Entry 10

Entry 10

Despite a near fatal encounter with one of the invading alien automata, our investigations across the globe continue.

Setting off in our flying(!) boat, the Belerophon, to search the world, we first travelled to check the well-being of our erstwhile crew members. They were living in a ramshackle encampment outside Vicereen, their number swelled by various refugees from that benighted place.

Methuselah made some adjustments to our crew but The Belerophon cannot carry a full marine-ship complement. So we gave what supplies and funds we could to the rest and instructed them to make their way to Paranti, acquire a boat and sail to our island hideout to live out their lives.

Methuselah then determined a route across the world to seek evidence of any more population harvesting storms. We went first to Paranti where were found the city in ruins. The blue giant which had been troubling them during our last visit had simply starved to death.

We left the place and set off on Methuselah's course. Within a few days, we heard the sounds of thunder. Turning towards it, we saw a steak of red fly past our ship. A projectile of some kind. Ahead we saw a large mass of people on the ground. And another missile dispatched towards us.

"We come in Peace" I sent ahead using my newly developed telepathic abilities.

"Don't care!" came the reply.

The mass of "people" turned out to be a group of the pig-spliced creatures who are invading our world. They were accompanied by several giant flying eggs. As we fled, one of these was sent to pursue us.

Thanks to Hanna's brave scouting mission, we were not surprised when it uncoiled into a giant humanoid automaton and fired missile after missile at us. None of our responses, be it massed muskets, cannon nor the energy weapon I'd picked up - from our earlier encounter with the pig splices - had any effect upon it.  Alas, the obverse could not said to be true. The only thing that kept us alive was Methuselah's skill at piloting the flying ship.

Seeing that he'd taken us out over the sea and dropped us to a lower height - presumably to allow a chance of survival when we had to abandon ship - I played a last, desperate, card. Firing my captured alien weapon at the sea below us, I created a huge wave of steam. This seemed to befuddle the senses of the thing pursuing us and we were able to escape in the artificial fog.

Methuselah decided to use the confusion to fly nearer the crashed giant metallic airship. Damien - our telepathic spy from Vicereen - demurred but we lied to him about our intents.

We stopped off at a small village which was strangely untouched by the events across the world. We issued them a warning and took the opportunity to repair our boat. I was also able to adjust Methuselah's sextant to that it could estimate height as well as two dimensional position.

Finding the alien ship too well protected, we went to re-investigate the glowing orange orb. Approaching by the air proved difficult when we lost gravity and people started floating away. Crewman Dibble and one of Hanna's offspring were killed. So we landed the ship and approached afoot.

Using ropes and grapples - and working as a team - we managed to reach the sphere this time. Our skin turned orange - much to Damien's discomfort. However, despite seeming translucent with objects inside, the sphere proved immune to out scientific investigations. When Methuselah was injured and my energy gun drained during those investigations, we chose to withdraw.