DISCOVERY PART 2A

Day 53; 0843 (Morning)

Focus: 513

*CRUNCH* *CRUNCH* *CRUNCH*

Frosted plant matter littered across the forest floor crumpled under the weight of 513’s feet as he traversed further into the woodland thickets of the forest. The glitter of light from displaced ice particles caused by his trampling, floated in the air like a miniature ice storm. They lingered just above the ground, refracting what little light penetrated through the tree canopy. The results from their effect were an array of rainbows carpeting the floor; the ice particles emitted strange and vibrant colors that danced on whatever surface they had projected onto.

It was a fascinating sight to behold, privy only to observers in the forest, and no one else.

513: “Haaah…”

513 let-out a lofty sigh.

He knew that his position had been compromised by the racket he had made while travelling.

In all honesty, apart from the sound of his own footsteps, he hadn’t generated much noise. However, he knew that the creatures of the forest had keen senses, and that underestimating them would be foolish; to assume that his skills were on par with creatures who had already adapted to life using stealth, deception, and trickery was a mistake. To them, he was nothing but a tourist; a visitor; an outsider.

While pausing to check his bearings, he stared at the frosty ground -- which was not the ideal terrain for exploring incognito -- and complained. [I should’ve known better...well, nothing I can do about it now.]

513: “Haaah…”

He unleashed another sigh.

This time, looking-up towards the treetops to watch his warm breath rise like a slow, meandering cloud, before dissipating into the frigid air. [Complaining about noise while making more of it...could I be more of a hypocrite?]

*HOOOH* *HOOOH* *SHH-SHH-SHH*

Today’s frigid weather had the uncomfortable side-effect of numbing any exposed extremities incompatible with freezing conditions.

513’s hands were no exception to this, so he blew warm air into them as a temporary remedy; if he couldn’t keep his hands warm, the lack of blood flow would eventually cause them to go necrotic.

The act of rubbing his hands together would also have a similar warming effect, but only if his hands weren’t overly dry and stiff as they were now. The reason being that dry and stiff hands had poor frictional resistance. This meant that rubbing his hands together would be less effective at generating heat in their current condition.

Because of this, he blew warm air onto his cupped hands until they had softened and picked-up substantial moisture from his breath. Only after he had reached these conditions -- an increase in frictional resistance due to moisture, and softer hands -- was he able to rub his hands together to promote ample blood flow.

Now that blood properly circulated through his hands, dexterity and tactility naturally returned to his fingers. With this in mind, he re-examined the gear he had brought with him for the expedition. From there, he checked the supplies he carried, ensuring nothing had been lost. [It’s a good thing I came prepared for the weather.] He told himself while leisurely rummaging through his supply pack, occasionally adjusting the pelt headdress and mask covering both his head and face.

◊◊◊◊◊◊

The pelt was from an animal he was not familiar with on Earth. It looked like a large armadillo with dark, brown fur similar to that of a bear or wolf, making the pelt not only tough and durable, but also water resistant.

Having found only half of its body, the headdress and mask that were made from the furred armadillo could not be processed into a full cloak. Instead, it was manufactured into an overcoat that covered his head, chest, shoulders, and upper back. To 513, it was an amazing find as the pelt was a great fit for his head.

In addition, he had stitched and glued a modified skull into the headdress to act as a helmet, and padded the interior with a thick layer of disinfecting moss for cushion and hygiene; he named this moss: Soap Moss, for practical reasons.

The mask portion of the overcoat, which covered the chin, mouth, nose, and sides of his head, also had a protective layer of bone -- a full jawbone of an animal. The jawbone was split down the middle and stitched into the mask using the same methods as the skull that made-up the helmet.

By having the jawbone split down the middle, he could remove and equip the headdress overcoat with ease -- the mask acted like a flap which could be loosened or tightened using leather lashings located in-front of the mouth, like lacings of a shoe. Again, the interior of the mask was lined and padded using soap moss, just like the helmet.

The design for the mask, unlike the headdress, was rather intricate. It had several overlapping layers which allowed air to flow between the interior and exterior of the mask. This was a design feature he had specifically included after remembering a detail regarding how armored knights would struggle to breath underneath a full set of armor.

