Michael stared at the orb in his hand with wondrous eyes, he ran his fingers around it even as the security agents began to question him. His entrance into the greater orb must have been alarming to the others in his group. He had been locked inside of it momentarily, though Mackenzie’s frantic banging against the outside of it had taken a backseat to the strange noises that emitted from the orb which he now clenched in his hand. The device was dead silent as he clenched it tightly in his palm.

“What the hell happened, Smith?” Gurrera asked him as the man took a glance at the orb, then back towards where the larger one used to be. It had since collapsed upon itself, a strange turn of events.

“I simply touched the outside of the larger orb, one part opened up to me and I stepped inside. Then it locked me in there with only this smaller orb in the direct center. This device was glowing, the only light inside the otherwise empty greater orb. I picked it up then the outside collapsed. The whole series of events felt so strange, it’s still very fresh in my mind. Excuse me if I did not properly explain it.” Michael stated in a straightforward tone of speaking.

Perhaps he would converse with Dr. Phillips or Mackenzie later about it, reveal how it made his systems react. They were the ones that knew of his true state of existence, he didn’t have to keep up the charade of being human around them.

“Are you hurt?” Edwards asked in a cautious manner of speaking as he too glanced at the orb.

“I feel fine, there was no pain in any of it. We should head back to the rest of the team, tell them about this.” Michael said with honesty. He did not recall any feelings of pain throughout the entire moment, just bizarre sensations, sights and sounds.

Then the android noticed the hordes of greyish-blue insects, as did the others on his team. Alien lifeforms? More feelings of fascination careened through Michael. Then his sensors picked up strange readings amongst the insects as he gazed at them. The faint blue glow they gave off caused him to blink in surprise. These lifeforms were not entirely biological, that realization only made the android more interested in them. As the group moved to join the others, he noticed some of the strange insects moving towards him. It was likely the orb he clenched had something to do with this. So many curiosities on this world that Michael wished to learn more about.

“You seeing this, Gurrera?” Agent Edwards asked his partner, even after listening to the brief chatter erupting on the comms, as a few Agents checked in with confirmation of “glowing insects” marching down the thick trunks of the strange trees that took over much of the area.

“Affirmative. I’m calling it in.” Gurrera said plainly in his slight Spanish accent, watching the several dozen fauna as they made their way slowly in unison. “Chief this is Gurrera, over.”

Scrambled sound waves came back in response, unsure if there was even a voice to go along with the distortion. The Agent again pinged the comms, only to receive the same gnarled feedback. Edwards did the same, however his communications unit failed to engage at all, giving off a dim indicator light on the receiver.

“Shit.” Edwards said shaking his head while fiddling with the unit’s console. “You think the others are experiencing the same interference?”

“Possible.” Gurrera said, keeping an eye on the insects that continued to converge near their position. “But we’re also closer to the center of this shelled-out shit hole of a city, so who knows if we just have the worst of it.”

Edwards smirked. “You’ve always been an optimistic guy G, I don’t care what anyone says about you.”

“A realist, hombre.” Gurrera gave a firm pat on his partner’s shoulder. “A realist.”

Agent Edwards looked over at Mackenzie who, at the moment, he couldn’t tell if she was intrigued or concerned about the current situation, or perhaps even both. Stepping closer to her, he pulled out the communicator’s battery pack and main controller from his vest pocket, and held it out toward the young girl.

“First of all Ms Newton, you put on one hell of a poker face.” He said with a grin. “And second, we’re having trouble with our communications, do you think you could take a quick look for me? And I say ‘quick’...” He turned his attention to the trees. “Because I don’t think we’ll be sticking around this area too much longer.”

Mackenzie nodded quietly as she took the controller from Edwards. She was a little confused at Edward’s statement. She had never had a good “poker face” and she had been told so on many occasions by Amara. Perhaps that’s because they had grown up together. Either way, Mackenzie thought she wasn't doing a good job hiding her uneasiness. Michael occasionally looked over at her with that quizzical and fascinated look.She tried to control her shaking hands as she looked over the device. All she wanted to do was to return to base as quickly as possible, though she was currently thankful for the distraction. She turned the device over, pulling a small tab off the back to reveal its insides.

“Ah, Agent Edwards?” She said looking back up after a few quick moments. “ As far as I can tell there is nothing wrong with the controller, something else must be interfering with it.” She then clipped the tab back into place and handed it back to Edwards.

The suddenly Mackenzie’s knees went a bit weak and her stomach lurched. She had to reach out and brace herself against Agent Edwards, who thankfully caught her. With all the excitement going on, she hadn't realized exactly how hungry she was. She needed to return to the Beast as quickly as possible before she got a major headache. Every now and then her blood sugar would drop if she didn't eat properly.

“Wooo, You alright Ms. Newton?” Edwards asked surprised, though his reaction was lighting fast. He held her steady for a moment letting her regain her composer.

“Yes, Sorry about that. I just need to eat something.” Mackenzie let out a deep breath. Edwards looked at her like he didn't believe her, still holding her. “ Hypoglycemia is a bitch sometimes,” she then smirked letting him know she really was alright. He let go hesitantly, but he rationalized that if she was making a joke she must be alright.

“Hey, if you two are done, I think we might want to get a move on. I would hate to be surrounded by these things” Agent Gurrera said not taking his eyes off the strange creatures.

Lance sat leaning back into his office chair with his feet up on his desk, turning the events of his investigation into the missing cryo-pod over in his mind.

"Noah, open a private link to my audio log, maximum security. Oh and muffle sound in the room and lock the door, wouldja?"

Done and done, Captain Lawrence.

Lance had always found that talking his problems out tended to help sort them, after all.

"Lance's Log, Entry 4476-A

"This investigation into the cryo-pod theft was just like the 3D jigsaws I used to play with as a kid. I could see all the angles, but none of them fit together right no matter how I turned them around. Doctor Riadne was definitely hiding something, she's got a mind like a razor, cold, sharp and dangerous. but I didn't like her for this case. The blood samples I ran by the lab said we were looking for someone with an iron deficiency and if Loretta Riadne had any more iron in her, her hips'd clang together when she walked. Besides, the suspect, whoever they were, came from the Nagasaki Conglomerate."

"The knife was another troubling aspect to all this. It'd have to belong to either military personnel or Ark-Sec, but what did that mean? If it was one of my own behind it, who could I trust? It was funny, but it was starting to seem like life was simpler and more honest back when I was a spy. I was suddenly looking around me and wondering which one of my own squad of fifty field agents might be a criminal. Which one of them was just wearing a costume instead of a uniform? The thought kept running around and around in my head so much it was starting to wear holes through my skull. If the knife was stolen instead, maybe the owner reported it to the Quartermaster's office, but that would only make the search worse."

"Either way, I had a headache burning like a quasar behind my eyes and nothing to quench it with, not like in the old days, when I could just down a shot of that awful mix of rum and engine fuel the pirates drank to burn away the excess thoughts. I was drier than a Martian Barchan and whenever I reachrd out for answers, it was like I was trying to see through a sandstorm. I got nothing for my trouble but empty dust to choke on. If my mother could've seen me then, maybe she'd laugh, knowing I was finally learning to appreciate the kind of stress she was under. I wished she was here, then. I wished for it even with all of our...issues. The old gal always did know just what to do. Until I could say the same, I...decided I was gonna walk the beat until I got to the Quartermaster, to see if my feet could think better than my brain."

Lance's Log, Entry 4476-A, End."

Lance slipped his feet off of his desk and stretched as he planted them down on the floor. "Noah, lock up my office after me, usual protocols. I'm going on patrol."

He walked out and ignored the electronic chirp of reply, but not before strapping two guns, a pair of stun batons and his knife onto himself and making sure he had his badge. Lance didn't particularly like the A.I., but he found it was easier if he treated it like it was just a sort of odd, omnipresent person. To do otherwise gave his martian sensibilities all sorts of uncomfortable feelings, for all that he'd spent plenty of time away from Mars. He walked out of his Quad's base with the sort of polite-but-busy smile he'd been perfecting ever since he got the job, though it brightened a bit towards the Lieutenant Péloquin, the bubbly, hyper-competent desk officer that managed his ever-growing inbox full of paperless paperwork. It wouldn't do to upset the most powerful person in the office and besides, he liked her well enough.

"Out for a drink, Boss?"

How was it that she managed to read his mind whenever he didn't want her to read it? As a matter of fact, why could almost all the women in his life manage that?

"Not at all, Lieutenant. I'm going on patrol duty, so that my feet can still walk the corridors by memory."

She gave him a sort of lopsided smirk, part understanding and part fake lecture

"As long as they 'remember' to actually take you someplace where you can eat and sleep eventually, Captain."

He gave her half a grin and change then walked out and into the ship proper.

It was time to get back to work.

Lt. Rorq with the Nyx team.
The lead geologist on site, Lt. Rorq, couldn't help but be annoyed by the tantrum and subsequent hovering of one of the members of the biology team. Such an ill mannered girl being near her precisely calibrated equipment nervous and she went to retrieve her Spectral Calorimetric-Seismometer. Since the order came down that no actual samples were to be retrieved she had to accept the next best thing: a digital recreation.

While there was no typical version of such a device to compare to, a calorimeter, seismometer, and spectrograph would each individually fit comfortably in the palm of one's hand. This variant however was hefty as it was built into a rather large powercell. The power was necessary as it projected thermal energy into objects to induce a phase change. It also recorded the results as charge projections and a form of molecular vector analysis. Once back on the ship those results would be converted into a true-life holographic recreation with the appropriate properties logged.

Lt. Rorq had tested the device several times throughout her life on substances the human race had already been reasonably familiar with, to ensured it worked, and was quite happy to extend it to substances in the far unknowns.

However, any geologist would quickly report there are few 'truely alien' geological phenomena in the universe. On a micro level everything is made out of about the same stuff, if not in slightly different configurations. She was interested to find some such configurations, but wasn't going to be disapointed if there wasn't any to be had.

---

SFC Calhound in Main Engineering.
"Rodger, Cap'n" Xaith said as he bit into an apple. "We'll get right on analysing that signal." The followup came at the punch of a button forwarding the request through maintenence. If this 'ping' that had been observed were a matter of some faulty equipment then they'd be the ones that'd know.

He breifly wondered whom was on shift to tackle it when his EEGARD answered his internal query by flashing a copy of the ASPECT schedule for the section. The information was dismissed with a thought as surveyed the scene to ensure Sasha hadn't gotten herself into trouble.

After the visual all-clear he returned to work. He still had a job to do after all, and those modular systems wouldn't build themselves. He was certain that R&D would have their own take on his proposal, but he wasn't prone to reading their responses as they so often included the words "reckless" and "insane".

---

Aria Summers in the Cathedral
After the ceremony of renewal came to an end the whole Geological Research Institute breathed a collective sigh of relief. There was some ongoing contention between those men and women of science whom did not share the religious affiliations of the witches, druids, and shamans that frequented their halls.

The ceremony itself did much to revitalize the spirits through reaffirmation of their worldly roots. Roods that now were laid in iron and steel rather than dirt and grass. Having celebrated a togetherness with the world around her Aria now struck out to re-establish her individuality, as one exists both in tandem with the world they live in, as well as apart from it.

Trusting in the living nature of vessel that surrounded her she simply again walked, but walked unattended. She walked with purpose but without direction, taking what ever path her gut told her to, and any elevator to its preschedualed destination.

For a brief window of time, several disjointed calls came through the comms at once, those that could be deciphered through the dense static were general acknowledgement and warning checks of “unknown organisms”. Even the military detachments covering the perimeter confirmed visuals on several “insect mounds” forming up from the ground in addition to the trees. However, once again the interference quickly severed any further chatter and left only static in its place. A mixture of anxieties washed through the civilian units, mainly the science teams, pushing them to hypothesize the situation at hand in hopes there was an answer. With the EM spikes shorting out comm transmissions, however, it would be near impossible to speak with their colleagues for additional intel. One of the science teams, however, concluded that the immediate presence of the glowing cobalt insects following the away team’s discovery and intervention of the scattered orbs was no coincidence...

[:: P2A-594 | Delta Third Unit - Research & Survey ::]
[:: K. Anderson | Agent J. Tripp | Agent D. Lanis ::]

“What's our recourse?” Agent Lanis asked the research assistant. “You have a theory, right? Any way to push these damn things back, because otherwise we were instructed ahead of time to pull you guys out and regroup at the Beast Command Vehicle.”

One of the male researchers had a small kit opened with tools included that facilitated sample extractions, labeling and cataloging, and various other field work functions. He held a datapad up toward the trees, snapping images of the tiny creatures and attempting to analyze their structure. However with the electromagnetic interference, establishing an accurate read on the insects was becoming increasingly frustrating, and the strange yet wonderful little creatures were not holding still long enough for a photo op.

“As you said, Agent, it’s just a theory.” The first researcher shook her head, flustered and realizing the shit luck they’ve been exposed to while on the planet has caused their research equipment to be about as useful as a screen door on a submarine. “But, what we can surmise by the insects’ sudden appearance as well as the path they’re taking, which seems to be primarily converging toward the orb, is that they are a kind of ‘reactionary defense mechanism’.”

