connection:established

SQ: Have you all heard the news? They found it! 0.0

LQ: Of course we have heard. Believing the news is something else entirely, however.

SK: Honestly I'm impressed that there are any left, let alone one in such good condition.

LK: It's in a bad spot. Dangerous. We will have to be subtle.

SK: I agree with that. Gods only know how many of the things still exist. This may be our only chance to secure our survival. If all goes well, at least.

LQ: We can send out a team to secure the site and begin setting up equipment. You Solars don't do "subtle."

SQ: Hey, I can do subtle things! You're one to talk, the way you go around dressed in spikey dresses. You look like a villain out of one of those old 20th century cartoons. =_=

SK: Ladies, please. Can we stay focused here? I second the notion of sending in Lunars. They're better equipped to deal with those types of environments. Quite frankly, I don’t think my Solars are mentally prepared for that kind of extended excursion.

LK: I have already taken the initiative and sent a team to the site. Once the location is secure, the Artificers shall begin their work.

SK: I should have guessed you would have. You've always got your eyes on the prize, don't you?

SQ: All work and no play makes for a dull boy, Hound. :P

LQ: Better a workaholic than a promiscuous party-goer like you.

SQ: Hey! I always get my work done on time, thank you very much! I just do it faster than any of you, so I get time for lots of R&R. -w-

LK: Enough. You have all read the dossier, correct?

SK: Of course.

LQ: Naturally.

SQ: No duh. Still blows my mind though. How have you kept this under wraps for so long? 0-o

LK: I lied. I was not sure of who to trust then. The situation has become dire enough that I decided now is the time to try something new.

LQ: So what is our next step after that? The documents you sent us weren’t clear.

LK: Once we know the device is operational, we shall send in a team. Two Lunars, two Solars. We each pick a candidate of our own choosing. Hopefully, there will be no need for violence. But ensure your candidates are combat veterans regardless.

SK: That seems fair and reasonable.

LK: Then I am closing this line. Prepare your selections.

LQ: Very well.

SQ: Okie dokie lokie! ^w^

connection:terminated

Although he couldn’t feel anything through the mechanized hands of his suit, he couldn’t help but run his fingers across the surface of the tomb walls beside him. Sand still clung to the edges of the ancient brick, snug between the eroded mortar and in the weathered etchings. Rhys couldn’t make out what the symbols meant, as they were either words of a long-lost language, or perhaps just insane scrawling. Hundreds of thousands of the glyphs lined the walls up to the ceiling, which only stood a head above him. He continued down the hall towards where the Lunar Knight at the entrance had directed him, looking for the man in charge. "Speak to Lieutenant Lionel, down the hall to the right." Rhys echoed the simple instructions to himself, looking for a passage on his right. Thankfully, the doorway leading in was well-lit and opened up into a large chamber that he easily fit into.

It looked similar to the hallway, with old, engraved, and weathered stone bricks making up the walls, but was even taller still. Another notable difference was a massive pristine mirror, untouched by dust or wear that appeared to cover the entirety of the cave wall. Surrounding it was an indecipherable web of wiring and machinery, which contrasted with the smooth, clean glass in such a way that it could be mistaken for an art piece. More importantly, in the center of the room, there was another Lunar soldier hunched over a terminal that was connected to the machines. A quick glance at the Heads-Up Display in his helmet told Rhys that this was the man he was looking for.

“So, Lieutenant Lionel. What's going on here?” His massive frame of white and gold strode into the room, the sound of his heavy footsteps echoing across the cold stone of the only recently excavated ruins. The bright colours of his armour were contrasted by the dark black and violet of the much smaller but still heavily armoured individual before him. The one known as Lionel looked up, his helmet visor hiding the annoyance on his face at the sudden interruption. The Lieutenant's own HUD told him the identity of the lumbering intruder who was now blocking his light.

