Another Day In Paradise or Get Me Off This Rock

[Bal]

Space, the final frontier. What the fuck was Jean Luc-Picard blathering on about Bal Tellestus never quite understood. Space was just big and vast and a lot of the time it was pretty much empty. The forty year old couldn't complain a whole hell of a lot though, he'd managed to secure a nice ship, had a solid crew, and the little redhead who let him keep company with her wasn't bad at all either. These days the romantic world of Star Trek or Star Wars or even Aliens was long lost because space travel was not only possible, it was entirely necessary to survival. Earth was a distant memory to all but some of the oldest remaining humans and most of them were holed up on Parabon VI. It was the first planet that was located that could house human life, all the elements were there, water, oxygen, wildlife. As best all the scientists could tell there were no sentient species present, if there were they certainly weren't interested in mingling with the throngs of humans who'd descended on the planet about 75 years ago.

These days he and his crew wandered aimlessly trying to scavenge and collect a few dimes where ever they could doing whatever they could. Today they were on the way to some planet he couldn't even remember the name of, their resident science officer Nyls had located the planets coords in some way that Bal didn't understand nor did he care to sort it out.

Bal stood looking out over the stars, the expanse that seemed to go on forever and ever and ever. The awe inspiring part of it was, they probably did go on forever. Someone as insignificant as Bal would never see them all. He'd never even see one percent of them all. Hell, he was gonna try though. Why not,right?

As the de facto Captain of the ship Bal didn't have a specific job in times like these, other than to prepare a mission plan which he technically hadn't done. He was sort of a jack of all trades, master of none. About the only thing he was above average at was shooting that gun of his, well that and running his mouth. One usually got him into trouble, the other usually got him out of trouble, except with Shey. The gun wasn't much help with her.

The blue light in hold went off. That meant they were about to begin their descent towards the planets surface, finally. With a bound in his step he leapt up the stairs that would take him to the cockpit where he'd find the ships pilot steering the thing towards the ground with his usual reckless abandon.

"Try not to scratch it this time would ya pal?" Bal uttered as he came through the 'pit door and took up a seat behind the gruff pilot. Bal actually liked the guy, despite his sometimes less than personable state. One of a handful of people he'd trust to have his back in a battle and not drop gun and run at the first sign of trouble. The galaxy was still relatively new and virgin to a lot of human space travel, as far as the quote unquote private sector was concerned. Previously it'd all been military sorts, thats how Bal started for that matter, but now with the right connections there were private ships people could get and go sightseeing.

If they were brave, or stupid.

Bal and his crew were a healthy mix of both, and coming towards this new planet brought up the thrill in him for this kind of lifestyle. No one knew what was down there, who was down there even. It could be a virtual goldmine, or a pile of sludge. That was the risk they took when they went in blind, and they were blind as a bat save what came back over the scanners.

"Not a lot of life down there." The scanner readings came in fast and heavy. "Oxygen though, thats a plus for us mouth breathers." A soft chuckle escaped with the words.

-------------------

[Sheyenne Shaecari]

Shey had seen enough of the stars and vast emptiness of space to last a lifetime. Or so she liked to think. Truth be told, the woman did still find beauty in the unbelievably dark, cold, and lonely regions they have traveled. Funny how being aboard a ship with a handful or so of others and she still felt a deep-rooted loneliness that even Bal's company couldn't abate. But Sheyenne had always felt that way. Lonely. Oh, the woman hid it quite well and there were perhaps two members of the crew that actually knew Sheyenne inside and out, aside from herself.

She missed Earth.

Shey, along with the rest of the souls on board had witnessed first hand its utter destruction fifteen years ago. The two strongest nations in 2012, at least militaristic-ally, were China and Russia. Years prior to that though, no one would have dared to imagine that Russia could ever come back from bankruptcy. The country folded overnight, or so it seemed, though truthfully it built over years and years of neglect at the hands of the nation's leaders. China, on the other hand, had always been a militaristic-driven nation. The Chinese had spent more years than could be counted on perfecting their military, obtaining and creating weapons, and even did a damn good job of pretending to be America's ally. While playing nice with America, China was busy aiding Russia in every way they could.

Sheyenne had been saying for years and years that China was the nation the Americans needed to keep a very close eye on. Being able to say I told ya' so ... well, she wished like hell she had been wrong. China and Russia bonded over a pact to destroy North America. And why shouldn't they have wanted to destroy America? Sheyenne, full-blooded American to the core even thought her own country had no business sticking it's holier-than-thou nose into the affairs of other countries. But fifteen years ago, China and Russia made sure that America would never again interfere. In fact, both nations met their agendas so well that the entire planet was destroyed with nothing more simple than the push of a few red buttons.

Being in the military, Bal and Sheyenne knew what was coming and what the end result would be. The unfortunate part of having the knowledge in advance wasn't enough. The two had less than two days notice of what was going to transpire. They rounded up those they could and -- more or less -- stole one of the test shuttles the government had planned to use during the years of the Colonization Project. The test shuttle was good, but was only a prototype. From this shuttle, larger and better ones were built. When one had less than two days to get off a planet before the nuclear warheads were released, one made do with whatever they could get their hands on.

There wasn't really anything mechanically wrong with the test shuttle, just that it wasn't as well armed as the small crew would have liked. Still, it sufficed in getting them off of Earth and to the Colony on Parabon VI and that was all they needed. There they acquired a better ship. To this day, Sheyenne believes that Bal stole the thing, but he continues to deny such actions. It'd been an ongoing joke between them ever since.

For all of the wrongs America had going for it, it also had many rights. And it was those rights that Sheyenne had joined the military to defend. Not for the government, but for the people. Sheyenne hated the American government. And though there were some bad people in the country - hell, in the world for that matter - there were many more good. Sheyenne had lost her entire family on that horrible December 21st day in the year 2012; just as had everyone else on the crew. It was the loved ones she missed. The Christmases, the turkey-day dinners, and of course, the Superbowl. There were many more things that she missed, but one of the biggest on her list of things to miss, was being able to say she was going home.

The only female aboard the ship, Sheyenne - though quite tough on the exterior - still let her softer sides to surface on occasion. Like today. She'd fashioned a mock Christmas tree out of spare rods and wires, strung it with lights, and used other spare parts as ornaments. So it wasn't as pretty as the huge tree in Rockefeller Plaza, but it'd have to do. Throughout the ship one could find a feminine touch here and there. Like the paper flowers Sheyenne constructed to decorate the small dining table for the once-a-week gourmet dinner she'd whip up. Or the ratty bit of lace she hung over the port window of hers and Bal's bunk quarters.

Hearing the announcement over the ship's intercom, Sheyenne made her way to the pit and strapped herself into her seat. She didn't have an official job while in the pit, which was good, because all of the gizmo's and gadgets made her head spin. She didn't have a clue as to what any of the switches and buttons did. She just needed to sit down, strap herself in for take-off and landings, and that was just fine with her. Her job within the crew was to keep Bal in line, sass off occasionally, provide some dry and sarcastic humor, and be a pretty face -- all while toting a nice supply of various weaponry and mending injuries.

