Exodus: Beyond Eden Chapter 1: Into the unknown [IC]

[Flux]

Garen nodded. With that said, he stood slowly, pushing open the flaps of the tent as he walked outside. Normally, he would have taken some time to talk to the others, but right now he was too frustrated. He looked up at the stars, standing a few yards away from the tent, thinking over everything up to this point, and what he could have done differently. It was unlike him to rely on technology like that, especially when it was as easy a task for him as navigation. All they had needed to do was stay north, and he had still managed to mess that up. He sighed, putting his hands into his pockets and watching the skies.

((He's open to conversation if somebody wanted to seek him out, but otherwise he'll probably just stand there for a while away from the tent before going anywhere else.))

[Felicity]

Whit looked at the group, sizing them up. He decided to introduce himself and see if any of them needed some help getting around the camp. He couldn't have them fumbling around, distracting the rest of the men and women. "Righ, hi" He started by way of brief greeting. "I'm Whit Venerman, the guy who took out your bird. I have work to do, but before I get to it, do any of you need help finding your way around?" He offered to the group.

((Seeing as Whit was there already, I assume he knows the layout, at least))

[Ragnar]

"Yes, infact you can, can you please tell where's the mechanics lab? i need to repair my drone's arsenal. Im Kenshin by the way." Kenshin said to Whit.

[Raindrop Valkyrie]

"Just point me to the bunks." Vixen said. "Just show me the way I can find it on my own."

She said it rather coldly, and with an attitude. Now that they were at camp Vixen wanted to just go off by herself and get away from these people. Babysitting Zero ((whatever Ex's character's name is...sorry if I got it wrong XD.)) wasn't something she thought she would have to do. They were soldiers weren't they? Were they really this desperate to find soldiers that he made the cut? Was the plague this bad? It never affected Vixen, she didn't have any family she gave a damn about, and she had barely any friends. So Vixen was distant from the all of this. She felt the others might be too close and that it would affect their judgement. However, she did know the others probably wouldn't be happy with her reason fro being here. It was a selfish one. She only wanted to see Eden and try and survive in it. She had no stake otherwise. Maybe that was why she was picked by the higher ups. Somebody to keep the rest of the team grounded, remind them if they were all dead, no one would be saved.

[Felicity]

Whit only cocked an eyebrow at the woman, but said nothing about her. "Right, well, anyone else who wants a tour, follow me. We'll start with the bunks nearby seeing as I was asked so politely and work our way around." He said to the group, walking out and in the direction of the bunks to start the tour.

[Raindrop Valkyrie]

Vixen followed, she wasn't really happy though, less time around them the better she just wanted to decompress for now. She didn't even acknowledge Whit's comment because she didn't care what he thought about her.

[Sutoratosu]

Jace took his leave from the tent after a while, helmet held in the crux of his arm. The moment he knew he was out of earshot from Mission Command, he pulled at the Armored collar of his exo suit, pulling out the tiny Micro Driver he had stashed. Two minutes and some very advanced Hacking Skills later, and he had disabled the embedded Recording Software and listening device that the Feds had installed in every helm of every soldier on this mission. He took the tool to the circuitry again, forcingly reopening the Code of the computer system and opening the encrypted back channel he'd installed.

"You're late with the relay, Jace" He heard a very unexpected Teenage Girl's voice say over the comm as he stowed the Driver back into his Suit.

"Tami?" He raised an eyebrow in confusion, "How... where's Leah? Or Marcus? Why is it you answering this?" Then he began to realize that the very thing he had feared had occurred. "They approached you, didn't they? Even after I fucking told them not to..."

"If it makes you feel any better, I kinda got myself on their radar by accident... well, an accident named Scott Bane."

Oh great... Jace thought to himself. So both of them are involved now. So much for my effort then...

"Why didn't you tell us about any of this?" The girl asked in the silence he provided. "Like either of us would've honestly ostracized you for the decision you made..."

