Walking through a dream, I see you

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𝔸𝕊 Arya opened her eyes and exhaled, she noticed that she was still in the pod. Opening the door, she lifted off the wire machine and sat up. A feeling of disappointment settled in as she saw her missing leg. Looking to her side, she observed Jake getting on his wheelchair with a similar expression of disappointment on his face.

"Welcome back," Max said to Arya. She sighed and prepared to put the uncomfortable leg back on. "You okay? You're all right?" Max asked, but her nod and response of, "Yeah, I'm okay," didn't quite match her eyes, already yearning for the connection she felt with her avatar body.

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"I'm Trudy. I fly all the science sorties," Trudy said as she led Jake and Arya through the Aerospatiale SA-2 Samsons, and people were busy working around them. "And this here is my baby," she added, pointing to her Aerospatiale SA-2 Samson. "Hold on a second." She climbed up to check if everything was in order before instructing, "Hey, Wainfleet! Get it done! We bounce at zero-nine." Wainfleet acknowledged her, "Yeah, I'm on it, capitaine!"

Jumping back down to Jake and Arya, Trudy mentioned, "Vine strike's still loose," directing the information to a man who went to investigate. "You guys are packing some heavy gear," Jake remarked as they continued on their way. However, a cart carrying RDA explosives halted next to them, prompting Trudy to warn, "Watch it! Yeah, that's 'cause we're not the only thing flying out around there. Or the biggest." Arya's curiosity was piqued, wondering about what was out there.

"I'm gonna need you two on a door gun. I'm two men short," Trudy stated, and Arya promptly responded, "On it, captain." Trudy chuckled before leading them to the man they met earlier, who was giving a speech. "There's your man. See you on the flight line," Trudy said, giving both of them fist bumps before leaving.

The two made their way to the man who was busy lifting weights. "You wanted to see us, Colonel?" Arya asked before the colonel spoke, "This slow gravity'll make you soft. You get soft, Pandora will shit you out dead with zero warning." The colonel said as he put the weights down and sat up, looking at the two. "I pulled your records, Corporal. Venezuela, that was some mean bush. Nothing like this here, though," he added, studying the two as they looked down at their legs. After a moment, he looked back at them and spoke, "You two got some heart, showing up in this neighborhood." Jake spoke up, "I figured it's just another hellhole."

"I was First Recon myself. A few years ahead of you. Well, maybe more than a few," the colonel said as he walked out of the room, and the two followed. "Three tours in Nigeria, not a scratch. I come out here? Day one. Think I felt like a shavetail louie?" He continued speaking as he climbed into the RDA suit. "Yeah. Oh, they could fix me up, if I rotated back," he said, checking the legs of the machine for any issues. "Yeah, and make me pretty again," he added, facing the two. "But you know what? I kind of like it. It reminds me every day what's waiting out there."

Arya spoke, "Every scar has a story to tell and shows us that we are still alive." The colonel looked at her, smiled, and chuckled, "Exactly, little lady," before turning and climbing into the suit. "Hup! The Avatar Program is a bad joke. Bunch of limp-dick science majors," he commented. Arya gave him a displeased look before following Jake to the crane, which lifted them up to the suite.

"However, it does present an opportunity both timely and unique. Clear!" He said as he turned on the suit, and the engine roared alive. "A recon gyrene in an avatar body. That's a potent mix. Give me the goosebumps. Such a Marine and a Dog handler could provide the intel I need, right on the ground. Right in the hostiles' camp. Look, Sully, Miller. I want you two to learn these savages from the inside. I want either of you two to gain their trust. I need to know how to force their cooperation or hammer them hard if they won't," he explained before Jake asked, "Are we both with Augustine?"

"On paper. Yeah, you walk like one of her science pukes, you quack like one, but you report to me," the colonel said, looking at the two before continuing, "Can you do that for me?" Jake answered before Arya, "Hell, yeah, sir." Arya looked at Jake and pondered for a bit before sighing, "Sure," not looking at the colonel for a moment.

"Well, all right, then," the colonel said before checking the movement of the suit and looking at the two. "I take care of my own. You two get me what I need, I'll see to it you both get your legs back when you rotate home. Your real legs," he pointed at them before Jake responded, "That sounds real good, sir," with glee as the colonel closed the hatch and left.

"Is he going to chop off someone's legs and give it to us?" Arya said as Jake shook his head, muttering, "What the hell, Arya." She responded, "I'm kidding, Jake."

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"Link's ready!" Max announced as he checked the monitors. As Arya lay in the pod, Grace looked down at her. "Just keep yours and Jake's mouth shut and let Norm do the talking." Arya scoffed, "Sure thing, doc." She smirked before the lid closed, feeling excitement to go out there and see what Pandora had in store for her.

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As Arya sat in the Aerospatiale SA-2 Samson with Norm, Grace, and Jake in their avatars, she looked at her surroundings as they flew over. Arya was stunned and amazed by the beauty of this planet-the creatures that flew by, the massive trees standing tall and proud. Everything was beautiful in her eyes.

