Part 2
Aesir Transport en route Restricted Zone, South of Galen Province
The transport rattled and shook as it made its decent toward the landing zone. From his window, Lehman could see the high fence surrounding the now abandoned city. The transport banked to the right, causing Lehman to squint his eyes as the glare from the sun caught him. Bright blue sky, sun shinning overhead. A beautiful day, but there was no one in the city to enjoy it. Lehman had been told the story of the city and it chilled him to the core.
Marien had been the second city if Eostara. Where Vilar stood as a shinning beacon for all the modernity of the Eostaran people, Marien represented everything artistic and cultured. In place of sky scrapers stood regal buildings, architectural wonders of days gone by. Lying south of Vilar, Marien straddled the River Mor, ornate bridges joined both sides. Wide cobbled streets fed into quaint alleyways, filled with cafés and boutiques. Now the streets and alleyways lay empty. No one sat at the café tables watching the world go by; no lovers walked hand in hand. The city was dead.
All had been well until five years ago. At first there where just isolated incidents, people where tense and tempers could fray. So the violent assaults where initially ignored; until they spread. Fighting become more and more common, normally placid citizens became enraged, uncontrollable. Almost primal. Within six weeks of the first reports, the city had become a living hell. Citizens attacking not only the Aesir invaders but themselves. The Aesir did not expect the ferocity directed at them. Many were lost trying to control the enraged Natives. The decision was made to retreat. A fence was erected, not to keep people out, but to keep the Marien natives in. The screams and howls could be heard, yet no one went to their aid. Within six months the screams and howls had faded, but it was a further six months before teams were sent in. Nothing could have prepared them for what they found. Death. Violent, savage, brutal death. Once closed on the Natives of Marien had turned on each other and had destroyed themselves. A 150,000 dead. As the teams investigated, two Natives where found barely alive. They were put into isolation and taken for study. More teams where sent in to clean up. It took three months to dispose of the bodies, incinerators working round the clock. The rescued Natives survived only two weeks. During that time the Aesir scientists observed a degeneration in their behaviour. Autopsy results showed severe atrophy of the frontal lobes, yet enlarged amygdalae. Four years on, Marien was still under quarantine as the Aesir picked through the remains of the once great city for the answers?
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The transport touched down with a jolt. Lehman looked around eyeing up his companions. Grunts, the lot of them. All brawn and little brain. ‘Shit, how did I get myself into this?’
“Fall in and move out” barked the Lt.
Lehman stiffly fell in behind and shouldered his duffel bag and marched out into the sunshine. Standing with the other he listened to the orders and again, cursed that ‘Elite’ bitch that sent him here. They were to walk into a grey non descript building for screening. Slowly the line crawled toward the entrance, men disappearing one by one to be scanned. In time he reached the front of the cue and stepped cautiously into the doorway.
“Walk into the centre of the room. Scanning will start in sixty seconds”
Lehman stopped as he reached the centre. He startled as the blue beams of light flickered over his face. Slowly they began to scan down his body. When the beams reached his hands claxons wailed and the door slammed shut behind him.
“What the fuck!” screamed Lehman running to the door pounding it with his fists “What is this shit! Let me out of here!”
Hissing could be heard over the wailing claxons as gas poured into the room; Lehman collapsed to the floor.
Aesir Transport en route Restricted Zone, South of Galen Province
The transport rattled and shook as it made its decent toward the landing zone. From his window, Lehman could see the high fence surrounding the now abandoned city. The transport banked to the right, causing Lehman to squint his eyes as the glare from the sun caught him. Bright blue sky, sun shinning overhead. A beautiful day, but there was no one in the city to enjoy it. Lehman had been told the story of the city and it chilled him to the core.
Marien had been the second city if Eostara. Where Vilar stood as a shinning beacon for all the modernity of the Eostaran people, Marien represented everything artistic and cultured. In place of sky scrapers stood regal buildings, architectural wonders of days gone by. Lying south of Vilar, Marien straddled the River Mor, ornate bridges joined both sides. Wide cobbled streets fed into quaint alleyways, filled with cafés and boutiques. Now the streets and alleyways lay empty. No one sat at the café tables watching the world go by; no lovers walked hand in hand. The city was dead.
All had been well until five years ago. At first there where just isolated incidents, people where tense and tempers could fray. So the violent assaults where initially ignored; until they spread. Fighting become more and more common, normally placid citizens became enraged, uncontrollable. Almost primal. Within six weeks of the first reports, the city had become a living hell. Citizens attacking not only the Aesir invaders but themselves. The Aesir did not expect the ferocity directed at them. Many were lost trying to control the enraged Natives. The decision was made to retreat. A fence was erected, not to keep people out, but to keep the Marien natives in. The screams and howls could be heard, yet no one went to their aid. Within six months the screams and howls had faded, but it was a further six months before teams were sent in. Nothing could have prepared them for what they found. Death. Violent, savage, brutal death. Once closed on the Natives of Marien had turned on each other and had destroyed themselves. A 150,000 dead. As the teams investigated, two Natives where found barely alive. They were put into isolation and taken for study. More teams where sent in to clean up. It took three months to dispose of the bodies, incinerators working round the clock. The rescued Natives survived only two weeks. During that time the Aesir scientists observed a degeneration in their behaviour. Autopsy results showed severe atrophy of the frontal lobes, yet enlarged amygdalae. Four years on, Marien was still under quarantine as the Aesir picked through the remains of the once great city for the answers?
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The transport touched down with a jolt. Lehman looked around eyeing up his companions. Grunts, the lot of them. All brawn and little brain. ‘Shit, how did I get myself into this?’
“Fall in and move out” barked the Lt.
Lehman stiffly fell in behind and shouldered his duffel bag and marched out into the sunshine. Standing with the other he listened to the orders and again, cursed that ‘Elite’ bitch that sent him here. They were to walk into a grey non descript building for screening. Slowly the line crawled toward the entrance, men disappearing one by one to be scanned. In time he reached the front of the cue and stepped cautiously into the doorway.
“Walk into the centre of the room. Scanning will start in sixty seconds”
Lehman stopped as he reached the centre. He startled as the blue beams of light flickered over his face. Slowly they began to scan down his body. When the beams reached his hands claxons wailed and the door slammed shut behind him.
“What the fuck!” screamed Lehman running to the door pounding it with his fists “What is this shit! Let me out of here!”
Hissing could be heard over the wailing claxons as gas poured into the room; Lehman collapsed to the floor.
1 comment:
Hello,
I am loving this story. I can't wait until they get to talk to each other. I will be waiting impatiently for your next post.
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