"To protect you." He finally sighed into the comm. "To protect you both. Encase things failed... I wanted both of you to honestly be able to say you had no involvement in this, for both of you to be safe from their wrath. I told them not to talk to you or ever contact you... but I had figured Scott wouldn't have even been an issue here, so of course for him..."

"That's honestly not fair, Jace," Tami protested, rising to her older brother's defense. "He's been trying to clean up his act lately, give him some slack for the effort."

"When did he last forge a fake ID to go out drinking underage?"

"A month ago. He's stopped since then though..."

"Because most of the bars and clubs aren't even open anymore, Tamira... When's the last time he got in trouble with the law? When's the last time he gave mom grief with all the crap he starts?" There was no response to that from Tami. Bane stood for a minute or two, wondering what was going on that could've quieted her like this. He heard Foot falls and door closing on the other end. A woman's voice picked up the conversation. It was Leah.

"You're tearing at wounds that are still fresh, Jace..." she scolded.

"What the hell are you talking about?" he demanded, more perplexed than ever.

"You're mother... took a turn, Jace. she was sent into quarantine just a few hours after you left." There was complete silence from the young commander. "Jace? Jace, you have to stay focused right now... I know the feeling you probably have right now, but-"

"She dies, and I kill them all," He said simply. "Every single god damn one of those fucktards..."

"Jace..."

"Look after Tamira for me, alright? Until this is over and I have what we need to prove everything." with that said, He turned off the Back Channel before Leah could respond, taking out his Driver and again enabling the listening devices from the Government, making it seem as though they had just glitched for a few seconds rather than a few minutes. They wouldn't be none the wiser to it.

Garren, meanwhile, had been too far away to hear most of the conversation... but he had managed to overhear snippets of the last minute or two, unbeknownst to Bane...

[Notus]

"Yay, I'll take the offer." Big answered to Whit with his usual grin. " 'Name is Mauro by the way, but everyone calls me Big. Have you guys been here for much time waiting us?"

[Felicity]

Whit shrugged "Does it matter? You're here, there's a mission to be done." He led those who wanted to join around the camp as he spoke. "In the end, that's all that matters."

[Notus]

"Hehey, that's the spirit mate!" Big laughed. "So, is it true you took down the big bird? You must be a good shot, that thing was hella tough."

[Felicity]

Whit nodded. "I'm a sniper, it was an ideal situation for my role. It didn't help that I had to work on my own though. The bird had the targeting systems down. Still, it's done. It sounded like you had a hell of a time making your way here, or rather, past here."

[Flux]

"...I kill them all. Every single god damn one of those fucktards..."

A pause.

"Look after Tamira for me, alright?

Garen stepped away from his place under the stars, moving towards the woods. He figured that being in the familiar arms of nature would help calm him down. He didn't know what Major Bane had been talking about, or with whom, but it wasn't his place to bring it up. He walked through the brush, trying to get far enough away to be alone, yet staying close enough that he wouldn't draw attention from the wildlife. He leaned against a tree, gazing out into the wilderness. He felt at home here, more so than in the camp. He was both nervous and excited for the trip to Eden, for the chance to discover new species of plants and animals, for the chance to see sights that no others had seen in who knows how long -- Perhaps there were sights that had yet to be seen by the eyes of a living creature.

[Raindrop Valkyrie]

Vixen got tired of waiting for others and their small talk. She went to where she assumed the bunks were and found an empty one. She dropped off most of her gear, and dressed down out of her Sniper Gear. For the first time on the trip she removed her facemask. Her face was revealed for the first time. Locks of Electric Blue hair sat around her shoulders in a short serviceable haircut. Her eyes were a strange Pinkish-Red colour, and looked wild, untamed, and most importantly scornful. She grabbed a small satchel and headed off towards the woods around camp. She couldn't stand these people and wanted to be alone for awhile.

