Drones, they're getting smarter.

[Zaphod_the_spacebum 0]

Zaphod pulled his thermal blanket over his cold nose. He was glad he had remembered to pack a sleeping bag and blanket into his stuff. It was getting colder on Zoalis. He had noticed the chill earlier when the sun started going down. He was still shaken by the last drone encounter. It showed that they were adapting themselves. He thought it may be a form of evolution. The drones knew there were intruders to their planet. They were adding more modifications, trying to find a way to eliminate the landing team. This frightened him. He wouldn't admit that to his shipmates, but it did. Zaphod finished munching on his ration pack, thinking about the last encounter. For some reason, the drone concentrated its scans on the male members of the landing party. But, Pher in all of her beauty, didn't attract a nod from the drone. After scanning the rest of the landing party, the drone flew off the way it came. Zaphod began to wonder with some others in the away team if the drones might be sentient. It was strange that the drones were adapting. It reminded him of the Borg. And, this frightened him even more. The riverfront building they found looked abandoned. Maybe they could find some clues in the morning of what happened to the people of Zoalis. Did the machines the inhabitants create ultimately kill them off?

Zaphod looked at the rest of the group sleeping behind him. He had volunteered for night watch. There were night vision googles, but no one could use them because of the fear that they would alert the drones.

Or, as Pher said:::

 

"Sal, Zaph, Ethan... you three in particular may have been pushing it. If I'm interpreting the drone lingo correctly, they just said 'We are watching you.' Let's assume they know we are here. They are starting to know us as individuals. They are keeping score. You three have ticked 'em off, while Chris and I haven't yet. We don't know the score keeping system. I'm assuming getting to close to certain secrets could easily count as a score against us, either as a group, or as individuals.

 

"If you are considering powering something up, talk about it first. If you are considering deliberately drawing attention, talk about it first. If you are considering going close to an artifact of some sort, I'd suggest not only fully powering down, but leaving anything with a power supply well clear of the artifact. If you disagree, let's talk about it first. And remember, if the drones are in the immediate area, no talking. Got it?

 

"If you really and truly disagree, I'm going to take a big risk by powering up my pain stick and applying it to various parts of your anatomy. The drones seem pretty smart. I'm guessing they would understand."

 

Pher turned to Nickles. "You with me, Luv?"

 

Of course, Zaphod didn't need night vision goggles. He had superior night vision, thanks to his Caitian father. So, he was up scanning the night sky and listening with his large Caitian ears for the low buzz of the drones. He pulled out the Caitian claw dagger and smiled at it fondly. His father had given it to him when Zaphod underwent the k'zarimr ritual, marking his 5th season and his first hunt. The beast had been a tssira, an animal akin to the Earth deer. Zaphod had dropped to all fours and chased the tssira for almost a mile before catching it. Using his teeth and claws, he dispatched the animal, He then said a prayer and thanked the beast for its sacrifice. He missed those days he spent on Cait. His family didn't like the fact that he ate a salad with the tssira. Caitians are carnivores, and can't handle eating vegetables. But, Zaphod's stomach was mostly human, and craved raw veggies. He remembered his grandmother's look of disgust as he sat there and ate asparagus. Zaphod started to doze, thinking of his family. Maybe one day he could stomach going back into Federation space so he could visit his family on Cait, and on Earth.

 

He snapped awake and grabbed for the small envelope in his jacket. He sprinkled half a teaspoon of his alien catnip into his water packet and downed it. He needed to stay awake and alert, he could sleep a few hours when the others woke at dawn. It was going to be a long night.

Edited July 14, 2011 by Zaphod_the_spacebum