-1402 Military Hours

Everyone maintains the rigid line perpendicular to our cautious advance.

A moral battle rages within as I move closer with each step, flanked on both sides by my men.

She's just a kid even if she did cause the drone to crash, there's no way I would train my weapon on her.

Not unless she assaults my fireteam, in which case I would have no regret acting in self defence.

With the objective in visual, it's up to me to decide on the next course of action.

Naturally that will be asset denial. "Secure the drone." None of our technology is to fall into local hands, period.

"Got it." Douglas steps forward, startling the odd looking girl with his gait.

After whispering those words, my eyes pick up a slight twitch to the kid's ears. They are pointed, almost unaturally so.

With the presence of a population on this island confirmed, it is imperative they be kept at arm's length from base camp. In-Ops has undeniable proof Factions Alpha and Beta are genetically distinct from us, it wouldn't be a stretch to assume the same can be said here.

The silence is balanced on a razor's edge, forcing my senses to the state of combat readiness. Unnerved by our closing proximity, the young girl finally lets out a yelp as she retreats further into the foliage.

South....She's running Southwards...

I take note of the exit direction, committing the observation to memory for future reference should the need arise. Something tells me it will be a highly relevant. My instincts have no reason to lie.

My experienced eyes are able to pin point the fear in her every movement. Seeing no reason to pursue the retreating figure, I focus on the ground she once stood on.

In her place, the girl left behind an animal. It was one of those that attacked base camp....only this one seems to be a infant based on its size.

"Jerome!" Douglas yells out from his position beside the tree, snapping my attention away from the harmless crustacean. "Alpha One-Fiver's pretty banged up. Two of the four rotors are clipped, it's definitely out of commission."

That's unfortunate, but not terribly so. The internal components might be salvageable, this will need to be confirmed.

"Give me that, I'll see what the hell is wrong with it." I declare with a firm voice.

"Should we relay our findings to base camp?" Robert offers, taking a momentary glance at the small arthropod-like animal still curled up defensively.

I signal for his attention, giving him the affirmative with a nod. "Definitely, give them the full spectrum. The guys back there will want to hear about this," I say.

From the subdued winds to the swaying leaves above, everything in this valley seems to convey a sense of wonder, this is a place humanity has never been before. My thoughts, however guarded they were, couldn't ignore the simple charm of the greenery all around.

With the palm sized drone in my custody, I begin to run a diagnostic via the computer interface on my left wrist.

Internally, I bring forth my expertise in engineering related matters. Relevant details concerning the damaged drone are displayed on the wrist interface, giving me a good overview of its status.

My eyes narrow into slits. Whatever the young girl did, it totally disrupted the internal wiring. The small DC motor windings seem to have been melted enough to compromise its insulation.

Its motors are of the brushless type, and given the diagnostic, I highly doubt it was a short circuit that caused the overheating. This all but confirms it, the strange girl brought down the drone.

Through what means, that will need to be further investigated, but it's fair to assume the method at play, is non-conventional in nature. The possible implications of what that can mean, is significant to say the least.

"New orders from base camp, looks like we've got our hands tied."

"What are they?" I immediately reply, already wanting to know what the new directive will be.

"We're to investigate the southern parts of this island for indigenous settlements."

"So what sort of info are we looking to collect?" James inquires, attention focused on our Communications Specialist.

"Location of major population centres, population density, presence of any Critical Target Entities. Pretty much anything we can get eyes on."

"I see." I whisper under my breath, collecting my thoughts.

I signal my team into the wedge formation. "You know what to do gentlemen."

After the drone is placed inside my rucksack, I will my legs to motion, mentally ready for the assignment.

Birds chirped happily in their place on the blue skies above, each call resonating throughout the air with wondrous delight. Despite my love for nature, this place still is an unknown. That fact alone is enough to consider this mission a significant risk.

I need to stay focused on the terrain, there's no telling when my fireteam will get ambushed. Hostile wildlife seems to be the norm here.

We're on our own now.

So with my attentive eyes on duty, I lead my team further into the valley, leaving nothing but subtle footprints along the way.

Weapons at the ready and fingers on the trigger, we proceed southwards following the trail of the strange girl.