She walked for awhile, trying to find a nice place, a quiet place where she could just relax for a bit and not be bothered. Knowing her way around the woods it was the perfect place. The wilderness was her favourite place, cause there were very very few people out there. Most didn't have anywhere near the survival knowledge she did, so she could go places were no one would be able to bother her. She looked for a place that would be far enough from people, but not too far that animals would get nosy. She didn't want to have to use her firearm if she didn't have to, not to mention she didn't know what was out there. It was a feeling she hadn't had in awhile. Something unknown, a new challenge. It got her excited. The fights earlier would have been exhilarating to if she didn't have to babysit Zero the entire time....She thought on him for a second again....wondering how someone as stupid as him was still alive. Sometimes one has to treasure their life above all else.....he was one of those stupid wide-eyed hero types, can't be a very good hero if you are dead somewhere in a ditch.

Vixen got a very unpleasant surprise however. Someone was already out here. She pouted. This place would have been perfect, how dare someone else be out here she thought to herself. But I am here now, guess I just have to deal with it. "What god have I pissed off to have the misfortune of meeting someone else out here?" she said to the man leaning against the tree. She said it in a rather cold tone, though tried to be somewhat friendly ((it really didn't help all that much. And this is to our good man Garen just so there is no confusion at all.)).

[Flux]

"What god have I pissed off to have the misfortune of meeting someone else out here?"

Garen turned off of the tree, startled by the interruption. He held his helmet in the crook of his left arm, his brown hair tied into a ponytail behind his bearded face.

"Well, nice to see you again too," he said with a light smile. He looked back into the woods. "...I don't know about you, but I don't think there's anything as calming as being in woods like these. You can witness nature's beauty all working in perfect harmony, right in front of your eyes. It's amazing, really. Even after all these years, I think nature is the most impressive feat of all. No human creation can hope to match it."

[Raindrop Valkyrie]

"I just like it because there isn't people out here....usually." Vixen said, sitting on an old stump. She scowled a bit, but she realized he wasn't going to leave anytime soon, even if she did try to make him leave. "Nature is preferable to people, quieter, it doesn't want to talk about "feelings", and it most definitely doesn't play nice just because of your gender." she said putting her bag on the ground. She got a few things out of it, mostly standard issue MREs and a small gas stove. She was used to cooking on them due to how much she was out in the wilderness. "So, you out here to get away from them too, or you just like the way the flowers smell?"

[Notus]

"Hehehe, you bet we did." Big answered to Whit while scratching the back of his own head. "First invisible giant lizards, then a pack of not-so-friendly overgrown dogs, and thunder chicken to close the night. Anyway, everyone is ok and we did manage to arrive here, so it's all ok in the end." He then pointed towards the entrance of the tent. "So, if that tour is still happening I'd be pleased to learn where we can go eat something. That ride got me starving!" As if waiting for that cue, the big man's stomach rumbled like a rolling boulder.

[Ragnar]

Kenshin isn't really a fan of small talks and exchanging stories as he said nothing and alienate himself from the group. The engineer went straight to mechanics lab, only to find his drone sitting there...untouch and still broken, welp better get to work, i'm sure this lab has the right tools to fix my machine. i could use an upgrade tho, don't wanna fall short once i'm out on the field again.

the engineer uses his time wisely as he grabs a blow torch,a welding mask and some spare parts he can find as Kenshin starts fixing and modifying his drone.

[Felicity]

Whit nodded. "Sure, let's head over to the Chow tent." He said as he started walking back towards the center of the camp. "It's not great food, but it works. Nothing like the food you'd hear about on Earth" Whit commented as they went to get their own food.

[Notus]

"Oh I heard much about it from my parents when I was little, but right now anything goes well." Big said, following the sniper. "Besides, if it is that bad I can always ask the cook if I can make something. Cooking is a hobbie of mine, you see." He added with a smile.

[Flux]

"So, you out here to get away from them too, or you just like the way the flowers smell?"

Garen wasn't sure if the last part was supposed to be a joke or an insult -- it was hard to read Vixen. Either way, he ignored it.

"No..." he started, "...I just came out here to calm my mind. I was a bit angry with myself after the incident with our equipment -- I can tell you right now, I won't be relying on it for navigation anymore. But I think being alone out here made me realize that despite that failure, the mission was still a success. We made it to base with no serious injuries or casualties, and that's what matters in the end." He paused for a moment, before asking.

