(( Note: This is considered as a personal log, and can thus only currently be accessed from the computer terminal on Rainheart's ship the Flotsam )) Log Entry #001 As the video recording begins to play the screen goes white, light shinning in on the lens blinding the delicate device. It begins to focus in revealing a slim Hylotl sitting before it tilting the camera back and forth to better capture his lithe features. The man is tall and slim boasting only a little toned muscle on what could be seen of his arms, with a light purple skin tone covered in blotchy black speckles. What was once a glorious fin raising up over the back of his neck and head has been ripped and torn, left in tatters with spineless strands hanging down over his shoulders back like wispy ribbons. Behind him The confines of a cramped ship are noticeable, a lone bed sitting in the corner under the pale yellow glow of cheap economy lighting. Finally after centering the camera just perfect the Hylotl adjusts his glasses and clears his throat, third eye blinking on his extended forehead as he grins at the camera. "This is Rainheart Whispercloud speaking, Captain of the science vessel Flotsam. I have taken the time out to commemorate my first steps in to largely uncharted and unexplored space, known to many as the Antares Frontier, a place that has already proven to be something akin to the earthlings wild west of ancient history. Upon arriving in the frontier my worst fears have come to fruition as the scant few uranium rods powering my ships generators finally went kaput. I was forced to take refuge in the nearest suitable system leaving me floating haphazardly through an asteroid field orbiting a decidedly green looking world, which itself was caught in orbit around the star designated Alpha Lyncis Minoris by my universal navigation system." Rainheart cuts himself off with a stress leaden sigh, then falls silent as he leans in to the desk housing the computer used to take the entry. Gingerly he removes his glasses with his left hand, his right arm planting it's elbow firmly on the desk allowing him to rest his head in his hand. He rubs at both his right and center eye for a moment before continuing. "Stranded in an unknown system, in the furthest reaches of space, floating among rocks and practically praying to be rescued. Such an intimidating situation to have to rely on the kindness of strangers in. I am no fool after all and know very well the dangers of unclaimed space, even now moments before starting this log my long-range radio has been abuzz about a hostage situation on some world known as Taranis. The sound of the gunshots is still fresh in my mind." The man runs his hand back over his forehead, sweeping the wisps of his fin back along with it before donning his glasses once again. Offering the camera a grin as he folds his hands one over the other before himself. "Today however luck seemed to be on my side as I began broadcasting my distress signal, though it was ignored for the first several minutes it was eventually picked up and responded to. A rather gruff Avian woman made her way to my vessel flying a ship that dwarfed the size of my own many times over, and contradictory to her attitude she was more than willing to tow me along with my ship's tractor beam to a colony I she called Port Last. I took a few hours to explore this place and found it to be less than ideal, with trash laying openly in the corridors and individuals of questionable moral character conversing in the local watering hole. Still after so many months on route from my home world after the... Floran incident... I was more than happy to take some time to lounge and stretch my legs, it was at this time I met the Apex and had the first meaningful conversation with the locals to date. However short it might have been. The man sat across from me, after having been kind enough to ask if he may, and after some idle conversation introduced himself as Painmaker if I do recall correctly..." For a moment the Hylotl takes a pause and raises his head, a contemplative pout forming over his lips as he delicately taps his chin. After a few seconds of this he shrugs and returns his hands to the desk once again. "I could be mistaken on that point, though I do remember his name was something decidedly distasteful and violent sounding. The man came off however as anything but, speaking to me of his run for freedom from the Mini Kong. It reminded me much of my own flight from my Floran infested home world, which in a way filled me with a sense of camaraderie and hopefulness for the future. I did not remain long after however as I was soon able to refuel my ship and resume my search for a new world with decidedly unique flora on which to settle, and resume my studies. This is Captain Rainheart signing out, end entry." Rainheart leans back in his chair and his hands part, with fingers ablaze he taps silently over the keypad built in to the desk before him. At every touch of his fingers a square section of the pad lights up bright blue under his fingertips. Then with one last smile the Hylotl presses a wide rectangular 'button' in the bottom right corner of the pad and the feed abruptly cuts out in to blackness.
