I return to full awareness sometime later. That was one hell of a strange time. I am laying on my front head down in the grass. My faceplate was still down protecting my face from everything. I get up very slowly, feeling the effects of the worst hangover ever. I look around.

“Fuck me that was bad!” I gripe.

My axe and shield are close by. The plant corpse is also close. That was no animal-type zone threat!

“God damn rushed missions!” I was not in a good mood.

I try to understand the effects of the yellow “pollen”? My senses were ramped to ten and swamped by stimuli. It was a riot of colour and memories twisting together. There was so much I could not take it all in. I remember swinging wildly through different emotional states. Checking my body, I find that most of the pollen was gone from my body wiped off as I have been rolling around, the ground clearly shows where.

I am not alright. Not at all!

I move slowly but with purpose and recover my shield and axe. Stiff and sore don’t even come close. I then check the rest of my kit. Some of it had come loose and were scattered around but I quickly identify where the missing pieces are and put them back.

I drink from my canteen and eat one of my energy bars. I am so tired. Looking up I realise that it has been a few hours since I entered the zone. The sun has moved. Even the weak light getting through the fog clearly shows this. Damn another issue to worry about.

My axe still has some of the green oozes on it from the plant. The rest of my kit is ok. I walk around the area and pick up the trail I was following.

The yellow tint is still present in the thicker than normal fog. I feel no real effect anymore. I suppose it is due to the fact I have been hit by a massive amount of whatever it is.

I move slower on the lookout for any other plants that are in the area. It was then that I remembered.

Triffids!

That is what the plants reminded me of. The TV show I watched years ago was called Day of the Triffids. I felt a bit better about remembering that. It was going to bug the hell out of me if I did not.

I continued to advance. The trail was still visible. Something had been dragged this way. I reached a depression in the ground and got a good idea of what. The Operative I was looking for was being dragged. Several items had been left behind as they had been dragged through this patch. Energy bars and a shield are present. The shield is a round one and smaller than mine. Made from ballistic compost materials.

I keep going. I don’t try to recover anything. The ground was damp so the drag marks were easy to see where she pulled.

It is only a short distance until I find the next strange thing. I come to an old oak tree. Maybe. Hanging from it is a human body. I think. It is visible just and the limit of my sight in the fog. Not suspicious at all.

I stop and look around. This is not good. Hell! When is it ever with my life for the last few years? I run through my thoughts on the situation.

Ambush? Chances are high.

The Operative I have been sent to find? Again, chances are high.

Is she dead? Unknown.

I look around doing a full 360-degree turn checking all the angles. From the sky to the ground. I see nothing with my reduced line of sight. The fog is thicker than normal and still has that yellow tint.

“Damn it all!” I say to myself.

Alright. I have to get closer to investigate. I can stand here and procrastinate all I want. Nothing will change until I look. If it is an ambush, I will find out real quick.

I brace myself and advance. Axe and shield ready.

I approach the hanging figure. As I get closer, I find it vines and not the rope that is holding them up. The figure is hanging with its arms outstretched and feet dangling in the air. The vines are wrapped around a large branch and upper body. I am head high with the booted feet. I recognise the UKZC issued armour and kit. I can see a woman’s face through the. Her head is limp and facing down. I don’t know if she is breathing. She is nearly covered in yellow pollen. This means I cannot get too close.

Ok. Mission is partly done. One big problem what put her up there?

I look up into the tree. Nothing within view. The vines are wrapped around the branch. So placed here.

How am I going to get her down?

I suddenly freeze up. I heard something. Faint but something. A rustle. From behind and close.

I take a deep breath and spin around. Ready for action but not what I find.

“Are you fucking kidding me!” I exclaim.

Before me is another “Triffid?” but different. It is bigger a lot bigger must be twice the size. Its stem has three flower heads not one like the other. Oh, it has four of those vine whip things as well.

I don’t get any longer to look at it as I am quickly under attack. The vines are hammering against me. I get behind my shield in time but the vines are able to whip around. Impacts hit all over. My armour absorbs most of it but I still feel them. They are a lot stronger and it is hard not to remain static under the assault because moving will open me up further. I can’t stay on the defensive it will just beat me down.

My old friend, anger begins to burn in my chest but I can’t give in to it. I have no idea how I would react to the pollen while in full combat mode.

I glance over my shield. The two heads coming out of the sides of the main stem are producing puffs of yellow pollen. I start to feel its effects again. I have to try to end this. I don’t know if the increase in my heart rate due to the fight is helping here with this being some sort of airborne drug.