“Attacking anyone who interferes...” The other Agent, Tripp, interjected while keeping a close eye on the insects as their numbers grew with each passing second.

“Probably more than likely protecting the orbs.” The first researcher concluded. “Considering they aren't specifically moving toward any of us at this time.”

The biologist, Karen Anderson, was situated closest to the “trees” she’d been examining earlier, and while packing up her supplies she spotted a tiny object fall from the faus branch, causing her to recoil. She then realized it was one of the insects landed onto its back; it's tiny legs moving at a high rate of speed as it attempted to upright itself. Intrigue and excitement took hold of the Biologist, as she leaned in for a closer look, her hand instinctively going for a small pair of forceps in one of the side pockets of her tool kit. The stainless steel tool slowly made it’s way closer to the insect, opening up the prongs on the tip just wide enough to secure the small creature without harming it.

Upon closer inspection, the insect’s supposed “biological” structure appeared much more metallic and it’s make-up resembling that of a nanomachine, it’s outer shell constructed of tiny “plates” forming a contiguous piece of armor over the body, and six thin needle-like legs perfectly designed to move independently of one another. The more fascinating aspect, however, was the bluish liquid that secreted from the insects undercarriage and ran down the tip of the forceps, causing a wisp of smoke to rise as it began the process of deteriorating the stainless steel compound at a slow pace.

Ma’am…

In deep thought & fascination, the scientist hadn’t noticed the voice addressing her from afar.

Ma’am...

“Ma’am!” Agent Lanis’ voice came louder and bolder, startling Karen, and causing her to drop the specimen. “I need you to move away from the tree, as it-” The Agent quickly realized that the young woman had been holding something when he walked up near her. “Ma’am was that one of the insects?” His tone was considerably less friendly. “You do realize we were given strict orders not to touch any flora or fauna, yes?”

“But I-”

“Not now.” He interrupted, pointing to the tree behind her. “Pick up your supplies and move, because whatever the hell you just did caught their attention.”

“What?...” The word was a mere whisper as a puzzled and frustrated expression washed over her face while she turned her attention to the large looming tree.

[:: P2A-594 | Alpha Second Unit - Perimeter & Recon ::]
[:: Captain B. Eccleson | Military Detachment Commander ::]

“Captain Eccleson.” One of the soldiers called out as he hustled across a small clearing where their commander was stationed, holding the remains of a damaged drone. “Those alien bugs have doubled in number and converging on the nearby orbs.” He lifted the disabled drone to eye level. “They've also taken out several of these, leaving gaps in the mesh energy field.”

“Damn it, this comm outage isn't helping either.” Eccleson shook her head. “We'll need to-” Her eyes suddenly grew wide. “Watch it, Sargeant!...”

Before the Captain could get another word in, a half dozen nanites scurried out from the dead drone, running up the soldier’s arm, and causing him to drop the machine in a fit of panic. “What the shit??” He shook his arm in an attempt to dislodge the creatures -Eccleson doing her best as well to swipe them away with her gloved hand- but neither were able to remove the threat that was quickly making its way up along the forearm of the soldier's environmental suit, and immediately burning through the tough material with it’s blue acidic liquid. He pulled at his glove, trying to unbuckle the sleeve in the process, but the insects were too far embedded by then…

“Sargeant! Keep your suit on-”

“FUCK!” The soldier grabbed his arm, ripping at the already deteriorating sleeve, as pain surged throughout his skin, working it's way up toward his shoulder, then neck, where the swarm left a trail of corrosive liquid that slowly began eating away at the man's flesh, exposing the underlayer of tissue and causing large amounts of blood and pus to develop along the opened wounds.

“I need a medic here, now!” Captain Eccleson frantically called out to the nearby squads, knowing that there were a handful of trained field medical units on standby...but were they ready for something like this?

Anxiety welled up in the commanding officer, as she could do nothing but watch the horrific scene unfold, the tiny creatures making short work of whatever defensive tactics they decided to employ. The young soldier fell to his knees, grabbing at his helmet’s neckpiece to pull it off, hoping he can rip the bugs from his already bloodied and torn skin. “Captain-...” His voice was raspy and garbled as he tried to reach out an arm that had degraded to nothing more than melted skin tissue and bone, his skeletal hand attempting to grab for Eccleson whose expression showed only fear, and petrified beyond words. Four or five soldiers, one of which was a medic, rushed up to the scene, some stopping in their tracks in confusion, disgust and the overwhelming feeling of helplessness. The soldier now lay writhing on the ground, it's face partially eaten away as the nano-creature’s continued path of destruction removed all signs of where eyeballs had been, leaving the sockets empty and hollow. And in between the agonizing shrieks from his desecrated vocal cords, an unspoken word remained frozen on the deteriorating flesh of his face that was clear enough for all of them to recognize…

RUN.

[:: P2A-594 | Delta First Unit - Research & Survey ::]
[:: M. Newton | M. Smith | Agent S. Edwards | Agent T. Gurrera ::]

Michael was close by the others at a brisk pace, holding tightly to the small orb he’d taken earlier, and couldn’t help but notice that several dozen insects seemed to be coming his way, no doubt to take back that which he found.

“This could be problematic” Michael said, as he tried to stay on track with the others, all the while watching the converging creatures. The distance slowly began to grow between him and the rest of the group as Michael’s processors focused on the insects themselves, attempting to hypothesize their true nature and origin by running various scans at one time and cross referencing them with insects of similar type already located in his database. Aside from his initial findings of their nanotechnological makeup and defensive protocols, he could find no other reasoning for their existence on the planet.Perhaps they were some sort of defense force?

Curiouser and Curiouser as his mind went further down the rabbit hole.

The android found himself disconnected from the other group, swallowed up by the dense flora, and now playing host to dozens of bluish insects that seem to have nothing better to do with their time than bother Michael.

“Is this what you want?” He said, holding the orb up as the insects did, in fact, gravitate toward the metallic sphere, but did not harm his body on their trek. If it was a closer look he wanted, he certainly got it, as the insects did not pay much attention at first to the android’s presence so much as what he held. However, their intent grew more aggressive as they clearly wanted the orb back, to release it from the stranger’s hand, and perhaps even return it to its point of origin. Their tiny bodies worked as one to pry the orb from Michael’s strong grip, and as they realized the futility of such a feat, their next plan was to remove the stranger’s hand.

“This I can not allow,” Michael stared at the nanites, almost as though he could read their next move. “My apologies for this.” And with that, the android sent a strong enough electromagnetic pulse from his body which caused the insects to scatter by the impact, a few of which appeared to have shorted out while hitting the ground. And if that hadn’t been enough, the spike of energy used by Michael caused his body to suddenly shut down and collapse like a ton of bricks to the forest floor.

Meanwhile, the team’s lead -Agent Edwards- took point, with his partner Gurrera pulling up the rear while keeping a visual on the blue insects and their quickening pace, some decidedly leaping from tree to orb, and others breaking off to swarm the hovering drones that were activated earlier to create a protective mesh over the entire survey area. Several of the tiny insects appeared to take flight momentarily, giving them enough momentum to cross the large expanse between each drone, and latch onto the lightweight polycarbonate frames, a few landing on the undercarriage as well as the top. Electrical currents emitted from the drone’s circuitry developed upon their landing, engulfing the nano-creatures in thin light blue tendrils, which in turn, caused the drones to short out and drop from their aerial positions.

“What the hell?...” Edwards sidestepped a rapidly descending drone, followed by another, and yet another. “These damn things are taking down our defenses, let's pick up the pace folks!”

The Agent turned his attention to Kenzie who stuck close by and seemed to be faring pretty well considering she was physically exhausted, and yet he couldn’t help but to worry about her no matter how stubborn she might be. Oddly enough though, he’d never had the luxury of “worrying” about anyone in his line of work, which was probably good considering the current state of things. But either way, he liked her and hoped she felt the same, even though he wasn’t always the best at noticing subtle signs from the opposite sex, but he silently promised himself that he’d ask her out once they returned to the Vitae.

“Ms. Newton, look out!” If by instinct alone, he quickly pulled the girl a few feet to one side as two of the drones came crashing to the ground, causing several nano-insects to scatter in opposite directions, two which happened to scurry up the girl’s boot and leg. Kenzie screamed something fierce, alerting Gurrera and the science crew as well, while Agent Edwards knelt down attempting to brush the creatures from the bio-suit. He knocked one off, which went flying into the thick shrubs several feet away, the other he caught with his gloved hand, which quickly burrowed itself into the thick material, burning a hole through and into his skin..

“Damn it!” Edwards exclaimed, as a quick and dirty stinging pain shot up his wrist.

“What happened?” Mackenzie chimed in, her eyes widened and unaware of the insect that slipped under the Agent’s clothing in all the excitement.

Edwards frantically pulled off the glove and unfastened the suit’s sleeve exposing his arm where he could see the single blue insect tearing its way through the man’s forearm. He clenched his teeth, writhing in pain from the poison secreted from the insect’s body, which slowly ate away at the surface tissue and underlying muscle. To make matters worse, his oxygen levels were becoming dangerously low due to the breach. Gurrera, not wasting any time at all, grabbed his partner’s arm, and applied pressure right near the creature’s path, stopping it in it’s tracks, before pulling out a tactical knife from his belt sheath.

“This is gonna hurt hombre…”

Before the other even had a chance to respond, Gurrera jabbed the black steel blade straight into the area where the nano-insect had stopped -near the elbow bend- causing the small creature to spasm and Edwards to shriek and attempt to recoil from the man’s iron grasp.

“Hold still bud, almost there…” The blade dug around into the open wound for what seemed like an eternity to the poor bastard on the receiving end, but Gurrera was able to extract the dead insect and crush it under his size thirteen boot in one fell swoop without even giving it a second thought. He grabbed a small roll of utility tape and wrapped it around the remaining part of the sleeve near Edwards bicep to cut off any further escaping air pressure, allowing the oxygen levels to begin normalizing. Once that was finished, he handed Kenzie a piece of gauze and directed her hand to apply pressure to the man’s wound, instructing her to keep it there until they make it back to the ship.

“Alright. We good? Great.” Gurrera said flatly, patting his partner on the back. “Let’s get the fuck out of here.” He paused for a moment and looked around.

“Wait. Where the hell is that ‘Smith’ guy?...”

[:: P2A-594 | Alpha First Unit - Research & Survey ::]
[:: Chief G. TreVayne | Agent F. Phillips | A. Locke ::]

The group had just left the survey area, as there was no reason to stick around any longer with the threat they faced. The two-person science team stayed securely between the Sec Agents, as did Amara and her pet, as they quickly traversed through the jungle’s dense landscape. For a moment, the Chief could hear the incoming screams through comms static, the voices of others coming in digitized and broken, pleading and warning of things they didn’t understand nor could do much about. And then the voices ceased. But he knew what was happening, as the same hell being brought down on the other teams was also unfolding at a rapid pace within their survey zone. Gavon watched as the network of hovering drones were being systematically destroyed by the invading army of incandescent insect-like creatures, which turned out to be more than your garden variety “bug”. The science team’s theories about them being mostly -if not all- machine were probably true, and as much so as they wanted to collect the specimens for future study, the Chief’s instructions were clear and enforced to ensure they didn’t disrupt the balance of things on a planet they barely knew anything about. But it was too late for that. Their presence was known all too well at this point, and a price was being paid for interfering with their alien homeland.

“Phillips, any word from Eccleson’s crew?”

“Negative, Chief.” The Agent switched between a vast number of frequencies, each coming up with little to no coherent communication, his hand every-so-often moving up to the visible wound across his cheek where one of the insects latched on from their initial attack.

“GPS sensors are fucked as well, making it impossible to track their whereabouts.” Gavon tapped at the datapad before placing it back in his bag. “At this point we need to assume they’re all returning to the Beast.

Whatever instigated the small creatures to press down as they did, remained back at the survey area, leaving a relatively clear path south-west to the Command Vehicle. Amara’s dog, Cody, however, alerted the team to yet another entity, drawing attention to the fact that it was trailing them. It was the same unknown which crossed their path twice earlier back at the survey zone, although it was uncertain whether the creature following them was alone or not, it was fast and moved through the thick foliage like a wisp of black smoke. By Gavon’s estimation, they were roughly half a klick from their Command Vehicle, and most likely double that distance from the Nyx. Either way, they had no recourse at this point.

Unable to use computerized means of scanning due to the lingering electromagnetic interference, Gavon surveyed the immediate area with his normal sight and noticed the dark form of the creature as it passed between two trees, it’s form no larger than a medium-sized animal. It seemed to be creating it’s own perimeter around the group, most likely waiting for an attack of opportunity as it continued the looping path. Phillips signalled to the Chief, and pointed up toward the trees ahead of them, where several dozen insects were scurrying down the trunks, blanketing the tree with a blue glow along it’s descending path.

Gavon slowed his pace as did the others, stepping within whispering distance. “We need to clear this area now before these things come down on us like a shit storm.” He said, pointing to the line of tall trees ahead which were now being overrun by the bugs. “On me...” He caught a glimpse of a small open area to their left, and pointed toward that way. “Go!”

