Accounting For the Dead

"This one's dead as well." Xanthiana had spent the better part of the day going from drop pod to drop pod finding the results of a mistimed night drop in an unfamiliar battlefield. Over half of the Ark Hunters never survived impact due to either being killed on the way down, or the drop pods failing in one way or another. Xanthiana mentally made note to never again fly.

"This is tragic Xan, there were original casualty estimates, but this far exceeds them."

"I don't really want to know why there were estimate casualties to begin with." The dead ark hunter looked to have made it out of their pod a few feet before something exploded them, possibly a rocket, possibly some other horror lurking in the area.

"Well the operation was listed as high risk, high reward, you should have had the odds explained to you before signing on."

"Was that in the orientation I skipped that would have also explained the AI companion?"

"Yes I do believe it was."

"Well now I feel even more sillier for skipping it." Xanthiana continued on, the search was getting a bit more desperate, other Ark Hunters were reporting the same findings. Lot of bodies, lots of destruction, no Karl Von Bach. Xanthiana started to wonder if Karl even made it off the ship, let alone died on the ground.

"You really should attend all necessary meetings Xan, Von Bach Industries strives to have the one hundred percent employee satisfaction."

"Well next time there is a company wide meeting Ellie I'll make sure to put it on my to do list."

"I'll keep you up to date on future correspondence should we connect with an official representative of Von Bach Industries." Xanthiana smiled, Ellie for all her weirdness still had a boundless optimism that was hard to ignore.

"Looking forward to it Ellie."

"Xan I'm getting a call for assistance from a group of Ark Hunters, they are claiming they have a strong signal on Von Bach coming from a bunker nearby, but mutants are swarming all over it." Xanthiana got back on the atv.

"Tell them we're on our way." Xanthiana was tired of sorting through bodies, it was time to start making new ones, hopefully more mutants than fellow Ark Hunters, but she could never tell which way the day was going to go.

AfterMath

"We thought you were dead." Xanthiana and Cobb were overseeing the wounded with her recovered medical supplies. Xanthiana was never much one for trying to make people feel better, but she had experience sewing and that was coming in handy. The young private she was sewing up had taken a shot just below the knee, without the supplies they most likely would have had to amputate. Instead she was going to most likely make a full recovery, albeit with a very ugly scar due to Xanthiana's not so stellar sewing.

"Oh that's cute you showed concern for me Sergent."

"Yeah if you died who would I have had to do my chores for me?" Xanthiana could tell the concern was real, but men like Cobb struggled with showing sympathy or empthy, they felt it made them look weak and a soldier who was weak would get left behind, especially with the limited resources the Ereps had at their disposal.

"And there it went."

"What went?"

"Any kind of affection I might have had for you Cobb."

 "Good I'm an asshole anyway. Roeyka you deserve a nice cat boy so you can start a litter of your own." Cobb walked off, Xanthiana tried to ignore the dig, but it was difficult. It was always hard being a votan amongst humans, even worse as an Irathient since they were thought of as dirty or whores. It wasn't much better amongst her own people though Xanthiana had to admit. Xanthiana finished sewing and the private thanked her and moved on. The private really should have had at least a few days off her feet, but there was not any time for that, not with the mutants, hellbugs, and whatever else was out there.

"Sergent Cobb is misinformed, Irathients while having minimal cat features are fully humanoid, they do not have litters." Elly had been "away", that's what the AI called it when she was synching up with the other Ark Hunters and exchanging info with Von Bach Industries.  The fatally wounded Ark Hunter was apparently not as wounded as he had appeared and he too would make a full recovery, which was good news for their depleted numbers. Someone would have to save Von Bach, even if none of the Ark Hunters had a good idea how.

"He didn't mean it Elly."

"It's still insulting to your heritage."

"Its sweet of you to stick up for me, but honestly I've grown used to the looks, and jokes, humans are very predictable. Now if you really want insulting, wait till we run across a Castithan, than you'll see real pros at work with insulting Irathients." Xanthiana knew very little of the Castithan language, but what she did know were all the insults they degraded her and her fellow Irathients with.

