*(mood song: "Guns N' Roses - Welcome To The Jungle")
Antonio: "Situation report!"
Monico: "Engine working correctly, weapon systems activated, navigation activated."
Elena: "Life support systems active, with my bio recycler and filtering systems we should be good on air and water, and should have salads to last for a day, but there's a problem."
Antonio: "What is it?"
Elena: "I don't have lab equipment to test for food safety, we lack the means to cook these vegetables, and the filtering systems are DIY... I suspect we could suffer from bacterial infections like salmonella if we were to eat them."
Antonio: "Hmm, well, you did your best, so we'll have to risk it. Now we need to focus on surviving."
Monico then interrupted: "We are being contacted, do I answer?"
Antonio pondered and nodded: "Only connect the audio, though. We'd better wear full body armor when we land, humans would be too exotic for this planet."
A Globian appeared on the screen, its 6 eyes looking suspicious: "Boarding vessel, your spaceship has exploded, do you require assistance?"
Thankfully, Antonio had gotten used to using translators and understood their language: "No assistance required, just a place to park, there was a failure on the reactor, nothing could be done."
The globian's eyes raised in suspicion: "Is that so... hmm, you are cleared to land, terminal 3, plot 67F, you can park there, and remember, first week it's free, but you have to pay after that. And fix your camera."
Antonio: "Alright, we will be sure to do that."
Globian: "Alright"
A hologram on the control panel displayed the landing location, and they swiftly landed, wearing full spacesuits before they opened the spaceship.
The air seemed breathable, but the city was surrounded by enormous jungle trees all around, as well as thick concrete walls, and a strange glow in the sky like a dome.
Antonio: "Whatever they are trying to keep out, we better be careful if we have to leave the city."
Monico and Elena nodded.
Elena: "What now?"
Antonio: "First is eating and drinking, like in any survival situation, the hydroponics in the spaceship could sustain us for some time, but we will need some proteins in our diet too."
Monico: "We could try asking around?"
Elena: "Yes, they might have a library or a server we can access?"
Antonio: "The problem is that we can't look like pushovers or country bumpkins, someone will try to take advantage of us, so we will gather information passively, by looking and hearing"
As they walked down the street, they saw a truck carrying the corpse of a huge being at the back.
Elena: "That looks like food?"
Antonio nodded: "Let's follow it"
They arrived at a huge building with people waiting in line in front of it.
Antonio risked it and got closer to the people in line as he double checked the translator system being active.
Antonio: "So, any idea how long it usually takes?"
A huge furry humanoid looked down at Antonio: "Oh yes, they usually take around two hours to butcher the beasts, the hunters brought it fresh earlier, so it surely will be good meat"
Antonio: "I see, thanks for your time!"
Antonio retreated as he thanked the humanoid.
Elena: "So?"
Antonio: "It seems to be the place to buy meat, now we need to find out what they use as money, and what kind of hunters brought those beasts, could be a good job for us, we have no knowledge of their technology or systems after all, so only manual labor is left"
Elena: "I could make and sell some hydroponic systems"
Monico: "And I could fix spaceships, once I get familiar with their technology"
Antonio: "We can't risk to standout, or getting sued if you don't fix something properly, let's check the city gates"
They walked for a while and reached the city gates, where multiple trucks came carrying dead beasts from outside, as well as injured or dead hunters of different species.
Antonio: "So we know it's dangerous, and a job done by different species, it ain't a royal hunt or something like that..."
A guard at the door stopped them then.
Guard: "License"
Antonio: "Oh, I seem to have lost it. Do you know where I can get a new one?"
Guard: "...go to the hunter's registration office near the port" he then swiped in the air.
Antonio's wrist vibrated, and he looked at it. A screen on the spacesuit's wrist illuminated, showing a map of the city, their location with a red arrow, and their destination with a point.
Antonio thanked the guard and turned around. The three of them walking as they followed the map.
The building was a huge skyscraper with hundreds of people going in and out, so it was easy to blend in, and after asking around, they got to a counter where an alien female sized them up and down.
Althda: "Welcome to the hunters registration office, my name is Althda, what can I help you with?"
Antonio: "Hi, we would like to register as hunters"
Althda nodded and handed them 3 pieces of paper: "Please fill this"
Antonio looked at the paper and couldn't read anything: "Excuse me, but we don't know how to read this, could you write it for us?"
Althda looked visibly annoyed, but she sighed and read it for them, questioning slowly as she wrote their answers down. They went with the story that they were orphans who had been working for the pirates, and that the current atmosphere was slightly poisonous for them, so they couldn't remove their suits.
