Welcome to Gaia! ::

I can hear it calling, Shouting "Come to me, My child."

A whisper, floating on the breeze, the only thing resembling life on an otherwise dead planet. There's evidence around that people once lived here, but if the darkened, dying sun was any indication, the peoples had abandoned the place long ago. All that was left was a wasteland of destroyed buildings, of plants that could barely grow, and that eerie, unceasing breeze.

"Come to me, My child"

It was heard again. What was it? why was it in Terran? the voice that was not a voice, it was not really heard, but felt. Everyone could feel it, deep within them. something deeper, darker than even Humanity's greatest enemies.

So we stood, waiting for it. Our combat suits insulated us from the cold, filtered the air, enhanced our vision.

But there was a chill, everyone here shivered. The air was too thick, it was hard to breathe. And an all-enveloping fog closed around us, turning our world into whatever was less than ten meters away from us.

There was nowhere to go, except forward. Contact with the shuttle had been lost, and our GPS units weren't working, so we had no clue where the hell we were. All we could hope for would be to find a way to clearer ground, somewhere with a signal. Somewhere that had hope.

Because if anything, this place was hopeless.

Versailles Nova shifted the Whisper in his hands, tightening his grip on the silenced Chemical rifle. It was heavier than the Sugar by a lot, but also immensely quieter, much better for his profession as a Scout.

"I heard it too, Karl. Whatever it is, I think we have to find it." The point man looked abck at the group of Marines with him, whome he was 'leading' for now. "Let me know if you need me to search something. Though... I might need someone to come with me. This place Gives me the creeps."

He picked up his right hand, and adjusted his helmet slightly. So hard to breathe. And why were his sensors failing him? He needed those. Well, he didn't need them, but they made his job a helluva lot easier.

*****

The wind picked up slightly, bringing a deeper chill, even through the layers of material that were able to protect from the vacuum of space.

They could almost see ahead of them, what looked like a body, a person. some kind of figure. it was standing up. Just over a Meter tall, almost like a child. it faded in and out of the fog, as if it were barely there, or not there at all. But everyone could see it. there was no denying that they could see... something.

Karl was at Lolita's side in a second, hand on her shoulder while the other kept a strong grip on the TOR-S. "You calm down, and play it safe," was Hume's answer, despite the fact that he was not the one to which that question was aimed. From his new crouching position beside her, Hume slowly raised his weapon and peered through the sextuple-magnification of the scope to get a better look; all he got was a fuller view of the same unsettling figure. He lowered the weapon and glanced between his teammates. "Anyone want to go make a new friend?" he asked, letting the helmet's mic carry his quiet voice to the ears of his comrades.

God, the last I ever ask of you is to send me home to her...

Then, to clarify his request, he added, Alive. Please and thanks.

"Mmhmm." She gave to Karl in the cutest tone she could muster. The brunette knew that they were in deep, deep s**t. No one in active service had ever seen anything like it, and the only things she read about that described what she saw was not encouraging at all. Not at all. Loli saw the thing simply vanish in plain sight after Versa talked. "Yeah, go right ahead and lead the way, but I'm partial to holing up in a nice, sturdy building with lots of empty space around it." Lolita was still scanning her sector with the Papa, but it wouldn't take her mind off...that stuff. If I die here, will I see mom and dad again? I hope so. None of that 'suffering forever due to death by ghost' crap. Are the others thinking the same? She was scared and wanted some place safe to simply sit down and rest at. Loli tried to nudge the others to her idea. "Hey, maybe there's some beds or something in a place like that. I know my feet are..." Her gun snapped up as she was cut off once more. That horrible, horrible howling! Lolita had never heard anything like it before, and what did sound like it was not encouraging. Ok, I'm scared, but I can't show it, I can't! If they think I'm scared... Loli shook her head clear. She saw nothing though, but it was getting closer! I'm not going to die without taking one of you with me! Loli's hand reached down to her chest and put the object to her lips; if it came to the worse, she'd reach up and end it on her terms!

"This s**t's Fubar." Versa stated simply, moving across the way and closer to Karl and Lo. "Think we got enough Ammo on us to beat back Hell? We generally seem to have enough against the lizards and they're pretty damn close to what I'd call Hell." For lack of anything better to do, Versa began an in-depth scan of the ground, noting all the footprints and identifying them all, tagging them through his Helmet's computer. There were indeed footprints of others from the squad, and they were headed forward.

But there was an odd characteristic about them. Deeper holes with dug out toes suggested they had been running. Maybe they ahd the right idea. But why would they have not heard anything? would would make the rest of the squad run, while they stood their ground? Versa puzzled, but he figured it might have something to do with the Howls. Or those things in the fog.

****

Let's get back to that fog. According to particle sensors, it did not exist. it was not made of water, or somoke, or anything at all. Yet every visual sensor they had, even the fabled Mark one Eyeball, was baffled by it. Passive and active scans never went more than 20 feet. Even though it wasn't there, it was Omnipresent. Always around, never there.

The sound of hooves could be heard, clomping down as if on a cobbled street. they came from behind, but nothing was there, still. Just the sound. and an eerie feeling that they were being watched. a sound like heavy breathing passed them by, about the middle of the road, but they couldn't see it, or sense it. they could only feel, and hear it.

"Let's cut back on the chatter," Karl suggested, rising to his feet. He dropped back down at the sound of a horse approaching. His gun was trained on the direction of its "source" the entire time, but nothing solid ever appeared. The sniper sighed and rose again. "As I was saying, we need to keep it calm and quiet. This fog is... an anomaly, among others. But we also have a lead: I suggest we follow our friend's footprints and go from there. What say you guys?"

Her heart beat fast and heavy as they approached the still form. As soon as it started to move, she slammed her visor closed and kept a lookout for any other things. Versa's right. What if it's a trap? And what if there's something to our six? As soon as Bill spoke, Lolita was already suspicious of him. Unarmed, unconscious, and without memory? "Well, what do you remember Bill? We've been hearing noises. Hoofs. Howls. And we've seen some one. Or thing. Do you remember any of this?" Her mind was racing. What could have made him so selectively forget? What if it's something in the air? If that's the case, I might already be...she looked at Bill again. No helmet. She gulped, and spoke to Versa and Karl over radio, even if it the thing only worked within 20 feet. "Lets keep our helmets on and sealed, just to be safe. It might be the air, you know?" It might be too late for me, but I hope they'll be fine. Her concern for the others was making her over think the situation, and Lo was already starting to loose hope.

Bill shook his head and groaned a bit, standing up and looking around. "I told you, I don't remember anything past the shuttle landing and rushing into the night." he muttered, as Versa looked him over; he didn't seem to be injured at all, just a little confused.

"Hey, you guys got any extra guns? I feel naked without one." Private Davis asked, cocking an eye and looking around.

"I only got my sidearm, it's one of those stupid EV's, they won't let me take an L/P yet, they're too new." Versa complained, holding up the small laser pistol.
"I said a gun, not an angry flashlight." Bill joked, looking to Lo and Karl.