"Mechanites"

[ModernGib]

As Jon sits down on a stool propped up close to the old, marked up steel table he places down his meal. The meal was relatively simple, as ingredients around the colony were limited (even though being in a temperate forest, the colony hasn't seen much game in weeks.) and 'talented' cooks were non-existant within the group of seven.  Looking down at his food, he recalls hunting for the same meat that he's about to take a chunk out of. A hare. The colony's cat (Snowball, named after the color of his fur) had spotted it and got into a bit of a tussle for it, ending with it getting scratched on the right cheek. So, Jon, being a former huntsman, had gone and tracked it down. Taking a single shot before downing it. Whilst he didn't cook it himself, he was still quite proud of it. 

As he was thinking, the newly arrived (and bought) 'Saio' had taken a seat in the stool to the opposite side of the table. Whilst quiet, the large woman donning alpacawool clothing (freshly looted from two raiders who attempted to flee) still liked to ask questions, and be inquisitive. After all, the colony did save her from a past life of slavery.  Jon was a tad bit startled, but engaged in a friendly conversation nontheless.
"Woah, you uh, startled me." "I apologize, I should have announced my arrival, yes?" The girl had an accent, certainly not a local. Determining ethnicity nowadays however appears to be a very difficult task. Saio continued. "I just wanted to inform you that a.. woman, Tah-lee-a? Yes, her.. She's, well.. very non-clothed at the moment.. And she's also stumbling in the mud."

Talia was known for being an enthusiastic, but closed individual.. So taking a naked jog didn't fit her character. The only thing that Jon could attribute this to is the fact that she was diagnosed with some form of Sensory Mechanites, which made her act very odd as of recent. She walked faster, started hearing more "acute" sounds, and enunciated like a robot would. It was under control for a while. The colony surgeon had attempted to find a way to cure it but, the only way that came to mind was removing the stomach as a whole. Which was clearly not an option.

Jon and Saio walked outside, took a small path to the woods and sure enough, there she was. Tripping over herself and stumbling mindlessly, Talia was there.. Covered in mud.  Jon, clearly freightened by the behavior, had brought his rifle up to hip-level. Ready to raise, were the case to arise. Talia turned, and promptly fell over when facing the two.  Jon and Saio ran over immediately.

Jon's first instinct was to grab her, and haul her over to the small medical area that the group had designated, but Saio stopped him, and did a motion as if to indicate rolling something over. So, he took action and laid his rifle next to a tree, cautiosly approaching the unconcious body. Upon rolling her over he discovered large amounts of blood coated her torso and a small cut that was pouring sanguine fluid was also pouring these small, maggot sized creatures, that looked robotic in the way they acted and sounded. 

Saio approached, next to Jon, along with his rifle. Instead of giving it to him however, she was holding it firmly shoulder-height, and pointed directly for Talia's head.   

Jon yelled "Saio NO-"

A shot was fired.

"Mechanites." said Saio.

[ModernGib]

So, this happened in my game. But it's a dramatization. Clearly I wouldn't kill a colonist for sensory mechanites.

[ModernGib]

UPDATE ; Both Talia and Saio have succumbed to hypothermia and frostbite just two weeks later after an unusual cold snap settled in.