"So you're out here to get away from the others, then? If you don't mind me asking, why's that?"

[Raindrop Valkyrie]

"I prefer to be alone, people are stifling." she said. "Even back in Espranza ((i forget the name...forgive me.)) I never really saw eye to eye with people." she said the last word with air quotes. "Lot of people there thought they could tell me what to be, my relatives, and even supposed friends. That isn't very womanly of you and the like, heard it every damn day. People decided I didn't get to be treated as a person, and instead a porcelain doll to be oogled at. So you will have to excuse me if I have a bit of a problem with authority. I didn't get the nickname Vixen for no reason, I am a bitch, you best remember that."

She bit down into here food, some unidentifiable substance. It was definitely something reconstituted, so it was bound to have the taste of cardboard whatever it was. And it did. But she had eaten much worse, much much worse.

"The wilderness was always a place I could go and do what I wanted to. I cut most of my ties from humanity. I would survive off the land by myself for the most part. The only person I ever really kept in contact with was my cousin and a few friends. No one here is like that though. All either loyal buttkissers, or the new bloods. Morons like Zero. They have to much claim in this damn situation, it is personal to them. And they will all die because of it. They recklessly throw their lives away, thinking they are saving people, you can't save anyone when you are dead. That is why I don't like people, they don't make any sense."

[Flux]

"I guess you must consider me a loyal buttkisser then, huh?" Garen replied with a laugh. He pause, his face becoming serious.

"Though I guess I'm not quite the same as the others... They're all here for a reason, most of them because they want to find a cure for someone they care about. But me?" He gave a grim smile. "I'd like to say I have an important reason like that, but I don't. I'm here from pure curiosity. I want to explore untouched wilderness, journey through uncharted lands, discover new species of plants and animals... It sounds childish when I say it out loud, but I've always dreamed of having the opportunities that the pioneers of Earth had, so many years ago. I don't plan to die until this dream's fulfilled."

[Raindrop Valkyrie]

"I am here for much the same reason, though it is even less grand than that. I just wanted to see a new place." She said. "Perhaps you and me are here for a reason, perhps we are here to keep the others grounded in their lofty goals. They seek to find a cure, but will do anything to try adn find it, including risk their well-being and that of the others of their team. They are too focused on being the big damn hero. Heros never live long...it is not something to aspire to be. I think that is why I am here, or at least what they picked me for. To keep all these Wide-eyed dreamers from never being able to awaken from their nightmare. All are all to close to the plague...it is too personal for them, they shouldn't be here, it will affect their judgement."

Vixen had finished most of her supper, and she collected most of the left over trash back into the small satchel she had with her. She then removed a small blue tin, it was just a simple one, a flat metallic blue, much like her hair. Garen probably got the feeling she liked the colour, and that she did. She opened it quickly, pulling out what appeared to be a muffin. there were 3 more in the tin, but she had already put it away.

"So, I don't actually remember your name. What is it? I am a face person, names don't come naturally to me, considering I don't even use my own. I remember every face I see, but I never remember the names that go with them. Maybe, I should change that, easier to remember grudges that way." she said rather coldly. It was supposed to be a joke, but it wouldn't have sounded like it to your average person.

[Sutoratosu]

Dobby & Notus

As the two entered the Mess Tent, they were immediately met with a white, sterile area with a tall device resembling a full body scanner standing a few feet before them. Sprouting out from a dome situated at the top was a stationary red lens, an AI operated camera that watched their every move in eerie silence. That seemed to be the only object in the small preliminary area; just four white, heavy Medi-Canvas walls and the strange decontamination terminal in the middle of the room.

"Step forward," a woman's voice boomed from some unknown source. "Stand with your arms held out to your side, looking straight forward. If you are wearing your helm, Do not remove it or any part of your Exo Suit until the decontamination is complete. If you are not, close your eyes and mouth and do not inhale while Decontamination is in process."

