majority of the mindworms. Of the 50 in the rover unit, 10 had been infected. We found their body ridden with mindworms, but still barely alive. When we tried to remove the mindworms they died when blood gushed out of the chewed holes that the mindworms had occupied. To be humane we simply flamed the others we found.

I wearily peered at Xavier, smearing black as I tired to clean off ash. We simply looked at each other in silence.

“Thanks, I glad you disobeyed my orders.”

“Santiago had no problems dealing with the mindworms before. I can’t understand what happened.”

“They’re getting stronger”, Xavier said. “I think that each time we encounter them they’re learning more about how to attack us. In previous encounters the soldiers only heard noises. This time it seemed like we were drowning, and later they turned the feeling of being flamed back at us.”

“You believe the mindworms are intelligent?” I asked.

“Well they were intelligent enough to outflank us”, was the reply.

“I believe the Gaians have some interest in these mindworms perhaps we should work with them on defensive measures”, I commented.

“I don’t think that will happen.”

“Well the Gaians seemed interested in cooperating with us on mindworm research so I don’t see what’s stopping us.”

Xavier gave me a strange look, but I was too tired to think much about it.

[Jamski]

Of course not

Jamski Industries shareholders predict 50% growth for the next year. Brave Jamskite scout units return home for a well deserved rest after a 10 year tour of duty, just in time to deal with the expected surge in economic migrants caused by booming Jamksi Industries profits.

"We just can't remain proiftable if we continue to use so many employees on so few sites," explained a spokesman for CEO Jamski at a press conference today, "Not to mention the trouble we have with migrants from other factions seeking to make a fast buck."

Plans are being discussed to deal with the migrant population boom, which may cause disorder amoung the existing workers in Jamski Industries HQ. It may be nessessary to pay for transportation to send the migrants to a penal base, or to nervestaple them untill they become used to our soceity.

Turn 2110 on to Kody - be nice to Lady Hong

[Kody]

Turn sent to Frankychan.

Built my first terraformer this turn. I assume when Honghu said no hyperforming she meant no former reactivation? Just making sure nobody is going to be using it.

[Jamski]

I thought I said actually - and that is exactly what I mean. I won't be using it. (Not that I have any units except for a Super Scout Patrol!)

-Jam

[Kody]

Just curious there seems to be quite a few mindworms. I've come across 3 so far.

And the only way Geomodder could have gotten first place in wealth is if he came across at least a handful.

Also last turn a mindworm appeared out of nowhere at my base, and the same happened to Honghu.

[GeoModder]

Perhaps the CMN made quite a few lurking around our starting sites.
I did indeed had a few attacks without even spotting one approaching my bases. Luckily sofar my patrols survived those... And trolling the fungus helps off course.

[Kody]

Seems like you have 'offered' a tech to Kody, on the look of the graph bar.

Actually I had a look at the power graph. I think there's only such a significant jump because my base grew.

*cheers to himself*

My base grew first

Obviously nobody else thought to delay their base for 1 turn to plant a colony pod ontop of a nutrient bonus.

*races off to be the first to plant his third base*

I picked up that strategy off Mongoose when he was commenting on a challenge thread where he got rooted the first time, and had to think more carefully about where to build his base the 2nd try.

Did we just see the birth of a pact for gamelife now?

The real question is do you pick Honghu as a submissive kind of person?

[GeoModder]

No, I don't. Not with the way you tried to corner her.

As for base planting, luckily I didn't delay it since a worm came up second turn!

[Kody]

If I hadn't actually decided to place my first colony pod on the nutrient bonus I would have never planted any of my bases near enough to use the monolith.

Actually I probably wouldn't have found my monolith within the first 10 turns.

[Enigma_Nova]

Later in the game, that nutrient square will be better farmed, condensed and crawled.

Kody:
That may be well and good for you, but I'm fine with 2 bases.
Switches to planned using all 40 of his ECs
...and NOW we build bases.

With the mod3 screwing my beeline to IA, I've opted for another strategy. I hope it works...

[Kody]

Finally finished that long story segment. I've edited the original post above. I didn't originally mean it to be so long.

Later in the game, that nutrient square will be better farmed, condensed and crawled.

It only makes a difference of 1 nutrient at a stage where nutrients mean alot less. Early nutrients means more bases faster, and hence faster development.

[Jamski]

My base grew first

My bases grow next, and the CPs are almost done. Ah - the joy of Rec Tanks

You may get the third base down first, but I fancy my chances with the 4th base (Of course, I sequence before you, so its slightly unfair )

Want to bet an ec on it?

-Jam

[GeoModder]

Sorry, no energy exchanges allowed before ingame meeting.