"Another dust bowl. Great." Sheyenne muttered, a little annoyed at locating yet another floating piece of rock in the middle of nowhere. "You know, if we got paid for every lifeless, spinning ball of space-waste we happened upon, we could have all retired as billionaires five years ago."

[Bal]

"Now what would you do with a billion dollars? You'd buy a bunch of smelly animals and figure out that you can do better than me. That wouldn't make anyone happy now would it? No I didn't think so." Bal's wit was turned on bright right now as the ship began to settle onto the planets surface finally.

"Took you long enough Joystick." Joystick was a stupid name Bal sometimes called the pilot. It dated back to his days in the military and the way those stupid tomahawk choppers were controlled by what looked like giant video game joysticks. The term wasn't quite endearing, but it wasn't fully derogatory either so most of the time no one took offense.

Quickly Bal hopped up from his seat though and made for the ramp. The scans had revealed almost no signs of life on the planet so the bravado he'd normally display in these situations was doubled. Headfirst, just like a speedy center fielder sliding into second base when he banged a ball through the gap. Bal missed baseball now and then, but he knew a lot of people missed alot of things so he wasn't about to go complain about overpaid athletes not living up to the glory of their fathers game.

He put the thought out of mind as quickly as it had popped in and punched the button for the ramp, watching it lower in a painstakingly slow manner. It was like a kid waiting for Christmas to get here so he could open his presents, the whole damn planet was his present and he couldn't open it yet. How cruel the fates were sometimes. After what seemed an eternity it popped open and he made his way onto the surface of the planet.

It was....boring. There was certainly the initial rush of euphoria being somewhere foreign, alien even, but the place they landed was just big dusty patch of nothing.

"Who scouted this location?" Bal called out into the nothingness. The answer of course was Nyls. He found most of their targets on some bat-shit crazy ass computer program he used, but none had been so dull and boring at first blush as this one did. Most times they got off their ship to find some semblance of civilization, or at least wildlife of strange and unusual proportions, but not this time. There was just nothing, as far as the eyes could see.

Nyls was a little man of German heritage. Bal had known him for three or four years prior to the EoE, end of Earth, and while he usually got on well with him it was times like these he wanted to put a boot in his ass.

"Nyls!" Bal erupted near full volume.

The squat little German came out defiantly as always, Germans were good at showing off the pride, but it was just going to piss Bal off now.

"You will find this terrain is common over much of the planet, however there are numerous settlements not far from here that should allow us interaction with the indigenous species." Nyls puffed out his chest and held his head high as he held the lapels of his jacket.

"Get your fancy test kit and lets move you German bastard." Bal of course wasn't the sort to admit that he flew off the handle now and then before asking all the right questions, so he'd just boss the man into moving instead of standing there waiting for an apology. Sheyenne wouldn't let him get away with that, but she hadn't made it off the ramp yet so he was golden right now.

"And what indigenous species? The scans showed nothing?!" The cry chased the German up the ramp, but he didn't turn to address Bal before disappearing out of sight.

He looked down at an old pocket watch he'd retrieved from his flak jacket and realized for about the millionth time since they'd left Earth that it had absolutely no meaning out her. Still though it was once his grandfathers, and it kept perfect the time of North Carolina where he was from. It was more a good luck charm than a time piece anymore, but it was a gentle reminder of the home he'd left and why he was out here doing this now.

[Sheyenne Shaecari]

Sheyenne smirked at Bal's comment about finding something better than him from a bunch of smelly animals. "Darlin'," she said with a bit of a Southern drawl. "Why would I buy a bunch of smelly animals with my billions of dollars when I have a bunch of smelly animals right here for free?" She asked while following Bal off the ship. He knew quite well that she was referring to him and the rest of the boys (as she liked to call them) as being the smelly animals she already had for free.

Just as Bal seemed to get excited when landing somewhere new, so did Shey. But her excitement wasn't of the childish sort like Bal's. He behaved like a spoiled little boy at Christmas, but it was endearing to watch. Sheyenne's excitement, on the other hand, was more akin to being filled with hope. Hope that one of these times they would discover a world that was much like Earth. A world where they could set down roots that would grow into something wonderful, blissful, and untainted. A chance to start over. And she'd always hoped that it would be their little crew who discovered as such. That way, they could be the ones to establish a new set of rules and laws; they could be the ones who designed and established the government. They could be the ones to set things right.

But the down side to Sheyenne's hopefulness was that with all of that new-found freedom and glory, massive responsibilities went with it hand-in-hand. Shey didn't want all of that responsibility. All she really wanted was some place she could call home. A place where she could work a boring-ass nine-to-five job, enjoy romantic dinners with Bal, and get fan-wild over professional football games. Preferably Colts games, as they had been her favorite team.

When Shey emerged from the ship she did so just as Bal shouted for Nyls, which made her cringe and bring the tip of her finger up to her left ear to pinch it shut and rub it a few times. Of course, Nyls was just a few paces behind her. As the crazy German explained the bland terrain was common for this particular planet, Sheyenne moved ahead a few feet or so to scope out the flat, barren landscape. Just because signs of lifeforms hadn't been apparent on the scanning equipment didn't mean they'd find themselves alone out here.

Informed that the air was breathable -- and it was -- Shey found breathing to be slightly difficult. It was as if the air were thinner, like they had just scaled Mount Kilimanjaro to its highest height. A plethora of various smells assaulted her senses, but she failed at pinpointing any one particular odor. It wasn't exactly pleasant, but at the same time it also wasn't unpleasant.

Turning as Nyls disappeared into the ship to retrieve his test kits, the lady arched a brow. "I thought he said the scanners didn't pick up anything. What's he prattling on about?" The new information that there was in fact at least one indigenous species on the planet didn't put Shey at ease. The woman gripped her rifle a little firmer and brought it up to hip level and out of a relaxed lilt.

"Bal, did I hear correctly? Settlements?" She asked, stepping closer. He just shrugged his shoulders and nodded while glancing at a pocket watch he had been given. It belonged to his grandfather he had told her. Shey smiled a little. She knew Bal missed Earth just as much as she did. She wondered if each time Bal looked at that watch, if fleeting memories of the past skirted his mind. Such as what his 'Pops' might have been doing at around, say, fourteen hundred 'North Carolina' time?

Nyls returned, only he had several test kits and a large duffel slung over one shoulder. He pushed his thin circular glasses up his nose and looked to Shey and Bal. "Ready. We head North-North-West for ten klicks." (Which translated into 6.2 miles). The nerdy German combat-trained scientist headed off.