“Rook Captain Rhys. And what do I owe the pleasure? Is there a reason you’re stumbling through my research site in your battlesuit? It is unusual for your ilk to be so far from home.” The mountain of metal in front of the comparatively small Knight chuckled heartily before responding.

"Ah, my apologies for the intrusion Lieutenant, but I'm actually here on official business. Orders passed down from the King and Queen themselves, you see. Colette and I have been selected to be recon for… wherever this thing goes." Rhys kept his voice even, dismissing the antagonistic tone of the Knight in front of him. He had regular enough dealings with Lunars to know to expect it. "The briefing said this thing is a teleporter, but I've never seen one in person before. Ancient technology, isn't it?" The Lunar Knight turned his back to Rhys and continued tapping away at the console he was working at.

"Hmph. Ancient is putting it lightly. These gateways are older than most of the daemons we have in the Guard. Thank the gods that our tech is still compatible, otherwise I don't think we would be able to salvage this damnable thing." The Lunar Knight stopped typing for a second, sighing deeply. "That being said, the code is all but completely foreign to me. Even the Artificers had a hard time cracking it, and the fruits of their labour amounted to merely turning it on and finding the last used coordinates. I'm just using their notes to get the teleporter ready for your departure."

"Which would be… where? A different sector? There would have to be a relay, so it's not like it could be connected to a different planet… right?" A silent glance from the Lunar piqued Rhys' curiosity. "You're kidding me. The coordinates are to a different planet?"

"You're thinking far too small, Solar. If I'm reading these coordinates correctly, and I'm fairly certain I am, this device appears to be paired to a whole other universe entirely." Rhys crossed his arms in disbelief, his helmet hiding his expression of awe.

"So not only is this an exceptionally rare teleporter, it's an experimental trans-universal gateway?"

"Did I hear you right, captain? Did you say we're going off-world?" Another Solar ran into the room, taller than the Lunar, but still comparatively small next to the three meter tall mountain of metal already present. Her armour was similar in appearance to the captain, resembling knights of ancient fantasy. However, her armour differed in that she wore a blue surcoat, and helmet stylized after a dog-headed god, both in reverence and also to better fit her inhuman physiology. "I've never been off-world before! Especially not using a teleporter!"

"Oh, wonderful. I was hoping I misheard you when you said there were two of you here… Colette, was it? You're a canid. Don't see many of your people too often. Canids tend to keep to themselves outside the cities." The younger solar crossed her arms and cocked her head.

"I may be from the tribes, but I prefer the city. A lot more things to do. And the guard lets me use some pretty cool weapons." Colette's posture was tough, but her tone was playful and full of youth. "My parents didn't want me to go, but you can't keep this dog down."

Lionel nodded dismissively, deciding it was better to return to his work than continue conversing with the visitors. An awkward silence settled on the room, only interrupted by the sound of Lionel's work as he put the finishing touches on the machinery connected to the mirror. After a few minutes of waiting patiently, Colette lost her patience and spoke out.

"So, who else is coming? Aren't there supposed to be Lunars on the team too?" A voice from the hall behind them responded to the question, dripping with annoyance.

"Obviously. We can't expect you Solars to get it right, so we get to babysit you on this deployment." The brightly armoured pair turned around, looking for the speaker. The owner was a Lunar woman in armour to match Lionel, except hers had a pair of horns sprouting from the top of the helmet. Beside her was a man moving just as quietly as she was, but he wore no armour, instead wearing a practical uniform with a long trench coat over it. The only armour he wore was a helmet, but unlike his partner’s deep violet, his visor glowed a baleful orange. Rhys recognized the woman's voice, and nearly choked when his HUD showed her name.

"Claire… is that you? When did you get here?" His relaxed posture was gone, replaced with an anxious stance that was magnified tenfold by the bulk of his mechanized battle suit. "Don't tell me… you're the Lunar representatives on this mission?"