The group took off as fast as their feet could carry them, but only for a short distance as the tiny blue creatures did something remarkable, and yet altogether potentially deadly, stopping the entire group in their tracks before they were even able to make their escape. The insects had quickly and efficiently linked themselves together and formed a “net” that spanned several meters high between the surrounding trees, essentially boxing in the team. A low humming sound emitted from the connected insects, as it also appeared that an electrical field was developing which coursed through the tiny carapaces and engulfed the “cell” that was created.

“Clearly we’re not dealing with mindless bugs.” One of the scientists blurted out in a fearfully optimistic tone of voice. “But if I’m gonna die, I’m glad it’ll be from something as cool as this!”

“Shut up, Collins.” His partner scolded, hitting him in the back of the helmet.

Cody growled at the bugs, pulling at Amara’s tight grasp that she currently had on his collar, knowing that the dog would most likely do something as stupid as crash through the barrier.

“Enough of this shit.” Gavon said, slipping the ARX-59 rifle from his shoulder and at the ready, aiming the laser sight at a specific ahead near the lower part of the net. “Phillips, focus on that point.”

“I’m on it Chief” He said, aiming his rifle at the target area.

“Fire.”

Bullets streamed across at a high rate of fire, pounding the focus area enough to disrupt the creatures, causing the net to waver, but doing nothing to open up a gap in the slightest. Another stream of shots went off with the same futile conclusion. No breach of the net.

“Uh...Chief?...” One of the scientists was backing away from a large swarm that had taken flight and was converging down on them. “I think you just pissed them off!”

Nearby, echoing from the darkness of the low lit area of the forest, a piercing howl was heard, followed by another coming from a different area, and then another after that. A sudden explosion initiated from the outer part of the electrified net caused the insects to scatter, and a black wispy dog-like creature barreling through what was now a large gap in the force field. Another came from behind the group, and a third, same result, systematically breaking down the wall of insects and causing the massive linked swarms to retreat in various directions. The “shadow wolves” moved quickly, the wispy tendrils surrounding them lashing out at the remaining insects, their powerful jaws crushing them two or three at a time, swiping at several that came within inches of the group, and knocking them out of the air so they could be disposed of. The entire scene unfolded within seconds it seemed, as the mysterious dark creatures left the insects in a wave of confusion, clearing the majority of them from the immediate area.

The only sound heard was that of Amara’s dog whimpering in the presence of the alphas, shaking enough to cause the medical equipment on the animal’s harness to rattle, and hiding behind his master in the face of the three wolves. The dark wispy tendrils that surrounded the creatures came to a rest, until they faded away and left what appeared to be a typical wolf form but with thick, black fur and ominous glowing red eyes. They made no sounds, but simply stood there, unprovoked, and essentially non-threatening, regardless of their frightening appearance. No one in the group moved at that point, unsure what the creature’s next action would be, but to their relief, the three animals turned and bolted back into the thick of the forest, disappearing into the shadows from whence they came.

Everyone let out a long-held breath of air, and Gavon, pulling out the datapad from his rucksack, was pleasantly surprised to see the GPS tracking software back online, with the Beast Command Vehicle and Nyx locations noted on the screen.

“Chief TreVayne, this is Captain Eccleson, do you copy?” The transmission came over the comms clearer than ever, eliciting a wave of excitement from the others in the group as they could hear various chatter from their scattered crew mates.

“Eccleson, dammit it's good to hear a voice over this thing finally. What’s your location?” Gavon responded, waving his team over as they continued their path toward the Beast.

“Chief, we’re enroute to the Beast, and the Shriek scout patrols are heading back to the Nyx.” Eccleson’s voice sounded distressed, with an underlying uneasiness in her tone.

“Captain did everyone make it out okay?”

The comms had nothing but silence for several seconds, and thinking that they lost transmission again, Gavon was about to repeat himself until…

“No. It was a massacre Chief. A god damn massacre...”

The first thing that hit her senses, was the sound of running water. Then came the smell. The smell of raw sewage and rotted meat, her breathing increased as she panicked. Forcing her eyes open she realized that she was blindfolded, raising her arms to take the blindfold off there was pain in her wrists then a clang as the binders on her wrists stopped her from moving fully. This wasn't right, what could she remember? She raised her voice "Help!" Last she had known, she was being chosen- no she had been chosen. "Heeeeeeelp!" She went into cryosleep. The doctor... Laurel? Lauren? No.... Loretta Raidne. She had put her into sleep, assured her she wouldn't be woken up until they had found a planet to settle on.

She was told how the process worked. "HEEEEEELP!" Her whole body ached, yet she had been told she'd feel refreshed. Had something went wrong? Though if she had been awoken properly then why was she bound and blindfolded? Why did she hear water? This wasn't the cryo bay. Then she stopped, her breathing heavy. She could feel her heartbeat in her ears, her heart sounding like it was ready to jump out of her chest. There were footsteps approaching, she could hear the water splash up as the person's feet touched down. Soon she realized it was more than one person, as they moved to surround her.

She wanted to scream out, to ask them to help her. Though, what if these were the people that brought her here?

"She's awake." She heard one of them speak, drawing in a Fed accent reminiscent of the old Western movies.

"Then it is time, my brothers." This time it was much more southern, deep and thick. She couldn't place it, maybe somewhere in Africa?

She struggled against the bindings, though made no oral complaint as footsteps came closer. She felt the person's hand on her face, struggling until the blindfold was removed. She squinted as the light shone brightly into her eyes, at first everything was a blur. Then she noticed she was in some kind of maintenance hallway. Similar to those of many structures she had worked in on Mars. Finally she mustered up the courage to speak.

"Whats going on? Where am I? Who are you people?"

Again the implacable voice spoke up, obviously the leader. He stepped forward, as she focused on him she saw his scarred visage as he stood tall over her. Her attention soon turned to the knife he held in his hand, pressing the tip against her chest. That's when she first noticed that she was barely clothed, if her heart were to beat any faster she had no doubt that it would basically jump onto the knife. "We are the truth-" He raised his knife and pointed it around the circle. "-We know that humanity, we weren't' meant to survive the apocalypse. It was our time, the Gods rained down hell upon us, and what did we do? We ran. Some of us were chosen to flee, an' here we are. We are the ones who'll bring about the en' as it was mean' to be. Then afta? Well y'know it, we be welcomed by th' Gods to sit at dere table."

"You're... you're talking about the Devastators?"

"NO!" He slapped her with his other hand, and she tasted blood. As her head twisted she got a good look at a couple of the other people in the circle. All of them appeared to be missing one or two fingers, were they that clumsy? She felt his tight grip around her face as he twisted her head to face him. One of his eyes was pure white and damaged with most of his face being scarred and burnt. "That are what the unbelievers call them, they don't understand that we were meant to be cleansed for our sins. All of us." He grinned, his teeth yellow and rotten.

"Then what do you want with me? I'm just a tech, I work on terraformers!"

He laughed as he let go of her and turned, pointing the knife right at her. "Glad you asked that. You see-" He turned addressing the room other than her. "I knew, that security was gonna crack down wheneva I took someone from a pod. Originally, I was gonna go for that religious leader they just unfroze. A sign that you can't get away when Gods come knocking at tha door. Y'know? Then I had a dream." He turned back around, pointing the knife at her. "You were there, and I saw you standing in the way of our plans." He chuckled. "The rest, well. It's history."

He walked over to her, placed the blade of the knife against her throat. She was worried to even swallow, holding her breath lest the knife cut her. "What we want? Is your flesh. We feed on you, and we become more like the Gods. We please them so that when we die we can be at their side. You know?"

She needn't have held her breath, as soon as everything went black. The last thing she ever heard was the group chanting, something she didn't quite understand.

---

William sat in his office, he hated Amara being down on the planet more than he felt he had ever hated anything. Well, except maybe her deciding to take a career in the military rather than just the standard service. While he was immensely proud he never liked the idea of her serving in the military, putting herself in the line of fire. That however was probably part of his job as being a father, as only a father could feel both proud and paranoid at the same time. The only thing that could worry him more was if Amara were to get in a long term relationship, but that was for entirely different reasons. Namely the prospect of being a Grandfather. He wasn't that old yet, was he?

He shook himself out of his reverie. On the screen before him were reports of Chizuru Yama-Uchi, from weapon stats to what he knew about the Daedalus project. He had a couple of other people from the Conglomerate on the ship who had implants that had stemmed from the project. The thing that grated him was that she had snuck aboard, not to mention she seemed a little stuck up in assuming that she was the one that would save them all. He wasn't buying it though, from the feed given to him by her security escort on her way to Eden he saw a different side of her. She was still human deep down underneath, and part of him felt sorry for her. Was that stolen from her? Yes she joined the project but, she lost her main tie to humanity to a point where she wasn't quite either a machine or a person.

That said William was determined to use her presence to his advantage, once she proved herself trustworthy he had no doubt she could be of use on away missions. Hell she was basically built into an exoskeleton and atmospheric suit, when hazardous missions came up she'd be the most robust member of his crew to go on them. Maintenance was wasting her, though could she be patient and wait for her time to shine? If she could where would that lead her? She had requested to join the security detachment but did he want her under civilian authority? Especially with forming an actual government, or did he want her under military control where he could keep a closer eye on her? Besides if she did something while under military law that would place him in a position where he could court martial her with relative ease, rather than having legal jargon sprung on him.

He sighed and with a wave of his hand all the data was gone, now on his screen was the data on Aria Summers. He watched the recording as she left her pod, she was an unknown entity. While he knew everything about Kevin Ford, and his record. He was someone he trusted, as he exhumed an air of trust. Aria was much more of an unknown entity, put on his ship as some Earthers felt it would save them from fire and brimstone or some spiritualistic nonsense she had a following as what he could only believe to call a cult. He couldn't act on it as well, religious freedom was accepted throughout all human nations so long as it didn't bring anyone to harm. So for now, he just had to wait and observe. "Noah-" Before he could finish his command the avatar of the A.I. appeared.

"Admiral, there is a matter that requires your attention. The away team is under attack."

William stood up straight away. "Sound general quarters to all fighter pilots, tell the Commander I want a full SITREP by the time I reach the command centre."

"Aye Sir."

Amara was in hell.

She could hear the screams in the static as the other teams were being attacked by the insects that were currently trying to exterminate the human invasion of their planet. The same insects that were currently chasing Amara and her team through the jungle. Not being able to help was killing her and Amara felt an urge to go running off to try and help the others who were screaming in pain. She knew that would be futile though, especially when Phillips confirmed that the GPS signal wasn't working. They had no idea where the other teams were anymore so the best course of action was to regroup at the Beast and treat any injured parties that made it back.

One of the science team stumbled as he ran but Amara was at his side before he even hit the ground, hoisting him back to his feet and barking at him to keep moving. His breathing was heavy and eyes were wide in fear. Understandable, given the situation. She knew that most of these scientists had never been anywhere near a combat situation and were more at home in their labs so the first hint of danger sent them into a panic. He hesitated for a moment as he looked over his shoulder in the direction they had come from but Amara shoved him forward and insisted that he keep moving. This was more her military training than her medic training. She didn't care if his feelings were hurt by being shoved around. So long as he made it back in one piece, she had done her job.

When they started moving again, Amara cast a glance over at Phillips and the wound on his face. There was no time to stop and treat it now. It didn't look life threatening anyway so he could wait. He was a big boy. He could deal.

Cody, meanwhile, had paused momentarily as he caught the scent of something in the air. He turned his head in the direction of the scent and gave a soft bark to alert the humans. Whatever it was was moving too quickly for him to get a good look at but it seemed to be racing around them in a wide circle and Cody felt dizzy trying to track it. His attention was quickly drawn away from the mysterious creature though as one of the humans alerted the group to something above them. Those damn bugs were back again. Cody heard Amara mutter something under her breath before the humans began running again and he followed after.

"What the...?" Amara asked no one in particular as the group ground to a halt in front of the net of bugs. She had never seen anything like this. She squinted at the bugs as she heard one of the scientists comment on how cool it was. She actually had to agree. Although she had the sense not to comment on it. That or their impending death. She noticed Cody move up beside her as he started to growl at the creatures. Cody's mood seemed to have shifted entirely. He was no longer the playful idiot. Body low to the ground and eyes locked on the creatures in front of him, he seemed like a much more dependable companion to have around in a situation like this. But Amara grabbed hold of him nonetheless, knowing exactly what he was thinking. Cody's instinct in situations like this was to protect his pack by any means necessary. Much like Amara. Even if that meant throwing himself at the bugs and trying to take down as many as possible. Amara knew that would do little good though, especially with that dumb helmet on. Cody jumped slightly as TreVayne and Phillips opened fire on the creatures but Amara felt him ease slightly. Unfortunately, the bullets seemed to have little effect on the enemy.

What happened next was both amazing and terrifying.

Amara's eyes widened and locked on the black shadows that emerged from the forest and began attacking the bugs. As fascinating as the bugs were, these things were even more so. While they looked somewhat like Earth canines, they didn't appear to be carbon based life forms. Amara almost forgot to be afraid during the chaos that was happening around her and wished she could somehow record these things. She snapped out of her thoughts on bizarre alien biology when an insect leaped at her and came within half a foot of latching onto her face before being swatted out of the air by one of the shadow wolves.