 "Well in my case I hope we don't run across any Casithans Xan."

"Oh I hope to run across at least one, so what do we know about Von Bach and has the Captain authorized a search yet?"

"Nothing and he said we can leave whenever we felt like."

"That's nice of him considering the state they are in."

"He considers Ark Hunters resource hogs and that we are only going to attract unnecessary attention to his erep personnel, us leaving as soon as possible is a bonus."
 
"And that's more like the Ereps I know and used to shoot."

"Technically you shot Earth Military Coalition forces."

"Right of course my mistake." Xanthiana didn't of course want to admit to Elly she had recently killed erep people, the world was an ugly place post ark fall, and desperate people made for desperate decisions.

"I have coordinates triangulated from the other ark hunters for escape pods, do you wish to get the search underway?"

"Yeah lets get out of here my hands are cramping up from all the sewing." Xanthiana gave one last look around the scattered erep camp and then made for her ATV, she hoped she would be back shortly, but she knew that was not her path, and she was not wrong.

The Fallback Position

"More gunfire Xan, closer than before still less than a mile off." Elly had been rattling off the reports of gunfire since she had woken up Xanthiana early that morning. It started two miles out, Xanthiana was doing the one crazy thing available and actually moving towards the gunfire. She wasn't moving very fast because she was still bringing the supplies from the day before, Xanthiana would be damned if she didn't save that medical convoy for nothing.

"Do we have any idea on numbers?" Xanthiana could easily pick out the different rifle reports now, earlier they had been more of a samey sound from a distance; now she could definately hear the diffference between the two forces fighting.

"I'm processing at least three seperate Ark Hunters involved, their EGO devices are reporting undetermined numbers with air support. The ereps are currently held up in a bunker, they are requesting any assistance possible on emergency channels, the battle does not appear to be going well Xan."

"Thank you Elly, notify the Ark Hunters I'm in route, can you work with their intel to find an optimal attack pattern?"

"Already processing the route, optimal attack appears to be a ridge nearby, several enemies are already up there, and the ATV would not be able to make it on its own."

"I was planning on going on foot anyway, don't want to risk the supplies in the middle of a huge firefight." Xanthiana did hope the supplies would still be there after the firefight, but the Ereps would have to survive for the supplies to be worth a damn to anyone. She parked near some bushes and rubble hoping at least to hide it from potential thieves and then started the slight climb up the ridge. The sounds of battle were all over, Elly was doing her best to try and keep an updated map of friendlies and mutants, but it was a complete disaster from what Xanthiana could see. The ereps were too few, the mutants were too numerous. Xanthiana had hoped the Ark Hunter reports about air support were wrong, but she could see herself there were choppers in the air.

Xanthiana reached the top of the ride, there was a bit of brush between her and the mutants up there so she was at least hidden for the time being. Things were about to get a lot worse for the ereps. The mutants were setting up a minigun on the ridge, with its field of fire the scattered erep forces would be easy pickings. As a plus for Xanthiana though it also meant the mutants would be easy picking for her when she got the mini gun. There were three of them up there, Xanthiana took aim with the rifle and gunned them down before they could turn around. The battle helped keep what she had done off the mutant radar, though she could hear from a nearby radio that the mutants were actually coordinating their strikes, so she knew she had to act fast to turn the tide around.  The minigun looked to be in decent shape, with the ammunition supply connected and a tripod already set up. Xanthiana wondered for a brief second what the mutants were waiting on, or if the gun had been damaged beforehand. She couldn't wait to check it over though, the ereps were losing, Elly had reported an Ark Hunter was fatally wounded and the surviving two were running low on ammunition.