Shey looked to Bal. "Ever just want to choke the life out of him?" Nyls should have learned long ago that keeping necessary bits of information -- or what Shey deemed necessary information - from the others didn't go over too well. Particularly when they were on a strange new world. Of course, Nyls would always remind the woman - and anyone else who argued with him - that it was most likely their standard equipment would not be able to detect every form of life. "After all," Nyls would say, "the equipment I have to work with is over ten years old and only programmed to pick up lifeforms indigenous to Earth and those planets whose life-form readings I was able to program." Facts that, to this day, Sheyenne at least failed to remember all of the time.

The two followed Nyls for a little bit before catching up to flank him on either side and keeping a watchful eye open for any signs of life or other movement. Prior to catching up to the whacky scientist though, Shey noticed that there was about three inches of loose indigo dirt covering the ground. She didn't like the fact that their footprints would be very visible and would lead anything to them or back to the ship. Praying for a windstorm would be both a blessing and a curse in her mind. A blessing because it'd cover their tracks. A curse because it'd cover their tracks, could result in stranding them, and would make them blind to any possible threats or attacks.

Six-point-two miles later, the trio arrived at the settlement. For all intents and purposes it appeared to have been abandoned some time ago. Still, caution was used; if not for any other reason than the fact that Nyls had mentioned an indigenous species was on the planet.

The settlement itself looked eerily peaceful. It gave Shey a shiver. Buildings still stood erect, signs bearing some type of hieroglyphs still stood tall, and not one living soul was found. Bal and Shey checked some of the smaller buildings. No signs of life. Not a skeleton, bone fragment, or even a piece of jewelry to be found; assuming of course that whatever called this settlement home had bones and wore jewelry.

"Creepy." Shey murmured.

[Bal]

Boy did she hit that nail on the head, creepy as anything in those horror movies he used to love to take Shey too back on Earth before all this crap started. This could have been a scene right out of one of those if any writer or director had the imagination to create something like this. The main difference was that you just plain couldn't imagine something that felt as weird as this did. When Nyls had said settlements earlier Bal had gotten some romanticized notion in his head about something akin to an old west town. A saloon, a hotel, a general store where the farm hands gathered to sell their wares. This was something altogether different and not very romantic in that sense at all.

There was metal everywhere. It didn't fit in with the landscape around them one bit. Dirt and dust and nothing for a few miles, then all at once here in the middle of all that nothing there were these metal monuments to civilization. Not monuments in the standard sense, but monuments in the form of buildings and vehicles and other miscellaneous hardware. It was not at all what he'd expected to see when they marched in, but it was what they had to deal with and go through.

A lingering question hung in his mind, one he wasn't yet ready to announce to Shey or Nyls. What the fuck had happened to the people here? There was no one on the street anywhere. Maybe Nyls was right in saying the instruments weren't properly calibrated to pick up some certain types of beings, but there was no one on the streets, no movements at all that he could tell.

"Let's start here." Bal said as he pointed his gun towards the largest building in the settlement that he could see. The area was somewhat outpost like, a little like the movie The Thing by John Carpenter only without all the snow and junk. There were roughly a half dozen, maybe ten buildings total here. It was a little difficult to garner where one stopped and the next began though.

His black 9 millimeter in his right hand Bal pushed open a sliding door and moved inside. The wind howled at their back as the three travelers made their way into the first building and found it quite unoccupied just like the outdoors.

The facility seemed to be some kind of laboratory. Testing equipment lined either wall, though it looked like it had been considerable time since its last use. The fact that it was all here and no one else seemed to be around at all didn't exactly make a lot of sense nor sit too well with Bal.

"Well, what do you make of this Doc?" Even though she was a field nurse Bal often called her doc as a nickname. She had a good eye for details, as was the nature of her profession, and she'd often spot little things he'd overlook. Of course there was no assurance there was some clue as to why no one was around evident or even present.

[Sheyenne Shaecari]

Nothing felt right about the location. Quite observant, Sheyenne noted mentally that there seemed to be no wind nor breeze, not even a little puff of stirred air. Anywhere. The air was very still. The calm before the storm. The thought popped into her head. The air was also stale; almost musty. She didn't like it, any of it. The flesh on her arms, back, and legs prickled in goosebumps and she shuddered again. The woman really didn't want to look inside any of the buildings. A bad feeling was nagging at the back of her neck and she really wanted to head back to the ship and get the hell out of Dodge, as the old Earth - saying went. But Sheyenne suppressed the urge to bolt and followed Bal into the nearest building, rifle poised and ready. Just in case.

Just as the two entered and made sure the coast was clear, a strong wind appeared. It howled, sounding pissed and mournful, which crept Shey out even more. She spun to look behind. The only greeting she received was the nutty professor, Nyls, giving her a look that said she really needed to relax. She didn't like the wind, so she gave the door a tug to close it only to have it fall off it's hinges and go crashing to the dust-covered ground, producing a loud whooofftt! upon impact and sending up a cloud of indigo dust. Shey coughed and waved a gloved hand in front of her face.

"That was ... strange." And it was. It was as if something had head her previous silent observations about the lack of air flow and responded by showing here it did exist.

Though the building appeared to be devoid of any other signs of life, Shey couldn't shake the feeling they were being watched. For now she shrugged the sensation aside and walked further into the facility. She kept her rifle ready, though. Odd pieces of what she guessed was equipment for use in some type of laboratory captured her attention. She stood in the center of the large, almost circular room and turned slowly in place, scanning everything with her eyes. Bal asked what she made of all this stuff, to which she slowly shook her head. "I dunno. First guess would be that some sort of testing went on here. What kind?" Again she shook her head while looking around.

With the tip of a booted foot, Shey pushed the three or four inches of undisturbed dust on the floor aside, then squatted down. She scooped up a handful of the dust into the palm of her gloved hand and looked at it more closely, then left it sift through her fingers back to the floor. As it fell she watched it. No signs of the air being stirred as the dust fell straight down.

Shey stood and walked over to one of the large now dry tanks against the far right wall. It had once been filled with fluid, maybe even water. She could see the water-lines left behind as a result of slow evaporation. Some type of mold, mildew, and other grime had hardened on the glass long ago. "Some sort of holding tank. Judging by it's size, it had to be for something rather large. Maybe ... 3? 4? meters in height." Shey's eye caught on some hoses and thick tubing jutting out from the top of the tank. She tracked it with her eyes, seeking what they were hooked up to. A flight of stairs were set by the far back wall and Shey went to them and ascended. There was a catwalk circling the outer perimeter of the lab area below. She found the hoses and tubing again and continued to follow them.

A door on her left, unseen from below. The tubing disappeared above that door. Carefully and quietly, Shey leaned a little closer and listened for sounds coming from the other side of the door. The only noise she could distinctly make out was the sound of bubbling water. Or some other bubbling type of liquid. Though she really didn't want to, she turned the handle on the door and let it swing open on its own while pressing her back against the wall next to the door, her rifle ready. Nothing, just the sound of gurgling liquid. Acting again with caution, Shey slowly peered through the door into the newly exposed room. Again, she listened and let her eyes roam over every visible area.

