Entry 9

We are away from Vicereen - revealed as a place of unparalleled iniquity - but on a craft of uncertain provenance.

Returning to Vicereen from our mission to scout the giant floating eggs, I was granted access to a state of the art laboratory within the University to continue my studies. But what studies? With the changes taking place in the world around me, I have enough for five lifetimes.

I elected to continue my studies in challenging Death. Even though the fall of Shaidar had not resulted in the ultimate apocalypse I'd feared, still humanity has been decimated and more thousands will die in the chaos descending upon our society. The saving of life must be my prime goal. (I may also find a way to prolong my own existence to undertake the other studies the world is presenting me.)

The assistants I've been given have so far failed to bring me subjects suitable for re-animation. What they have brought paint a sad picture of society under "King" Errald Eckles. I remain convinced that he is a well meaning man but under his rule children who are not blue are being beaten to death or worse.

Methuselah, Tyrann and Hanna left the city to check on our crew mates. They reported to me that their camp has grown into a shanty town as they have been joined by normal hued refugees from Vicereen. These refugees bear stories of food shortages, families divided by the uneven mutation of skin, blue-skinned citizens who wished to leave being ordered to stay and even having their families taken hostage in order the blackmail them into remaining. Truly this city is a divided and dysfunctional place.

When they returned they brought the scout Sarah. Alas she still seems to be enamoured with me. In addition she seems to have developed the ability to send her spirit into the bodies of others. She has demonstrated this to Methuselah and Tyrann who seem to have taken a perverse pleasure in the experience. Tyrann, in particular, seems to revel her discovering the more brutal events of his past.

I managed to dissuade her from looking into my mind and immediately tasked my assistants with bringing me people near to death. What insights might we gain if Sarah is able to inhabit a dying body and report back her experiences? To date the fools have failed to bring me any useful subjects.

Methuselah and Tyrann seemed to indulge themselves in some fantasy of releasing the captive families of the refugees but upon discovering the fact that the cells are below the palace and that King Eckles has established a group of guards with exceptional abilities who can read minds, track escapees, teleport in pursuit etc. have abandoned these flights of fancy.

They was some talk of stealing a ship from the harbour in order to set sail and seek an answer to the strange storms we saw stealing ships crews at the start of our adventures. However, I simply went to ask the King to fund a scientific expedition across the world. Not only did he do so, he insisted upon gifting us a FLYING ship, created by his advanced followers. When I chose to name it BELLEROPHON after the famed rider of the winged beast Pegasus, one of his entourage created a three dimensional figurehead out of thin air. (Again I could not see where the mass had come from. It has to come from somewhere. Somewhere in the world Mass is in defecit. I hope this does not come back to haunt us in the future.)

The only stipulation the King had was that we should be accompanied by Damien - one of his servants who has the ability to telepathically report back on our journey. (I expect we'll be forced to kill him at some point.) We rejected any further crew and have filled the ship with crewmembers from the ill-fated CHIMERA. We have been forced to leave our rock-skinned Rhinotaur aground, however.

Entry 8

Both we and The World continue to change in unprecedented ways - and my mind is struggling to keep up.

On our way back to the Mole people  I was approached by Hanna. She had been avoiding me of late. Naturally I’d noticed her swelling belly. Knowing little  of Avian physiology I had no guide as to the period of their gestation. I’d heard of her sexual misadventures which had occurred during my interment aboard The Chimera, but that was mere weeks ago. Hanna informed me that Avians usually lay eggs and that her enlargement was proceeding at an unnatural pace. 

A quick external examination determined that the foetus was not turned for delivery and was growing at an alarming pace. I immediately prepared my surgical tools to perform a Victorian Section (a procedure of my own invention I’ve been dying to try out). However, before I could act, Hanna screamed and gave birth.

I asked Hanna if she wished the abomination to live - prepared to do whatever she deemed necessary - and the bloodied mass called out that it wanted to live.