It was all over almost as quickly as it had begun and as things quietened down, the group stared at their mysterious saviors who stared back for an intense moment before disappearing again. Amara had barely noticed Cody scurry around behind her legs but now that everything had gone silent, the sound of him whimpering was painfully obvious to her. She dropped down to a knee and wrapped her arms around him in an attempt to comfort him. It seemed to work but not entirely and the group didn't have time to hang around so he would have to suck it up for now.

The group continued on and TreVayne finally managed to raise the Beast on the comm. The news from Eccleson was hardly what Amara had been hoping for.

She was going to have a lot of work to do.

"Fuck fuck fuck!"

The ordinarily composed Lieutenant was screaming at her equipment as she kicked it into the dirt. Not a woman who wastes words, Lt. Rorq had three reasons for the three fucks she gave and didn't even begin to pack as she desperately tried to get back to the ship. Instead she quickly switched her machines to passive scan mode while having them forward their results through the linking pylons that boosted their comm signal as much as it did. "The ore vein I had my eye on when we were in orbit," she explained the first fuck to all those present, "It moved."

Cobalt, and other ferromagnetic metals, had many applications in computer, engineering, and other technical designs. Since they left orbit, she had geo-tagged a number of worthwhile veins of materials worth mining for the Vitae even if the planet didn't prove stable for long-term colonization. The initial readings, thanks to the planet's interference, seemed to imply that some geological phenomena had mixed a number of metals together through vein melting and intermix. New evidence, however, suggests that was no the case.

"That's not all, that interference field shifted too!" That was the second fuck as she quickly postulated, while manipulating her machinery, that the field is a byproduct of the swarms. For a collective field of planetary scale to affected by microscopic creatures, they must outnumber all the drops of water in the ocean. The implications from electrostatics alone were massive and unnerving. While she couldn't be sure whether or not the nanites were machines, even if they weren't, neuro-electric activity through a cobalt shell would be equally as disruptive as synthetic electrical current. At least, on the macroscopic scale of microscopic entities.

She finished programming her machines to automate and relay the scans for as long as they were in range, or, for as long as they remained operational whichever was longer. The explanation of the third fuck came as she turned to the biologist who had been hovering over her minutes before. "The vector field has ordinality, direction, and acceleration." The statement spoke for itself, as neither of which are naturally occurring phenomena among non-intelligent life. While she couldn't even begin to guess at the type of intelligence, be it rudimentary primal intelligence, or highly sophisticated advanced intelligence, she knew one thing. It was time to go. She frantically locked back from the biologist to the military escort as she snugly secured her pack to her back.

"We need to get to the ship before they do."

[:: Natalie TreVayne ::]
_{( Part 1 of 2 )}

The sulfuric stench assaulted her senses ten fold, as the tightly strapped gas mask was torn from her face, exposing lungs to the permeating radioactive chemicals her system hadn’t become accustomed to. Not like those who lived here in the rot and wastes of what was once the Russian capital. They’d developed an almost inhuman way of dealing with the constant threats of poisoning, the fallout from a war long passed, but the scars and massive devastation never went away no matter how hard you scrubbed. It was in that moment that her mind desperately wanted to leave her body, as the cold steel of the high caliber handguns muzzle was pressed firmly against her temple, the awful sweaty stench of the Brotherhood terrorist and his sadistic words in her ear, and the lone man they fought against. Natalie's heart pounded, her head hurt like hell, and the only thing keeping her alive at the moment was the supposed cooperation of a man she'd never met. A man who'd once been one of them. Shots suddenly fired, and the woman was sure she was dead, until the one who held her at gunpoint staggered from a hit, giving her the opportunity to grab his weapon and shoot her captor point blank in the head. She quickly scanned the room and yet saw nothing, her mysterious savior vanished. Natalie had been through this already and she knew it, once for real, and in countless recurring nightmares. But what changed? Where is he? Something told her to turn her attention back to the bloodied man on the floor….

No!

“Gavon!”

Emerald eyes shot open, startled from her own voice and the nightmarish sequence that had repeated itself during her sleeping hours as though it were on a relentless loop. The sights, smells, and momentary feeling of helplessness were all there, tangible even. It was over ten years ago when that scenario had been real, her life hanging in the balance, one trigger pull away from never knowing what the future held, never moving on in her career, never falling in love and marrying the man who saved her fragile life.

Just a single bullet is all it would have taken…

Natalie -realizing she’d fallen asleep in her quarters- looked over instinctively, hoping that her husband would be there, back home and safe, but the empty bed and unruffled pillow said otherwise. She sat up and pivoted herself on the bed until her feet touched the floor, noticing then she was still in uniform from her long shift hours ago. It wasn’t the first time, nor would it be the last, as sleep -uninterrupted or otherwise- just came when it did, and a few hours was better than none at all. She placed both hands on either side of her forehead, attempting to massage away the tension built up, and the migraine that she felt developing like a sleeping giant waiting to emerge. It was only the icing on the cake as far as she was concerned, as even her muscles ached and neck felt stiff from a day of work-related stress, but moreso her anxiety of Gavon’s mission. She thought it silly that she'd miss him so soon, less than twenty-four hours if she recalled, and yet a nagging feeling in the back of her mind didn't want to let it go. Had something happened? Should she contact the Admiral for more information? A series of questions surfaced, but eventually she snapped herself out of foolish and paranoid thoughts, and resolved to head to the refresher, clean herself up, and relax both physically and mentally.

The ambient lighting, followed by flickering-turned-solid illumination of the large vanity mirror over the sink, came to life as she entered the refresher station, wincing at the stark contrast. “Dim lights fifty percent.” She finally said, not wanting to contend with the artificial overhead and wall lights, that slowly and subtly dimmed to a more bearable level as her vision readjusted accordingly.

“You look like shit, Nat.” She mused at the sight of herself in the mirror: disheveled short, dark hair, tired eyes, and streaks of black mascara that had run down her cheeks while she slept, caused by tears that welled up and had no other direction to go than down the sides of her smooth visage. Her eyes closed momentarily as she took a deep breath in through her nose and out her mouth, doing her best to clear the shit from her head, as she reopened only to stare back at the same person she’d seen moments ago. The medicine cabinet directly under the mirror slid open at the touch of a button, and Natalie reached for the aspirin bottle, pausing for a moment as her eyes shifted to the smaller bottle of painkillers prescribed to “G. TreVayne” which were slightly hidden behind a few other personal hygiene products. Gavon had never been one for taking medicine, especially indicated by the nearly full bottle of pills, and he hadn’t needed those since a training injuring six months ago, resulting in massive shoulder pain for a week. Yet, considering his stubborn streak and putting his position and crew first, he’d continued doing his job for that time period, with or without the narcotic.

“Fuck it.” Natalie said plainly, needing something stronger than the over-the-counter pain reliever.

She opened the bottle and poured out two of the round white tablets, double the prescribed dosage, and popped them in her mouth, chasing them down with a couple of handfuls of water. “Shower temp one-oh-five degrees Fahrenheit”. The stainless steel head opened up, as water gently cascaded into the empty shower stall, giving it time to warm up while she peeled off the layers of her Ark Sec uniform. Natalie was never particularly fond of uniforms, even though she'd been wearing them most of her life, even through various private Catholic schools as a child. Although, in retrospect, that may have been the cause of her aversion. She turned to the taller mirror and examined her naked body, running a free hand down to her torso where the scar tissue remained, just below her belly button, from a surgery years ago that would remind her of just how broken she was. Four months into her pregnancy, she lost the child that she'd never even had a chance to know. Both she and Gavon had names picked out for either gender, and only on that terrible day did they find out that their little girl developed a cancerous anomaly that caused irreparable damage to the fetus, killing the unborn within days after. Her index finger traced the edge of the eight inch long partially-faded scar, yet she hadn't cried this time, knowing their child was safe from ever having to endure the universe as they currently knew it.

Why would anyone want to be born during a time such as this?

Natalie stepped into the warm, steam filled shower and stood there with her head bowed and eyes closed, allowing the water to run down her body and hopefully wash away the emotions that never seem to disappear no matter how hard she tried to repress them. The heat slowly began relaxing away the day’s tension, her neck and shoulder pains dulling, and soon enough the pain killers would do the rest. Yet thoughts and memories spanning years in the past continued to flood in all at once and she wished in this instance that her brain could be switched off for the rest of the day so she didn’t have to think or feel.

Gavon. She felt his strong hands caressing her bare skin, his warm kiss on the back of her neck that made her spine tingle, and could hear the right words whispered in her ear that brought a smile to her face...but she knew he wasn’t really there. Instead, he’d been a series of memory flashes, those times when she needed his comfort, his voice, his scent, his touch. Those moments when she couldn’t be strong on her own and she needed him there, with her, for her. “Dammit Gav.” Was all she could muster up under her breath, as though she were blaming him for abandoning her. But this wasn’t the case at all, as she was well aware of his responsibilities to the ship and the mission, but it didn’t change the fact that she’d worried about him. But why shouldn’t she as his wife? Wouldn’t it be more alarming not to worry about someone you love?

By this time, as with any mind-altering narcotic, the inevitable wave of euphoria was creeping its way into her system, and the relentless flood of thoughts seemed to become more absurd as impaired judgement became a slow burn. Natalie washed, and let her mind wander, knowing she will most likely not get much sleep in the next few hours, but rather needed a distraction from all the nonsense rolling around in her head. There were a handful of girlfriends she could call, some who were less judgemental than others, but still good company nonetheless. But, company isn’t exactly what she wanted, but rather ambience. A slight grin formed on the corner of her lips as she thought of the one place where there was plenty of that…

The Hub.

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

Along with a half dozen citizens, most appearing to be ending their work day, Natalie sat and waited at one of the countless transit system’s stopping points within the Ark, deciding she’d take the public routes to her destination rather than the usual, and more efficient, “Security Access” which ran on a different set of lines and were for official use only, cutting down on unnecessary people traffic and delays. Dressed in her dark gray workout sweats, running shoes, and a faded maroon “Texas A&M” hoodie, she did her best to simply blend in for the evening, not even bothering with the fuss of makeup and simply securing her short hair with a few small clips and a black band. It was, for all intents and purposes, an attempt at putting her position and title aside for a break from an otherwise strictly professional life. Most of the patrolling Agents wouldn't recognize her anyway, as they didn't generally work within the same department or sector, but Natalie was fine with that as she wasn't comfortable in the spotlight if it could be helped.

A low hum followed by the slight high pitched tone from hydraulic brakes of the standard thoroughfare transport snapped her out of the drug induced reverie she'd fallen into as the painkillers continued to numb just about everything. A wry grin formed as the transport’s double doors opened and she noticed one of the Sec Agents posted near the rear.

“Well this should be interesting.” She mumbled under her breath, musing at the thought of essentially being high while riding public transportation, a misdemeanor that could land one in a holding cell for at least twenty-four hours, as well as incur a hefty penalty. So she did what any upstanding citizen, currently under the influence, would have done. Played it cool until something stupid happened, and fortunately, Natalie could hold quite the poker face.

The ride had been, for the most part, relaxing and uneventful, slipping down into the cushioned seats, she let her body go limp and her eyes focused on the various static advertisements that flashed on the viewing screens while she waited. There were several stops, residential districts mostly as people loaded and unloaded along the way, until one of the last stops of the circuit -The Hub- came up, and Natalie had completely zoned out by that time, unaware she was the only passenger left and was about to miss her intended destination. The transport continued on, rounding the bend that would bring it up to it’s final stop before looping back to the start of its journey. Natalie’s head turned to gaze out of the side window, watching as the familiar sights of the neon-lit restaurants, pubs, and smaller shops were left behind, and only a moment or two after the fact did she realize her blunder.

“Shit!” She exclaimed, standing up from her seat and noticing that she had, in fact, missed the Hub. The Security Agent standing in the far corner turned his attention to the woman in the maroon hoodie, watching curiously as she pulled the “all stop” lever, causing the transport to slow rather abruptly, which resulted in her stumbling face first into the hard plastic arm of the adjacent seat.

“Ma’am, are you okay?” The Agent rushed over to help the woman, pulling a small First Aid kit from the leg pocket of his cargo pants when he’d noticed a bit of blood running from her nostril to her lip. “Hold tight miss, let me grab some gauze for that.”

“For what?” Natalie slurred, as she instinctively touched her lip and noticed blood on her fingertip. “Ooohhh...that…”

The Sec Agent placed the gauze against her nose, wiping up the blood that escaped, and holding it there for a moment. “Ma’am, tilt your head back until the bleeding has stopped.”

“I know, I know.” She managed to sound less intoxicated as she leaned her head back against the nearby seat. “Just...give me a minute.”

“While you wait, I’ll call in a medi-droid for you, it should-”

“No!” She quickly perked up, her eyes widened at the Agent’s words. “I mean, that won’t be necessary. I’m fine really. Just help me up, please?”

“Ma’am, I’d advise that you-”

“Agent!” She said in a sharp tone, staring into the young man’s eyes for a moment, and quickly letting her guard down, realizing he was doing his job perfectly and she was simply being a bitch. “Look, I’m sorry, but I’ll be fine, it’s just a little nose bleed. I can get off here…no problem.”