Althda: "Very well, your registration is finished" She then put three plaques of copper color on the table "These are your license plates. You will start as level 1 hunters, so for now, you can only access the first ring level around the city to hunt. Any questions?"
Elena instantly asked: "How many... levels are there in the forest? Do you have maps? Any dangerous areas or habitats that you recommend avoiding?"
Althda thought deeply as she flicked her hand, a map of the city and the surroundings appearing on their HUDs.
Althda: "There are ring areas surrounding the city, so you guys can only get to the first area. Stay away from red areas on the map and be careful out there, you can check everything else on the hunter's guide that I sent you, just use the integrated HUD AI to read it, next!"
### Image of the map, available on RoyalRoad ###
Antonio bid their farewell and studied the map carefully: "Alright, we'll need to be strategic about this. The first ring seems to be the safest, but the creatures there probably won't fetch much..."
Monico peered over Antonio's shoulder: "We will need quite a bit of money for parts for the spaceship and paying for the port after all, not to mention learning materials, cause this is all literally foreign alien technology, so I will need to study it properly if we wanna leave orbit with our rust bucket"
Antonio nodded: "Look at these markings – hunting grounds. Seems like they're designated for different predators' territories." pointing at red zones on the map and tapping one, as it displayed a dozen red names "seems like it's the amount of dangerous predator sightings in that area".
Elena: "Perfect, then green should mean safe areas" tapping a green area on the map just to the North of the capital city they were in, Givzie. "This region shows recent prey sightings but minimal predator activity, which should be perfect for our first hunt then"
They left the hunter's office and spent their remaining hours before nightfall gathering information about the local wildlife by observing other hunters. Antonio managed to barter some of their ship's minor redundant components for three crude but effective spears and a net.
As dawn broke the next day, they approached the city gates, their licenses prominently displayed.
Antonio whispered: "Remember," pausing to check his surroundings, "we stay together, we move quietly, and we don't take unnecessary risks. Priority is food first, then we worry about making enough money for repairs."
The jungle beyond the gates towered impossibly high, the canopy blocking most of the light from the planet's twin suns. The air was thick with humidity, pollens and scents, and spores of all kinds, filling their helmets' external sensors with readings of strange compounds constantly.
Elena: "Bio-readings indicate high oxygen content and multiple airborne spores," Elena reported. "Good thing we kept the suits on or we would regret every breath."
They moved cautiously through the dense underbrush, with Antonio taking the lead. His enhanced senses detected movement long before the others could see anything. He raised his hand, signaling them to stop.
Antonio: "There," he whispered, pointing to a clearing ahead. "Those herd animals look like herbivores. Similar to gazelles but with six legs. The locals call them 'Thaskers' according to the guide."
Monico readied the net: "How do we approach? The wind isn't in our favor."
Antonio: "We circle around," he instructed. "Elena, you'll flush them toward us. Monico and I will be ready with the net and spears."
The plan worked perfectly—at first. Elena maneuvered through the brush, startling the herd in the direction of the waiting men. Antonio signaled, and they sprang into action, capturing a young Thasker in their net.
The creature emitted a high-pitched wail, its six limbs thrashing wildly.
Antonio: "Quick," he ordered, "before—"
*GROAR!!!*
A bone-chilling roar cut him off. The trees to their left exploded outward as something massive burst through the foliage.
Monico: "Predator!" he shouted, abandoning the net with their prey still inside. "Run!"
The creature was enormous—at least seven meters long with armored plates running down its spine. Its six eyes glowed a malevolent yellow in the dim jungle light, and its maw opened to reveal rows of serrated teeth.
Antonio grabbed the still-netted Thasker: "This way!" he shouted, leading them in the opposite direction as the predator, hauling the Thasker on his shoulder like nothing.
They crashed through the jungle, the predator gaining ground with each passing second. It's thunderous footfalls shaking the earth beneath them.
Elena: "There's a ravine ahead!" she warned, her breath coming in short gasps.
Antonio: "No choice," he replied. "We have to risk it!"
They burst through the treeline to find themselves at the edge of a steep drop. Below, mist and vines obscured the bottom of the ravine.
The predator's roar was closer now, and Antonio made a split-second decision.
Antonio: "Jump!" he commanded, still clutching their hard-won prey, as he was reluctant to go on hungry.
They leapt into the abyss just as the massive predator charged into the clearing behind them. For a terrifying moment, they were in free fall, helmets automatically adjusting to the rapid change in pressure as they easily ripped through the vines and other plants on their way down.
The impact came suddenly—a splash rather than a crash. They'd landed in some kind of river, the water viscous and oddly luminescent.