As a unit, Fireteam Desert has existed for less than a year. But it didn't stop me from fully trusting my fellow operatives.

I am certain it goes both ways. And that was enough to stop the unknown terrain from affecting my leadership skills.

===20 Minutes Later===

The Journey is uneventful, but due to the nature of this mission I knew it wouldn't last forever.

Eventually, in the midst of this seemingly peaceful visage of green my eyes spot a stark reminder of our objective. Though the structure is shrouded in an abundance of vines, the telltale sign of its silver make is nonetheless a red flag to my suspicious eyes.

"There's something there." Douglas mutters on my right flank.

It seems to be made artificially, a closer look is needed. "Stay alert... we're deep in unknown territory." I motion for my men to cover all angles of approach as I move to inspect the unknown structure.

Even with the battledress to block out my senses to the outside world, I can't help but feel an overwhelming feeling coursing through my skin.

Various crystalline objects adorn its surface in a grid like pattern, shimmering in a synchronous... yet timeless fashion. Almost like a slow heartbeat.

Whatever this is... it has significance. I made sure to have my helmet cam pan the entire structure, the researchers would drop everything they had for a video like this.

"Jerome." The call reaches my ears, yet I could not respond. There was something else in the mix.

I fall under a trance, causing my spatial awareness to drift away. My muscles are frozen and there is nothing I can do to break my eyes off the vaguely humanoid structure.

Sweat piles unto my gloves as I feel something reaching out from the....statue. The crystals pulsate harder, enough to cast their own shadows amongst the myriad of leaves around it.

Out of the blue, a woman's voice resonates all around me, having no discernable source. I look around, attempting to rationalize this developing phenomenon, coming up empty handed as the voice echoes again.

"You are welcome here..." The unknown voice says, the words dripped with an air of mystery.

"Change and newfound knowledge, that is all you will offer in this world."

The experience leaves me in a state of confusion. I brace a hand against my left temple, wanting something, anything to stop whatever was inside my head. The urge to pry off my helmet almost wins me over as I tried to combat the suffocating presence within.

"I chose your kind for a reason..."

All too soon, I feel the intrusive presence leave. The stammering headache evaporates, cutting loose the overwhelming sense of unease that came with it.

All that happened in an unknown span of time. "God damn it," I seeth, shaking my head clear of whatever that was.

"Jerome, hey." A nudge on my shoulder brings me back into the loop.

I quickly turn to address my nearest companion, feeling slightly dazed and more than a little shaken. "Yeah, w-what is it?"

"Settlement up ahead," Robert answers, apparantly noticing my sudden lapse, but choosing to ignore it.

Through the foliage, my furrowed eyes hover over the intriguing sight. There it is, ripe for reconnaisence.

I wave a hand forward. "We've got our quarry." With well practiced maneuvers, my fireteam slips ever closer to the settlement.

With the aid of the dense vegetation to cover our prone silhouettes, the chances of being compromised is slim to none.

Wooden houses, and a fountain are the first things my eyes take note of. The inhabitants of this archipelago are visually different for starters.

Even from a distance of 400 yards, the details are apparent. Long ears and blonde hair make up the traits of everyone here.

The minutes drag on in peaceful silence, punctuated by the occasional breeze passing over me.

Standard reconnaissance is done without any deviation from my team. We were the prey observing our target with relentless focus, with the goal of finding out what makes them tick.

To the distance, I hear the unmistakable sound of crushed leaves. I perk my head to the source, the left flank.

My breathing increases. "Anyone pick up on what that was?" I whisper through the radio, feeling dread pooling in my gut.

"Negative.."

"Nope."

I don't like it, something is approaching. The sounds are intensifying, forcing me to take appropriate action.

The same reactions are made by the rest of my team as they take up defensive positions relative to the possible threat.

The notion of stealth, while still at the forefront of our collective mind, is now a secondary priority.

My finger went to the trigger in response to the rumbling. The focus on the settlement has all been discarded as I assess the pressing situation.

We can't stay here.....

"We're pulling out!" I ordered, keeping my focus tight as the unknowns come into visual contact eighty meters away.