Natalie hoisted herself up, with aid from the on-duty guard, and took a moment to orient herself before heading to the exit in a somewhat hazy perspective, turning her head around slightly to focus attention on the other. “Thank you, by the way. And, um...nice work Agent.” She concluded with a coerced smile, as she stepped out onto the main walkway, the doors closing behind her and the transport continuing along it’s path. It took her a few seconds to realize that she was not far from the entrance to Eden, a place she probably needed more than her original idea. She checked for any more bleeding, and when it seemed to have stopped, shoved the gauze into her pocket and headed toward the inviting entryway to the massive “outdoor” green space.

Mackenzie let out a gasp of surprise and horror as Agent Gurrera plunged his knife into Agent Edward’s arm. With the skill of a surgeon, he gouged out the insect. Blood spilled down Edward’s suit, bicep, and began to pool into the ground. With one smooth motion Gurrera removed the invader and crushed it below his heavy duty boot.

The sound it made was not organic. It was a strangely familiar sound to Mackenzie. It reminded her of the sound of computer parts being crushed or broken. The insect’s guts even reminded her of the oil that lubricates the inside of clocks and other machines with moving parts.

With a jerk, her attention was quickly drawn back to the current situation. So many things were fighting for her attention that she didn't object when Gurrera instructed her to hold pressure to Edwards wound. Her body continued to tremble and staying focused was becoming increasingly difficult.

“What the fuck is wrong with that man?” She grumbled softly as Gurrera turned his back to them.

“Hey, that man probably just saved my life.” Edwards said defensively.

“hummm,” Mackenzie began a little indignant. “He didn't even hesitate before stabbing you.”

Men who were quick to violence made her uneasy. It was not something she thought she would ever get used to. Though she shouldn't be surprised that men like Gurrera were desirable to the military and security officials. Why try to be diplomatic when intimidation can be just as effective?

Edwards didn't know how to put Ms. Newton at ease. He could feel the slight tremor in her body as she held his arm. He found it odd that a person with Martian military experience would be so anxious in a situation like this.

Granted even he was unsettled by these dangerous insects. His arm hurt tremendously, but that pain pushed him forward. For a moment he couldn't help but wonder if he would have full use of it again.

“Let's just get back to Command” He said as he crushed several more of the bugs under his boot. He decided it was better to focus on getting them to safety.

Suddenly a burst of gunfire sounded from a nearby location. Edwards immediately lifted his weapon one handed. Which was uncomfortable and definitely not ideal.

“Fuck.” Edwards cursed as he turned towards the sound. He didn't immediately see Gurrera and He took several steps forward. However, he stopped as Mackenzie tugged at his wounded arm.

Mackenzie didn't have to say anything as she pointed up towards the top of the foliage surrounding them. A large mass of the insects passed overhead and swarmed on the path ahead of them. They were now effectively cut off from their teammates.

Edwards cursed again as he realized going forward would essentially be suicide. He was torn between wanting to attempt the rescue of his partner and getting Ms. Newton to safety. Not to mention he was wounded himself and longer they were out here the more likely he would lose the complete function of his arm.

Chizuru Yama-uchi & Natalie TreVayne
_{collab with @Rawk}

Reddish glow emanated from the entrance to Eden, its artificial twenty-four hour light cycle trudging towards evening. Most visitors to the huge greenhouse would cover their eyes as they left the dim metallic glow of the ark’s ‘streets’, and those who were on their way out cast long shadows on the floor ahead of them.

Such a shadow, though exceptionally large, greeted Natalie as she drew near the entrance. What appeared to be a pitch black angular giant split into three distinct figures. But before she could notice any details about them, the middle one darted towards her, two red orbs flashing at her from the middle of its head.

“Your attacker. Where is it?” it hissed at her, its eyes slightly brighter than the light inside. The other two swiftly closed the distance with loud metallic footsteps.

The woman’s eyes shot open while simultaneously being caught flat-footed by the ominous figure, causing her to throw her arms up in a defensive position only to stumble backwards almost immediately due to an unbalanced equilibrium, catching herself with both hands. Immediately both security droid escorts intercepted their charge, putting themselves in between the woman and her assailant. “Stand down Ms. Yama-uchi.” The droid’s modulated voice demanded. Natalie, disoriented from the painkiller’s effects and panicked at the sight unfolding ahead of her, tried to backpedal along the ground, pushing herself away.

“Wha…? What is this?” Was all she’d managed to blurt out while doing her best to avoid whatever was happening.

“You want me to stand down?!” the urgent, accentuated hiss now sounded very familiar. “Look at her!” And as the cyborg gestured at the fallen Ms. TreVayne she made a tiny step forward, grabbed one of the droids by the wrist and darted under its arm to stand on the woman’s other side. A perimeter was formed, at least until the guard droids’ next actions.

“I’d help you up but these guys would try to rip my head off if I touched you.” She said quickly, her flaming red eyes scanning the crowd. Some of them were now stopping to look at the unfolding events, while others picked up their pace and hurried home. Two security guards that lounged around at the entrance to Eden were now walking towards the four in a brisk pace.

“Just point me at your attacker, whoever’s threatening you. Hurry.”

Natalie's eyes darted from the security droids, to the spastic cyborg, and then over to the incoming Agents, all the while wondering just what the hell was going on. What did this thing want with her? Why was she so concerned about an “attacker” when clearly she was the offensive one? And why was she being escorted by-

“Shit.” The woman then realized, through the haze of narcotics and the fast paced scene developing all around her, it was that cyborg who stirred up a shit storm of trouble shortly after launch. The one who'd been held in the brig. But what was she doing out here? Nat never had the chance to get caught up on everything pertaining to the case as much of it was classified or still being held pending further investigation. She had to assume that Ms Yama-uchi was out on parole until otherwise stated.

Both Agents stopped near the woman on the ground, one of which held out an arm to help her up. “Miss, are you okay? Has-”

The Agent's eyes narrowed at the sight of the woman's bruise on the bridge of her nose, cheek, and the bit of dried blood near her lip. He immediately turned to the cyborg with a grim expression, only to turn back to Natalie. “Ma'am, would you like to press assault charges?”

“Assault?” Natalie shot the guard a confused look and then looked over at the cyborg, as both droids flanked her, closing in to apprehend. The woman then held her hand out. “Wait, no. She didn't attack me. I don't actually know what she was doing, but she definitely didn’t assault me. Maybe she’s just...I don’t know, crazy?” Her words came out a bit slow and steady. “You'd think I know if I was attacked by a robot, or by anything for that matter, yeah?”

The Agent arched an eyebrow. “So...the marks on your cheek and nose were not caused by any attacker?”

“What?” A half smile formed on her lips as though he were playing a joke on her, but then recalled having had an earlier accident. “Oh, no. I’d fallen in the transport on the way here, hit my face on...something.” Her hand reached up and touched along a slightly swollen cheek, applying a little pressure on the bruise reminded her that there was, in fact, something there. “...but I guess I’d forgotten, since I couldn’t really feel the pain.” She snorted a slight laugh.”Does that make sense?”

“Mhmm” The Agent furrowed his brow as though thinking for a moment. “Ma’am unless you can tell us what happened-”

“Look!” She blurted out. “Nothing happened, I was just on my way out to the Hub...I mean…here, I guess.” Surveying the area, she set her tired eyes on the entrance to Eden. “I just-I just wanted to get away for a little while.” She then noticed the cluster of onlookers, and then turned back to the Agent standing in front of her, doing her best to focus on him. “Unless you have any further questions, Agent, I’d like to go now.”

The first Sec Agent looked over at the other, who simply shook his head and shrugged, before returning attention to the woman. “That’ll be all then. Just try to be careful.” He said, as he turned to the droids and nodded, before he and his partner made their way back to their post outside of the entrance to Eden.

Natalie let out a deep breath of relief, as the last thing she’d wanted was to go through the hassle of being scanned and then questioned, considering who she was and her current state of mind would lead to even more questions that didn’t need to be answered. She shoved her hands into her pockets, and started walking toward Eden’s front gate, but not before stopping as she was about to pass the cyborg and two droids, pausing for a moment to mentally structure a question.

“Were you trying to protect me?” She finally asked plainly while staring at the female’s face.

Chizuru was silent for a while, her eyes narrowing to their usual dots. Then she leaned slowly towards Natalie until their faces were two inches apart. “Yes.” she said suddenly, straightening herself. “You look hurt, afraid, unfocused. It was obvious to guess there might be some hidden revolt going on while Mr. TreVayne is away.”

She looked both ways, as if still expecting to find a hidden assassin, and spoke a bit quieter, “What is their status, anyway? I have not eavesdropped on Security since leaving my cell.”

The woman recoiled slightly at the abrupt face-to-face the cyborg had insisted on, unsure of what she was implying with the words that followed her hushed voice. Was the mechanical female suffering from some kind paranoia? Had these tendencies been noted in her previous psychological evaluation with Doctor Larson? Was Natalie in any kind of real danger? Several odd thoughts entered her mind, mainly due to the pain killers and their ability to lower ones inhibitions and logical mental processes. Maybe she was the one hallucinating?

“Hidden revolt?” She paused for a moment, curious if the cyborgs reference to Gavon and security-related intel indicated that she knew her identity, considering this would not be a normal conversation held for any random civilian. Unless…

“Miss Yama-uchi…” Natalie did her best to focus on the female's eyes and “dead” visage, not wanting to draw attention to the fact that she was at an uncomfortable distance from the other. “What are you up to?” She knew that was a mistake to ask, but was it? It was true that she wasn't quite in her right mind, nor lucid enough to care much about matters of security, but she only thought of her husband and his welfare at that moment.

“I am on a break!” Chizuru announced cheerfully, gesturing at the entrance to the greenhouse. “Just on my way back to prison. Kind of you to ask.” She stared at Natalie expectantly for a few moments, then frowned. “Wait. What do you mean?”

“Nevermind.” Natalie let out a long sigh. “In fact, let’s just pretend we were never here as this evening has already become too bizarre.” She turned and continued to walk off toward Eden’s entryway, not bothering to look back at the droids. Behind her, the mechanized trio smirked to each other, at least in Chizuru’s head. “Eavesdropping it is, then.” she said to herself, leading her escorts back in the direction of the brig.

[:: P2A-594 | Alpha Second Unit ::]
[:: Captain B. Eccleson Military Detachment Commander ::]

The Captain sat at the edge of one of the supply crates, listening in to the random comm chatter -at least what could be deciphered through the static- trying to take her mind off of the fact that her hand was still trembling. This was all so new to her, strange things happening on a planet she knew very little about, attacked by alien insects with the ability to melt humans on contact. This was not covered in basic training, nor in any textbooks she’d been forced to read through in her earlier years at the academy. But at the same time, why shouldn’t this have been any different than a “worst case scenario”? Foreigners landing a planet that hasn’t seen life in a very long time, picking and probing at things that didn’t belong to them, and then not expecting resistance?

Eccleson switched the comms off. She’d had enough of listening in on absolutely nothing. What she wanted was off the goddamned planet for good.

“Captain” One of the soldiers hustled across the clearing and to her side. “Reports show we lost six of our own, and another ten wounded, however the dead will be damned near impossible to retrieve as the insect population had grown almost doubled since our retreat.”

“Then we leave them, end of story.” She said after several seconds. “There’s no point in risking any more lives.”

“But Captain if we-”

“That’s an order soldier!” She stood to her feet, staring the young man in the face as though she were reprimanding her own child. “This isn’t our war. The orders issued by Chief TreVayne and myself were clear, and we need to stick to the plan if we’re to get the hell off this planet...”

“Very good sir.” He followed up with a salute to his commanding officer, swallowing his own opinions on the matter and moving on. “Also sir, one of our scouts is MIA, no communication as of yet.”

“They know to report back here, so we’ll hold off as long as we can…”

[:: P2A-594 | Delta First Unit ::]
[:: M. Newton | M. Smith | Agent S. Edwards | Agent T. Gurrera ::]

Gurrera swore under his breath at the shit luck they'd encountered en route to the Beast, suddenly being ambushed by more of the insects swarms as they cut off the path and separated him from the others. He was equally upset with the fact that one of “science geeks” -Michael- had somehow broken apart from their group as well and gone missing. Part of him hoped the idiot was taken down by the bugs for being so careless, but the other -slightly more humane- part knew he'd probably be the one going to find the guy and, of course, save the day. With Edwards and Kenzie somewhere on the other side of the electrofied insect barrier, he attempted to hail his partner on the comms knowing that their path was still open to head back to the Beast.

"Edwards, this is Gurrera, do you copy?" Static could be heard over the headset, but the signal should still make it through considering their position from one another. "You guys continue on to the Beast, I need to find Michael Smith. The dude got lost a ways back no doubt." The Agent had to hope his transmission went through as he started backtracking his steps to find the missing science assistant.

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

“Any units in sector…” Gurrera checked his helmet HUD for the coordinates. “Thirty-Two point Niner Alpha, please respond. We have a missing research assistant, Michael Smith, possibly wounded. Need immediate assistance and medic, copy.”

“Negative, Agent.” One of the military personnel spoke up. “Immediate attention in that area isn't possible at this time as that sector has a large convergence of insects making it impossible for our group to make it through without more casualties.”