Apparently clear, she stepped inside and began to sweep the room. It didn't take too long before she called out, "Clear!' Bal and Nyls could join her now if they wanted. The room was filled with more instruments, what she guessed to be lighting - like the kind one would associate with an operating room - in the ceiling and a few long, slender tables draped in either a cloth-like material or some form of plastic.

When Nyls and Bal arrived, Nyls's eyes seemed to light up. He darted around the room, touching this and that, stuffing other items into his duffle and carrying on a conversation with himself in German. Shey rolled her eyes and went to stand next to Bal. While watching Nyls, she spoke to Bal, barely above a whisper. "Where is everyone? I mean, don't you find it disturbingly perplexing that we find this settlement of sorts, find what I can only assume is a lab of some sort, yet ... no living creature, alien, or other type of being is to be found or heard? Somethin's not right here, Bal. We need to leave."

[Bal]

Some men would be all disgustingly over protective and not let Sheyenne go off on her own like that into an unseen room with unknown inhabitants. Two things though worked against that sentiment. First Bal trusted Sheyenne more than any living being he'd ever known including his own mother. Never once had she failed him, let him down, or ever seemed incapable of doing anything she set her mind. Secondly if he tried to be the protective boyfriend type she'd stick her foot so far up his ass he'd taste nail polish. That wasn't to suggest she didn't allow those moments of her being vulnerable and Bal to take care of her, but she didn't need a man to do so and Bal had known that since he first met her back in the Marines. She did far more taking care of him than he did of her as a matter of fact.

While she bounded up the stairs and into the room he continued to poke about in the main chamber for any signs of life, human or otherwise but to no avail.

It took no time until Shey called the room above was clear and Nyls decided this main chamber was dull and boring and thus ascended the non-descript metal stairs towards the door. Bal decided that Nyls was annoying enough that he shouldn't subject Sheyenne to any more time stuck alone with the man than he absolutely had to so he went ahead and went too.

"Fancy place you've found here Doc." Bal said eyeing the room as he took in its sterile nature. The tables in the center seemed a bit ominous, what with the straps on either end as though they were designed to hold down the tables occupants for something they most likely did not want to be held down for.

She responded about the disturbing factor of the entire facility and Bal couldn't help but agree with the sentiment. "Yeah, you're right about that. It's like whoever, whatever lived here was just zapped off the face of the planet. I mean these specimen jars don't have anything in them, not even something decayed, no bones. Bal spun around slowly on his heels as his eyes panned the entirety of the room. "Something just ain't quite right alright."

Nyls began to whistle, sounding more and more like a kid in a candy store with every passing moment.

"Come on frank." Another silly nickname Bal used for members of the crew, this one relating to Nyls German heritage and the term frankfurter. "Doc don't like the way this place smells, and I'm starting to agree. Collect your toys and lets get rolling back to the ship."

Nyls grunted something in German, likely profane, but piled his satchel full of whatever he could fit and the trio headed back down to the main room and then out of the facility. As they stepped into the air of the outside Bal thought he saw something. "Nyls, head on back to the ship. Me and Shey are gonna check out one more thing first."

It wasn't a request but an order, one of few Bal ever really gave preferring to let everyone else do thier job with out his overbearing influence. Nyls complied again with another German profanity before setting off towards the darkening sky on the horizon. "There's something in that last building over there, I know I saw a movement. We need to go see if they can explain what the hell is going on in this place. Don't worry, I'll protect you." He gave her the 'big man' wink he mustered every once in a while when he was feeling particularly cocky. "Couldn't let anything happen to that ass after all." With a swat on her bottom he started off towards whatever it was that he thought he saw.

[Sheyenne Shaecari]

Here we go again, Sheyenne thought as Bal started off toward one of the other buildings across the way. She also groaned inwardly, watching Nyls bounce off back to the ship happy as a little clam that he now had more toys to experiment and play with.

"Hey, Bal? Maybe we should just make a hasty retreat and call it quits here, eh?" She called to his back, hesitating in joining him for the search of the next structure. She really didn't like the feel of the area. It wasn't something she could put her finger on, just that her gut was screaming to get the hell out of here and the quicker the better. Of course, Bal was like a child with A.D.H.D. at Christmas when it came to discovering new and wondrous locales. He had to know, sate his own curious nature. Under most circumstances that would be considered a good thing, even something to be encouraged. But not this time. Sheyenne could not shake the sensation that they were still being watched. It was a feeling that she hated. Like watching those awesome "B" rated horror flicks and one of the characters - a.k.a first killed - felt a presence but never saw it until it was too late. Sure that feeling was great while watching a movie, but it sure as hell sucked when experienced in real life.

When it became abundantly clear to her that Bal was not going to walk away without having stuck his nose into every nook and cranny, Shey took a deep breath and jogged after him, keeping an eagle-sharp eye all around her. "Bal, wait!" Sheyenne snapped, coming to a dead stop about ten feet behind him. Hazel eyes locked on the shadows blurring a window three floors up of the building Bal was planning to enter. Using hand signals, she motioned first for Bal to be quiet, then indicated that she saw something, or thought she did, and at what window she was staring at. The woman let a couple of minutes pass before relaxing just a little and daring to take her eyes from the window. The shadows hadn't moved. The glass was probably dirty and could have been her eyes playing tricks on her. Possibly a light breeze stirred some of the dust and the waning light of the day made her think something was there.

She shook her head. "Never-mind. This place gives me the willies." It felt colder to her, but she chalked that up to the overall feeling that things were about to go bad. Very bad. "I don't like this. Let's just go, Bal. Come on." She said once she caught up to him and was within ear shot. It wasn't like Shey to be so gung-ho on leaving. The former Marine never backed down from a fight and never ran away unless a retreat had been ordered. Even then, someone was usually pulling her by an arm to drag her out of the area.

Bal assured her that they'd be right as rain and flashed her that disgustingly cute 'stick with me, I'll protect you' smile and wink. "You're not that cute, you know," she sassed back in dry tones. He knew she was lying. Of course she thought he was cute, the cat's meow even. If she hadn't, she wouldn' t be his girl.

Still, the duo waited URL is hidden from guests, please register and login to view the hyperlink for a few minutes more. It was a tall structure. Half destroyed, but somehow a scrolling marquee managed to continue working. The only English word Sheyenne could make out on it said Utopia. She couldn't understand what the words were beneath it, though, as they were definitely not in any language native to her long-dead home world. The vision struck Shey as very odd. She looked at Bal, trying to remember if the scrolling marquee had been actively broadcasting its message before they had gone into the research facility. Deep down her gut told her that no, the marquee had not been working. She, Nyls, or Bal would have been very hard-pressed not to notice it, with the bright purples, pastel pinks, and off-white colors to the lights.