"Yes, we are. I do hope you don't fumble the operation like you did like last time we worked together. I'd hate to see any other… unnecessary casualties." Rhys held his breath, looking for his words. He knew exactly what she was talking about. Colette looked sideways up at him, expectantly. Instead, he chose to change the subject. He turned his gaze to the Lunar beside her, trying to pep himself up again with an insincere laugh.

"Ha-ha! Let's discuss something else, like this charming fellow here," Rhys checked his HUD to identify the silent knight. "How are you, Knight Lieutenant Ignatius? Nice name. It's very…"

"Perhaps fiery is the word you’re looking for," Ignatius offered. His voice was monotone and robotic, but indifferent and polite, unlike Claire. "I would hope so. I chose it myself. Befitting one of my talents." Rhys understood the implication, and smiled behind his visor.

"Ah, a pyromancer, eh? Try not to burn me, would you? I'd like to come out of this with all my hair on my head." Rhys laughed heartily at his own joke, as forced as it was. Colette joined in, wanting to help defuse some tension. Unfortunately, the two Lunars only continued to stare silently. The laugh carried for a while longer than was necessary or comfortable, and the quartet found themselves in another awkward silence. Once again, Rhys took the lead in redirecting the group, turning back around to Lionel.

"So then, Lionel! How are the preparations going? I'd love to get a taste of some new scenery. Can't be worse than this hellhole we call a home. Unless it's literally Hell." Claire audibly snorted at Rhys for that comment, and he recoiled apologetically. "Of course, not that I've ever actually been to Hell. Could be rather pleasant." Lionel looked up from his console and rolled his eyes, not that anyone could see.

"Yes, I'm about through here… And no, it’s not a portal to Hell. Just stand by the mirror, and wait for my signal. Then just step through the gateway and you should instantly arrive on the other side." He paused for a moment, as if trying to remember something else. "Ah, yes. Make sure you all have your protections activated. Would hate for you all to morph into some horrible abomination once you pass through. Apparently that had happened a few times in the early days of trans-universal teleportation. Something about different realities having certain 'templates' for intelligent life." The four soldiers double-checked their life support systems to ensure that the aforementioned safeguards were in place, and gave the affirmative to Lionel.

"Excellent. Do you all have your necessary equipment? There is no coming back once you're over there. The gateway will be closed for ten days, as described in your briefings. That should be more than sufficient time for you four to make first contact, and establish the foundation for negotiations between the UDE and… whoever is on the other side of this." Rhys pointed with his thumb to a large, boxy device connected to the back of his suit. It was painted white like much of his armour, and looked almost like a large refrigerator, being nearly as tall as his squad mates.

"I have everything we would need and more right here. Should have plenty of material for rations, repairs, munitions, and medical. I figured if someone were to lug around a printer, I should be the one to do it." Colette looked it up and down a few times, fascinated by the technology that she still wasn’t quite used to being around, even after several years of service.

“We were both sure to triple-check our equipment before arriving,” said Claire without looking away from her reflection in the massive mirror in front of her. “We are ready.” Ignatius stood rigid and still beside her, not needing to speak. The two of them were almost like statues, with only the slow breathing of Claire to break the illusion.

“Very well then. I am opening the gateway. Go with the faith of the UDE, and the strength of the gods. This expedition may mean the fate of our world.” With those final words of encouragement, Lionel pressed a key on his console, and a shimmer of light passed along the surface of the mirror, giving it an ethereal glow. The glass rippled slightly, distorting the reflections of the four soldiers, and the room around them. The Lunars stepped forward first, without any hesitation, the glass flowing like water as it took them in, their black armour disappearing inside the silvery waves. Rhys held his breath as he stepped through the mirror next vanishing like the first two, like a large stone dropped into the ocean.