((Dobby, so that Whitt knows this; You have to be decontaminated every time you enter a health sensitive area of the camp such as the Mess Tent or Bio center, it's standard military procedure for Field missions and expeditions... and it burns like hell fire if the solution gets on your skin, but only until the neutralizing solution is sprayed))

The Quietstorm

Lance took his leave from the others in the tent as well shortly after Bane, saying nothing as he pushed aside the flaps and walked out into the night air. The minute he had stalked far enough from the place he removed his helmet and took off his shades, revealing a pair of eyes baring a deep, bronze yellow hue that had a luminescence in the darkness. He could see Bane in the distance, the young commander leaning against a tree not far from the trail leading into Eden.

"Today was a bit more hectic than I anticipated..." the mysterioso said. "But regardless, that was very good acting acting from you out there... except for the part where you bashed the Council at the end."

"Why is my little sister involved in this now?" Jace demanded, glaring up at the man. He pushed himself up from the tree, getting face to face with Quiet's eyes. "Was I not clear about my conditions?"

"How about you ask Leah or Marcus about that instead of me?" Lance said cooly, his facial expression hidden by the black shawl wrapped around his mouth. "They're the ones running that show while I'm out here with you, about to traipse into another set of alien ruins. If anything's happened on that matter, they're responsible for it as the acting heads of operations."

"So you're going to pass the buck to your subordinates then?" Jace asked, his face grimacing. "How utterly disgusting of a commander you must be then..."

"No men have died under my watch," Quiet said, walking a few paces away from bane and glancing back at him. "Can you say that, Jace?" he didn't bother waiting for an answer as the boy commander wrapped his hand around the hilt of his Tactical Blade. "You're father was a great man, Jace, you should know that by now from all that we've revealed to you-"

"The evidence I've been shown so far still fails to disprove he was anything more than mentally insane," Jace interrupted. "You're going to have to do better if you want my continued assistance."

"He saved me, you know..." Lance went on as if the twenty year old had said nothing at all. "He managed to take out enough of what they had done... shut down the clock in it's tracks. He managed to do it for Stone too... and then they caught on to what he was doing and killed him with a staged trial. It must be sad that I'm willing to believe the man's innocence more than his own eldest son." Jace didn't say anything in response. "But fine... have it your way then, boy. Eden holds all the keys we need to put the finishing touches on this puzzle. The truth is just something you have to search for."

"Are we quite done with this interaction?" the ESFA asked. He crossed his arms over his chest, leaning back against the tree once more.

"Not quite," Lance said. "One last thing, about the others on the squadron; most of them I think can prove useful... but for a few, I'm afraid I will have to eliminate them. The danger of them simply being pawns of the Council when the time comes... well, you see my reasoning here. Especially the sniper, Whitt, as I'm sure Stone has apprised you of the Roster change... He's cold, soulless even. He won't feel the rightness of the cause, and He'll likely to just follow orders and shot and ask questions later. Another one who needs to go is the little moronic Shock Trooper, Zero; he simply needs to die for no other reason than the sheer stupidity he possesses..."

"You're not killing any of my men, Quiet," Jace said coldly. The sound of a lock disengaging later and his Tactical Blade was in his hand, leveled right at the Shawled man's throat. "You try, and you'll find this blade so far up your hamster hole that I'll be able to give you a frontal lobotomy with it. I won't show any mercy if you threaten them. they're just Grunts in all of this, they're lives are worth more than being taken because they happened to be on the wrong side of things."

"Whatever you say, Jace..." Quiet chimed, turning around and beginning to walk off. "But just wait and see. Soon, you'll come to agree with me about this matter. All it'll take is time for you to see what I already have." and then the Gunslinger flicked his Shades out once more and placed them back over his eyes, effectively hiding the luminance of his irises. "Ta-ta. Until dawn."

And then he was gone into the reaches of the camp.

[Flux]

A cold shiver ran down Garen's spine as Vixen finished the last statement. He gave a short, nervous laugh, unsure if she was joking.

Damn, she's scary...

"W-well, my name's Garen. Garen Forrest," he stammered, realizing he'd been silent a little longer than was normal in a conversation. "It's kind of an ironic name, isn't it... Maybe that'll make it easier to remember."