"Looks like some sort of bomb went off." Looking to the left, she could see there were some other structures that looked to be in as bad a shape as the one they were standing in front of. "Make that several bombs." Rubble was strewn all over the ground, huge chunks of metal and concrete-like material only added to the war zone appearance of the place. A war zone? This sparked an idea and Sheyenne turned around slowly surveying the scene as a whole.

"Hey Bal," she said after a few moments. "What if this was some sort of war zone? Think if anything survived it might have moved below ground?" If anything had survived and did move underground, how did they get down there? She didn't see any manhole-type covers in the street, no tunnel system like Earth's cities had with trains that traveled below ground, no bunkers of sorts. Nothing. Unless it was all buried during some sort of bombing strike.

"Well, we're here now. Might as well check out the building. Promise me, though. If we don't find anything, we leave right away. I really don't like it here." Bal seemed to agree to the terms then swung a leg over the rail and trampled through the rubble toward an opening that was large enough for them to bend over and enter through. Sheyenne followed.

Once inside she thumbed on the flashlight strapped to the muzzle of her gun and panned it slowly 180 degrees. Lots of dust and small particles floated in the air, but other than that, the place was deadly silent and terrifyingly still. "Feels like a tomb," she whispered. Their footfalls against the smaller stone and debris littering the floor sounded awfully loud to her own ears, even though she was doing her best to step as lightly and as quietly as possible. Stealth mode, basically.

Further in they traveled and the landscaped hadn't really changed. In fact, she noticed that this place looked very much like an extension of the first research facility they had briefly explored. "Whoever or whatever use to inhabit the planet was apparently big into research," she said softly as she moved her flashlight over large sets of electronic double doors that had two signs stuck to them. She assumed they were like the authorized personnel only signs used back on Earth, but that was only an assumption. For all she knew, the two signs she was looking at could have simply indicated the cafeteria was just beyond those doors.

Hesitantly she felt around for a way to get the doors to open. Finding no easy way of doing it, both she and Bal pried the doors apart enough to allow them to slip through sideways. It was a tight squeeze but they managed. The flashlight panned slowly again, first to the right then to the left, finally up then down. She saw specimen jars all over of various sizes. Some were even large enough to hold a fully grown human male. Most of the specimen jars were empty or broken, but some remained in tact and held unidentifiable specimens prisoner. Sheyenne approached one such jar to gawk at the contents. The jar was large enough that it'd take two large hands just to handle it. Inside, the specimen appeared to have six appendages, two of which had a thin, sheer skin between it and the next appendage down. Like wings. Though, she couldn't tell which end was the head as both ends looked exactly the same. It was gross looking but the tail that was twice the length of the thing's body looked rather nasty. Several barbs or stingers spiked the very tip of it. She guessed it was a poisonous creature judging by the looks of its tail. "Ew."

She looked up to find Bal. When she didn't see him, her heart began to beat quickly. "Bal?" She called out in a loud whisper. No answer. Then she heard a sound coming from somewhere behind her. It sounded like a hiss. She spun sharply on her heels and raised her weapon, then listened for it again. Nothing. "Bal, that isn't funny. Quit being a jerk and come out." Again, a hissing. Only this time she felt something flick against the side of her neck and the hissing sounded much louder in her ear. Sheyenne froze and grew as stiff as a board. Adrenaline flooded her veins and she began to tremble as her body readied itself for either a fight or flight. At the forefront of her mind, she figured to run like a bat out of hell. But instinct might decide fighting runs the higher chance of survival.

The woman stood very still. Only her eyes moved as they shifted sidelong to her right. On one hand she was praying that nothing was there or that it really was only Bal playing games with her in the dark and scary place. On the other, she was hoping that if she did see something there, that she'd be able to bolt away and shoot it back to hell without taking so much as a scratch. But when her eyes shifted as far to the right as they could go, the settled on something that was so alien and so terrifying for her to see, all of the color drained out of her face in an instant.

Teeth that looked to be sharper than any man-made razor and approximately twelve inches in length, shiny with saliva, yellowed with age, met her view. One long forked-tongue slithered out and stroked the side of her neck, then slinked along her right cheek before retracting back into the creatures mouth. Sheyenne bit her tongue, literally, to stop herself from yelling out. The last thing she wanted to do was startle the creature.

Then it moved. She heard the click, click, click of its long claws against the floor with each step it took. It came around front to continue its study of her. Sheyenne was breathing so hard, she feared she might hyperventilate as the creature looked at her with one large bulbous eye and sharply canted head. Odd how she noticed the way the creature had to turn its head to eye her squarely, much in the same way a Hammerhead shark turns its head from side to side as its patrolling the waters in search of prey or predator. No frontal vision?

The creature craned its head further forward and flickered its tongue out at her again. The lower jaw of the creature was large, larger than the upper jaw and the teeth looked to be much longer, too. Sheyenne didn't dare move. The claws at the ends of the six additional arms - three on either side - looked like they could slice her in half before she'd knew what hit her. Then it started to raise one of those extra arms as it unleashed a ferocious howl. Just it was about to strike, the ground shook as if a massive earthquake had hit, knocking Sheyenne to the floor. The creature wheeled its head around, screeched in a high-pitched tone then stumbled a few times before darting off as quick as the wind.

Several more times the ground quaked and massive explosive sounds erupted from all around. It was deafening. Shey screamed but it sounded like nothing more than a whisper caught on the wind to her own ears. She curled up into a ball, hugged her arms around her head to protect it from falling debris, and waited it out; all the while praying that whatever alien had discovered her was long gone by the time it was over.

For a few minutes it seemed as if whatever was setting off the explosions ceased. Slowly Sheyenne removed her arms from her head and looked around. She saw Bal getting back to his feet up one level from where she was, shaking his head to clear it. Sheyenne pushed herself to her feet then waved her arms for Bal to see. When he saw her, she motioned for him to get down there so they could get the hell out of dodge. Together, then ran for the hole in the wall from which they had entered. Just as they stepped outside, a very large, very thick red bolt of energy struck the ground one-hundred feet away, knocking both Sheyenne and Bal off their feet and sent them flying through the air. Several more of the large and thick red bolts of energy pummeled the ground all around them before ceasing entirely.

Coughing, dazed and disoriented, Sheyenne rolled onto her back and just laid there to catch her breath. "Bal," she called through her coughing. And again, "Bal!" A bit of a coughing fit ensued as her lungs worked furiously to rid themselves of the dust and particles filtering in with each breath, but Sheyenne finally turned onto her belly and managed to shakily regain her footing. She looked around and saw the large craters caused by the large energy bolts. She looked to the skies but saw no signs of space craft. All she saw was a thick haze of purple-ish dust and golden flecks of other particulate matter suspended in the air.

Her ears were ringing, so when she located and went over to Bal, she spoke loudly. "That came from above! We have to get back to the ship and get the hell out of here!" He nodded. Of course, the two would have move swiftly but also with caution. One alien creature had found them. There could be plenty more lurking about.

[Stefan Faerber]

...9 September 2009...Somewhere on Parabon VI...