While exhausting themselves in combat, the lack of fresh oxygen entering the knights’ enclosed helmets would often cause them to panic and enter a state of frenzy. The goal of these frenzied knights was to quickly find an end to the battle. By ending the battle quickly, they could safely remove their helmets and breath once again.

Not only did these armored knights with poorly designed helmets have to face opponents head-on, they also had to face the dangers of rising carbon dioxide levels poisoning their blood; it’s only natural for panic to take-over when your life is in danger.

This type of desperation and lack of control was something 513 wanted to avoid at all costs, which is why the mask was designed in such a way -- with air intake and exhaust in mind.

In contrast, opting to forego the mask and additional facial protection would have been preferable -- as the overall would have been minimized -- but his confidence in his ability to avoid or dodge attacks from unknown dangers were low.

After this consideration, the rest of his equipment adhered to the following design constraints : [1] protective; [2] durable; [3] mobile; [4] hygienic; [5] replaceable; and [6] redundant.

Using these constraints, he designed his armor set to utilize modular, segmented armor parts which were then assembled to form a complete armor piece. These segmented armor parts were secured onto something he called a Worn Template -- a thin but durable article of clothing that outlined a fully assembled armor piece, such as an arm guard -- with leather lashings and stitchings that clamped the segmented armor parts in place.

The assembled worn templates would then be worn overtop a piece of clothing called an Arming Jacket -- a medieval padded garment worn directly underneath the armor -- which secured the assembled worn templates onto the wearer’s body with straps and secure anchor points.

Since 513 didn’t have access to cloth, the arming jacket he wore was made from the fur of an unknown creature whose body was so mangled it was hard to recognize. Its fur was a durable, lightweight material that provided the necessary cushion and blunt-force protection a traditional padded arming jacket would have provided. His leggings also used the same material, but required no additional straps or anchor points as no armor pieces (assembled worn templates) were secured onto them.

The final layer of clothing he wore were his undergarments, made from remnants of the clothing he had arrived with.

When fully equipped, his entire defensive arsenal included the following: [1] a pair of leather sandals with bone-studded soles, similar to Roman sandals; [2] a pair of extended composite leather spats, segmented and designed to cover the entire foot for cold weather; [3] a pair of composite leather shin guards; [4] durable fur leggings; [5] durable fur arming jacket; [6] composite leather cuirass; [7] composite leather belt with attached groin protection and tassets which protected the upper thighs; [8] a pair of composite leather spaulders with neck guard; [9] a pair of composite leather arm guards; and [10] reinforced headdress overcoat.

Each piece of armor was designed to have varying degrees of protection. By putting prominence in areas of the body which would likely receive the most damage, the distribution of protection could be spread more efficiently. However, efficiency and effectiveness are not one in the same. If everything were made to the same degree of protection, the wearer would become too stiff and encumbered from excessive weight and lack of flexibility.

As such, the segmented armor parts that made-up the majority of 513’s protective equipment were constructed from a composite material of his own making. Creating the composite material was done by sandwiching fine grains of crystal core between thin layers of processed leather, which were then bound together using glue made from melted-down blood bones. This process resulted in a robust composite ply, whereby an increase in layer count ideally meant an increase in effective protection. It is similar to how the thickness of a material defines the effective protection it provides.

The idea behind this composite material was to spread-out the force of impact and deaden blows. Hypothetically, the gaps between the layers of ply -- consisting of crystal core grains and air pockets -- would act as a cushion that concentrates impact forces towards the layer above it, so long as that upper layer is not breached. This meant that the top layer of the material is designed to receive the entire force of impact until failure.

Assuming no additional forces are added to the initial impact, and that each layer of composite ply absorbs a set amount of force, the total force behind the impact would decrease for each contact made with a new layer of ply. This would continue until [1] there is no more force behind the impact, or [2] the segmented armor part reaches complete failure.

To put it in other words, let’s say a total of ten force (10F) is applied to a segmented armor part with five layers of ply, whereby each layer could absorb up-to three force (3F) until failure. How many layers will fail until the applied force is stopped?

With no additional force added to the initial application, the answer would be three layers, as not enough force is present to break through the fourth.

