Operation: Alien Artifact

"Anvil here. Do you copy, Hammer?"

"We copy, Anvil. How'd it go? Over."

"VIP secured without complications. Horned and winged female specimen with purple coloration, marked with what seems to be a star on her flanks. Is this it? Over." Arthur said as he ran, holding the unconscious creature with both arms.

"Haha, yeah. That's our VIP. One of the aliens' tribal leaders, as our research has told us. Fairly tough for one of its kind, too. Bring it over, Anvil. We're all set to go over here. Over and out."

Arthur sighed and compared his coordinates with his destination's. The creature was heavy in his grasp, weighing him down, even if just a little, and the distance was long. He didn't know how long it'd be before the natives sent out a search party, nor did he know whether they even had the intelligence to carry out a search party in a proper way, but he would not risk it.

'It's a straight run from here to the falls. Keep running, no rest, and you'll be there in twenty four hours. Keep away from all natives. The suit will keep you going. No drink or food when you stop, only after five hours. Ample rest is a good idea.' Arthur repeated the instructions inside his head over and over, as if they were a prayer. He pushed onward, avoiding any settlements or travelers he met, and eliminating any creature that posed a threat to his mission.

By the end of the day, at the stroke of midnight, Arthur spotted the waterfalls. The sounds of cascading water filled the air, birds and wind singing songs, the water dancing to the rhythm as it fell from the heights.

Arthur gasped and struggled for breath inside his suit. He dropped the creature he held, and moved closer to the edge of the cliff that overlooked the lake where the waterfalls fell into. He searched until his eyes fell on a small cave by the side of the opposing cliff, and he spotted a yellow flag placed outside the entrance.

'That's the meeting point.' He thought, as he checked his coordinates. 'It's going to be a bitch getting down there.'

Arthur took a deep breath, and raced toward the edge of the cliff.

Heartbeat racing, he leapt, holding the creature with both arms as he fell down, every second pulling his feet closer to collision with the rocks beneath. Arthur closed his eyes and clenched his jaw, counting inside his head as he fell.

'A thousand hundred and one... a thousand hundred and two...'

Seconds flying by, ground growing closer, Arthur grasping the alien tighter as he witnessed the moment growing nearer...

...he barked a command into his helm.

Stabilizers flared up as the final meters between Arthur and rock became too few. He felt gravity losing its grip on him, and a saving force pushing him upwards. The stabilizers gently lessened in strength, setting him on the ground, and shimmered and died as he pressed his feet against the ground.

Sighing, Arthur checked his equipment and marched to the cave's entrance, creature slung over his shoulder.