"Sturmbeest herd coming up on your right," Trudy announced. Grace replied, "Got it! Thanks. Looks like a bull, a dozen cows, and some juveniles," as they flew over a waterfall. Arya smiled, feeling water droplets on her, and she and Jake screamed excitedly. Trudy chuckled at them before they finally arrived at their destination. Jake and Arya jumped off, getting their guns ready and checking if it was clear.

"Stay with the ship. Two idiots with a gun is enough," Grace said to the guy, her tone annoyed, following the two. Arya chuckled and continued to look at the forest in amazement as they walked further in. As they walked further in, their attention was caught by sounds as Jake and Arya looked up and saw creatures swinging by. Jake readied his gun. "Prolemuris. They're not aggressive. Relax, Marine. You're making me nervous," Grace said to Jake, lowering his gun, and walked forward. Arya looked at the creatures, "They're kind of cute looking in a way," she smiled as they carried on with their journey.

"So, how will they know we're here?" Norm asked Grace as they arrived at a small cabin. "I'm sure they're watching us right now," Grace said as Arya and Jake looked behind to make sure nothing was there while walking inside the building. "This was our school. Now it's just... storage," Grace said, picking up a book from the ground, her tone sounding saddened. "The kids were so bright. Eager to learn. They picked up English faster than I could teach it," she said, placing the book on the shelf while Arya looked around the place.

"So, we'll take a couple of these pH monitors...and a soil probe. That little yellow case back there. The old microscope," Grace continued. Arya walked around as Grace's voice played in the background, exploring the place. She came across holes in the board that looked like bullets had pierced their way through. "What happened here?" Arya asked, looking at Grace, who turned to her before replying, "Are you going to help us with this gear? We've got a lot to do." Grace turned away, and Arya noticed a troubled look in her eyes, realizing that Grace didn't want to talk about the subject.

As they collected what they needed, they continued their journey in the forest. "Keep moving, Norm," Jake said to Norm, who was getting distracted by the surroundings. Every once in a while, Arya's attention was taken by the beautiful scenery. "Keep up, guys!" Grace said, catching their attention and urging them to pick up their pace.

"And here I go. Scanning," Grace said as she inserted a needle into a tree root, transferring data to the monitor Norm held. "Oh, wow! It's that fast?" Norm asked, fascinated. Grace chuckled at him before saying, "Amazing, isn't it?" Norm replied, "Yeah," before she continued, "So, that is signal transduction from this root to the root of the tree next to it. So, we should take a sample."

Jake sighed in boredom and turned around, and Arya giggled at him before following him. They came across a salmon-colored plant. "Wow. These look amazing," Arya said, admiring the plants. Jake, curious, went to touch one. The plant coiled and retracted rapidly into the ground, making Arya chuckle. Jake touched another, and again, they all coiled and revealed a large creature that roared at them. Jake and Arya readied their guns.

"Don't shoot. Don't shoot, you'll piss him off," Grace said to the two. "Too late for that, doc," Arya remarked as the creature smashed the trees. "Arya, that armor's too thick. Trust me," Grace warned. Arya pulled away her gun and lowered Jake's. "It's a territorial threat display. Do not run, or he'll charge," Grace explained.

"So, what do we do, dance with it?" Jake asked, "Hold your ground, or do you plan to do the tango with it?" Arya answered before the creature charged, and Jake did the same, doing a battle cry. However, the creature stopped in its tracks and slowly walked away, seemingly afraid of something. "Yeah? Come on! What you got?" Jake taunted. Arya looked behind him and saw another creature stalking its way.

"Oh, yeah. Who's bad? That's right. Yeah, that's what I'm talking about, bitch," Jake continued. Arya, sensing danger, tried to warn Jake, but the creature roared and pounced in front of them. "So what about this one? Run? Don't run? What?" Jake asked in urgency to Grace. "Run! Definitely run!" she exclaimed. Arya grabbed Jake, urging him to go with Grace and Norm. "Take Norm and Grace out of here! I'll be behind you! Go!" Arya yelled as she ran, with the creature chasing her.

Arya sprinted through the trees, trying to outmanoeuvre the pursuing creature. She navigated the terrain, leaping over roots and rocks, and darting through the dense vegetation. The creature persisted, occasionally getting entangled but always breaking free.

As the creature closed in, Arya slid down the roots of a tree, briefly finding shelter. The creature, determined, tried to reach her, but Arya swiftly moved out of its grasp. She fired her gun at the pursuing threat, but it retaliated by ripping the weapon from her hands and tossing it aside. "Oh shit!" Arya exclaimed.

As the creature lunged, Arya evaded its reach, but it grabbed her bag, swinging her around until she managed to unlatch herself and tumble to the ground. Undeterred, Arya picked herself up and continued running, her adrenaline pumping. The creature pounced, slamming her to the ground, but she wriggled out of her bag's straps and escaped.

As Arya neared the edge of a cliff, she didn't hesitate. With the creature still in pursuit, she leaped off the cliff, plunging into the water below.

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By: SilverMist707

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