 Immediately the new born started to grow. How, I have no idea. It ingested no food and yet added mass from seemingly nowhere. Within moments there were two identical beings before me - Hanna and an exact duplicate, which Hanna delightedly named “Annah”.

This neophyte avian seemed to be an exact duplicate of its “mother”, even sharing all memories up to the point of its birth. (None since, though, no telepathy here.)

We resumed our journey but were attacked by 8’ tall pig headed humanoids wearing strange armour and wielding fearsome weapons that seemed to fire balls of destructive light. Despite their clearly superior weaponry, our clever tactics (and the bravery of our followers who we sent in first to take the fight to our enemies ) meant that they were easily defeated. We claimed their equipment and - on the cart as we travelled - I performed a post mortem on one of the carcasses. It seemed to be a typical “splice” of human and animal just like every other race on the planet. Just a merging we haven’t seen before. Strangely it bore an all too human tattoo of a heart pierced by an arrow - dedicated to “Rose”.

Eschewing the Mole people we agreed to travel to meet Kagriss’ people in Vicereen. Our travels took us via Paranti where the remaining people were evicting anyone of blue skin. (The blue skinned giant had long since starved to death.)

Leaving Paranti behind, we headed overland to Vicereen. On our journies we found what must have been the ruins of Kagriss’ Airship - but nothing of it was salvageable.

When we arrived at Vicereen, we found people of ordinary hue being evicted and only blue skins allowed in. Annah was sent to scout but, lacking Hanna’s experience, plunged from the sky to die - dissipating into a blue mist. I caught some in a glass tube but it passed through the glass to escape. Truly the laws of basic science seem to no longer apply in this world.

Hanna scouted and found the city full of blue-skinned people - all apparently gifted with abilities. Many were flying - including at least one Rhinotaur.

When we approached, most of our band - including myself and Sara whose skin colour has returned to normal - were denied entry. Only those with blue skins and abilities were allowed in. 

I demonstrated that I was of normal hue but had abilities which confused the gate guards.  I was allowed in - but arrested.

After a rest and some food - I wasn’t harassed in any way (I seem to have developed the ability to influence the actions of others ) - I was taken before the “King”. Not, as I’d anticipated, Kagriss but one “Errald Eckles”. An impressive figure when you’re in his presence - less so when you leave it. (I think we can deduce HIS ability.)

Not the brightest of individuals, I soon  convinced him of the usefulness of ordinary hued individuals as spies should a conflict develop. He then revealed that giant white egg shapes had been seen floating in the skies. He’d sent Kagriss to investigate but he hasn’t returned.

One of his assistants teleported me back to my friends (yes - teleported!) After a quick visit to the University to drop off the pig armour - fearsome technology, no metal ceramic or other substance we know - (we retained the weapons) we set off to find the giant floating white eggs. Hanna bravely scouted and discovered that they are giant collapsed humanoid automata of some kind.

I am unsure how to proceed. At the moment my world is like trying to assemble a jigsaw puzzle using pieces from different pictures.

Entry 7

We have suffered more changes. My belief in rationality and science is wavering.

We acquired food, equipment and small cart for our forthcoming safari to seek the Golden Sky Globe.  This was pulled by one of our Rhinotaur crew-members. Leaving Paranti we were assaulted in a pincer manoeuvre  by two angry mobs who attempted to simultaneously use our blue skin hue to blame us for the disaster that had befallen their city and demand that we deal with the blue giant currently causing so much wrack and ruin. It didn't take much to demonstrate our intellectual and tactical superiority and send them packing.

After six days of travel - we all "heard" a message in our heads from Kagriss - the cult leader who had predicted the Apocalypse and, apparently, had built a giant ballon in and attempt to escape or defy it.  He called all survivors to meet him in Visagreen. We continued with our mission.

I noted plants turning yellow - yet my tests proved them still to be healthy. I suspect more evidence of adaptation to a new environment. As we neared the Golden Globe, we began to suffer further physical changes, but regular checks showed everyone to be healthy. (Again, all the details are in my scientific journal).