These new arrivals look to be made up of mossy stone, a possible hint to their age. All four appear to be humanoid and seem dead set on reaching our position.

It didn't take rocket science to know what they are planning to do to us with those menacing hands of theirs.

"Shit! what the hell are they?" Douglas blurts out in surprise.

"They're hostile, that's all you need to know."

The speed at which they are moving is unprecedented. Trees are being pushed aside from the sheer mass and velocity of their head-on pursuit.

If nothing is done in a minute they'll be right on top us.

I grit my teeth in cold determination, keeping my calm under pressure. "Spread out! Don't let'em reach you!"

Everyone breaks the standard formation, splitting into pairs almost instinctively. I run into the thickest parts of the vegetation to blur out my movements, with Douglas following by my side.

In an area such as this, our smaller size gives us an advantage in movement, this battle did little to change that fact.

No words are spoken, as they aren't needed in the heat of combat. The ruthless efficiency of a highly motivated team of operatives has no equal, there is no I in Fireteam Desert.

Everything I did was for the greater benefit of the team. Time slows down from my perspective, the adrenaline rushing through me being the obvious cause.

With each passing second, my mind is better able to assess the situation, allowing me to make crucial adjustments to my plans if necessary.

Various scenarios run through my head, each one being mentally played out to find best way to handle the threats.

All this is done with the ultimate goal of getting my team out of this engagement alive. I expect nothing but the best from myself, that was my promise.

Trusting my feet to keep me skirting around the hostiles, I move to train the GD-45 onto the leg of the closest stone giant.

A trio of soft cracks resonate from my weapon. The small hyper velocity rounds instantaneously made their mark on the stone giant's leg, chipping away at the offending mass.

Additional shots came in from the rest of my team with lethal accuracy, aimed at the gaping dent I made on its leg.

In a matter of seconds, the focus fire of magnetically accelerated bullets all but assured the incapacitation of our target. It isn't dead yet, but it can't pursue us with only one functional leg to its name.

The battle drags on, with the vengeful stampede of the three remaining stone giants drumming in contrast to the soft cracks of our Semi-automatic railguns.

My legs are giving it their everything, even with the power armor to reduce the load, I can feel the beginnings of exhaustion set in.

It is taking every ounce of concentration I had to keep up the sprint while maintaining accurate return fire.

Their bigger size meant they covered more ground than us with each stride. No matter how conditioned our legs are, the distance is inevitably shrinking.

"Keep your distance, keep your distance!" I yelled out in the hopes of motivating my comrades past their limitations.

There is absolutely no time to formulate a counter attack, we're stuck on this mode of retaliation.

Every shot we fired, they took it without breaking momentum. "The bastards are gaining on us!"

Panic is far from my thoughts, I can still do this.

"Focus the one on the left flank!" The frantic voices on the radio prompt me to fire at a higher rate.

Each pull of the trigger is a success in its own right. The mossy rocks simply shattered on impact with every bullet.

A well placed salvo from Robert and James from the right flank rendered another target down, its disfigured leg simply collapsing on itself. The pulse in my veins rises in speed and intensity as I realize there's only a distance of twenty meters between my men, and the remaining two hostiles.

Exhaustion begins to claw harder at my legs as I push in a fresh magazine into the magazine well. The initial stages of panic are now beginning to set in, even as bullets rush out the chamber with their incredible velocity.

Seemingly undaunted by our weapons, they close the remaining distance with a single giant leap. My eyes go wide as a surge of fear rushes through my thoughts. An ominious shadow looms over my figure, forcing my aim higher in response.

"Watch out!" With my weapon securely trained on the as of now airborne threats, there is only one thing I should do.

I need to pull the trigger, yet my quivering finger remains locked in position, as if stunned into submission by the juggernaut pair above.

A massive quake soon envelops my senses, and soon the entire valley. With a body made entirely of stone, it didn't seem farfetched to assume they weigh at least a dozen tons.

Their stony hides are battered from countless of rounds, yet they stand with unquestionable resolve, looking down at the vulnerable forms of me and my comrades.

The ambient gunfire dies down to nothing, whether out of shock or a tinge of fear, I couldn't fully discern what the rest of my men are thinking.