This left Colette standing alone for just a second. She hesitated, her instincts warning her of this unnatural thing in front of her. Every cell in her body ordered her to flee, but she knew that she could not abandon the mission. She was chosen for this, and accepted wholeheartedly, knowing it was an honour that her ancestors would smile down on her for, and an honour that her descendants will sing of for centuries to come. Another second passed before she leapt forward, not allowing herself the time to change her mind again. She, like the rest, disappeared without a sound. As soon as the last ripples faded, Lionel pressed the button again, and the mirror went silent. For a moment, he stared at the mirror, seeing himself in the glass. He allowed himself to whisper a prayer to the four soldiers who had just stepped out of this world, wishing them luck. He stopped himself from feeling hope, however. That was too much for him to muster anymore.

Ignatius stepped forward, slowly and cautiously. The portal had exited into what appeared to be a cave, with a nearby mouth opening out into a bright light. The loud, droning sound of running water echoed through the cave around him, which he took note of. If he was right, and it was water, running water meant life, which is already a step ahead of his homeworld. He looked to his right, and saw Claire collapsed on the ground, gasping. She clutched her chest, heaving for breath. He thought that the trip had likely been harder on her than him, considering she had organs that could have been disoriented from the transition. He assumed she would be fine on her own, and instead chose to press on towards the mouth of the cave.

As he neared it, the sound grew louder, and the light became blinding. His eyes adjusted accordingly, and as he came to the entrance of the cave, Ignatius found himself standing just behind a waterfall. Placing a hand underneath the downpour proved his suspicions correct, as the water neither hurt nor burned him. Stepping through the waterfall, he found himself surrounded on all sides by… green. Not like the farms of Earth. This flora was wild, bright, and full of life. His eyes drank in the colours all around him, and the more he looked, the more he was assaulted with new sights. Not just green, but reds and yellows and purples and blues. All the colours he had ever known and more, overwhelming his mind in a cacophony of hues. When he looked up, he saw an expansive blue sky dotted with small, white clouds. A gentle, calm, blue sky which he had only ever seen in pictures of ancient Earth. A blazing, bright sun that strained his optics to their limit, so much so that he had to look away. He returned his gaze to the ground, feasting his eyes on a smorgasbord of life which he could never have imagined before. A voice in his ear called out to him.

"Knight Ignatius," coughed out the voice of Claire over the radio, "What is the situation report? What does it look like outside? Describe the environment. Is it secure?" Ignatius was so enraptured that he couldn't think clearly. Emotions he had never known were flickering across his brain like lightning.

"It is beautiful. Beyond words, Captain. Just… beautiful." Claire snarled back angrily in response.

"What is that supposed to mean? Stay there. I'm coming out with the other two. Just… stay there." Ignatius couldn't disobey the order if he tried.

“Pretty crazy that the sky is blue here,” said Colette as she kneeled on a rocky outcropping above the cave entrance, using an atmospheric scanner to analyze the air around them. “Until now, I couldn’t imagine any kind of sky besides a red one. A good omen, perhaps? My people passed down tales of a blue sky from millenia ago, but I always thought it was just stories.” Rhys stood below her, listening with one of his arm-mounted rotary cannons brought to bear. He was scanning the surroundings for any movement, but so far only saw small alien creatures amongst the foliage. They looked similar to the rodents on Earth, but were much fluffier, with pronounced tails.

“You never did spend much time studying history, did you, Colette? Earth was once lush like this, thousands of years ago.” Ignatius sat nearby, carefully admiring the flora around him, taking pictures with his optical sensors. He plucked a small flower with pink petals, twirling it in his fingertips. The canid scoffed, fiddling with the sensor as she responded.

“I didn’t care about it, no. I went to the mandatory courses to be a soldier, sure, but I was always more worried about my combat training. I came from a tribe of proud warriors, and non-practical skills have never been my style.” She smiled under her helmet as she inputted a series of commands, and the sensor began its second round of tests. “Though, I have always been really into tech. Where I come from, the most advanced things we had were crappy guns and shoddy swords. My grandparents would have totally lost their minds over a suit of power armour, or you know... A toilet with plumbing.” Ignatius seemed to not hear her, absorbed in his own thoughts.