A bell tolls softly in the darkness of the night, rhythmic and forlorn. The sound steadily increases, soon accompanied by a single guitar. To look around, the source of the sound would not be visible. Not yet, at least. Any stars that would have been seen in the sky above were overshadowed by a heavy layer of smoke. The music, still growing louder, is soon joined by the gentle thwop sound of rotary blades and the softest of lights breaking through the smoke. Only a couple, periodic blinking lights as something approached the area from the east. All at once, light pierced through the night as that something's floodlights shined on the ground, followed by the flashes of automatic fire. Alien screams soon joined the cacophony of sounds.

The transport lowered to the ground, periodic bursts of gunfire ripping through the night, the tracer rounds turning the black night into a light show. A couple hundred yards beyond, now visible beyond a copse of trees, fires still raged, devouring everything in their path. Two by two, figures exited the vehicle and soon scattered away, all hunched to avoid being targets.

The music now forgotten as the sound of gunfire took precedent, explosions seeming to accentuate the situation. The group of sanguine shadows rallied at the edge of the trees, unspoken commands and gestures ordering each operative to their location. They all knew the mission, it was just a matter of getting things done. And now, it was time.

One hour later, the objective had been achieved. There was little to salvage by the time the team arrived, and only a handful of humans had survived. One in particular, however, was the one that the team had been sent to rescue, as well as information that the man had. Information that would one day help the human race in ways that they could not possibly understand now. Within hours, Dietrich Faerber and his family were safely returned to Diablo Military Base outside of the city of Vellmar on Parabon VI.

* * * * *

...12 April 2024...Diablo Military Base...Vellman, Parabon VI...

April 12. It was a significant date when it came to space programs. The former Soviet Union had put the first human into space on this date. The former United States had launched its first space shuttle on this date. Now, another achievement in space travel was about to be achieved. April 12, 2024 would mark the end of almost 15 full years of construction and equally as much in years of planning and design. From Parabon VI, now 12 years after the destruction of Earth, a new ship would be launched.

It was called the New Houston, a one-of-a-kind mobile command center. In theory, the ship would enable its crew to travel across the galaxy without the need of docking in spaceports. It would allow for extensive exploration of uncharted areas of the galaxy, and more importantly, it would serve as a movable base for military operations. Tensions had grown steadily over the years since the arrival and settling of humans on Parabon VI. So hasty had the project been put into action, that none really took into consideration that there may have been other intelligent species in this new galaxy. Such lack of vision had almost cost the lives of those responsible for the design and ultimate creation of the mobile command center.

Of course, foresight has rarely been an area where humankind flourished.

Still, this new venture showed much promise and if it went according to plan, this new ship, the flagship of the small terran fleet, would prove to be invaluable to the furtherance of the human race. After all, if Parabon VI was able to support human life, there was a good chance that another similar planet would be found. And if not, work had long been underway of figuring out ways in which to turn an otherwise inhospitable planet into a place where humans could live.

The ship itself housed several hundred people and included a mixture of Earth races and nationalities. Despite all that had gone on in Earth's final days, there had managed to become an alliance of sorts within the humans. Uneasy at times, but when faced with annihilation, it was a pretty simple choice to make. There had, of course, been splinter groups that were trying to work only for themselves, though such uprisings were quickly quelled. Still, the possibility remained that another attempt would be forthcoming and security was quite high for the launch of the new galaxy cruiser. Something going wrong on that day would cause a major setback of both years, manpower and resources. None of which were in tall supply after the destruction of Earth.

A sleek design, the ship itself was constructed in the manner that ships were accustomed to being constructed, aerodynamic. This, of course, was unnecessary given that the ship would be in a zero gravity environment and thus not subjected to the drags and resistances that both air and naval ships experienced on Earth, or within an atmosphere. But it was what it was and as someone said long ago, stick with what you know. And so they did.

With much of the resources going into the design of the ship itself, the weaponry on the ship was a bit lacking. Most of the defenses were only effective at closer ranges, though a few of the more advanced could take down a distant opponent in a pinch. Most of the technology was still from Earth days, however, with the most advanced being laser-guided and remote-guided missile systems. The one advantage that these had in zero gravity, was no worry about arcing a shot. There was nothing to draw the projectile downward, after all. Additionally, the outer hull of the ship was mounted with several rotating cannons, not so different from those that would be mounted on a battleship or cruiser.

Likely the most advanced aspect was both the propulsion and the ship's shielding, both of which made possible by alien technology that they had discovered some years ago. The drawback, however, was that they both drew off of the same power source. And while it did replenish itself after a time, massive damage to the shields would also prohibit any sort of escape. This meant that it was imperative to engage in battles that had a favorable outcome, if such a thing could both be gauged and achieved. Most battles, of course, were not hand-picked.

Within the ship, there was a medical facility, research lab and hydroponics labs as well as billeting for military and civilian personnel. It was not the Ritz Carlton by any stretch, but there was sufficient room to afford privacy. There was also a hangar bay housed towards the bottom of the ship. Several military transports were within, reinforced to withstand an atmospheric entry though once within that planet's atmosphere, they operated and were designed much like an Earth helicopter. The side doors could open, allowing for fresh air if those inside desired. Most of the time, though, the doors remained close for safety purposes.

The crew was primarily military, or at the least had some form of military background even if they were considered civilians now. Cooks, medical and custodial positions were the most common civilian jobs and did not need to adhere to a military background. Those that operated on the bridge, however, did, as well as those actual members of the Terran Military, specifically ISO - Intergalactic Special Operations. They handled the bulk of off-ship operations.

By April 13, the ship was well into its maiden voyage.


...Three years later...Approaching planet designate: Serengeti...
...Now...

Three years had passed since the New Houston embarked on its maiden voyage. In that time, it had seen its fair share of planets and moons, though few of them showed much promise in the way of supporting life. One was a long shot, but they sent the appropriate information to those that needed it and let those people decide on the next course of action. No one on this ship was qualified, or wanting to make such a decision. They were to scout and relay intel and that was the whole of it. Outside of that, they were patrolling what was considered the borders of terran space, making sure that no unwanted visitors decided to drop by. Of course, considering that they were only one ship, it was far from a fail-safe net.

Still some distance away from a suitable location to send a transport, the ship continued its steady approach of the planet that had been designated Serengeti. The low-down on the planet was that it was mostly barren, though still had an atmosphere suitable for humans to breathe. It wasn't the best air in the galaxy, but it wouldn't kill anyone in one breath. Rather, the air was thinner, a lower oxygen content most likely the case. Like being up in the mountains.

Beyond that, it was supposed to have been the location of several research facilities. On the outside, it was repeated tests to see what sort of vegetation could be grown there, an effort to figure the likelihood of long-term residence by humans. Few truly believed that, and not the Captain of the mobile command center. No, too few reports were made public for it to simply be a garden spot. Though there was no point in trying to get any answers. He was on a need-to-know basis, and to those in charge, he didn't need to know. He just needed to go. And so, here he was with a ship full of people that were relying on him to keep them alive. No small task, that one.