Log Entry #002 The camera comes on and once again light shines in blinding the lens, as it focuses Rainheart is found to be sitting before the desk with an awkward smile. The Hylotl's robes are covered with specs of dust and sand this time, he chuckles lightly and waves to the camera. With the wave it's revealed that his that the very ends of his sleeves are caked with a gooey black substance, as he begins to speak his voice is heavy between hefty breaths. "This is Rainheart Whispercloud, captain of the Flotsam once again recording from the Antares frontier. I am unsure how to start off this log so I suppose I will just pick up from where I last left off. After having taken the time to survey several planets within the relative vicinity of Alpha Lyncis Minoris, I cannot stress enough the phrase relative in this context as I have traveled several light years between jumps. My initial inquiry in to the planets of I had found orbiting nearby stars was unfruitful, plants and animals of unsurprising design rampant. Plants with leaves packed full of Chlorophyll and quadrupeds crawling through the bushes wherever the eye can see, mixed in with a few bipedal creatures of more complex design." Rainheart sighs as he leans back in his chair and meshes his fingers together, he looks to the ceiling with a contemplative stare and lets out a croaking hum. Rocking back and forth for a moment the Hylotl begins to shake his head and resumes talking, his gaze not leaving it's upward position. "None of these things seemed to peek my interest though, so I returned to my ship after and unfruitful venture and began searching the Starnet in hopes of finding a safe place to rest my feet." Suddenly Rainheart blushes, his nervous chuckle returning as he settles his chair and looks back to the camera. With so much blood rushing to his cheeks they take on a more violet tone. "Much to my surprise I was able to learn about a colony known as Taranis, which mush to my embarrassment was located within the very star system which I had been stranded in. Imagine it, if I had not been thrown in to panic before and had just known that civilization had been just a few planets away. Oh and what a civilization it was, nothing at all like Port Last and it's filth. A marvel of Glitch architecture and design, I was able to get myself a bit of rest and perhaps best of all I stumbled upon my Apex friend! It is a small Universe is it not? Though I must comment now on his name, it was Fearmarker not Painmaker. I was close though right?" Rainheart shrugs at the camera and offers up a cheeky smile, finally he goes to part his hands but they stick firmly together. Furrowing his brow he starts to yank at them though a black ooze holds them firmly together. His brow knits together and his third eye closes as with a firm pull, and one pain filled grunt, they break apart. "Rargh! Hah, Ha... Fear... Fearmarker was as surprisingly pleasant as the first time we met, offering me a drink even though I do not much care for alcohol. I accepted to sit down with him however and for a time we spoke to one another, he informed me of his interest in fighting the Mini Kong and along those lines I suggested he look in to forming a colony. A place for enlightened Apex men and women to live in peace and create the culture they have for so long been denied. It was a marvelous idea and perhaps even more marvelously he seemed interested! Just the thought of it was enough to get me starry eyed and I offered my aid without a second thought. After a quick trip to his ship to examine his FTL drive, with little ability to aid with a malfunction in it's system, I was off. With a clearer mind and much lighter heart once again on the search for unique biological specimens in hopes of unlocking the secrets of our little Galaxy. With this in mind I resumed my planetary survey with about as much luck as before, nothing I found sparked my imagination, nothing seemed to jump out at me. That was until I came across the system designated Alpha Balon 3907. Upon surveying the first few planets in the system I quickly realized it to be a barren system consisting of mostly desert worlds and moons, sparsely populated by unenlightened Glitch settlements bound to their old world programming. Then I came upon the fourth planet in the system and this is what I found!" Leaning in over the desk Rainheart begins typing in to the keypad installed in the desk, after a series of beeps the feed is replaced by a stationary picture. In the background Rainheart continues to speak aloud, as different parts of the picture are commented on a glowing circle forms around different portions of the screen. A touchpad clearly being used to highlight