Antonio: "Is everyone okay?" he asked, struggling to maintain his grip on the netted Thasker as the current pulled them along. It was now badly injured as he had used it to cushion his fall.
Elena: "I'm fine," she responded, her voice tight and tense.
Monico coughed through the comms: "Suit's damaged but holding. Where are we? oh shit!"
The river then took them underground, carrying them through a series of winding tunnels, the bioluminescent water casting eerie shadows on the cavern walls.
Strange, pale creatures skittered away from the light of their helmet beams.
Elena: "Some kind of subterranean ecosystem," she observed. "These caverns must extend for kilometers under the jungle."
The tunnel widened into a vast underground chamber, and the river slowed. Antonio guided them to a rocky shore, finally releasing the frightened and dying Thasker.
Antonio: "At least we still have our prey," he said, securing the creature. "Now we need to find a way back to the surface."
They hadn't taken more than a few steps when a low rumbling shook the cavern. The ground beneath their feet vibrated with rhythmic impacts.
Monico: "Something's coming," he whispered, readying his spear.
From the darkness emerged a colossal creature—a pale, eyeless monstrosity with dozens of legs and a mouth that spiraled open like a drill. It towered over them, antennae twitching in their direction.
Antonio: "Don't move," he ordered. "It's sensing us through vibration."
But the Thasker, panicked by the new threat, thrashed wildly in its net. The underground predator's head snapped in their direction.
Antonio: "Run!" he shouted, abandoning stealth.
They sprinted through the chamber, the creature in pursuit. Its segmented body moved with surprising speed, crushing rocks and stalagmites in its path.
Elena: "There!" She pointed to a narrow tunnel. "It's too big to follow!"
They dashed for the opening, Antonio bringing up the rear. The monster lunged, nearly catching Antonio's leg before he rolled into the safety of the tunnel.
For several minutes, they moved deeper into the passageway, the sounds of the frustrated predator gradually fading behind them.
Monico: "I think we've lost it," he said, pausing to catch his breath.
The tunnel opened into another chamber, but this one was different. The walls were too smooth, too regular to be natural.
Elena: "These are... some kind of ruins," Elena whispered, her helmet lights illuminating ancient carvings on the walls.
Antonio: "Some kind of structure."
Antonio studied the markings. "These aren't erosion patterns. This was built by something intelligent."
Elena: "Heh, Erik would have loved this."
Antonio chuckled: "Yeah, he certainly would, exploration, discovery, and alien technology, checks all his boxes jaja~"
Monico: "While he sets of machines here we are, exploring alien ruins without him, can't wait to brag about it to him."
At the far end of the chamber stood a massive door—metal, or some kind of alloy, it was covered in the same strange symbols that adorned the walls, but it didn't have a speck of rust on it despite the vines, vegetation and mud that had accumulated.
Monico: "Can we get through?" he asked, approaching the door and using his spear to cut off the vines.
Antonio examined the threshold: "It's sealed tight, but..." He positioned himself against the door, his enhanced muscles tensing. "The mechanism might be weak after all this time."
With a grunt of effort, he pushed against the ancient door. For a moment, nothing happened. Then, with a screech of protesting metal, the door began to move.
"Help me!" he called.
Monico and Elena added their strength to his, and slowly, the door ground open just enough for them to slip through. As soon as they were inside, Antonio released his grip, and the door slammed shut behind them with a resounding boom that echoed through the chamber.
They found themselves in a vast hall, their helmet lights barely penetrating the darkness. The air was stale but breathable according to their sensors.
Elena: "What is this place?" she wondered aloud, her voice hushed with awe.
Before either man could answer, a sensation washed over them—not sound, but something more primal, a vibration that seemed to resonate directly in their minds.
[w-what- W-who... a-are y-you...] The voice, if it could be called that, sounded ancient and exhausted, as if awakening from a sleep of millennia.
They froze, looking at each other with wide eyes visible through their helmet visors.
Monico whispered: "Did you hear that?"
Antonio nodded slowly: "We all did."
The presence in their minds stirred again, curiosity and caution mingling in its wordless communication.
[Not creatures? Sentient beings with language... after... so long... finally... hmm humans, Earth... interesting...]
The three stood motionless in the darkness of the ancient chamber, the captured Thasker forgotten at their feet now finally dead, as the implications of the voice's recognition dawned on them.
Something in these dark ruins was alive and watching them, and somehow it knew they were humans, as if their memories were being read.
Antonio: "Protocol against mind reading aliens, recite your mantras!" as he proceeded to repeat over and over "I'm Antonio, expedition leader and security expert!"
[No need... be afraid... no harm... from me... your memories... already seen...]