Yes amputate it

"Oh... oh, dear." Error murmured, far too calm for the implications here. The doctor stood over the soldier's bed, examining his injuries. "Aquila, were you aware that your infection was in the torso and not your left foot?"

He stiffened, breath stopping, before acceptance folded over his features. "So. Amputation is out of the question then, huh?" He joked, face strained with the barest trace of humor.

Error pressed a thin smile back. "You understand what we must do, then. There's no way to guarantee you won't turn. I'm going to keep your armor and clothes elsewhere in the event luck doesn't favor us."

"Yes." Aquila nodded, grim. "Listen. Error, can you keep a secret?"

The doctor frowned, suddenly serious. "A secret, Aquila?"

"Yes." He said again. "You guys... You, Dakota, Azure, y'know. You're so different--drastically different than the people back at home. We call it the Glitterworld there." Error took a seat, listening intently. "In the Glitterworld, everyone's got immersive VR, living with half their consciousness in the internet or whatever reality they've turned their worlds into. Nothing is real anymore. Nobody knows what it means to even... exist. Y'know?"

The doctor nodded.

"You guys are good people. If I don't make it, I want you to know what you're up against. And maybe why this is all happening. See..." There was a moment of strained hesitation. "This planet is a Rimworld. Nobody who matters knows it exists.

"So that made it a perfect testing ground for a new biological weapon."

Error dropped his pen, shocked. "I think I know where this is going." He whispered.

"I could try and justify it all day. A neo-culture is rising to power and in fifty years they could start a war that spread through the whole galaxy. They need to be put down before trillions die. But that doesn't change that we committed genocide upon this planet."

"Well--" The doctor stammered, "You were in the military that developed this. That means you know how to stop it, right?"

"No. It can't be stopped. It can't be cured. This disease has been bred to wipe out advanced civilizations. All you can do, Error, is build a spaceship and leave this godforsaken planet behind."

The calm and rational doctor had, for what seemed like the first time in his life, been stunned into silence.

"If you can do that, and if I don't make it, take my dog tags. Fly to the first Glitterworld planet you can find and tell them all about me. You'll all be given new homes. But you must first survive until that point."

Error was the scientist of this colony--along with his ex-wife, he supposed. It was going to be up to him to research how to build a ship out of here.

It was more responsibility than he was ready to handle. He wanted to scream and curse Aquila's name, and the names of every person the soldier had worked under who put this planet into its death throes.

But instead he bent down and picked up his pen.

"I'll do my best." He said.



Also, we just finished Machining research which should let us build, well, machines. Maybe even guns but I don't know yet.

Here's our next project:



Oh man. We've hardly even had time to recover from the last attack and we're already under attack again. This time, it's very well-armed pirates.



They have assault rifles, PDWs, and an incendiary launcher.

I'm not sure how to fight these guys, but I'll try.



They seem to be attacking from two different points. With no other choice, Aquila has taken up the armor again and waits in the new and improved entry hall. Dakota, Max and Fugly/Ghombeat are waiting to ambush the second point. If the enemy stays in this course of action we may even easily take them.

With Aquila stationed behind the crack in the wall, he revs up his minigun and perforates the first pirate with bullets. It was almost a relief to see him drop to the ground without a shot to the head.

The second pirate isn't so stupid. He begins to break down the wall next to the entrance. While he's doing that, Max and Dakota and Fugly move to come around the corner and ambush him before he can even fire a shot.



He is cut and bashed to bloody pieces before he can even scream.



With blessed relief, the remaining two pirates turn tail and run. I had no idea how I was going to deal with the incendiary launcher, but now I won't have to.

We'll be alright, guys. For now at least. I'm gonna keep on beefing up the defenses.



Of course, Dakota immediately began cloudwatching before the pirates had even left the map.

"Your infection is spreading." Error murmured. Aquila's torso wound had once been a small scratch into his skin, with minor coloring around it. Now it had spread, enshrouding the marine's muscled torso with blackened skin, purple veins that jutted out, flaking away more and more each time the doctor tried to clean the wound.

"So be it." Aquila said with finality. "I'm just glad I could fight with you guys one last time. Do you remember what I asked, back when we were just getting settled in?" He waited for Error's nod, and he continued anyways. "I want you to kill me, doc. I'm not turning into one of those zombies. I'm a proud man and I've served for too long to go down as an brainless undead, trying to eat those who used to be his friends."