There also changes to the environment. Changes to gravity caused movement to be difficult. The others chose to end our sojourn but I attempted to press on. However, even I was defeated and forced to turn back. It is so frustrating to be near something which appears to be from another realm entirely and yet be unable to plumb its secrets.

It was then that I discovered that I have developed the ability to Heal wounds with a touch. This is remarkable and annoying. I have spent my life and intellect developing medical skills and techniques which now appear to have been supplanted by a mere touch of my hand. I shall console myself with the fact that my skills and techniques can be taught to those not blessed by alien radiations with a healing touch. My work has not been in vain.

Naturally I have begun to test my abilities. I caught a gopher (or what had once been a gopher) and smothered it. Several times. It seems I am able to revive creatures if it is within a few seconds of the cessation of life function. I shall try to extend this.

Entry 6

The Apocalypse has passed and yet we live - but not unchanged.

Investigating into the mountains we found little sign of the Mole people. However, upon climbing a cliff Tyrann found it to actually be a massive stone barrier preventing passage further into the peaks. (Though large, my lizard companion seems to have the climbing ability of a gecko).

Leaving Tyrann to watch, we returned to camp to get rope. Upon our return we found that our redoubtable crew-mate had made contact with a Moleman - "Michael Vincent". A ladder suddenly appeared, recessed into the wall - impressive technology - and we were all able to climb to the top.

Tyrann has bought us sanctuary with the Mole people with stories of my ability to raise the dead. Unfortunately we did not have enough food for our stay. Then cows started falling from the sky and we suddenly had sufficient.

I am a firm believer in Science - but the strange phenomena of these days do, I must admit, leave me bemused.

We convinced our new Mole-ally that it would cost them little to house us and that, should the promised world-ending event occur, my skills might prove of use. And deferred their demand that I demonstrate my messianistic skills.

We were escorted to a huge subterranean chamber. It was complete with beds of moss and a plant based heating/cooling device which defied my - limited I now accept - scientific skills.

And there we waited.

At the appointed time, we were allowed to travel to a higher level and observe the End of the World. It was at once remarkable - I lack the poetic skills to describe it - and disappointing - the wide scale destruction I had expected did not occur.

A huge shadow fell across the world. Then there was a corona of blue energy which turned into a huge wave which swept across the landscape. Several of us were physically changed by this radiation. Like many of us, I turned blue. Methuselah disappeared from sight completely.

We observed Shaidar splitting in two, fragments falling to earth. A ball of orange energy descended from the skies and disappeared beyond the horizon.

There was a loud BOOM and we saw a large object - some kind of massive metal ship (?) fall and smash into the landscape.

Then things fell silent.

Once things were settled, our Mole-men hosts laid claim to the large metal ship but requested that we pursue the golden sphere and report back. I presume that they did not relish the prospect of an extended surface journey.

We discovered Methuselah was still present. His body was apparently secreting a fluid which rendered him invisible. (Again defying any science I am aware of.)

I have detailed everyone's physical changes and my theories regarding it being some attempt - whether via internal or external instigation - to adapt our bodies to a new environment in my scientific journal. However, that is beginning to resemble work of fancy.

As promised I revived our drugged scout - Sarah - and explained my actions and her potential role as the mother of a new humanity. Rather than the anger or acceptance of expected, the stupid woman seems to be enamoured of me. This is an unwanted complication that I may have to deal with later. However, a skilled scout will prove useful in our exploration of a ruined world.

Before our safari begins, Methuselah decided to return to Paranti to acquire supplies and verify the current status of our ship and crew mates. The journey back was uneventful. However, we found Paranti in ruins. Not so much from the fall of Shaidar, more from a giant blue man who was stomping what remains of the buildings into rubble. Presumably another victim of the strange blue radiation.

We successfully avoided the brute only to find our loyal ship - The Chimera - half sunk in the bay. However, Methuselah was able to dive and recover his maps and charts, so the journey wasn't completely fruitless.