"Elly give me an overlay I need to know generally where the mutant positions are." Xanthiana's vision swam for a moment and then the battlefield was full of red outlines, the EGO device was anything if not efficient in information gathering. The miniguns rotating barrels started to spin up, and the light next to the barrel went from red to green indicating the weapon was properly ready for firing. Xanthiana took aim at the nearest chopper and squeezed the trigger, the minigun went from a whine to a roar and the chopper exploded in shrapnel taking out another chopper that was too close to it. Xanthiana swung the minigun down towards the red, and like a farmer threshing wheat she turned the red outlines in her radar to grey. The mutants suddenly caught in the crossfire between her minigun and the ereps surging out of their bunker scattered in the chaos. Xanthiana did her best to hobble the mutant numbers as they fled, but they fled too eratically and not in enough groups for her to catch a signifigant number after her opening salvo. She did get three of their choppers, which she hoped would at least cripple them in some way. Xanthiana could hear the chatter, the Ereps were ecstatic, she couldn't blame them, since they looked like they were about to be slaughtered.

"Elly open me a channel to the erep command."

"Opened."

"This is Operator Roeyka, checking in sir."

The Long Night

Xanthiana was huddled near a fire. It wasn't the optimal tactical position, it messed with her sight and highlighted her in the night, but she was cold and so by the fire she remained. She hadn't seen any mutants since arriving, EGO had made an attempt to scan the area and didn't come up with any radio signals or Ark hunter communications, she was alone in the night.

"All scans are coming back negative, perhaps the mutants were defeated?" Well alone with a voice in her head. Xanthiana at least welcomed the company, even if it was some weird AI that didn't seem to understand basic social graces.

"Doubtful, not enough bodies and the ereps would still be here, no most likely a tactical retreat they are incommunication because of the bunkers blocking signals, hopefully they did not go to the bunker full of Hellbugs." Xanthiana had cleared some of those things out, but they were persistent bastards, and just when you think you've crushed a nest you wake up to something eating your liver.

"We could go looking for them right now, I can augment your vision Operator Roeyka."

"I'm tired EGO, we've been going a hundred percent since land fall and I just can't keep it up ok, give me till morning we'll find the ereps, and then Von Bach and then I don't know actually do what we were hired to do." It seemed like years since she'd been on the hover carrier, but it had only been a couple days at most.

"Understood Operator Roeyka, I'll keep my scans running while you sleep." The voice almost sounded resigned, Xanthiana pondered the idea that the EGO device could feel emotions.

"EGO is so formal, do you have another name?"

"I have a longer name Operator Roeyka, but no I was not programmed with a first name like a living being, it was deemed a superficial comfort for the Operator."

"Well would you like a new name?"

"I don't honestly know Operator Roeyka, other AI's I've intereacted with since landfall have been granted additional names by their operators, but they do not seem like polite monikers." Xanthiana smirked, she could only guess what the impolite monikers were.

"How about Ellie? You seem like an Ellie to me." Xanthiana knew a little girl named Ellie once, things did not go well for young Ellie.

"Ellie? Ellie, sure Operator Roeyka this will moniker will work."

"Ok and this Operator Roeyka shit has got to go, my friends call me Xan."

"Are we friends Xan?"

"We are a lot closer than any of my other friends Ellie, I mean most of them just think they got into my head, you are actually there." Xanthiana could have sworn she heard Ellie laugh.

"Point taken Xan, I'll update my code files, I do have to say in formal communications you will still be listed as Operator Roeyka."

"That's fine." Xanthiana leaned backward, she hadn't realized how tightly she'd been clutchering her rifle until she released the grip and her hand ached. "Ok Ellie wake me up at daylight if I'm not already up."

"Understood Xan, sleep well." And so Xanthiana slept with her AI companion watching over her. And the long night passed into the morning of battle.

Medical Convoy

"All military personnel have been killed Operator Roeyka I fear we arrived too late." The convoy attack had been a pincer in a small canyon. Mutants were on both sides of the canyon walls, with a small blockade in front of the convoy, it had been a pretty sound massacre. Xanthiana was a bit out of breath from having run to meet up with the convoy, but she did have the advantage of surprise. The mutants had started mop up duty on the downed Erep soldiers and were not looking at outside help coming. There was only one mutant on her side of the canyon and only one on the other side, so if she took out her mutant she could catch the mutants in an ambush attack of her own.