I quickly push forward to close the distance. Much to my surprise and frustration, the plant keeps its distance. For its size, it is agile, all the time attacking me.

Again and again, I advanced and it moves to keep the distance. The two side heads puffing every ten to fifteen seconds, I think as best I can on the situation.

There was another tree behind it now. As we had moved away from the oak and the hanging operative. The effects of the pollen in the air were becoming harder to ignore. I had to take a gamble. Moving to attack a lot fast I attempted to pin the plant against the tree.

It shifts as fast to the right. Moving back into open ground. Damn it all!

As we continue to move around. The constant hits are wearing me down physically and the pollen is messing with my head. It is getting hard to see straight as things are getting wobbly. I am getting angrier. That seems to keep me motivated in keeping my focus as I am being basically slapped around.

Suddenly the plant staggers as it moves, I take the opening and attack. I close the distance and swing at the stem.

My axe cuts deep.

SSSSSSCREEEEEEEEEE!

The sound hits me like a physical force. Causing intense pain in my head and ears. I instinctively flinch hard and let go of my axe. Lifting both hands to try to cover my ears.

Fuck! I had forgotten about that. I was disoriented and the plant took advantage.

Two vines wrapped around my shine and pulled hard. I was briefly in the air and impacted the ground hard. Arms spread. This winded me and the hard impact rocked my body. Pain flared.

The plant attacked me with renewed vigour, all four vines slammed into me. I feel the impacts all over my chest and stomach. I don’t let this happen for long and get my shield back covering my head and upper body. I need another weapon.

I realise my gladius is pinned under me. I look down for my trench knife. I see my flare gun handle. It is attached on my right side with the handle facing frontwards to allow easier drawing with my left hand.

I grab it and pull it clear. I take a moment under the impact to breathe and focus.

I pull away from the shield and point the flare gun up. I don’t extend my hand as the vines could easily knock it away, I brace it against my shield edge. Pulling the trigger, I pray like mad I have the angle right.

The flare shoots away and hits the head on the left side facing me. I am blinded by the flares glare. The plant screams again. One headshot out more pollen but is facing away from me.

SSSSSSCREEEEEEEEEE!

Again, assaulted by the sound I am in pain and try to protect my ears dropping the flare gun.

The pain quickly fades to a throbbing. I look at the plant. The flare is still burning brightly making it hard to see. It is thrashing around trying to dislodge the flare in the centre of the flower.

I stand back up. Take that Fucker!

I can make out my axe handle still in the stem. I close in to grab it. Squinting to minimise the light of the flare. After several attempts, I grip it and ripped it clear. More of the green ooze comes with it covering part of my arm and body.

The flare is dislodged as I do this and the plant seems to be gathering itself. I don’t give it the chance. I attack hacking into its stem over and over. The vines hit me but I press on, anger helped to fuel my strikes keeping my assault up.

It tries to get away but I stay close hacking until the stem breaks and it collapses in half. I hit a few more times before it dawns on me that it’s dead.

I stagger back panting hard. Disoriented for a few seconds. I gather myself and take stock.

I check the plant it’s dead. Broken in two with the base still standing and the top half on the ground.

Me next. Armour intact, also shield and axe. But I am covered with different amounts of pollen and the green ooze. Under my armour, I know I am going to be bruised to hell and back. Don’t think anything is broken which is a plus but I am in some pain.

I am still feeling the pollen’s effects but not as badly.

So, all in all, I am alive and still functional which is the important thing.

I look around for any other threats as these plants are quiet as hell. I do not see anything and return to the big oak tree.

Looking up at the hanging operative I ask myself the all-important question.

“How the hell am I getting you down?” I speak out loud. Looking up at the figure. Unsurprisingly I get no answer.

I have to ponder this as the oak has no clear way to climb it. Also, I am bad at climbing trees. I walk around finding no other option I start to climb. Or attempt to.

It takes several tries and falls until I get up to the branch with the vines. I had been swearing all the way and was going to have a lot more bruises from this. I hug the branch and pull myself along. It is a thick and strong branch but that does not help. Fun fact about John Harrington Zone Operative extraordinaire. He is afraid of heights!

I move along the branch feeling my testicles trying to retract into my body, muttering all the way about my life choices and one important thing.

“Don’t look down! Don’t look down! Don’t look down!”

I get to the vines and begin to cut them with my trench knife. It’s slow going but she is cut free and falls to the ground limply. Then the next question comes to me.

“How the hell am I going to get down!” I ask.