“Shit!” He shouted, realizing the channel was still active. “So what’s our recourse? Do we leave the dude behind? How do we know he’ll even make it by the time-”

“Agent Gurrera.” The stern voice interrupted. “We're aware of the situation and it'll be handled, but dispatching another team at this time to find a single member is risking more lives that we can’t afford. Your best bet is to regroup at the Beast Command Vehicle, and await further instructions.”

“Understood.” He responded after a few moments of silence. “Gurrera out.”

He continued looking back along the path they'd originally taken through the thick brush, noticing off the path several dozen insects converging around something behind a few tall trees.

"That sure as shit better be him, and he better not be dead."

[:: P2A-594 | Alpha First Unit ::]
[:: Chief G. TreVayne | Agent F. Phillips | A. Locke ::]

“And I bet you thought this was going to be just another milk run, eh Chief?” Phillips spoke on a secure comm line to Gavon in passing as they trudged along the last leg of the return journey to the Beast, the Agent taking up the rear to ensure no other anomalies were inbound. He’d already been trying to shake off the fact that they’d just about seen the last of their days, outdone by a shit load of insects that were probably wondering why in the hell a group of foreigners were invading their territory. Or maybe they weren’t so surprised, considering whatever was on this planet must have been worth enough trouble to safeguard it with such highly efficient technology. Either way, Phillips continued to scan the area now that their equipment was fully functional now that they’d pulled away from the majority of the electromagnetic fields.

“I didn't really know what to expect on this trip considering, like many of us, I’d never been to another planet, let alone another galaxy.” Gavon continued monitoring their progress toward the command vehicle, noting that they had roughly a quarter mile to their destination. “But none of this should have happened.” He said with a grim expression.

“Too many lives were put at risk” Phillips chimed in as he continued his area scans. “And for what?...” He glanced over at the science team in front, who were still pretty shaken up by the events.

“Doesn't matter Agent. We didn't sign up for this line of work without expecting some resistance. You of all people should know that.”

Phillips snickered. “Yeah, but Mars didn't have to contend with killer bugs and ghost dogs.”

“Just everything else.” The Chief remarked, drawing his attention to the path ahead, which lead directly to their vehicle, and switching to localized group-wide communication.

“Alright folks, we're coming up to the Beast shortly. Stay in single file formation from here on as the brush becomes pretty dense in this sector. And please watch your footing for sinkholes and overgrown roots. We don't need any more injuries…”

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

The Command Vehicle was seeing plenty of activity as military and civilian personnel loaded through the rear ramp, many who had minor cuts were spot treated and others with more severe burns from the acidic liquid the insects secreted were rushed into the medbay. A fairly tight perimeter had been formed around the Beast, with both drones and foot soldiers keeping an eye out for any further enemy engagement. Gavon let out a sigh of relief to see many of his Agents back safely, and yet relative to the number of personnel who embarked on the journey to the planet, the returning count was still low.

“Amara” He turned to the young Locke who was following closely behind. “I suspect you’ll be needed in the medbay. Try to rally all the medical personnel you can for further inbound wounded. Phillips will accompany you and the science team.”

The Chief spotted Eccleson near the supply crates helping a few of the soldiers rummage through food and water to hand out as personnel made their way back. Science teams gathered together, a few tending to minor wounds, as others were sharing information of discoveries made, though most were still feeling disheartened by the earlier attacks. The same questions could be overheard as he headed through the cluster. Was this trip even worth it?

“Captain.” Gavon’s expression was, more or less neutral considering on the one hand he was glad to see she’d made it back, but on the other knew this was no celebratory reunion and keeping her mind on task was the only way to get through any of this. “Comms were down in our sector so my updates have been sparse. What’s the latest on the remaining groups?”

Eccleson briefly gazed up at the Chief while continuing to sort through the supplies as well as her datapad which was propped on the edge of the crate. “Chief”. She cracked a half smile as though to say she wasn’t quite sure what to say yet. “As far as I know, there are numerous dead and no way of making it back to them without inciting more attacks. I was recently made aware that at least one of our scouts is still missing, and a science assistant who was accompanying Delta Unit to the southwest.”

“That’s Gurrera & Edwards unit.”

The Captain nodded. “We advised them to head back here since one of your Agents was badly wounded…” She stayed silent for a moment before continuing. “I’m not even sure we can go back in there to extract the missing, Chief.”

Gavon understood the circumstances, and knew the decisions being made were not going to be easy for either of them. But he also knew those few who had gone missing and could still be alive needed time, which was already in short supply. He pulled up the tracking HUD on his visor and began a scan with very little success due to the blanket of EM interference in the dense forest.

“This is ridiculous.” He switched off the Nav. “All this tech at our disposal and it’s useless. But either way, I’m fairly certain that Delta Unit is one of the closer groups to our location, so there may be a chance depending on how quickly we can make it to them.”
Eccleson raised a quizzical eyebrow. “What are you planning?”

“Is there another R-52 Shriek available?...”

Inside the android's rebooting mind images and data swirled, trillions of numbers and signals pulsed throughout his entire frame. It was more comparable to a computer turning on than a man awakening from unconsciousness. Outwardly, Michael took in a deep breath and his whole body shook as his eyes shot wide open. His ocean blue irises stared at his surroundings as the hominoid machine sat up, wires underneath his synthetic skin sending signals for him to resume movement. In his right hand he still clenched the alien orb, scattered around him on the floor were several of the dead insects that had been caught in his electromagnetic pulse.

As he rose to his feet and took in his surroundings, he noticed a large cluster of the same hostile lifeforms approaching him, an absolutely massive horde which covered the ground as they slinked towards him, cutting off the original path he had taken. Michael blinked, his memory banks detailing another route back to the Beast. If he got inside of there then there was no chance the creatures could get to him. He had to get the orb back to the Ark, it fascinated him deeply and was utterly certain the other scientists would have the highest amount of interest in it as well.

As they drew nearer Michael started to run, moving faster than any human could. The horde of insects moved faster, scurrying over branches, grass and rocks as Michael full on sprinted now, faster than even the top Olympic sprinters that ran for gold back when Earth was still humanity's home. He was a distance away from the Beast, though his high tech sensors allowed him to paint an ideal route right back to the vessel. If he were an actual human he would be hopelessly lost, but then again if he were a human he would also be dead from the strange insects.

He leaped over a downed tree, soaring through the air with his legs raised. As soon as he landed he resumed the sprint, he dashed through the alien wilderness, taking a sharp turn. Michael did not bother looking back to see if the insects were closing in on him, he had no time to stop. As he ran, his breathing showed no signs of stress from the heavy exercising. He only took calm and composed inhales and exhales as he moved, as he went through a clearing another horde of insects came from his left side. Cutting off his path, he immediately shifted his body diagonally, his mainframe establishing an alternate route, through a thicker forest.

The android continued his sprint, inwardly he could tell he was drawing closer to the Beast. He weaved between trees, juking and sliding around them as he kept the rapid, almost inhuman movements. Another short clearing appeared and Michael sprinted down it, pumping his arms as he kicked his legs out in his forward movement. Showing machine fluidity with each step.

Suddenly another line of insects appeared, galloping from one side of the underbrush and blocking his path. Michael did a rapid calculation, then launched himself into the air, propelling himself in a forward leap over the horde of hostile lifeforms. As he shot over them, the creatures began to climb upwards attempting to latch onto the android. But he landed cleanly on the other side of them, and continued his dash. As he shot out of the forest he saw a figure in front of him, Agent Gurrera with a surprised expression on his face.

"There you are, Smith. What the hell happened? I thought you were dead!" The man said, then began to speak into his communicator.

"No time to explain, let's go." Michael replied as he grabbed onto the Agent's arm with his free hand, then yanked the man with him in his running. The Agent catching sight of a gigantic group of hostile insects following behind Michael and the orb.

"Woah, slow down Smith!" Gurrera stammered, surprised at the young man's speed and strength as he pulled the agent along in his stride.

Michael did not release the man's arm in fear of leaving him behind, he did not need a death on his conscious. He was not sure how that would affect him. Definitely not positively. As the android ran back towards the Beast, pulling the human along with him, he took several twists and turns. More and more insects appearing out of the brush and from trees as he had to constantly adjust his path. So much movement at such a speed made Gurrera feel like vomiting, if he wasn't moving his legs as fast as he could to keep up with the android.

Then the Beast came into sight, and the perimeter that had been set up around it. Michael released Gurrera, then slowed down into a jog. He stopped his run as he reached the inside of the perimeter, many around the Beast staring at the newest arrival who many assumed was dead. Gurrera came in a few moments later, gasping for breath as he did. The android copied the labored breathing, giving off the false idea that he was exhausted from such a run back to safety.

“Come on.” Edwards said as he pulled Ms. Newton away from the swarm of Insects. She was still attached to his arm and she didn't put up any resistance. Moving out he decided they needed to move quickly. For a moment he thought he shouldn't push Ms. Newton any harder, but he couldn't afford not to. The insects were filling in the spaces behind them and could easily swarm again.

For the time being however, Ms. Newton seemed to be keeping pace. Without a word Edwards quickened his step. If they were lucky they would cover the remaining click and half in less than 20 minutes.

Adrenaline rushed through Mackenzie, giving her a renewed sense of energy. She had trained and participated in several marathons, so pushing herself beyond her limits was something she was used too.

Just then she heard the crackle of noise coming from Edwards radio. It appeared that the com systems were back up and running. She could easily feel Agent Edwards let out a long breath and relax as they heard Guerrera's voice. It was a bit garbled, but the message that he was alive got across. He had gone back to find Michael and would see them back at the Beast.

“Just get your ass back safe. I still owe you that beer.” Agent Edwards said with a renewed sense of vigor. He pushed forward again covering more ground than they had previously.

McKenzie said nothing, however she had to let go of his arm in order to keep from falling. She was breathing heavily by the time the Beast came into view and they didn't stop to take in the carnage surrounding it. They just pushed on through. They cleared the Beasts bay doors moments later.

“Medic! We need a medic!” Were the first words out of Mckenzie's mouth as they passed the threshold. She noticed that agent Edwards was in more danger of collapsing than she was. Luckily with in moments Amara Locke was heading their way.

Neither she nor Agent Edwards relaxed, however. They were both worried about the people they had left behind. It was evident by the way Agent Edwards started cursing when Amara tried to examine his arm. Amara wasn't at all amused and even threatened to remove his arm completely if he didn't settle down.

“Over my dead body!” Edwards yelled at the Medic that had threatened to amputate his arm. He didn't normally act like this, but tension was still high. He needed to know that his Partner and that scientist were safe.

That's when Ms. Newton got his attention. She pointed to front of beast and just as he looked up Gurrera and the scientist rushed inside. A weight seemed to be lifted from his shoulders and it seemed like he now had permission to collapse from blood loss.

The moments immediately following their return to the beast were a flurry of motion. Chaos and confusion seemed to run through the civilian and science personnel who had no real experience of situations like this. The military forces quickly organised everyone though, doing their best to keep control of the situation. No one seemed entirely sure what was happening. Many wanted to get back to the Nyx and get the hell off this planet. Others, however, knew that they had to wait for those still unaccounted for or even head back out to search for them. Those in charge decided to wait. To allow some time for the others to arrive. Leaving them behind seemed like too barbaric an option to most. Amara Locke agreed with that sentiment and was itching to get back out. As she followed Chief TreVayne through the beast, she listened as he gave orders to everyone. When he ordered her to gather all the medical personnel she could find, she was gone before he was even finished speaking with agent Phillips quickly behind her. She glanced over her shoulder at the security officer as they made their way to the medbay and wondered just how much medical training they received in his department. If things were as bad as Eccleson implied, they may need all hands on deck.

Amara found herself wishing the rest of her team were here. Clara and Miles would cheer everyone up. Blake would be an emotional rock for everyone to lean on and then he'd probably go punch every one of those blasted bugs in the face. Hell, she would even take Marlowe at this point. The guy may have been a jerk but he was damn good at his job. It wasn't like she didn't like the other medical personnel that had been assigned to the mission. It wasn't even that they were bad at their job. They wouldn't be here if they weren't. It was just that Amara was used to working with her team. She knew their eccentricities and they knew hers. There was already enough confusion going around without having to work with a new team. It was how it was though, and they would work together regardless.

---

---

"Get them on the beast!" yelled Amara to her team over the screams of pain from her patients before moving off to check the other incoming wounded. She had done her best to treat the injured in the makeshift triage are just outside of the command vehicle, saving the small medbay inside for those who needed the most care. Amara wasn't the highest ranking medical personnel on the mission but everyone followed her orders regardless. She definitely had more field experience than the young doctor who knelt in the dirt with hands visibly shaking as he tried to sedate a poor young woman whose face had been badly burned. He looked scared out of his mind. It was a look Amara had seen many people carry on their first experience of combat medicine. No one was ever truly prepared for the things combat medics dealt with. As the sedative took hold and the patient drifted into unconsciousness, the doctor visibly relaxed. Amara placed a hand on his shoulder as she passed and squeezed ever so gently. "They need you inside." she told him, knowing he would be far more at home in a sterile environment than out here in the muck. He gave her a nod of acknowledgement before signalling for one of the military personnel to help him carry his patient inside.