"Well at the very least the supplies are still needed, and the mutants are still assholes, so prepare that adrenaline boost EGO."

"Operator Roeyka I have to remind you per Von Bach industry protocol specifically attempting to kill yourself voids your contractual payment."

"Hilarious amongst all the stupid things we've done so far, this one is the one that you warn me about that particular clause EGO." Xanthiana readied herself, the pistol would alert the mutant across the way too much,  so she'd have to go quiet, hopefully a neck snap.

"Adrenaline Rush activated Operator Roeyka, good luck." The feeling of power was back, the overjuiced muscles singing for action. She was a good hundred feet from the mutant, but she cleared that immediately. She grabbed him around his neck with both arms, the increased power from the adrenaline let her snap his neck with ease. She took the rifle off his shoulder as his body fell and opened fire on the mutant across from her, the burst of fire hit him in the chest area and he went down, the rest of the mutants about four in total turned to face her. She opened fire on them, but the rifle wasn't fully loaded and she only got off two bursts killing one of the mutants and wounding another. Sensing her positions was about to be full of death in a second, Xanthiana rolled forward, sliding down the little canyon wall she pulled her pistol out and dealt with the three remaining survivors, the pistol's slide racked back empty as their bodies hit the smoked road.

"Any survivors?"

"Negative Operator Roeyka, 100% kill rate." She smiled, even though she knew it was probably bad to be proud of your ability to murder others, it was the one thing she was really good at. She took stock of the overall situation, the larger transport truck the Ereps were using was toast, too many direct hits from rifle fire fragged the engine, as had one of the atvs the escort was riding. Which left one atv to try and bring back an entire truckload of supplies. On the plus side there was plenty of different kinds of ammuntion amongst the dead, and a good bit of weaponry to peruse for the most usable amongst the scavenged. She didn't think the Ereps would mind considering she had been their a few minutes and there had not been any more reinforcements, which was a bad thing considering the situation she had left at base camp wasn't very encouraging to begin with.

Xanthiana did the best with what she had to work with, it took a few hours, the afternoon sun was almost gone when she finished. She had a makeshift sled hooked up to the back of her atv with some cable and other assorted bullshit; it would have to hold.  She made the darkened drive back to the camp in fear. She had a good supply of ammunition, and a vehicle, but with the medical supplies hooked up as she did she was a sitting duck, not only that, she was a sitting duck the mutants had already gotten to once that day. Despite all that she managed to make it back to where the camp should have been, but all she found was bodies, most of them mutants, but there were some ereps and what appeared to be fellow Ark Hunters amongst the dead. With the light fading, she would have to hold up amongst the ruined camp, and hope in the morning she could hook up with main erep force, if it indeed still existed. It would be a long night.

Rest and Relaxation

"I don't understand how this is a necessary part of anything." Xanthiana was bathing, the stench of the hellbugs was so strong on her she could still smell it and figured she probably would continue to smell it for a few more days at the very least.

"Because apparently you don't have any programming for smell EGO." She had managed to secure some soap for herself and her clothes, the small river she'd found seemed clean enough that she didn't think she'd get some new disease from bathing in it.

"My files reference hellbugs having a foul order when killed, I did not realize it was enough to have to immediately bathe afterward." Xanthiana had washed her clothes first so they could be drying when she bathed herself, it still meant she'd have to spend time naked, but less time in clothes that reek like Hellbug shit was the price she had to pay for the possibility of people seeing her naked.

"Update your files, the smell is beyond horrible, its matched only by what Sensoth's do in the bathroom."

"Updating my files Operator Roeyka." She kind of meant it as a joke, but it made her chuckle a bit to think of EGO having to arrange a list of smells. Xanthiana finished bathing and found a place to lay down in the grass. She was thankful that it was sunny and hot out, a little bit of sunbathing and she'd be dry and hopefully her clothing would be as well. She was never a modest person especially with the living conditions on the ARK ships, but being naked in the new world was never a good feeling. Between the hellbugs, other creatures, and bandits, you could never truely feel safe.  Xanthiana despite that did fall asleep, she didn't dream and that was a welcome relief from her normal evening of feeling bad for all the things she had done to get where she was. She had slept for a few hours before EGO's voice woke her up.

