Animech Defense Force
Volume 1, Chapter 1
Jared sat watch in the cockpit of his Sy'jore, a leopard Animech atop an outcropping in the mountain side. From this vantage he had a good view over the work sight and the surrounding forest. It was around neon, but this mountain and the tall trees of the ancient oaks cloaked the forest floor in an eerie darkness. Below at the base of the mountain cliff side was a small team of scientists and archeologists. They were camped out there looking for another ruin of the Ancients supposedly hidden here. This region of the land was unsecured though with demons and super beasts wandering about at random. Since the day of the great darkness when the portal to the demon world was opened, much of the lands through out the kingdoms have become inhospitable. Only the Animechs had the power to combat the majority of the stronger demons and super beasts. It was Jared's job this day to ensure the safety of the research team. Animech's were leftover technology from the Ancients, but as few Animech's as they had managed to uncover, they had even fewer pilots. It was the hope of the research team to find another Animech, and just as important, more information about them and how to find suitable pilots.
Master Neloy sat at his camp desk going over some of his notes and the reports from the other scientists when a faint rumbling shook his table, like distant thunder. Only, this thunder was coming form the work-sight and the mountain. Just as it stopped a worker bursts into the tent with apologies. "What is it?" Neloy barked, "And what was that rumbling?"
"We found IT. It's open!" The worker exclaimed excitedly.
"Show me!" Neloy said bursting from the tent with the worker fast on his heels. He was a stringy man of average height at around five feet six inches. While not well a muscled every one knew of his energy, stamina and above all, his dexterity. He was capable of great feats of speed and agility when he set his mind to it. A third rate Technogist, studying the sciences of technology, when he stumbled upon the Animechs. He had been studying the ancient texts and history out of personal curiosity and found he understood the ancient technology better than most. Soon he found himself the leading expert in the ancient technologies, and more specifically, the Animechs. Now he heads up the research team looking to understand these ancient devices, and seeking out more of them. He headed strait for the maintain work sight, and was soon joined by 2 of his colleagues. Joline, whose beauty has gotten her in any number of bad situations and out again. She had captivating blue eyes of the most interesting shade, almost as if looking into a light gem. She had an energetic, almost childish stride as she skipped up to him. Not far behind her was Bargoyl. A fairly large man with blond hair, red eyes and dark skin. He towered over the both of them by a head, and was as big as the two of them put side by side. Both of them were Technogists as well, and both had a fair understanding of the Animech technology. What was it that allowed the three of them to understand the technology of the ancients where the top minds of the field could not? Could it be our secret theory that magic was used in conjunction with science to form the ancient technology? Neloy paused near the site to glance up at Jared's Animech, Sy'jore sitting there on watch. He was the first. Almost ten years ago, when the leopard activated to cover a simple janitor from being crushed under falling debris in the warehouse where it was stored. Now we have a full facility just for us and an organization charged with protecting the people with the Animechs.
A crowd was gathering around the massive cave entrance as Neloy and his two colleagues walked up. Looking once again to the sky Neloy noticed the darkening as thunderheads gathered silently. Sy'jore looked up as well, sitting up, alert. The Animech possessed all of the inherent natural abilities of the feline it was modeled after, and some of its mannerisms. On need only understand the animal world to read the body language of an active Animech. Perhaps that was another reason we understood them so well. The three of us all had pets. Joline had three cats at home and I had one. Bargoyl had a Grand Silver Hawk at home. Neloy turned his attention back to the cave. Just inside, maybe twenty feet or so stood a huge set of double doors sitting wide open. The architecture of the doors was definitely of the ancients. He could tell just by looking at them. Odd though, that they would swing outward when most doors of the ancients were sliding doors. The opening they made was definitely large enough for a vehicle to carry an Animech through. More than large enough. The three of them grabbed up torches, their equipment and walked in with a few of the workers following.
The carven inside was huge with smooth silver walls, seamless just like every other place they had been. There was something odd about the place though. Neloy couldn't place his finger on it, something about the layout and the shapes of certain things. The whole place had almost a prehistoric look and shape to it. At first glance you might think it was build by some of their older cultures before the advent of steel, not an ancient culture who had mastered advanced technologies beyond our current understandings. But the telltales of the ancients were there, Neloy could see them.
"Is this really a structure of the ancients?" Joline asked shining her torch around.
"Course it is." Bargoyl, "Who else could build a structure this massive inside a mountain over a thousand years ago.
"It definitely is." Neloy spoke, "Look at the walls, perfectly smooth and no seams." He walked over to a section near the door with a panel inset in the wall. "This is definitely of the ancients."
Joline walked over and studied the panel, and the text written on it. "Ancient text." She commented. "Ok I'm convinced, but not their usual architecture."