The unexpected emergence of silence is deafening in its own right. Is this where it all ends? Years of service and commitment, all leading to an early grave.

Still if this is how the last chapter of my life plays out, I'll at the very least stay defiant until the very end. I send a heated glare through my visor, looking directly into its eye....so to speak.

With my shoulders squared and weapon in line with my sights, those two stone giants should get the intended message.

Flickering within crudely made sockets, is a subtle blue flame where both eyes should have been. Looking ever souless, they stared down at my smaller form with a clear sense of authority.

Yet even though I could sense contempt within those burning pits, the fact remains my entire team is still alive.

An apprehensive tension coats the air, replacing the chaotic ambience of battle not more than a minute ago.

I take slow and timid steps back, crushing the dead leaves under my boots. The resulting sound made me internally wince.

"Fall back..." I roughly whisper upon realizing the juggernaut pair aren't interested in pummeling us into an early grave.

My words are met with affirmative nods from my men, and stoic disregard from the stone giants towering over us.

With distance restored, our weapons are no longer trained on their massive figures. My eyes however still held their focus on their mossy forms.

The pair stood in protective vigil side by side, unmoving in every sense of the word.

Streaks of light pierce through the canopy, painting their towering forms with gentle hues of white. Such a sight will forever be engraved into my memory.

It is only when the vegetation blocks off all visual contact did I finally let out a conflicted sigh.

If they did all that simply as an elaborate warning to tell us never to trasspass here ever again, this will have repercussions to the UN's exploratory efforts.

What we have discovered here....must be relayed to base camp at all costs. Mildly confused, I lead my team back north.

Our rifles sweep through the foliage in large arcs, scanning the route I crafted in my head.

"What the hell..." Robert mutters in utter disbelief, navigating through the terrain with a solemn tone.

"I know..." I replied, not feeling the need to say more.

"Those things don't...seem to be alive."

This world continues to defy my expectations. "They probably aren't."

Just what the hell were those things?

======
-Taskforce Anvil, base camp

Dark clouds loom in over the eastern horizons, resulting in a sky awash with solemn grey.

Nothing of significance happened during the journey back, aside from memories of the pseudo-engagement keeping my head occupied along the way.

We're back to friendly territory, this is the cradle of humanity's tentative presence. Several nods are sent my way by a passing squad of regular UN troops patrolling the outskirts.

Corpses of the aggressive crustaceans still litter the southern edges of the base camp, such a sight....doesn't sit well with me. On field dissections are being done on several bodies by the researchers, all this in an effort to learn more about what exactly they are.

Titan Crabs they are apparently termed, a name fitting for their size and behaviour. Not even a week in and we have already disrupted the ecosystem just by being here.

Humanity's presence on this island and by extension, New Eden is driven by one thing alone. No matter how much we have progressed as a species, we will always retain the instinctual desire to march into the unknown.

"Is there a head count on how many of those fucks we've killed?" I inquire to a nearby researcher.

She pauses her intrusive examination on the inner carapace to look in my direction, face hidden within the white environmental suit. "Easily over two hundred, that includes adults and juveniles." At her words, I release a defeated sigh.

That number is devestating....this island isn't as big as the rest of its neighbours. For a terrestrial species to suffer that many losses, it could render the local population unable to recover.

A hand touches my shoulder pad, making my eyes perk up. The reassuring grip did ease the guilt immensely as I realize, I did what needed to be done. All of that was in self defence.

Even with the visors standing between our eyes, Douglas remains adamant on maintaining direct contact. Behind the black plating, is a person I consider my brother in all but blood.

No words were needed as we exchange powerful looks of camaradarie, respecting the stern silence.

I send a curt nod, wordlessly telling my Second In Command I won't let this thought linger in my system any longer.

I won't let my teammates worry about me, if anything it should be the other way round.

With the guilty conscious no longer an issue, I turn my focus back to the front, giving the expectant researcher my reply. "We'll be on our way Ma'am...."

I harden my resolve, resuming my confident strides towards the operations tent. Flanked as always on both sides by my men, the way forward has never been more fulfilling.

===End===

Our fates are written in stone long before we were born. Think of it not as a hindrence, but rather a reason to reach the heights you were always meant to achieve.