It was made no easier given that they were sent to check out one of the facilities in particular. Not long ago, contact with the facility had been lost, though there had been reports that one of their power cells had burst. As a result, those within the facility had to hold up below ground until any fallout cleared. It wasn't nuclear energy, per se, but it was alien and the result was fairly similar. It was just a matter of using a small enough amount to keep from blowing a hole through the planet itself. The standard clearance time was deemed at 28 days. So, 28 days later, they were set to arrive.

"Sir! Sensors indicate a large scale energy surge on the planet," one of the newer arrivals to the bridge of the ship said almost frantically, eyes slightly widened as he turned to face the Captain.

"Are we close enough to get an idea of the source of the energy surge? Is it coming from the planet itself?" Not that it would really matter, he thought to himself. With their distance, the energy readings had to be fairly large in order to be detected by cursory sweep.

"No, Sir."

"Alright, engage and boost long-range scanners to pinpoint location and origin of the energy surge. There should be nothing going on down there. Nothing at all. Even if the facility is back online, it wouldn't emit that strong of a signal."

"Aye, Sir, boosting scanners now."

The Captain stood up from his chair, pacing to the back of the bridge as he waited for news on the origin, if they could even discern the origin. Something didn't feel right. If the facility was up and running again, they would have received word of such. They wouldn't have been left in the dark on this one, at least he couldn't see a logical reason for such.

"The energy source does not originate from the planet. Sensors are picking up a series of explosions on the planet's surface and another energy surge from just beyond the planet's atmosphere."

"Someone is attacking the planet?"

"It would appear so, yes."

"Very well. Lock on the attacker and move to intercept. If we do have survivors on the planet, they won't last very long with an aerial assault." The Captain's jaw set slightly as he moved back to his chair and sat down again, depressing a button on the side of the arm with his right forefinger. "Attention, this is Captain Adams, proceed to battle stations immediately. Repeat, battle stations immediately." Releasing the button, he sat back in the chair before swiveling to the left. "Alert ISO and have Lieutenant Faerber prepare for planet-side departure in fifteen minutes. We have no idea if any of these attackers are on the planet or if they plan to be so have them pack heavy."

"Yes, Sir. Right away."

* * * * *

"The orders are as follows," the calm voice announced after the members of the unit had assembled. The man stood just over six feet in height, dark hair that was almost black and green eyes that seemed to hold a bit more life left than what the graying in the hair around the ears might suggest. "Collectively, you will land just north of the city and make your way to the housing compound. If any of the research personnel have come back to the surface, they will likely be there in one of the shelters with this bombardment. We have no idea if there will be anyone above ground or not. That is still the primary objective. Secondary objective is to recover any research data. There are two major research labs, though it is unclear whether any of the equipment will be salvageable or in working order. It may be necessary to dismantle the systems and take the hard drives. Any data will be stored on those. Tertiary objective is neutralizing any threats on the ground. I understand that this may seem like the most important measure to take, but it's not. We do not want a hostile engagement if we can avoid one."

The man paused a long moment, allowing the information to soak in completely before continuing. "Extraction point will be one click north of the settlement. It will be getting dark there soon, so cover of night should help if you do encounter any hostiles. By the orders, this is supposed to be a fairly routine operation so RTS is two hours after the landing. Any questions?"

"None here, Captain," the blond-haired Lieutenant answered. He had been watching the rest of those gathered during the briefing, and knew that none of them had troubles understanding orders such as these. It was a basic search and rescue op, one they'd done probably a dozen times already. That meant that something would inevitably go wrong.

"Now, look. Just because they say it's a simple op doesn't mean that it will be. We all know that routine just isn't in our vocabulary. This space bombardment doesn't make the situation any better, though it may help if there are hostiles on the planet. The situation will likely be a bit chaotic, which could and should work in our favor. If they're too worried about being blasted from the sky, they won't be paying attention to the things on the ground. As I said, you'll have about an hour of daylight left once you land, meaning half the time down there will be in the dark. Motion sensors are a must and Captain Adams once a healthy supply of firepower in case things go bad. Lieutenant, I'll leave those specifics to you."

"Understood," he answered, turning his attention again to the rest of those gathered in the meeting room. "Alright, gear up and head to the bird. I want two fifty cals for the Valk, motion sensors and small demo packages. Booter, demo is up to you. Siren, Grate, Jinx and Measles with the motion sensors. Oh, grab a slicer package, too, Jinx. Might need to break in a few doors along the way and I'd rather avoid a big mess if we can. Beyond that, standard equipment which means vests."

He almost laughed as a couple groans were heard from the group. None of them particularly liked the vests, they always being on the to-do list for R&D but never seeming to move up that list. The vests were useful and did their job, they were just a little bulky and made movement a little less fluid. They were nothing like the sleek, form-hugging styles from the movies of the twenty years ago. Of course, the alternative was no protection at all and none of them cared for that. Well, perhaps a few would have.

"Yeah, yeah, I know, but it's vests or nothing and we can't afford to go without protection. Just gear up and we'll be able to take them off in a couple hours. Alright? Wheels up in five. Let's move with a purpose."

* * * * *

Five minutes and one second later the transport was leaving the hangar and enroute towards the planet below, behind them the brief flashes of cannon fire from the New Houston. Another ship had been found just outside the orbit of Serengeti and the terran ship moved to within range of its cannons. The first volley of fire did nothing to dissuade the alien vessel from continuing its assault on the planet below, but the firing did stop after the first missile found its mark. Whether it had done any major damage was unknown, but the important part was that the ship had ceased its attack and whoever was still down on the planet, as well as the transport with ISO troops, would be safe for the time being. Before another volley could be launched, the alien vessel put in the retreat and left the area.

"Stand down to Code Yellow. Keep scanning the area in case they come back and to see if they have any friends in the area. I don't want a surprise before we can get out of here." The order was given and for the moment, they were able to relax. Not having taken any damage, both shields and propulsion were at 100%, but that could change dramatically if another fight came their way.

* * * * *

The transport broke through the atmosphere with relative ease, only the expected shimmy and shake from the change in setting. Once in the air of the planet, the transport continued its descent until it remained just a couple dozen feet above the surface. "Looks like a smurf shit all over the place," remarked Grate, known by his parents as Colby James. It was a horrid nickname, and one that had come about a couple years prior. Though when you're named after a type of cheese, Grate was probably getting off easy.

"Here's the plan. There are two housing structures where we're coming in. Siren and Booter, you'll be with me. Jinx, Grate and Measles will make up the second group. The rest will station at the rear of the buildings to make sure nothing creeps up on us from behind. Everyone got it?"

The question was answered with a mixture of nods, grunts and softly spoken responses. "Remember, no engagement unless there's no other option. Granted, most aliens don't speak English, but sneaking around is the best choice for us. Only fire if absolutely necessary and keep radio chatter to a minimum. No one should know that we're here unless we want them to."