Bargoyl squinted at the text trying to read it. Language was one of his specialties and in recent years he had been doing a lot of studying of the ancient languages. "It's a general control panel for the doors and lights." He finally said.
"What's it say?" Joline asked.
"Something along the lines of 'please turn off lights when not in use' or something like that." Neloy commented.
"You're not far of from that." Bargoyl replied touching the top right corner of the screen with some text and a depiction of a diamond near the corner. "It also says press here to activate." A small light comes on at the top of the alcove illuminating the panel which lights up itself displaying a number of marked buttons. He once again begins studying the panel.
Neloy and Joline shine their lamps about again looking over the cavern while Bargoyl studies. The workers wait by the entrance. They manage to make out a couple of doors on the wall to the left of the entrance, and above them is what appears to be a control booth of some kind. The entire room is bare with but one exception. Joline's eyes light up as her lamp settles on something with familiar curves in the far right corner. Neloy washes his light over a set of dark eyes and a head. Just then the lights activate filling the chamber with a warm white glow. And there, in the back corner rested an Animech. Joline barely seamed to notice the lights as she stared at the object of their search before them. "That never fails to impress me." Neloy commented glancing at the smooth featureless ceiling.
"I got the lights on." Bargoyl said walking up to them. The three of them walked up to the Animech marveling for a moment at it. "Shall we get started?"
"Right." Joline says shaking herself out of her trance and opening her scanner.
"Alright, first step." Neloy said with a glance back at the workers and security that began filing into the chamber with practiced precision. "Secure the Animech and prepare it for travel. Joline, preliminary overview. Bargoyl, physical check. Back the truck in here and pull out the hoisting gear! Security, set yourself." He called out instructions. The three of them would look over the Animech while the rest of the crew prepared to load it and move it. It was unwise to stay anywhere long, especially with a sleeping Animech uncovered. The demons hated them and would try to destroy it if they found it. Once Neloy give the go ahead the Animech would be loaded on a truck especially built to transport the Animech and they would head back to base for detail study of the Animech.
Joline walked around the Animech at a distance running her scanner over it. Her first priority was to check for any booby traps that may have been laid on the Animech itself. Once the cleared it of traps, Bargoyl began a closer physical inspection while Joline continued to scan it. "I think this is the largest Animech we have come across to date." She mentioned. Bargoyl whistled as he examined the joints of the right front leg. "These joints are impressive, almost solid. I have never seen anything like this in any other Animech." He commented as he moved onto inspect the side and other leg. "There is something different about the skin but my scanner can't identify it." She reports walking around it. She pauses near the side and closes her scanner placing it in its pouch at her waist. She jumps up onto the left front leg and onto its back to stand near where the hatch should be. Kneeling down she traces her finger along the faint seam. Neloy walks up and quickly joins her on the Animech's back. He kneels next to the side of the hatch and runs his fingers over a spot at the base of the neck where the access crystal should be. "No crystal?" Joline comments noticing the puzzled expression on Neloy's face the obvious smooth surface where a circular crystal should be located. "This is definitely and Animech, but its different some how. "This thing's got extra lines in the body." Bargoyl reports. Neloy notices extra lines in the back as well. Most Animech's are smooth except in the joints. Body panels are always single pieces. The only reason it would have extra lines or seams would be for hatches or something. This Animech was different, much like the cavern. Almost a less advanced appearance, yet Neloy suspected much more advanced. It took years to figure out how to open the cockpit of the first Animech. He hoped this one was so different that it would take as long to figure out. Perhaps the answer was elsewhere in the facility.
He glanced about before hopping down. Joline followed and they met back up in front of the Animech. Another odd note, this Animech had a mark centered on its forehead. Two wings spreading out from a four pointed star, with the two side points curving slightly upward following the wings. The lower point doping between the eyes to stop at the point where the nose begins. No other Animech found had ever had any markings on it. This Animech was some kind of feline but he couldn't identify what kind. It was white in color with green spots covering its shoulders and around its eyes. An armband of green encircled its wrist and ankles and tip of its paws. Its coloration was also unusual for an Animech. Most Animechs have coloring patterns matching the animal they are modeled after. It had a majestic, almost royal look about it and the look of there being more to it then what can be seen. Neloy marveled at this discovery. This Animech was special, he could feel it, sense it.
The truck came to a halt not far from them as the work crews paused, waiting on them. "All right, let's get her loaded!" Neloy ordered then turned to his colleagues and a small group of young boys and two girls who came running up. They were students who had been loaned to the Animech Defense Force to learn about Animech and the ancient technologies. "How about we see if we can dig up some clues about our mystery feline some where in this facility." He comments as the students nod eager to get started.
"Think we will find anything?" Joline asks.
"Well this is a warehouse isn't it." Neloy comments walking toward one of the doors he saw earlier. "They have got to have something on here in here somewhere."