points of interest. "Upon this arid planet boasting both a small and medium sized moon vast fields of tar can be found, baked dry and firm by the unforgiving sun. Though judging by the sheer amount of biological remains, bones, scattered about it seems logical that this was once a tar pit. Or perhaps unknown geological events occur from time to time drawing forth fresh tar to capture unwary creatures, I do not know however what really caught my attention was what was growing out of it. These firm pale stalks with hard red fruits seemed to sprout up all around, and even more surprising they were nearly undistinguishable from the bones scattered about the area. Further inquiries on the starnet informed me this was an uncommon plant known as boneboo, considered edible by some. I was captivated by such a life form, plant life evolving to seemingly mimic structures found in animals. Why? How? I was immediately reminded of a recent discussion on the starnet concerning the sentience of Florans. Could delving in to this plant shed some light on their development? There were so many questions and so little I could do with the Flotsam's limited equipment, so I took samples of both seeds from the plant and the very tar it grew from." The picture cuts out and Rainheart is once again seen before the desk, he lifts his arms and shows off his tar covered sleeves and hands with a smile as if to add upon this last point. "I got enough of the stuff to cultivate my own samples, hopefully, should I at any time in the future find myself a suitable lab. I tried to leave my dig as natural as I could, forming crude caves for creatures to dwell but the tar proved to still be damp underneath. It seems likely that in time these will collapse, so here I am. Still in orbit around the planet with a bounty of fresh samples, the next step will be finding a suitable locale to study these plants in depth. But first I do believe some relaxation is in order, perhaps I'll return to Taranis for a time. End entry." The keys of the keypad once again light up as Rainheart closes out the program, fingers sticky with tar clinging to the pad causing the skin on his fingertips to stretch out slightly with every key punched in.
Log Entry #003 The camera turns on and much as the times before the brightness of the ships lights blind it momentarily, it focuses rapidly and there before the computer sits Rainheart. His expression is more dour than before, his shoulders slumping and his eyes clear of any sign of excitement. As his speaks his voice languidly drags on matching his demeanor. "This is Rainheart Whispercloud, captain of the science vessel Flotsam. I had hoped that by the time I made this next log I would have happy news, this is however not the case. I had considered making this one in almost immediate succession to the last but thought it best to wait and allow the events I have recently experienced settle. This was not a was decision." As the Hylotl leans back in his chair he brings his right hand to his forehead, he spreads two fingers and set them on the space between his main set of eyes and the third in his forehead. Starting to gently massage the flesh he turns back and forth swiveling in his seat. "I had made it to Taranis without delay and was looking forward to a day of relaxation, I was not to be disapointed as I sat just outside of the tavern. I met a human woman by the name of Samantha and for a time we and a fellow Hytlotl simply calling himself Eight spoke of the strange holiday her people celebrate, Halloween I believe it was. I was informed of it's crude roots as a means of warding away evil spirits, though the reason for all the candy still eludes me. Samantha said it was to appease the spirits but who can say. It was a peaceful time, and after recharging so to speak I left to continue my planetary survey, I spent a time traversing the planets of a nearby system when I got the distress call." At the mention of the distress call Rainheart visibly becomes tense, his shoulder raise up and his chest puffs out with a deep breath. "I will not go in to details but it was my suspicion that the fellow was in dire need of help, and hearing no one else respond over the radio, I came to the realization I may be the only one able to help him. So I boarded my ship and returned to Taranis, beamed to his ship, and was met by a sight I was entirely unprepared for." He takes another breath, and then another, the Hylotl's chest beginning to flutter in and out quickly as he sets both hands on the desk and looks down. "Samantha had answered the call and was already aiding the man in the teleporter room by the time I got there. He was a Hylotl like myself but one of his legs had been blown clean off, I was set in to a panic. I didn't know what to do, my knowledge of medicine simply not enough for such a grievous wound. I did my best to bind his leg tight with gauze but I doubted it would help, luckily however his ship had a med bay