Cody, meanwhile, was protectively nuzzled into a young researcher who clung onto him for dear life as his own sedative kicked in. Amara noticed this and was once again thankful that her canine companion was here. These people could really use some comfort. She also noticed another scientist sitting nearby. He didn't look hurt but he was looking at Cody as though he desperately wanted to interact with him. He turned to see Amara watching him and looked embarrassed until Amara motioned towards Cody with her head, signalling that it was okay. He hesitantly moved towards the dog, reaching his arm out but stopping before he made contact with Cody. Noticing this, Cody began wagging his tail back and forth. Taking it as another sign of approval, the scientist knelt down and started stroking Cody's head. The young researcher stirred at the movement and when his colleague noticed this, he placed a hand on his chest, telling him "It's okay. You're going to be fine."

Amara smiled lightly at this interaction. She was glad to see people banding together and taking care of one another. There were so few humans left now. If they had any hope of surviving at all, they were going to need to stick together.

It was only a moment later when Amara's attention was drawn to the sudden arrival of Kenzie and Edwards. Amara felt her heart jump into her throat as she laid eyes on her friend. She was so relieved to see Kenzie and found herself instinctively rushing towards her. She slowed before she reached Kenzie though, her attention instead being drawn to drawn to Edwards at her side. Clearly hurt, Edwards clutched his arm and winced, though tried to conceal his pain. A common trait among military personnel. Never show weakness. Amara admired that but was also annoyed by it. It made her job that much more difficult when people wouldn't tell her what was wrong. She was quickly by his side, inspecting his damaged arm. The wound looked bad but not life threatening. Not unless he continued to curse at her anyway. She refrained from murdering but did threaten to remove his arm. She was joking but it was always so hard to tell when Amara wasn't being serious, deadpan as she was. "It'll need treatment but you'll have to wait. There are a lot of people who need help."

Before Edwards had time to object, or even notice, a jet injector was shot into his arm. "Hey!" he complained, eyes wide in shock and mild anger.
Amara either didn't hear his complaint or just didn't care and said "That should help for now but you'll need more treatment soon. I have other patients who need urgent care but I'll come back around to you when I have a moment." Turning her attention then towards Kenzie, she pointed her in the direction of the triage area and said "Take him over there with the others and keep an eye on him." She glanced over at Edwards again and appeared to be thinking about something. She then turned back to Kenzie and spoke quietly but still loud enough for Edwards to overhear "If he starts to turn, you know what to do."
She patted Kenzie on the shoulder as she hurried away to check on another patient, leaving her friend with the deeply confused Edwards. His eyes slowly widened as he called after her "What!?"

He didn't get an answer.

Among much of the panic that ensued during to the previous attack on each survey & research team, relief was finally washing over each personnel as those who were missing in the field made their way back to the safety of the Beast Command Vehicle. Chief TreVayne’s initial concerns for Delta Unit’s members were laid to rest as each emerged from the dense forest, with Smith and Gurrera coming up from the tail end, winded but relieved to be alive. Edwards seemed to have taken the brunt of the damage though and quickly rushed to the medbay for further examination by medical staff, which was still sorely needed considering the casualties involved.

“Chief.” Eccleson approached Gavon, who was currently helping load up the last of the supplies. “All surviving personnel are accounted for.” She said with some hesitation, trying her best to put on a professional demeanor but still shaken by the earlier attack on her military units, and the first-hand indiscriminate destruction she’d faced.

“Excellent.” The other responded, placing a large metal case of survey equipment on the floor next to one of the storage holds, and straightening back up to face the Captain. “We’re almost done here as well, and the pilot is prepped to get us the hell out of here and back to the Nyx, taking the path we came from, which seems to be clear at the moment.”

Eccleson nodded, a semblance of anguish still ever present in her otherwise stoic expression. “Then I'll meet you up in the cockpit shortly.” Her response sounded more like a question, as she saluted the Chief before taking her leave from cargo toward the main corridor than ran through the spine of the Beast. Gavon couldn't help but wonder if an officer such as she would ever fit in well enough for field assignments. Her military record was impeccable, but there's a difference between simulation and the real thing. The latter being as unpredictable as they come.

The last several minutes had been one of the toughest for everyone, pushing themselves to ensure all wounded were placed in makeshift triage stations and civilian personnel seated aboard the transport before rolling out. Science teams, keeping their minds occupied and off of the earlier attacks, chatted amongst themselves regarding various discoveries, some more significant than others, but enough of a distraction nevertheless. Both pilots -Lt Hawkins and Atkov- acting as the initial lead scouts, returned safety to the landing bay after an attack by the insects almost cost them their lives, however one of the R52-Shriek speeders were left behind somewhere deep in the forest in a state of disrepair. A sacrifice both officers had no problems making if it meant escaping in one piece. The security team, lead by Chief TreVayne, were all tasked to not only assist in the boarding processes of all personnel and equipment, but to ensure safety protocols were met and all supplies rescanned for any foreign anomalies. The last thing they wanted to do was carry anything harmful or deadly back to the Ark. Military units assigned to to perimeter watch were quickly reassembled as the Beast was preparing to make it’s way back to the Nyx.

Upon their return to the Reaper-Class Cruiser, and once communication transmissions restored to optimal parameters, Captain Eccleson was met with messages from the Nyx navigation crew regarding the launch of a fighter squad by Admiral Locke, considering the earlier attack on the away teams. Thankfully a channel could be opened to the Ark advising command to belay the order and recall all fighters back to the hangar immediately. As the Nyx finally broke the planet’s atmosphere on it’s return trip to their orbiting home, clearer details of the mission were then sent to Ark command as well as a head count of all wounded personnel, giving the Vitae’s medical staff time to prep for incoming, and hopefully save the lives of those in critical condition. The Nyx was busy enough however with medical staff, and any hands that could be spared to assist with casualties. Medical droids, activated and ready, buzzed back and forth along the corridors leading to the med bays, stabilizing those injuries that needed it until each patient was secured a place in surgery. By default, Amara Locke, took point on coordinating the process, not because she was any senior medical officer, but because it was necessary and no one would question help at this point. Mackenzie Newton remained by Agent Edwards’ side for most of the trip back, being called every so often to diagnose and repair a few faults with the medical droid units, most of which were minor issues but still important enough to address. Michael Smith, seemingly unscathed by his previous encounter with the mysterious guardian insects, assisted as he could with the medical knowledge stored in his in database, keeping laser focused on ensuring the survival of those in his care. Chief TreVayne walked the corridors, busily checking up on his security teams, doling out additional orders as needed, and interfacing with NOAH -via data pad- to ensure none of the ship’s vital systems were corrupted by the planet’s EM fields or the possibility of nanite penetration.

Meanwhile, back on the Ark, Admiral Locke, relieved of the news that his away team was en route, yet at the same time silently mourning the loss of those men and women who served bravely, paced the floor of the bridge with one arm laid across his torso and the other propped up with a steady hand to his chin. Loss was never easy no matter how many battles one had experienced, and the fact that this first planetary mission turned into such a cluster of chaotic shit made the man wonder if this was their lot in life. Are we made to run from those who wish to do us harm in every galaxy, cowering and caving to unknown enemies crawling around space looking for a fight? How many more must die for peace to be actualized? How many home planets had to be destroyed by invading entities seeking nothing but total annihilation...and for what? Something had to give.

“Sir.” Ensign Jennis spoke up as the Admiral passed by him. “Aside from the Nyx pulling into hangar bay 2 shortly, we detect no other anomalies, in the area, and long-range scanners give nothing of interest or concern.” Jennis glances up from the console. “Any particular destination, Sir?”

Locke paused in his tracks for a moment, glancing at the navigational holo-map which was continuing its structuring process of the surrounding area, saving details within the ship’s database in hopes of stitching together known with unknown space, but still lingering with questions nonetheless. “We’re still at the mercy of the great ‘roulette wheel’, living each moment in expectation of a chance encounter.” He thought outloud. “But...with that nugget of profound thought, Ensign, as soon as the Nyx has docked and the hangar secured, take us the hell away from this sector. We’ll have enough to worry about aboard this ship for quite awhile. A ship that we have to remember is our only home, so I think a ‘destination’ is irrelevant at this time.”

Emilie sat quietly in her office, her chair swiveling from side to side as she stared at the ceiling with her arms crossed in front of her. Her platinum hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail, and various strands of hair framed her face more or less the same way she styled it everyday. She was leaning her head against the back of the chair, her mind occupied with a decision that she had to make very soon regarding one of her patients, Lindy Smithson. However, her thoughts were suddenly interrupted when her co-worker knocked and peeked his head from behind the door.

"Hey, do you have a second?" he asked with a tentative smile.

"Sure, what's up?" Emilie sat up straight, readjusting herself on her black leather seat to address whatever concern Dr. Stark had.

He nodded in appreciation and quickly went inside the room, locking the door to her office before making his over to the empty chair across her. "Well, it's about Ms. Smithson-"

"Oh, I was just thinking about her," Emilie interrupted, then quickly apologized for cutting him off.

"Right. Well, I was giving it some thought and I believe that we should go ahead with the procedure to abort. I know the odds are 50/50 in either direction, but why would we take the risk of putting another life in jeopardy for the possibility that the fetus might not cause any complications during birth?" Dr. Stark leaned closer to Emilie, his arms now resting on her paper-cluttered desk. "Think about it, Em, why would we take the chance with Lindy when her baby probably won't make it past a couple of weeks?"

She knew he was right, yet Emilie couldn't help but empathize with Lindy. The girl had gone through so much, but in the end all she wanted was her baby. Emilie let out a sigh, her head resting on her hand. "You're right. As much as we want to personally help her, we have to remain objective here. The mission comes first, right?"

"Always. Anyway, do you want me to contact Lindy to schedule the pre-op or do you want to do that yourself?"

"It's okay, I got it."

A few moments later Dr. Stark left Emilie's office and she was left alone to try to come up with a way to break the news to Lindy. The poor girl probably wouldn't be able to handle it, but then again, that was just one of the many joys of being a physician. Emilie figured she could just head down to one of the pubs later to clear her mind.

---

---

The Vitae sailed silently through the stars as it traveled away from P2A-594, the site of the first mission and the first disaster for those aboard the Ark. The ship seemed to be as quiet as the empty space it flew through. It had been several hours since all crew had returned to the vessel, along with sic recently deceased crewmen. Each of the perished souls had been given funerals, then were cremated as per protocol. Six people that were the Admiral's responsibility and he lead them to their death's. It was not directly his fault, no one could have imagined how badly the mission would go. He was uneasy about the mission, sending so many to an utterly unknown world.He would bear the weight of those dead on his mind for a period of time. He'd ensure they would not be forgotten, their names to be etched into a memorial aboard the Vitae. There would be more deaths, he knew it, though Locke would try his best to prevent as many as he could.

Rear Admiral William Locke took a long sip of water, the clear liquid quickly going down his throat. He then blinked twice, attempting to clear his mind and once again take control of the situation. All aboard the Vitae needed to know their next steps. While Locke did not quite know what their next mission would be, he had to tell them something, reassure all on the Ark that the future would be brighter. He did not know how many of them would actually believe him, but he'd damn well try to make them. He approached a console in the command center, then clicked a switch which activated the intercom, moments later his familiar voice came through the speakers across the ship, everyone aboard the Vitae would hear him.

"This is Admiral Locke, I know that you all have heard of the first mission, and its calamitous events. We lost six of our own on that alien world, we must ensure their sacrifices are never forgotten. They gave their lives for the mission, which is ensuring humanity's future. I vow to be more vigilant in our future operations, no one ever said this would be an easy mission. But, that is no excuse, every person aboard this vessel is important. Unnecessary casualties are tragic, and I will try my best to prevent more deaths." Locke stated as he began his speech, pausing briefly before moving onto more inspiration words.

"We must push on, it is right to mourn and always acceptable to remember those that we have lost. The future of humanity is in our hands, I have faith in every single one of you. Together we can achieve that which may seem impossible but it is not. We are strongest together. Together we will find a new home for humanity, one to raise our children and grandchildren. I have no doubt of that." Locke finished, then stepped away from the intercom after giving his speech, his trademark charisma seeping through in his words.

Then he took a glance around the command center, making eye contact with all those around him, he could still see the hope in their eyes. As long as there was hope, there was a future.

---

Two blue eyes stared forward, filled with curiosity and wonder. They appeared to be the eyes of a human being, as they sparkled with emotions that only humans felt. Dr. Philips had a smirk on his face as he watched his prodigy, and creation, Michael gaze at the alien orb that had been recovered from the planet that humanity had recently set foot upon. The mission had gone south, but it was not a complete and utter failure. They had recovered the peculiar orb, an unnatural creation that the android had been enamored with every since he held it in his fingertips.

The device now sat centered inside of a protective glass container, clear on all sides. They would run tests upon it and Philips hoped it would reveal something fascinating, or even useful to the mission. The scientist was unsure of this though, as the orb had seemed to have 'gone silent' ever since it was taken offworld. Michael had frantically spoken to Philips of the orb, how it had lit up visually, and shimmered his internal systems. What had fascinated the scientist the most was how the device had apparently spoken internally to the synthetic man, in an unknown alien language.