“I have spent a long time studying our history. The knowledge and wisdom of those who came before me once filled me with awe. Learning about the grand achievements of humanity, touching the stars and exploring the universe. With time, knowing what has been lost left me with nothing but rage.” The Lunar’s voice trembled with emotion, and heat radiated from him. The air swirled around his body, blowing loose foliage away as the flower in his hand began to smoke. Both of the Solars looked down at him silently, before looking at each other, acknowledging their shared worry. Rhys lowered his weapon and stepped closer, still being mindful to keep his distance from the walking fire hazard in front of him.

“Are you… well, Lieutenant? This is a rather bad place to start a fire. On account of us being in the middle of an alien forest and all.” Ignatius snapped around to face Rhys, now gripping the flower tightly in his fist, the smolder turning into an open fire. For a second, they both stood completely still, staring at each other with only the crackle of the flame between them. Rhys heard his own heartbeat as the seconds ticked by. He knew that he could not defeat a Lunar Knight in single combat, especially not a pyromancer. Colette could only watch, afraid that any action might escalate the situation. Thankfully, a few seconds later, Ignatius sighed and let his shoulders fall as the flame went out in his hand. He opened his grip, and let the ashes of the flower fall to the ground.

“My apologies. I shouldn’t be angry with you. One can say it was humanity’s fault for what has happened to the Earth, but I cannot reasonably hold your race accountable. No one could have foreseen the consequences of what was merely scientific curiosity. We are all victims. I shall retain my fury for those truly responsible.” The two Solars managed to let out a breath of relief, and Ignatius looked up at the tree he was standing at the foot of, seeing his Captain in the branches far above him. He used his helmet’s radio to hail her. “Captain Claire, do you see anything of note up there?” In response, she leapt down from the top of the tree, landing beside him with a barely audible thud.

“From atop that tree, I was able to better survey our surroundings. We are in the middle of a vast forest spanning dozens of kilometers in all directions, but I did see an interesting landmark. To the far northwest, there appears to be a massive structure of crystal. Almost certainly not natural.” She paused, considering her next words carefully. “It… actually looks like a castle from a children’s storybook.” She glanced at the pair in white behind her. “There is almost definitely intelligent life here. I’ve marked it with a waypoint that you should be able to see on your HUDs.” The three others checked, and on their compass was indeed a marker showing them the distance and direction of the castle. As Colette was checking that, there was an audible beep from her scanner. She looked at the results of her tests, and then hopped down excitedly, showing the screen to her squadmates.

“Good news! The atmosphere is perfect! It’s practically identical to ideal breathing conditions on Earth! Plus, there are no hazardous airborne toxins or micro pathogens detected!” The four of them looked at each other, trading apprehensive glances. Annoyed at the lack of celebration, Colette decided to act first. “If no one else is going to take this opportunity, then I will. Fresh air, here I come!” Ignatius raised his hand to interrupt her, but lowered it again just as fast. Either way, by the time he did, Colette had already pressed the release switch on her helmet, letting it retract into her armour smoothly and quickly, leaving her face exposed to the alien air. The caves she grew up in had stagnant, musty air only kept livable by underground flora. The air in the city was scrubbed and re-circulated, giving it a slightly mechanical taste. This air was truly fresh, and she inhaled deeply through her nose to truly experience it in its fullest with all the scents it carried. However, immediately after this first breath, she shrieked in surprise and pain as the eyes that had been so used to dark caves and synthetic lighting were for the first time exposed to true, unfiltered sunlight. Her squadmates watched in silent fascination as Colette seemed to wrestle with the desire to continue breathing fresh air, and the desire to cover her burning retinas. Eventually, she gathered her senses and elected to simply sit on the ground, hands cupped over her delicate eyes as she kept on breathing deeply. She enjoyed every breath, and challenged herself to identify and memorize as many scents as she could while she had the opportunity.