programmed with a rather arrogant hologram and a magnificent operating table. Using the console in the teleporter room I was able to find it and take him to the med bay." Suddenly Rainheart's third eye narrows and he raises his right hand, with a fist he pounds against his desk and huffs angrily. "That was when I noticed Samantha was crawling, CRAWLING, to the med bay! Her mechanical leg had been shot as well hours earlier, I was able to get her a pair of crutches from the bay but she was simply too proud to allow me to help her. It was all I could do just to keep my composure, which failed me as I evacuated my stomach in a bin inside the bay. The Hylotl, one Dr. Vornex if I remember correctly, was able to be saved but still. The amount of violence on a world I had considered to be so safe upon first glance." Rainheart stares down at his fist as it rests on the table, fingers quivering as his main eyes narrow as well. Through the glint of his glasses his gaze upon them stern and filled with anger as his lips slip in to a frown. "Not a few days later I beamed down to Taranis and found a man, whom is currently unnamed, pressing anyone who came along for information. He asked about one Dr. Kong, an apex who had allegedly been abducted by the Miniknog and was in grave danger. I did not know this woman and told him such, though soon a crowd had formed around him. Another Apex, a woman by the name of Vivian, arrived and seemed very worried about the doctor. We all spoke for a time; Myself, Vivian, the unnamed man, a Floran I did not care to learn the name of, and a human woman whose name I simply cannot recall at the time. Things became heated and luckily I was able to calm everyone down. We all agreed to travel to Vivian's home, although reluctantly I admit, to study a grenade left behind by the kidnapper. It was a wondrous shipyard with a lab that indeed made me jealous, but even with this we were not able to discern the location of the Doctor." Finally Rainheart begins to relax, he leans back in his chair for just a moment and takes another deep breath. As his fist uncurled he sets his palms flat on the desk and puts his weight back in to him, the bags under his eyes becoming more apparent as he leans in to the camera. "The kidnapping, the attacks, the constant rattling of my radio calling for help and warning of firefights. It has forced my hand, forced me back to the stars in search for the last several days. So here I am now, in the Alpha HR 8734 Psc 35 system, in orbit around it's seventh planet. It's rather beautiful really, such a vibrant blue star and an admittedly hot little desert planet. It was uninhabited when I found it save for a village of the unenlightened Glitch, perfect habitat to grow my newly found Boneboo samples, and perhaps best of all far out of the way of wandering eyes. I've spent several days now working, building a landing platform to the best of my abilities and an even less impressive camp to live. Hopefully I will be safe here, but the violent nature of the Antares Frontier seems daunting to say at the least. This place screams for culture and I alone cannot provide it, nor can I provide the facility I myself require. I need peacemakers, fellow thinkers, creators, and just in general goodly hearted folk. What I need is allies and I am becoming more and more willing to take unorthodox measures to acquire them. Peace must thrive for the good of all in the frontier even if I seem to be the only one that cares for it, end entry." Pushing himself back in to his seat Rainheart slumps back, eyes still at a loss for excitement and joy as his fingers dance across the keypad. It lights up in a dazzling display before unceremoniously he drifts his right hand to the corner and with the final key punched the screen goes blank.
Log Entry #004 *The log entry starts off as per usual with the light from the ship blinding the camera for a moment as it turns on, on the wall to right from where Rainheart sits a Hylotl flag can be seen hanging from the wall. The Hylotl himself smiles to the camera and nods approvingly* "This is Rainheart Whisperwind recording from the science vessel Flotsam, currently in orbit around the planet currently designated my home here in the Alpha HR 8734 Psc 35 system. There has been much that has occurred as of late so I will start off with my research on Bone Boo. I have attempted to relocate the tar which I had picked up off of the plants home planet in to a small trough I have constructed on the world below. However it seems as if my first assumptions on the nature of this substance was incorrect." *Rainheart leans over and ducks below the desk, when he returns he holds in his hand a jar full of black ooze. He sets it on the desk and slides it so that it is in full view of the camera* "You see when I took the initial samples I had found the tar I walked on to be firm, almost tough one might say to the touch. I has assumed at first it must have been due