To test and observe the practical applications of this design, 513 used the cut-off pieces, prototypes, and defective parts from the production process of the segmented armor parts, as test materials; testing a completely assembled armor piece would have been ideal, but that was a luxury he did not have -- the production of each armor piece consumes a great amount of time and is extremely labor intensive.

Using processed leather as a tool for comparison, he performed a sequence of cuts and strikes usings bladed weapons of various materials (blood, blood bone, crystal core, tree bark, stone, clay, and wood) as a preliminary test to distinguish the general effectiveness of the processed leather when compared to the composite material. For the experiment to go smoothly, he ensured that every test piece -- both processed leather and composite material -- were of matching dimensions.

The results of the testing were...mixed. Overall, the composite material had outperformed the processed leather -- the same leather used in the construction of the composite ply -- in every metric. Unfortunately, due to the wide variance in construction, the small scale of testing, and low sample size, the general increase in protective performance of the composite material could not be accurately quantified.

Simply put, the composite material was better than the normal processed leather in seemingly every aspect.

Though it was not a conclusion he had hoped for -- improvements were not concrete -- it was one he had expected. The experiment itself was a shoddy attempt at finding answers; it was more akin to testing the material hardness of a twig by smashing it with a hammer. Afterall, he did not have the necessary tools of measurement, the supplies, nor controls needed for deterministic testing.

With that said, additional testing is required to determine the effectiveness of each design element used in the construction of the composite material -- design elements such as, but not limited to: [1] ply count; [2] glue concentration; [3] crystal core grain size; [4] air gap size; [5] compression force, [6] leather thickness, etc. In addition, uncovering the material properties of each component used in the creation of the composite material -- processed leather, blood bone glue, and crystal core -- would also be necessary in furthering the general understanding and perceived potential of the composite material.

Once these are quantified, 513 could likely derive a more tangible conclusion.

From there, he can improve upon the design, the construction process, and perhaps even translate the methodology onto the production of weaponry. For now, however, he will have to make due with his current equipment, which was much better than nothing.

◊◊◊◊◊◊

After he had finished inspecting his supplies, he organized and repacked all the items he had removed from his supply pack, equipped it, then slung a large fur blanket around himself, covering both the pack and his body like a cloak. Once satisfied with preparations, he continued-on with his expedition into the forest.

The supply pack he carried with him was of a simple design, like a rudimentary hiking backpack. Its frame was made from processed wood and reinforced with bone. For the body, flaps, and pockets, stretched leather was used. To keep things secure, the straps and lashings were made from durable leather. Finally, a water resistant animal fur draped over the pack like an external cover, preventing water and debris from entering it while he travelled.

While musing about how to improve his pack design, he came across a familiar, well travelled path. It was a path he had cleared during his prior expeditions, and it led towards a crucial checkpoint. The checkpoint itself was a strategic, naturally defensible position that 513 had turned into a rest area. It was the ideal staging spot for preparing lengthy expeditions.

Upon reaching the checkpoint, however, he immediately felt something amiss. [Is the terrain different from yesterday? Could it be due to the weather?]

Not wanting to compromise the safety of his position, he silently planted a knee onto the cold, frosted-over ground and carefully surveyed the area.

At quick glance, the rest area had not changed. The two enormous trees that made-up two sides of the checkpoint’s natural barrier, and the large, two-meter high ledge that created the third side, were still in-tact. The dug-out fire pit and lean-to shelter he had constructed on a previous trip, were also in decent condition. Still, his gut feeling gave-off the slight vibe of danger. [I’m not taking any chances. Better to observe the area first.]

The reason for his recent expeditions into the forest were simple: the supplies inside the dead zone were finite. The ample materials he had collected inside the dead zone would have inevitably been exhausted, whether due to spoilage, natural causes, or consumption; performing these expeditions was an exercise in proactivity.

While he continued observing the area, he analyzed the sense of threat he currently felt. It was different from the uncomfortable, suffocating dread and tension that often overwhelmed him during encounters with beings beyond his comprehension. Instead, the feeling was similar to that of the slight anxiety he would feel when taking a surprise quiz on subject matter he had procrastinated on reviewing until the night before a test. Oddly specific, but that was the feeling.

Though the threat felt tamer than usual, it was not discredited.

513: “Hmm…something is definitely off.”

He muttered to himself, just loud enough to hear the sound of his own, meek voice.

