[indent][indent][h3]"The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown."
[right]― H.P. Lovecraft[/right][/h3][/indent][/indent]
[center][h2]Beyond Odyssey[/h2][h3]A [i]Kings of Tomorrow[/i] Story[/h3][/center]

At first, Roman had his reservations about being cramped in an up-armored personnel transport for nearly a good hour; but he had been pleasantly surprised by how well the vehicle handled the narrow dirt path that had seen decades of erosion. The potholes and deep ruts had little effect on the suspension and large tires of the monstrous military transport, and there was a remarkable amount of room on the inside. Ten individuals, including himself, were comfortably fastened to their seats with harnesses. Five of them wore the black and blue uniforms and ceramic-plated body armor of the Expeditionary Apex Security Forces, while Roman and the other four wore civilian attire of their own choosing.

With two more E-ASF personnel up at the front to steer and navigate, their vehicle rolled along in a column formation of three transports and two scout vehicles. It was Professor Roman Sullivan's first outside-the-wire convoy since arriving on Astria two weeks prior. After crossing through the threshold of the Polyphemus Gate--an impressively engineered iris that forged a bridge between universes--Roman and his team of fellow anthropologists had been itching at the chance to dive right into the alien world that had been waiting for them.

Of course, they were not the first visitors from Earth of their profession to blaze a trail on the mysterious planet. Professor Sullivan's team had only just recently relieved their predecessors, and they have been tasked with picking up where the first anthropology team left off. Before they went to work, however, they had to finish a mandatory "acclimation", which served as a two-week period of security, safety, and intelligence briefings; as well as an opportunity to adjust to a planet with slightly increased gravity and atmospheric pressure, not to mention a less polluted ozone.

For the final part of the acclimation, the new personnel that arrived together, regardless of profession or affiliation, would be escorted by E-ASF personnel to a nearby village of indigenous. This would let the new arrivals meet the locals and practice speaking in the native language. It was also an opportunity for the villagers to befriend more visitors from Earth, which, in return, would continue to foster strong relations. The village in question was approximately eighty kilometers northwest of the Odysseus Expedition's base of operations, dubbed Ithica. Roman had learned in one of the earlier briefings that the village, named Vericil, was a deep-rural town that economically relied on its diverse livestock. It was also well within the borders of the Arcanaan Empire, whom Odysseus and the E-ASF were on good terms with.

An audible ping echoed from a hidden speaker inside the transport, beckoning Roman to raise his head from a computer tablet that he had been holding in his hands. The voice of one of E-ASF handlers, 1st Lieutenant Katelyn Becker, came over the comms after a brief pause that followed the ping.

"Alright, newbies, listen up," the woman's voice barked with a chipper tone. "You're about a minute out from Vericil. When the convoy stops, let the security detail do a quick sweep of the area before stepping out of your transports. We don't need any of you brainiacs taking a surprise arrow to the face. For the most part, we've established a great relationship with Arcanaanites, but there will always be some that don't want us here. That said... just because someone approaches you with a cheerful smile, don't let your guard down. Be polite, practice some daily conversation in Abian, and try not to wonder too far from your escorts."

"Entering the outskirts," exclaimed the driver from up front.

"Look alive, people," Becker said. "Rendezvous back at the convoy by fifteen-hundred local. Becker, out."

Roman felt the inertia as the transport slowed to a sudden stop. When the heavy rear door to the vehicle opened downward with a hiss of air, the five soldiers that had been sitting in front of him were on their feet and already moving. Each of them carried an impressive and deadly-looking battle rifle, designed by their employer. In fact, everything they were equipped with had been privately developed by the Apex Corporation. The men and women that used the technology were just as outstanding, with most of them being veterans from national military services. However, Roman only trusted them as far as he could throw them. At the end of the day, they were still the guard dogs of a commercial entity.

When the all-clear was given with a wave of one of the specialist's hands, Roman and his team unfastened their harnesses and awkwardly shuffled out of the back of the transport. Excitement surged through him as he anxiously stepped off of the ramp and onto another patch of new, foreign soil. The sun was high, and a calm breeze swept the cool air around him.

With a deep breath, he followed along with the security detail that had been assigned to his team's vehicle. After a quick glance over his shoulder, he saw that the other vehicles were disembarking their passengers as well.

The village of Vericil was a quaint, humble town of structures made mostly out of logs, planks, and thatch. If Sullivan were to describe it in a single word, it would be "medieval". A small agricultural town in a pre-industrialized world would fittingly be without any impressive engineering capability to construct sturdier homes and other buildings. Architecture for the residents of Vericil wasn't about aesthetic so much as it was about necessity. As long as a home had walls that could withstand winds and a roof that wouldn't leak too much, then it was good enough to live in and that was all that mattered.

On the other hand, the town wasn't without its charm. Roman could clearly make out personal touches on the exteriors of different homes, such as neatly arranged flower gardens that primarily served as decoration, or fences that marked off property to espouse a sense of privacy. There were market stalls along the main road that divided the town into two distinct sides; one clearly for homes, and the other for the working citizens to toil about their day jobs.

Where some would probably see only a meager, forgotten town with nothing remarkable or outstanding about it, the professor saw a wealth of discovery and academic value. Roman could immediately tell that little Vericil was well worth the two-week acclimation period.