to the constant heat from the sun but I appear to have been mistaken." *Rainheart lets out a groan as he props himself up in the table with his left arm, elbow firmly on the table with his chin resting in his hand. With his free hand he starts to trace his index finger languidly around the rim of the Jar* "This substance, foreign to me, seems to melt when applies to great heat. I had spread it along the trough below but within only a few days it has become a sticky mess. This is of great concern to me because as I have tried to get seedlings to sprout they are having trouble taking root. I have only had slight success. Why is it that the tar on the other planet in the Alpha Balon 3907 system had such firm tar? Why is it the Boneboo cannot properly take root and grow? I have several questions that need answer and fear only a second trip to the system will answer it. My research has hit a stand still before even getting underway, luckily there has been more to life than just research however." *With the last few words his expression lightens, a smile graces his lips as he looks directly to the camera and sits upright. He pushes the jar to the side stopping it so that only a portion of it could be seen by the camera.* "Not long ago I took to the Starnet to post an audacious plan for all to see, a Coalition of people dedicated to the peace and growth of the Antares frontier. Almost immediately I was responded to by, of all things, a Floran engineer by the name of Blood-Thorn. I was apprehensive to say at the least as we met on a planet that was to my knowledge uninhabited. He was interested in finding like minded individuals who might be able to help him with his craft, which as far as I could discern, is the creation of mechanical devices with a specialization in mechs. He was passionate in finding us a place to base the Coalitions operations and offered me a place on his space station, some old retrofitted place out in an asteroid field. I paid it a short visit and was not unimpressed by his ability to work with what luck granted him." *Pausing for a moment Rainheart chuckles, his smile returning as he shakes his head and casts his eyes down to his desk* "it was a kind offer, but one I declined. I am not so eager as he to see this protect move more quickly than it can afford to. Growth may move faster than initially thought however as more people than I expected have taken interest in the idea. Soon after Blood-Thorn contacted me I was reached by an Apex named Artemis, and then an Avian by the name of Aerdem. Both seemed not only interested in the Coalition but sharing research notes and concepts as well. Though I have not met Artemis yet he has offered the grounds of the embassy in which he lives as sanctuary for the Coalition. I was a little shocked that such an official locale could be offered, until I thought of the nature of the free Apex. I suppose that when much of your race are either slaves or running for there life there isn't much need to stand on official policy. If such exists." *Rainheart shrugs, eyes closing as he chuckles haughtily to himself* "I've paid his planet a visit as well, and while it is rather cold, his facility is not entirely unwelcoming. Though with so many prospects in mind I will need time and still more information before I make a solid choice. Which leads me to Aerdem, you see the Avian invited me to his very home for a meal upon seeing my posting. What a home it was, it was almost like what I would imagine a castle to look like. Decorated with homey furniture, art, and ceilings as high as the sky. It was there I met several others including mister Blood-Thorn once again. Ray Beluga, miss Vivian, Aerdem, and his wife Gillian. All who seemed keen on the idea of peace, willing to aid in the Coalition to make the frontier a better place. We spoke for a time and came to decide on the first order of business, finding an order of business! I left them each with a request to choose a single topic they find important to the safety of the frontier and have an argument set up for the next time we all meet. Vivian seems interested in the Outcasts, and Blood-Thorn with finding a base of operations. I myself cannot wait to hear what everyone comes up with, I myself would like to do something about the ambushes that run rampant in the frontier. I have much to think on in the coming weeks and more business than I was expecting, but it is a welcome change. End entry." *As Rainheart's fingers dance across the keypad and they light up his elbow hits the jar on the desk. It falls over and the Hylotl practically jumps, a shuddering gasp erupting from his mouth as he grabs for it and just knocks it off the desk. He turns back to the camera with a look of shock as he haphazardly punches keys on the pad and shuts off the camera.*