It was the silence.

At first, he thought the forest had quieted down because of the drastic dip in temperature, but upon review, he couldn’t justify that logic.

During his first few expeditions back into the woodland thickets, he had become overwhelmed by its sheer volume of noise, despite the frigid temperatures. All forms of bird calls and animal cries resounded throughout the thickets -- it was an exotic symphony playing an unfamiliar tune.

The forest felt alive, unlike his previous experience.

Because of this, he mulled-over the impact the echo serpent had over the forest. Was its presence in the area the reason behind the dreary, muted atmosphere? Was the fanfare a sign of life returning to lands once owned by an oppressor? Or was it something else?

The large wolf he had the displeasure of meeting earlier is also worthy of consideration when thinking of such things. Did its visit with him have a lasting affect over the local ecosystem in some way? Would its unwanted return be the cause for the current dilemma?

Whatever the cause, he felt that the drop in temperature was not a sufficient reason for the bizarre silence.

*CRUNCH*

The sound of movement just beyond the ledge of the rest area caused 513 to reflexively flinch.

Before making another blunder, he immediately covered his mouth with his free hand and held-in his breath. He did this to control moisture from escaping his mouth.

If fresh snow had been present, his mouth would have been stuffed with plenty of it, in order to lower the temperature of his own breath. However, this was not the case; the weather was freezing, but there had been no snowfall. So, he carefully regulated his breathing, ensuring that the warm moisture from his mouth dissipated before reaching heights that would compromise his position.

[Where did that come from? It wasn’t from behind.] He thought while his eyes frantically darted between objects, looking for the origin of the sound. The noise was faint and short-lived, so pinpointing the location was rather difficult.

His grip on the short spear he held with his left hand tightened as he grew more anxious. He wanted to relocate to better cover -- any cover, actually -- but the discovery of his position was guaranteed the moment he made any noise. [If I could properly time a distraction the next time I hear movement, I have a chance.]

Thus, he waited in silence, waiting for a chance moment to act.

*CRUNCH* *CRUNCH*

Tossing several prepared distractions into the air as soon as he heard movement, 513 dashed towards the nearest tree, steeling himself for the worst.

*WHIRLOLOLO* *WHIRLOLOLO* *WHIRLOLOLO*

The hollow whistling of 513’s thrown projectiles, perfectly masked the sound of his own movements. After swiftly reaching safety behind the enormous tree, he breathed a sigh of relief. [Not all of them worked as intended, but it was enough.]

*WHIRLOLOLO* *THUD* *CRACK*

As the whistling distractions reached their final destinations, silence returned to the forest. Most of the whistling had terminated without any sound of impact, but this was within 513’s expectations.

He had constructed the whistles out of short hollow bones and wood. A small concave feature on the whistle was designed to funnel air into an opening of a hollow, where it would then be forced-out through the same opening through a difference in pressure; the compressed air within the hollow would be pushed-out if the incoming air is of greater pressure -- high pressure enters, low pressure escapes. The clash between these two would cause vibrations in the air -- compressions and depressions -- resulting in a distinct whistle different from howling winds.

By attaching a pair of whistles to a weight, like a rock, the whistles could be thrown like projectiles with decent travel distance. By acting like a projectile, the whistle had the potential to sustain its distinct noise. Travel distance also helped on this matter.

To increase its effectiveness, the projectiles would have to be thrown in a certain manner for air to continuously flow into the hollow of the whistles. The method for this was to launch the projectiles in a particular way that spins its entire construction around the same axis as its flight path, like adding spin to a football. This was a tricky feat, considering its rudimentary construction, and also the reason for why only a handful of whistles that had been thrown worked.

*CRUNCH* *MUNCH* *THUD*

Having secured a new vantage point, 513 was able to locate the general location of the oncoming sequence of sounds with his ears. The difference this time however, was that the sounds of movement were accompanied by the disparaging noise of bones being crushed, and the consequent collapse of something heavy.

513: *sigh* “...god damn it...”

He mumbled aloud, not happy with the situation he had stumbled on to.

Readying his short spear for combat with his left hand and equipping a miniature kite shield -- detached from his supply pack -- with his right, he prepared himself for a new encounter.

---Chapter End