None of that had occurred since the orb was brought aboard the Ark. It appeared more akin to an ancient relic than an alien device of unknown origin. Still, Michael had no reason to lie to him. He believed every word the android had said. He'd ensure that Michael was present when any tests or scans were run on the orb, see if he couldn't 'activate' the device once again. Philips speculated it had something to do with the android's unique biology, though he did not have any evidence to back that up. For now, he simply allowed Michael to stare at the orb, while he decided the synthetic being's next move.

There was a knock on the door.

"Come in!"

Emilie looked up from her computer to notice Lindy standing shyly behind the door, her hand carefully placed over the lock, nervously playing with it. "Hi Dr. Stone, may I come in?"

"Of course, take a seat," Emilie smiled, extending her hand to the empty chair across her desk. "I wanted to bring you in to discuss the decision Dr. Stark and I have made after carefully considering our options." Emilie stopped for a moment to gauge Lindy's reaction to her statement, and she noticed a hint of anxiety...a normal feeling considering the stakes. "We are gonna go ahead and perform the abortion," she continued, finally breaking the news to the young girl. But Emilie was surprised to see Lindy seemingly displaying mixed emotions.

"Dr. Stone...can I be honest with you?" Lindy asked with some hesitation.

Emilie immediately wondered what Lindy had withheld from her and Stark. If it was something directly affecting their ability to go forward with the procedure, then they would have no other choice but to reconsider.

"Of course, what is it?"

Lindy sighed, her face turning a soft shade of red. "The baby...it's Dr. Stark's."

"Oh," was all Emily managed to reply, the shock alone from the news leaving her mind racing to make sense of what she'd just been told. "And, um, does he know?"

Lindy nodded her head, a couple of tears escaping either eye as she brought up her hand to cover her nose. She looked away from Emilie as if she were ashamed of what she'd confessed to. "I—I didn't mean to get pregnant," she managed to say in between her sobs, "I didn't want..."

"Wait, are you trying to say Dr. Stark forced himself upon you?" Emilie asked in disbelief, handing the poor girl a box of tissues as she felt some anger stirring within herself.

"He wouldn't leave me alone Dr. Stone, he was very persistent even though I just wanted to go back to my room," Lindy admitted in a calmer state, wiping her eyes with a tissue.

It was then Emilie took action. She picked up the phone and dialed the security department as she advised Lindy that everything would be alright while she simultaneously locked her door by pressing the small button directly underneath her desk. If Stark hadn't gone back to his room just yet, then he was definitely still hanging around the office.

"Yes, this is Dr. LaFavre-Stone, I need to report the rape of a minor," she said as soon as someone answered the line.

[:: Chief Gavon TreVayne ::]

Dirt and grime clung to him like an unwanted friend, as even the stench of the planet was hard to shake, even when they were now hundreds of miles away by now. It seeped into his skin, his hair, the very follicles within in nose, all tainted by the away mission that should not have gone as sideways as it did. The entirety had only been less than forty-eight hours, since first leaving the Ark and returning, much of the time spent on the planet’s surface collecting what the teams could as well as escaping from the many threats that beared down on them like a plague. And for many who hadn’t experienced the first-hand challenges of field assignments in otherwise hostile territory, the nightmarish realities would stick with them for a long time to come. Fortunately for Gavon, he’d been born into worse shitstorms than that, but either way, loss was never easy, but loss at the expense of gaining what? No one really knew. One thing was for certain in the forefront of the Chief’s mind, that any business with SecCom could wait until next shift, and he hoped not to be summoned anytime soon to delay the one thing he longed for since stepping foot back onto the Ark.

It was good to be home...

A relieved smile crossed his lips while he stood in the midst of the dimly lit quarters, quietly placing his camo rucksack in the seat of one of the leather armchairs, and taking a moment to finally breathe now that his evening was coming to a close. Oddly enough, he never much paid attention to the nuances of his own living space considering the number of hours he’d spend within Security Centre -even sleeping in his own office from time to time- and yet aboard such a large scale ship, he could always consider the standard issue quarters his “home away from home”. The Chief stepped across the room, his thick leather and rubber composite boots causing a low thud sound with each footfall, as he made his way past the partition which lead into the bedroom area near the far wall. Stepping up onto the raised platform, he could see his lovely wife sound asleep in the center of the bed, the thick comforter pulled up to just under her chin, and the mild scent of lavender hair conditioner permeated throughout. The large rectangular window that encompassed most of the wall, looked out into the blackest of voids, with only the unknown stars to remind them that they were still in space. Gavon stepped over to the edge of the bed and sat, admiring Natalie’s perfect features even in the low lighting, listening to her even breathing, and simply relieved to have such a partner with him on this journey. His hand, still marred with a bit of dirt and oil residue from the mission, ran gently over her smooth skin and straight hair, which startled her from an otherwise sound sleep.

“Gav!” She rose up almost immediately to wrap her arms around him. “Shit, I’ve missed you.” She breathed in a hushed tone as her arms held him tightly, not wanting to let the man go as they embraced in a long-awaited kiss.

“Are you okay Nat?” He asked in a concerned tone of voice, sensing her body trembling.

“Yeah.” She sniffed, even as tears began welling up around her eyes. “I am now.”

He’d known Natalie for over ten years, long enough to understand some of the more complex parts of her thinking and emotions, but still eluded by many, purely by the simply fact that he was not as emotional as she when it came to certain things. But at the same time, there were very rare occassions over the course of those years that they’d been apart on such critical terms, and uncertainty was always a breeding ground for anxiety.

“I’m here now.” He said in as much of a reassuring tone of voice as he could.

“I know” The other smiled, wiping tears away she’d almost felt embarrassed to have.

“What’s this?” Gavon narrowed his eyes to focus in the low light, on the unusual blemish he noticed along her cheek, leaning over toward the nightstand console to manually raise the lighting in order to see.

“Oh, it-it’s nothing.” Natalie’s smile was rather sheepish, eliciting a doubtful expression from her husband. “It’s...

“A bruise?” His voice grew slightly louder, and more grave. “Nat, what the hell happened? Who did this?”

“Gavon, no one did anything. It was me. I was…” Natalie closed her eyes, trying to allow the earlier incident of her hazy trip on the tram and into Eden to come back to her clearly enough that she didn’t sound like a complete moron. “After work I decided to go out, and had an accident on the tram, but I’m fine, trust me..” She kissed him again. “I’m fine.”

Natalie couldn’t mention the pain killers, she couldn’t allow the man she loved to see such a broken woman. Not now and hopefully not ever. It was a one-time thing, a way to forget why she’d been so depressed, why she couldn’t handle her husband being away. Never again though. Never again would she allow such an impulsive decision bring her down like that. Gavon stared into her beautiful eyes for several moments, eyes that have never betrayed him, and yet this time he’d been unsure of what she was telling him was all truth. But at the same time, this just wasn’t the time for either of them to be upset. Perhaps if it still concerned him after a good night’s sleep, then he’d inquire about it.

“Fair enough.” He smiled and nodded. “I’m just glad you’re safe and I’m back where I belong.”

“My great protector” The other smiled, wrapping her arms around the back of his neck. “So why don’t you carry me to the refresher, where I can help you out of these clothes, because as much as I love you m’dear, you smell like an animal farm.”

For once, Gavon had to agree.

[:: Deputy J. Haas | Security Command ::]

There seemed to have been many firsts since the launch of the Arks, and in light of the recent away mission, for Deputy Jerrol Haas, he had the privilege of “acting Chief” for time enough to realize that he did not envy the amount of work that his boss had to shoulder on any given day. It’s true that there were an ample number of Security related departments to handle virtually any incident and crisis that would befall such a vessel as the Vitae, threats that would otherwise cause lives to be lost. But in this particular case, as Haas scanned through incoming reports and calls, one particular came up as quite the urgent matter, and one he’d never imagined would have been so soon.

[:: incident report 00-CA1257 ::]

Summary:
Dr. Emilie Stone contacted dispatch regarding allegations of the rape of a minor. Her initial statement was taken over ship communication, and flagged for immediate follow-up by Ark Sec Investigation, as well as medical personnel to conduct full physical on victim for signs of violation.

[:: end ::]

Back on Earth, when there was an Earth, cases such as these seemed to be overlooked by law enforcement as though they were dealing with the plague on an epic level. Sex crimes happened, unfortunately, and yet whether it was lack of resources, training, understanding, or a little of everything, many cases went unsolved and were locked away and the only one truly suffering in the end without closure was the victim. He needed someone who had the experience to handle such a delicate case.

Deputy Haas added his own notes into the report as well.

[:: incident report 00-CA1257 ::]

Notes from J. Haas:
Recommend lead investigator Lee Reynolds to handle full investigation into case as utmost sensitivity is to be exercised considering the nature of these allegations.

[:: end ::]

Ever since the return of the away team, the Vitae’s medbay had switched to emergency mode. While there weren’t many patients to treat, the wounds of most were severe enough to stretch the attention of the medical staff paper-thin. Which is why the sudden burst of security forces into the hall went all but completely ignored.

“Pardon - “ The senior officer tried again, looked at his escorts, and with a sigh of exasperation reached out and grabbed a male nurse by the arm. “There’s a prisoner coming in, I want a full physical evaluation, as urgently as you can handle.” The officer spat at the nurse before he had the chance to open his mouth. After spending a long moment looking around for help, the nurse gave up. “Look, you can see we’re overflowing, can’t it wait?”

“Admiral’s orders.”

“What? For a physical!?” The nurse threw up his arms. “Can’t the admiral see we’re - “

“Just trying to do my job.” The officer said almost simultaneously with the nervous wreck in front of him. “This postpones everything but life-saving operations.” The nurse studied the officer’s face, realizing the man would never have enough clue about the inner workings of the medbay to make something like this up - he was quoting a senior.

“Okay - “ he rubbed his eyes, then extended his hands forward, “Okay. Bring them in. We’ll do it.”

The security guards shifted to the sides. A loud shuffle heralded the entry of two very large military droids, a smaller military droid between them. It looked at the nurse with eyes that were tiny glowing red dots in a sea of black, and smiled.

Feeling a sudden shiver run down his spine at the sight of the...whatever that was, the nurse took a barely noticeable step back before catching himself and doing his best to appear calm. He took another quick look around until he spotted something and yelled “Hey Red!”

Instinctively, Clara whipped her head around while sitting a patient with an injured leg down in a row of other wounded people. After she spotted who was calling her, she took a second to tell her patient “Someone will be right with you.” She rubbed his arm and gave him that characteristic reassuring Clara smile. He returned the smile the best he could, through his pain and nodded at her in acknowledgement that it was okay to leave.

Clara was quickly moving to her colleague, saying “Yeah. What do you—What!?” She stopped just short of the nurse as the people bustling about moved out of the way, giving her her first glimpse of Chizuru. She couldn't tell if what she was looking at was a droid or a human. She had met plenty of cyborgs but never any with the level of modifications this one appeared to have.

Understandably intimidated by the sight of Chizuru, Clara seemed to freeze as she looked her up and down. She was soon grabbed by the arm as the nurse pulled her forward and said “They need someone to perform a check up on the...” He paused for a second while he thought of the best term for Chizuru before finally settling on “...patient.”

Clara's expression shot from narrow eyed confusion to wide eyed surprise. “Me!?” she shrieked in a surprisingly high pitched tone. “But I'm just a medic!”

“And I'm just a nurse,” he complained, rolling his eyes at her. “and I do check ups all the time. You're more than qualified.” He spun her around and pushed her towards the security officer.

“But--” was all Clara managed to get out before he cut her off again.

“I'll try to find a doctor who isn't busy but...” He threw his hands up to indicate the chaos all around and silently told her no doctor was coming. Before Clara had the chance to object again, he spun on his heels and left.

Clara watched him go until he was out of sight, just to see if he would come back,

He didn't.

With her back to the others, she tried to collect herself before spinning around and giving Chizuru and her guards a smile. She tried to think of something clever to say but all she could manage was a tentative wave, a smile and “...Hi.”

"It’s alright.” the cyborg said, conspiratorially. “I know you want to treat these guys as fast as you can before panic spreads. A failed first planetfall - it makes the simple citizen feel like a small fish who somehow got to the deep sea, where the playing field is strange and the players are even worse. It gets you that close for your imagination to convince you the entirety of space is filled with the stuff of nightmares, don’t you think?”

She (by the sound of her voice, at least) began to walk deeper into the medbay, but immediately held up a hand when the large military droids started to follow. “You can wait outside, boys. It’s impolite, and more importantly, pointless. All these people are already within the range of my core meltdown blast.”

The droids’ heads snapped towards her. “You know, we can reschedule this, Ms. Yama-uchi.” the senior officer said, taking a step forward. “And just go straight ahead to airlocking you.”

“Fine.” She threw up her arms. “Your sense of humor is inadequate and I should stop stepping on that proverbial foot. But seriously, stay out of the medbay. It will be fine. The medic here vouches for me. Won’t you, miss?” She turned to Clara, trying on her most uncreepy of smiles.

“Oh, definitely not.” Clara blurted out with a smile and a surprisingly cheery tone to her voice. “I'm a medic, not an idiot.”