From Within

7445717 here, with the rest of my tale as promised.

9891 and I headed back to the base, and reached it much more quickly than we expected we would. Apparently we had not travelled very far from it in the first place: proof of how lost we really were. Following the map, which had very precise directions, we reached a small cave-mouth. Heading into the mouth, we found a door, obviously rarely used. Rust had begun to gather on the thinner metal in the middle. Using our heavy boots and a great deal of kicking, we were able to knock down the door. Fearing we would have gathered attention, we hid behind some nearby rocks for awhile. When no one appeared to investigate, we moved in. We found ourselves in some sort of storage room, and by the dust that had collected on the boxes and piles of scrap metal, it was obvious it had also fallen into disuse. Upon exploring the room, we discovered some old video monitors, probably linked to security cameras. 9891 was able to get one of the cameras active, which was aimed directly outside the converted storage room door. I picked up an old copy of the base's layout, obviously at one point this room had been a secuirty checkpoint of sorts. Checking the monitor and seeing the coast was clear, we moved on.

Following the blueprints, we came upon a small research lab. 9891 quietly snuck upon an insect researcher and stabbed him directly below his upper breathing apparatus, killing him instantly. With his death, the room was cleared. We searched the room, and found a small cryogenics lab hidden behind some large boxes. Moving the boxes and entering the lab, we were shocked to discover what we did.

Lying on a table, frozen solid, was the long-lost Master Williams. 9891 and I quickly placed him in the thawing chamber and prepped him for ressucitation. Slowly he awoke from his long sleep, and we oriented him as quickly as we could. Master Williams, a sharp fellow, came to a fast realisation of the situation. We all decided it would be best to escape before anyone came to check up on the dead scientist. Placing the blocks of Carlunian Brick around several large coolant tanks, we set the detonators and headed for the storage room.

Unfortunatly, we bumped into a small security patrol. Exchanging fire, we quickly neutralized them. Sadly, this gave away out position outright. 9891 and I half-carried Master Williams to the door, running as fast as we could. Sealing the door behind us, we made for fresh air. As we left through the battered-in hatch, we could hear Insect guards attempting to force open the security-turned-storeroom's heavy metal door. We put some distance between us and the facility and then triggered the explosives. A deafening crash rang out in the ashen mountains.

Master Williams informed us of an old road near the facility, it was what the Insects used to bring him to the facility when they first brought him there. Although years old, we hoped it still existed. Luckily enough, we found traces of it and followed them for quite some time. Chowing on insect rations, we made it all the way back to a friendly outpost, where we detailed what had happened. There we were able to secure transport back to base.

What an adventure. Master Williams is currently convalescing after his ordeal. He'll be out for a few days while the doctors make sure his thawing went well, and while the regrow any tissue that was damaged.

Neither 9891 nor I could figure out why those Dervishers were headed to an abandoned entrance to a facility, or why the reinforcements that preceeded them were so hasty in their journey.

Hopefully probes into the matter will help us. Master Williams can also probably provide some information on what kind of base it was, as well, after he recuperates.

More later. Until then, keep your heads down and your hearts held high.

Beyond the Walls

7445717 here. I haven't had a chance to update in nearly a month; what was supposed to be a few days of routine surveillance and intel gathering turned into a massive operation against the insects. My field partner, 7439891, and I were just East of Ridge 88271b when we spotted a small column of the Insectoid Planetary Hive Army. 9891 and I stalked the army for a few days, eventually plotting out a list of possible targets and destinations. It seemed like they were moving towards nothing, into the ash-covered mountains where life can no longer survive. Then it hit me: they were heading to one of their new installations, most likely a research facility or a missle silo. Why the Insects felt it necessary to reinforce their institution so quickly we have yet to discern, but in their haste they did a poor job of warding off any trackers.

9891 attemped to radio back to base, but we were by this point too deep into the mountains to get any sort of signal. Deciding to continue on, we watched them all climb deep into the mountains, until finally they arrived at what seemed like a rock wall. Not surprisingly, the wall was a facade, hiding a massive gate beneath it. As the gate slammed shut, I realised what a foolhardy venture this had been. Though we discovered one of the Insects bases, we were now somewhat lost in the mountains. Though we had been careful to keep a keen eye on where we were, and had with us a map which we marked off our location on, we had very idea of how to safely traverse the deadly spires back to radio contact. To top it all off, we were left with very few provisions.

However, we were hit by a stroke of good luck, which very possibly saved our lives, to say the least. As we attempted to retrace our path, we spotted a group of four Dervishers wearing IPHA marking. Although one Dervisher is usually more than a match for ten men, the treacherous terrain and our new military-issue weaponry meant we stood a chance. Setting up a great trap on an especially dangerous path, we then littered the few alternative routes with various dangerous pitfalls and natural-looking blockades. The Dervishers discovered these pitfalls and blockades and decided our path was the safest, falling right into our trap. Upon springing our trap with some small explosives, three massive boulders tumbled down upon them, crushing two and knocking another to his death off the near-by cliff. The fourth Dervisher immediately went into his combat-ready state, raising his chitonous plates and extending his battle-spikes. With no foe in sight, the Dervisher was obviously having a hard time maintaining his battle-fever. After a few minutes of letting him strain to keep his adrenaline flowing, we opened fire with our subrifles, hoping to hit one of the soft-spots on his back. We missed, however, and he turned and rushed at us, spikes flailing madly with renewed vigour. The great beast swung at 9891, who was only saved by his quick reflexes and even quicker thinking. Driving the butt of his subrifle into the insect's mouth, he was able to momentarily stun it. Pulling out his knife, he drove home in between two plates on the Dervisher's chest. The warrior fell to the ground, attempting to pull the blade from his chest. 9891 and I then opened fire on him at close range, ripping him to shreds.

Killing the last warrior, we stripped him and his group. Although Insect rations are generally not very pleasing to eat, they do provide some sustenance to the human body, enough to get us home. However, our plans changed when we found on one of the crushed Dervishers at least six pounds of Carlunian Brick, a stable, highly explosive rubber-like substance used for demolition. We also found four intact detonators and their remote, as well as two keycards and several localized maps, with very specific markings around the secret compound we had discovered days before. At least two of them appeared to be back-entrances to the compound.

9891 and I decided to launch a raid on the facility, to glean what we were up against. With explosives in tow, we headed back to the mysterious base.

That's all for today, but there is much more to the story. I am being called away for a meeting of some import, so I can't finish it right now.

Until next time, keep strong, keep safe, and keep quiet.