"Alright alright you're worse than something I can't think of that's really annoying ego, it was only a few hours I'm sure I didn't get too tanned or anything."

"Operator Roeyka I did not awaken you because of your tanning, though your skin does show signs of excessive sun radiation, but no there is a signal coming from a nearby convoy of vehicles attempting to return to base with medical supplies, they are under an ambush." Xanthiana got dressed, her clothing was a little damp, but the stench from the hell bugs had at least been minimized.

"And you think we can provide that assistance?"

"We are within range, I believe they are only a kilometer away from our current position."

"And our current ammunition count is?"

"Currently we have forty nine rounds of .45, zero rounds of .556 which both the light machine gun and assault rifle we have in our inventory utilize."

"And the estimated numbers from the convoy under the ambush?"

"Currently they estimate numbers of up to five to ten attackers hitting them from both sides with rifles."

"And we have no way of getting to their location aside from running."

"Correct Operator Roeyka, should I tell them we are on our way?"

Xanthiana sighed and gathered her supplies, making sure to leave the empty light machine gun behind, it was going to do her no good, "Yeah tell them I'm on my way, god damn it."

Failure

Rushard paced in front of the assembled bandits. His own Arkhunters were off on their own tasks, feeling it important to delegate he felt they could handle things without him while he worked on accessing the ship that was buried deep in the Frisco bay. He did not know how the rest of his unit had faired, but as far as the task of even getting to the ship, he had failed. Not him personally, of course not the Great Rushard, but the bandits with whom he had trusted to accomplish what he had felt was a simple task, had been completely unable.

"Men, wait that's not right, you're not men, no, you're more like schtako, and not even good schtako," The men shifted uneasily, Rushard gripped the rifle he had brought with him tighter he could see their eyes followed him as he paced in front of them, at least they had formed a consistent line, "You have failed me in every aspect of what I had asked you to do.  I had asked you to aquire a boat, no such boat was acquired. I had asked you to get diving gear or at least be able to find out who in this shit sty of an area would be able to come up with some, this too did not come to pass. I HAD ASKED YOU TO KEEP YOUR FUCKING MOUTHS SHUT! And still you could not even accomplish this simple gods for saken fucking task and so every stupid bandit from this shit hole to probably a whole geographic area over thinks they can become a part of my crew. And so it has come to this." One of the bandits raised his hand like Rushard was teaching a school lesson.

"Sir."

"Yes what is it?"

"How do you know it was us who failed you?" Rushard's grip on the rifle tightened. He almost wondered if he could bring the hilt with how angry he was.

"Because I trust my guys and the only other people I told, were you FUCKING IDIOTS!" He gunned them down, turning around and just opening up. Two of the bandits attempted to run away and after he reloaded he walked up to their struggling corpses and emptied the fresh magazine into the two, they couldn't even stand and die for their failure correctly. He was so angry at the bandits he didn't even notice his EGO was trying to get a hold of him.

"What is it Sorn?" The Sensoth had been tasked with disrupting local ranchers near the beach he had hoped to extract the downed warship towards.

"I have a problem with the ranchers." Rushard breathed out, trying to calm himself, another failure.

"What is the problem Sorn?" He hoped that the communication while conveying his anger, didn't fully show how little cool he had left. If only so that his men didn't think he was completely unstable.

"I got the ranchers out, but now damned Hellbugs have moved in, looks like a damned nest of them." Rushard smiled, and then laughed.

"Well then looks like we'll have to find a place for those poor little buggers to go now won't we?"

"You know how to relocate hellbugs boss?"

"Yes, yes I do." Rushard looked over the bodies of the dead bandits and sighed, he had hoped to be getting a warship and its votan tech out of a body of water, but plans change, and now he was going to have to just cause some havoc with hellbugs. At least seeing helpless ranchers eaten by the little buggers would cheer him up a little bit.