It was not hard for the three of them to get the doors open. The students were eager to start looking around, and the Neloy was happy to let them have at the place. There was little they could do was damage ancient technology, it was very resistant to damage. Just as they expected, behind the door was a corridor with white smooth walls. Just a few doors adorned the hall, mostly all offices. What Neloy wanted was the control room or the facility records office. There had to be some where they can find information about the facilities activities. This was a warehouse after all, although the Animech was the only thin here. Most storage facilities they have found in the past usually have a few other artifacts, especially for such a large area. He wondered why the Animechs was the only thing in the vast hall, the place was built to hold more, possibly more Animechs. They searched for and hour, and in that time they did come back with some information, not much. A lot of data disks, those would take more time to read and decipher. The text found about the facility was definitely of the ancients. Bargoyl read a portion of what they were able to find, most of those texts were found on walls of control panels and were basic technical stuff you find even in today's age. Things like turn lights off, power, lights and such. Most of it useless for what we were looking for.
The research team did manage to learn the Animech was called a Felodragon. What this was, they were not sure. None of them were familiar with that kind of creature. Perhaps it was a creature that lived in the time of the ancients, but no longer existed. They would have to do further research and creatures were not exactly any of the researcher's area of expertise. There were a few people back at home base that knew about animals and beasts. Knowledge about animals was almost essential in dealing with active Animechs. We actually happened to have one animal psychologist on hand just for dealing with the Animechs and their pilots. She knew a great deal about various animals and animal behavior, why she was there. Perhaps she could shed some light on what this creature was.
As the group began packing up their things and heading back to the vehicles, the sky darkened and the workers were getting nervous. Sy'jore was now standing, fully alert, it scanned the landscape and the skies, and this was not a good sign. The workers were already packing everything in to the vehicles. Neloy a call, "it's time to go folks" and with that call, everybody packed into their vehicles. The convoy consisted of several cars and trucks. Ahead of the convoy was the lead security vehicle. A vehicle which was a four wheel contraption but by the military loaded with firepower. There's a large double barreled machine gun on the roof with additional gun mounts on the side. Behind that was another of the same type of vehicle. Behind that was the research team's main van followed by the main truck with the Animech. Following behind that will be several trucks and vans for the workers interspersed at regular intervals by security vehicles. Jared and Sy'jore would fall in behind the convoy or ahead of the convoy as he sat saw fit, providing security. The team would have several miles to cover before they reach the safety of the city. The city and what was the heart of the land and the kingdom was located in the based of the valley some two hundred miles away. The storm was rolling in and the skies darkened as thunder rolled through the valley. This was not good sign on as weather phenomenon such as this usually accompanies the appearance of higher demons into this world.
"This is bad." Jared said to Sy'jore and himself. Sy'jore could smell the energy on the air. This was no normal storm. A High Demon has come into this world near by. This could only mean one thing, that they know we have an Animech. But a high demon. This was unusual, and frightening. Animech's were a match for any lower demon or super beast, but it took several Animechs working together to take down a single high demon usually. Unless the demon was week or stupid, even then it usually took at least two. Most demons were fairly low in intelligence, animal in nature, running on instincts and nature. But High Demons were the intelligent ones, equal in brains to any human. Even the stupid ones, for they can do just as much damage threw idiocy as any of em. High Demons had power, even the weak one had more power than lower demons. The stupid ones were usually not hard to outsmart. The intelligent ones, were the truly dangerous ones, even when weak. But Sy'jore could tell, this was no weakling. The weak ones don't disturb the environment when they enter. If it does come for the sleeping Animech, he hoped it was an idiot. He had faced stupid high demons with enough power to disturb the environment like this. Great power but unable to use it intelligently. It was his only hope, that and that some of the others had noted the strange storm and was on their way. Still, even at the pace an Animech could run it would take thirty minutes to get here. Did they have that much time. The last of the workers and researchers had piled into their vehicles and the convoy had started moving.
The convoy started down the trail at a reckless but swift pace. Most of the people in the group would not know the significance of this particular kind of storm, but Naribar would know. He was head of the expedition's security and traveling in the lead vehicle. He was also second in command of the Animech Defense Force Security. He knew much about the enemy, what can be fought by men in armor, and what can only be taken care of by an Animech, and especially what requires several Animechs to deal with. Sy'jore was at a light jog to keep up with the convoy and Jared decided to sprint ahead and blow flatter, straighter path down the mountain. With quickness Sy'jore kicked, bit and tore trees and loose boulders up tossing them aside. He was not worried about the flatness of the road as the vehicles were all off road types and could handle a few pot holes and bumps. Once out of the forest and off the mountain and into the flat plains, the convoy could open up to its full speed. Even so, it would take them an hour to get home.