Log Entry #005 *As the camera turns on and the log begins Rainheart is still hunched forward over his desk, he hums a bit off key to himself as he typed away at the keypad built in to his computer desk. As he leans back and settles in to his chair he offers the camera a grin and it becomes evident he had made a change of wardrobe. Instead of his usual short robes he wears the vestiges of a monk, dyed a dark blue complete with a cloak.* "Hello it's me again, Rainheart. Then again I'm sure you already know that, I mean you are me after all. Things have been going well over the past few weeks, I'll start with personal matters and then move on to my current studies. Not long ago I finally got the chance to meet with the Apex known as Artemis, he was far more pleasant than I was expecting. I question his choice to build an embassy on a planet with no population to act as an ambassador to, but what do I know about politics." *A somber chuckling sigh escapes the mans throat as he reaches up and rubs his right most eye with a loosely balled fist, then yawns." "At any rate I would say that the experience as a whole was pleasant, we sat for a while and we spoke of our personal interests. He explained his desire to cure the Ape Flu and I my interest in animals and plants. In the end we were able to come to an agreement, he was inducted in to my little Coalition and I found that the facility he offered was acceptable to preform meetings. That is to say if the proper adjustments to the structure are made we can, the planet is quite cold and for whatever reason he has left the basement without a proper floor. It has the lab built in it and it's covered in ice! It's an accident waiting to happen when working with fragile glass and dangerous chemicals." *Rainheart covers his face with his palm and lets out a groan, then plants his elbow firmly on the table holding himself up.* "Something about preventing the spread of the disease since the cold wasn't a suitable environment, I don't know, seems a little silly to me. Anyway, aside from that interest in the Coalition has slowed to a hualt, which is sad considering that talks of war are rampant on the Starnet. It seems that Port Last has come under siege by a Floran invasion, a truly depressing state of affairs considering I had just recently visited. After speaking with Artemis I had decided it may be best to get to know the local populations you see, so for the first time since my arrival here I took a visit to Port Last for a drink." *Rainheart leans back in his chair now, his hands come together in his lap and their fingers mesh with one another. With his thumbs twiddling he looks up to the cieling and grins* "I spoke with humans for the first time in, well, forever at the length I got to speak. They were such curious creatures to me, seemingly obsessed with distractions from their daily lives. Drinks were had, though I only ordered water, and we spoke at great length. Myself, a man known as Spade, and a woman who is as of now unnamed. Her friend did not speak much, but she herself was obsessed with movies and alcohol. I suspect this was a way to escape her own life, as she had a cybernetic arm which she was not very fond to talk about. It is a little sad to think of how she might have lost it, the pain that she masks with her cinema and drunkenness. But what can you do? I simply bought them a round and went on my way, afterall, it isn't all personal business that takes up my time." *At this the chair under Rainheart creaks as he leans forward and ducks down, most of his head disappears under the edge of the desk leaving his frayed headfin visible. As he sits back up he brings a jar with him and sets it on the table, inside there are several thick flakes of a dark substance. The bottom of each flake appeared to ooze and stuck to the edges of the jar* "I have returned once again to the Alpha Balon 3907 system, where I found the Boneboo, in hopes of discovering just why I was having so much trouble growing it. I think I've found the answer, you see the tar which was firm enough for me to walk on seems to be so thanks to the arid climate. As you can see on these samples the top layer of the substance is packed and matted with fine dust particles, I can only assume that sandstorms must carry it over the tar and leave it there regularly in layer upon layer until it has form a tightly compacted 'skin' of sorts. Upon close inspection it would appear that this is what allows the plants to properly take root, though I cannot be sure. I plan to preform experiments on my own samples, trying to mix some of the local dust and sands from the area around my camp in to the tar to see if I can grow my own. With luck I may soon have a thriving population all my own to examine the life cycle of, study, dissect, and even experiment on. High hopes for the future, end log." *Rainheart carefully pushes the jar out of his way to the edge of the desk and smiles for the camera, as he punches in the keys on his desk languidly with one hand he preforms a wave. Then with a quiet beep he pushes the last button and the feed cuts out.*