"One minute to drop!" the pilot yelled over his shoulder, loud enough to be heard over the rattling and creaking within the transport. The first dose of Serengeti air blew through the interior as the outer doors were opened and each of the .50 cal machine guns were mounted. The pilot and two others would remain on the ship, ensuring that it also was well protected. The rest would be up to those on the ground.

[Varyn]

From deep within the machine and engine bays of the ship could be heard the pleasant mumblings of the ship's gentle giant and pilot, Varyn Borell, "Unappreciative...son of a...I aught to...with a...". He was still fuming over Bal's "sense of humor" and his constant quips about his inadequacies as a pilot. Though Varyn knew Bal was just joking, he needed something to keep his attention away from boredom, so he grumbled, and grumbled as he marched around the ship. Everywhere the tall man went people jumped out of his path. Bal may have been the captain of the ship, but noone stood in Varyn's path when he was in a sour mood. His "grumblings" could be heard down the bulkhead and in every part of the fuselage of the ship. He was nicknamed Titan for a reason. At 6'5" and 250lbs, Varyn was enormous, and scary when in one of his sour moods (that he always seemed to be in) Varyn stopped at a computer terminal, clicking a few buttons here, pushing a switch there before what seemed to be a grunt and a word mixed pierced the silence, "s'all good". Pulling a computer pad out of his pocket, he tapped on the screen a few times and then swiped down with his finger on it.

What he held in his hand was his personal "Technical Orders" on the ship. He had written them in case he ever died or was lost. They had chapter after chapter on how to fix, fly, and maintain the ship including checklists, fault isolation trees, and safety warnings. He had setup the pad so that it synced with the memory and computers of the ship. Anytime they landed or flew, the pad reset the necessary checklists so that they had to be redone at the first opportune moment. This insured that the ship was maintained and checked properly each flight. The little pad would beep if one of these checklists had not been done. As he finished the internal landing checklists for the ship, he made his way back up to the pit. He was wearing his old military cargo pants, patterned in urban/desert camo, his black leather boots, and a tan cloth t-shirt. Upon reaching his chair in the pit, he pulled his tool harness across his chest, the diagonal belts across his chest carrying little tools and devices he had invented for use on the ship, and stuffed his URL is hidden from guests, please register and login to view the hyperlink into the holster on the harness beneath his armpit. After throwing on a jacket that barely fit over the holster and his barrel chest, he grabbed his URL is hidden from guests, please register and login to view the hyperlink, and strapped it to his thigh. Both weapons were well maintained and fully loaded. On his holster he had ammo to reload with and plenty of firepower to protect the ship. Strapping a black sheathe onto his wrist with a long easily accessible URL is hidden from guests, please register and login to view the hyperlink inserted into it (and not the only such knife on his person), he pulled his black fingerless gloves onto his hands.

Finally grabbing his sunglasses from under his chair and tossing them on, he turned adjusting them onto his eyes before grabbing a comm device and throwing it into his ear, thumbing the device on then speaking, "This is Titan, Do you read me?" and the voice of the comm/nav officer, whose name he couldn't remember because everyone called him 'Hawk' due to his avian features and shrewd attitude sounded over the earpiece, "Hawk here, Loud and clear. Heading out for external checks, big guy?". Grunting at the affirmative, Varyn stepped out of the cockpit and into the corridor leading to the ramp. His right hand rested on the grip of the shotgun at his side and the other held his Technical Datapad. Pressing his thumb down onto it several times, turning it on silent so as to ignore the beep it was still making due to unfinished work, he flipped to the external checklist and stepped onto the ramp. He was glad he wore his sunglasses today, it was a little bright outside. His hand left the grip of his shotgun for a moment to wipe the beaded sweat off of his bald head then moved to his chin to scratch his beard. Smiling he placed it back onto the gun before walking outside.

Barren wasn't the right word for this. It seemed like a world that had once been lived in and now was devoid of any life. Frowning he felt like something was wrong. The hairs on the back of his neck rose for a second. He didnt like the fact that he was in an open field, a sitting duck. Quickly moving around the ship he checked all the external systems, opening panels with a speed handle and then closing them back up quickly. Not once looking down at the pad, he thumbed through the checklist by memory, checking off each item without even looking down to see if he was hitting the right button. Every few moments he looked around anxiously. His 6 years in the military had taught him to be aware of his surroundings. He had joined the former United States Air Force at age 18, been hired as a mechanic more specifically a computer, electrical, and avionics technician. He had spent most of his days learning all he could about aviation and flying, taking an interest in piloting and spaceships. Never had he thought he'd be flying one, not till that fateful day when Bal had contacted him. He had spent two years on special assignment with a marine detachment, working on Special Forces Helicopters and Transports, and had met Bal and Shey there. He still remembered those days, little did he know how well he'd come to know, and love that pair. How close a bond he would join with them. Finishing up his work he spoke over the comm device, "Titan here, all finished, heading back in" a flustered noise could be heard on the other man, "Hell man, you trying to scare the shit out of me? You spend 20 minutes out there completely silent and then BOOM shriek into my ear like that?" The ex- Air Force Technical Sergeant smiled and shrugged, "Did I wake you from your nap?" and then heartily laughed.

Keeping the hatch opened, he put one of the crew members are guard detail, not wanting to close the hatch in case Bal and Shey needed a quick escape, he headed back to the cockpit where he pulled off the jacket and threw it over the shoulders of the high chair before slipping down into it. He heard a commotion but ignored it, Meditation was key to his mental survival. He had spent many years in his youth learning martial arts but had never known how key they would be NOT to his physical survival but his mental one. He used the meditation arts he had learned in several of the martial arts he had studied to clear his mind and relax. His sunglasses pulled over his eyes, one could even think he was sleeping by how calm he became. He relaxed, a deeper relaxation than anything but sleep could afford.

Suddenly a loud crash sounded overhead, his eyes snapped open, his fingers gripping his sunglasses and shoving them under his seat into a compartment. A red...beam..was the only word to describe it was flashing through the sky. Not bothering to take his gear off, he spoke into the comm device, "Please tell me you know what the fuck that was...." he said, not bothering to use call signs. His body starting to shake he looked out of the canopy and saw nothing, no life forms nearby, he saw dust rising in the direction Bal and Shey had left and shook his head, what kind of trouble were they bringing his way this time? Thumbing the engines on, he started up the ship ready for a quick take-off. Comm devices did not work long range enough to communicate with Bal and Shey, so they had not taken any. They did however have a walkie talkie, grabbing his from his belt loop he depressed the button and spoke, "This is Titan, What the hell is goin on out there?" He saw a hazy purple smoke rising from the planes and thought for a second a residue in the air, like leftover light from a ray of sunshine in the sky. Not knowing what he saw he blinked a few times, looking back at the walkie talkie he prayed they answered soon.