"I... I think I can do that." The doctor said uneasily. He didn't say it out loud, but like Max, he had seen Aquila as an invincible soldier. A rock of stability and security, dressed in gleaming armor and a massive weapon.

Now... what would they do without him?

They would have to keep on surviving, he guessed. And try to get off of this planet. It was the only thing they could do.

"You're a good man, Aquila." Error said. "Not everyone from the Glitterworld has forgotten what it's like to live."

The man gave the smallest ghost of a smile. "Listen... this might sound hasty, but I'm ready to go. I don't want to waste any more time."

"What? Don't you want to say goodbye to the others?"

"It would be better for them to not see me die. Better for morale." He said. "Tell them what I told you, about how the virus got here. And tell them that they need to escape."

Nodding, Error forced himself to take a step closer. A lethal dose of morphine had been pulled from one of the medical kits. He sighed heavily. "It was an honor knowing you, Aquila."

The soldier smiled, content.

And it stayed on his face even after he passed.

Damn it, Aquila.

May the God-Emperor guide you in the afterlife. I say we bury the man. He deserves it.

rip baby boy. We got it from here.

At long last, some good news.



Azure's crop of corn is ready to harvest. Corn yields a lot of food, and so we're going to be stuffed with it for a long time to come.

Update: Not much is happening lately. We finished researching Mortars, and man are they expensive to build. I'm currently saving the steel to build one.

I've also beefed up the defenses, but I'll wait until a raid happens to show them off.

I did my job when I still could and am proud I was able to serve my people up to this point. Live long and prosper ladies and gentlemen, may whatever deity you believe in smile upon you and give you protection so you can get the fuck out of this world.

We're gonna need somebody to take up Aquila's armor and weapon. We need a new soldier. Who can take up this task? Who I ask you, who?!

The other soldier in the group, Dakota?

On top of the minigun, we also have two other automatic rifles. I'm gonna try and arm everyone regardless of their aiming skill.
Another thing--for some reason you can't wield both a melee weapon and a gun. So Dakota+Max are extremely dangerous with melee weapons and mediocre with ranged. I'll probably give the ranged weapons to Error, Zero and Ghombeat.

That's probably for the best, though, there's still the question of what to do with the armor. It'd probably be best with Ghombeat, as he's the only person trained for combat who doesn't rely on being fast. I'd say myself as a secondary option, since I seem to be constantly under attack, but I cook food and farm. I don't really see myself getting proper use from it. Put it to where it'll be best used.


And get me a big knife. I wanna wield a goddamn Pyramid Head Great Knife up in this bitch.

Unfortunately Dakota isn't exactly a trained marksman, though he probably COULD be trained at some point.
I think he'll be more devastating with a bat in his hands, especially since bats don't have to reload. Bulky armor that could bog down his movement also isn't really his style.


Why did it have to come to this Aquila?

Disperse his gear as the rest of you see fit for all I care, but we can't forget Aquilas sacrifice. I propose we build a statue in his honor.

Quote from Azure

That's probably for the best, though, there's still the question of what to do with the armor. It'd probably be best with Ghombeat.

We need a new huntsman. A little weight won't hurt, but seeing the zoophile "Fugly" is, raising a pack of hounds will do the trick. Just wait for them to come.

Quote from Vorpal

I propose we build a statue in his honor.

"Fugly" (guess he can't be re-nicknamed?) can't make shit. Dakota is awful. And we have no idea of who is the stronghold best clay artist out here.

Btw Devour, is it possible to know the starting characters' precious stats 'n' traits?
thanks.

Quote from Ghombeat

We need a new huntsman. A little weight won't hurt, but seeing the zoophile "Fugly" is, raising a pack of hounds will do the trick. Just wait for them to come.


"Fugly" (guess he can't be re-nicknamed?) can't make shit. Dakota is awful. And we have no idea of who is the stronghold best clay artist out here.

Btw Devour, is it possible to know the starting characters' precious stats 'n' traits?
thanks.

We need a little POP here, know what I mean?
Need a little Power Of Positivity.

Rest in peace Aquila.