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[b][u]CHAPTER I[/b][/u]

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[i]The topography of LV-629 is a simple endeavor, even for the mindless grunt of the United States Colonial Marine Corps. LV-629 houses 8,125 sentients and 22 artificial personnel in six housing pods with an accompanying Operations Pod, a Medical Pod, and a Research Pod. These isolated and semi-permanent establishments are separated by thirty to forty yards of a treaded path, slightly paved with the high xenograsses mowed to provide some semblance of culture. A pasture just [b]South[/b] of the settlement houses the AgroFood Processing where synthetic grains are grown to feed the population. The USCMC platoon is housed in the Operations Pod, where a rudimentary barracks was built on the second floor with an adjacent armory and shooting range. LV-629 is a home away from home.

There are three [b]Research Outposts[/b] on LV-629, one to the [b]North[/b], one to the [b]West[/b] and one to the [b]East[/b]. They are, respectively -- Xenobiology, Rudimentary Sciences, and Geosciences. They operate anywhere from 2 to 12 personnel and these pods offer a small housing unit and a research pod. They are responsible for the majority of research on LV-629, whereas the primary settlement is used to facilitate the ore mines in the [b]South[/b] and ensure civility and safety for the researchers. The last bastion of civilization is to the [b]South[/b], where the ore mine is located. Extracting trace elements of iron, the mine operates 250 or so workers and is located furthest from the settlement at twelve kilometers in distance.

Our story starts here, on LV-629, and furthermore, with the Bad Blood [b]Strife[/b]. While reasons of his exile are still unknown, he had long called the jungles of LV-629 his home since his forced departure from his culture. Things however, were about to take an interesting change. The introduction of humans to the biosphere intrigued [b]Strife[/b], who observed from a distance but remained passive in dealing with the humanoids. What he saw as he maneuvered through the dense foliage, returning to his makeshift campsite from a hunting expedition gave him pause. Settled atop a branch, he switched his sensors on his biomask to thermal imaging, and the fading heat of a pair of humans was clear outside the small research pod. He remained unmoving, but an unsettling feeling caused him to turn his sensors to electromagnetic. There they were. Three hunters, and by the looks of them they were unblooded -- they carried no plasma caster or advanced ornamentation. One of them was crouched, slowly cutting away at the spinal cord of one of the felled humans. There were no electromagnetic signals surrounding the prey. They had been unarmed. Another of the Hunters wielded an extended combistick. He retracted it and placed it on his belt. A gunshot rang out.

The third Hunter roared and extended his wrist blades before leaping at the third humanoid that emerged from the pod. He gutted the pink skin and briefly lifted him from his feet before tossing him to the wayside. Trophies collected, the hunters moved out, unaware they had been observed. They moved eastward at a slow, but deliberate pace -- a pace easily kept by a Hunter much more familiar with the jungle than these Unblooded.[/i]

[b]Investigate the Unblooded and discover their true intentions here. Interact with or slay one of the Hunter and retrieve his Wrist Gauntlet to discover their true intentions, or stay behind to investigate/observe the Research Pod[/b].

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[i]"Romeo-November 3, this is Operations, come in, over."

No response. The Research Pod had gone dark two days ago, and not a single call back come. The change in shift had been temporarily halted for fear of a potential security breach, and Director of Research Colin Farworth requested the assistance of the USCMC platoon; he would not be disappointed.[/i]

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[i]"Wake up assholes, we ain't gettin' paid by the hour!" Sergeant Bryant's voice was a symphony of discipline and experience, and while the members of first squad would certainly not be appreciative of his constant yelling, no one dared doubted his resolve. The lights flicked on and shone light on the six bunks of 1st squad's dormitory.

"Some of the colonists have been misplaced, got lost in the fuckin' woods no doubt, and we're gonna pull'em out! Come on Dragon, don't make me drag you out of that cot!" While Bryant practiced a no bullshit mentality, two of his Marines had the same last name and thus the use of nicknames was paramount to ensure which Stone knew was getting their ass chewed out at that particular time. "Ready for deployment in fifteen minutes, boys. Being late would NOT be in your best fucking interest."

Sergeant Bryant stepped from the doorway, his combat gear already adorned and his Pulse Rifle slung from his shoulder. He would await first squad to rally at the East Gate.[/i]

[b]Marines: Get combat ready and meet Sergeant Bryant at the East Gate for an Extraction Mission at the East Research Pod, which has gone silent[/b].