BYUN BAEKHYUN: BEYOND DETECTIVE ▷ EXO GAMEBOOK

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THERE IS A PLACE

 

STILL ON EARTH

Dear Fate, there is an advice. Though I’m really sorry for not giving you a better one:

There are places that you’d never been before… like your creepy neighbour’s house (beware of dog!), a creaky construction site (beware of dropped hammers!), a cranked-up power house (beware of electri—ZAPPP!), or an unlocked, occupied bathroom (be very aware!).

But, there is a place that’s the most dangerous of all: the forest. Where things can be too unexpected. Where you have to beware of everything.

Perhaps I shouldn’t tell you that because you are, at least, more privileged than the two aliens lost in an Earth forest. You still have seen the animals somewhere in a book, or in a TV, or in a zoo, or during a near death experience—and so, you know them by heart. For the two detectives, every single living thing in their new surroundings seemed like a threat. Imagine hunting for clues in a Martian desert before the Martians hunt you first! I tell you, it won’t be a favourable work environment. That’s why you have to guide them!

The Beagle Line Detectives felt crippled. The team should’ve consisted of a trio with pointy cheekbones, pointy eyes and pointy ears. Sadly, the one with pointy ears didn’t make the cut. If Chanyeol were there, things would’ve been much easier. He’d once taken Exobiology as an elective during high school, and so he was better experienced in the Law of the Jungle. Or so he claimed.

Baekhyun sort of missed Chanyeol. Chanyeol would’ve spotted any danger even hundreds of meters away as he has a pair of better, wider receptors for sounds.

Slowly, an increasingly paranoid Byun Baekhyun treaded over frail branches and dried leaves, flinching every time he heard a hearty ‘crunch’. The military iFrost prototype was aimed everywhere—up to the blue skies and to the trees or to every wriggling leaves. To him, the Earth is like a giant haunted house with a ghost bound to pop out somewhere. Once a bird flew swiftly from one tree to another and screeching Baekhyun fired at it. The bird went missing, a bullet was wasted.

He wondered what the flying creatures with wings, feathers, and sharp beaks were. The beak part was alarming. It looked sturdy enough to injure. When these creatures flew up in the sky, they resembled mini-planes. Baekhyun sometimes ducked intuitively in case of dropped projectiles. For the record, the creatures sometimes dropped projectiles on him. The black-and-white-splatter ones.

Animals rarely fly on EXO Planet. Some of them had evolved to withstand the violent wind, yes, but not many of them are left. The older, long-surviving animals of EXO Planet mostly are slow ground animals equipped with shells. The remnants of an old past when the solar flare of Gliese 1288 would erupt too strongly and the animals would hide in their shells for protection. His favourite was the molaedakkoki, a sand-dweller that feeds on worms blown away with the wind. It was small but fat with a huge hungry mouth and parallel slits on the sides on its head to feed on worms and filter unnecessary sand. Molaedakkokis are better served fried.

“How can we find any clues in the middle of this alien forest?” Baekhyun grunted. “That thief had only banished us here to die!”

Chen observed that his shadow had elongated. Things like this had never happened on EXO Planet. The sun had shifted westward. The weather became colder. “The forest maybe is alien, but we’d merely started! Let’s keep searching.” his eyes were not as fidgety as Baekhyun’s. “The clues might be lying around somewhere…”

“If alien monsters won’t gobble us up first.”

“Shush,” Chen ordered. “I heard something.”

“An alien monster?” Baekhyun asked.

“It’ll gobble you up if you won’t quiet down.” Chen growled and set his focus on a column of trees and the space between them. The branches shook. A figure, maybe a huge animal or a human had passed behind them.

The branches shook louder. Loud, laboured breathing filled the air. They belong to three sources. Chen, Baekhyun and The Thing.

“It looks huge. I swear I can see sharp claws from here.” said Baekhyun, aiming the prototype at the moving branches.

Lightning Shock mode activated. Level, mild. Aim to fire, announced the prototype.

“It’s a reflected mirror.” Chen held Baekhyun back. “Only intelligent beings use mirrors. It might be a human.”

“The electric shock is mild. It won’t hurt a human.” Baekhyun assured. “The worst thing it can do is make them pass out.”

“No, no. The figure looks familiar.” Chen argued. “We must follow it. It’ll lead to human settlements. The area near human settlements is the best place to start looking for clues.”

“I’m not taking any chances.” Baekhyun turned his body away from the scene. “Our safety or your assumptions. Choose.”

 

If you choose to shoot, turn to 2. If you choose to chase the… whatever, turn to 3.

 

A/N: Sorry for the late update. Got some unfinished college business. How are the options? Curious? Wait for the next instalment! Till then, make up your mind~

XOXO,

HCl