When she didn’t keel over, Rhys followed her lead, except having learned from his fellow Solar’s mistakes, he turned his back to the sun and used the shade of his own bulk to protect his eyes before opening his helmet. The sheer size of his mechanized war suit provided ample cover for himself as his helmet slid open, revealing his pale face to the new environment. The shade offered some comfort, but his eyes were still left stinging, though it didn’t hurt as much as it appeared to have hurt Colette. He allowed his eyes to adjust one at a time, squinting and winking them back and forth, all the while breathing in the lovely forest air. There were even multiple smells he couldn’t recognize, making it all the more exciting for him. He was the first human to smell the air on this planet, and the idea that the rest of the UDE may have an opportunity to experience this hardened his resolve to see the mission through. Perhaps someday, the people of Earth wouldn’t have to live sheltered and afraid anymore, and maybe they can someday look upon the sun again as they did millenia ago. After some time, he was able to look around and admire his surroundings properly, smiling contently at the serene sight.

Claire was the third to remove her helmet, but unlike her teammates, she chose to face the sun directly, as if to challenge it. When her helmet retracted, her eyes were already shut, and she bathed in the light. It irritated her dark and leathery skin, as it was not used to ultraviolet rays. After a few seconds, it actually began to burn slightly, with a small amount of smoke beginning to emanate from her. With one deep breath, she finally opened her eyes, glaring directly into the celestial body above her. The pain was immediate, and stabbed directly into her brain, but she stared, unblinking for several seconds, her reptilian slit-eyes narrowing to a hair’s width from the burden of overwhelmingly blinding light. Finally, she turned away, her helmet snapping shut as she did. She made an audible growl as she tried to stomach the pain, but a few more deep breaths allowed her to compose herself. Afterwards, the Lunar drew a small ampoule from a pouch on her waist, and slotted it into an injection port in her wrist. The hyperdense material drained into her suit, and into her body where it was used to speed up the healing process for her newly acquired and self-inflicted injuries. When it was empty, Claire nonchalantly tossed the vial to the ground, not thinking twice about her casual littering.

Ignatius watched his companions silently, not removing his own headgear. Without lungs, a nose, nor organic eyes, he didn’t really have a good reason to bother. While he was able to admire the sights and sounds of a lush forest, his appreciation of his new environment stopped there. But he did find interest in observing how an actual organic organism would react to the experience. The excitable canid acted without hesitation and quickly adapted in a somewhat rudimentary way when her actions immediately wrought negative consequences. While there were better solutions, she found one that suited her. The human waited and learned from the mistake of his friend, and found a less harmful solution so that he could better enjoy the situation, adapting in a more intelligent manner. Most fascinating was the daemonkin, who chose to use the pain that her squadmates avoided as an opportunity to harden herself, bearing the full brunt of the threat and not adapting, but instead embracing the ordeal. Whether this was a racial trait, or a result of her Lunar training was uncertain to him. Ignatius silently chuckled, realizing that he will likely never understand organics, but still found their unique struggles fascinating. He then moved his sight to the northwest, where their new destination was. He would love to meet new, unfamiliar lifeforms that he could study. With any luck, they would have discovered philosophy by now, and he would be very interested in a new perspective on things.

“Alright, that’s enough, team. This is not a vacation. Focus.” Claire spoke up, catching the group’s attention. Rhys and Colette re-equipped their helmets and turned to her, listening intently. “We still have a job to do. Find civilization, make first contact, and hopefully negotiate with the leaders of this world. The UDE is depending on us right now, and I for one am not about to disappoint.” No one could argue with that, with the team nodding in agreement together.

"Let us begin moving then," added Rhys, "If this planet's days are similar to ours, we likely do not have long to cover this distance, and I suspect that the forest will have its fair share of obstacles to overcome. I for one feel very excited to press on." Without another word the team began walking together into the alien forest, with the pair of Lunars leading and the Solars taking the rear. Together, they walked out of the light of the clearing, and into the darkness of the unknown.

Author's Note

Welp. Here is it. My first large-scale writing project since I was 16. Hope you enjoy the ride as much as I've enjoyed making it.