Armed Forces

Myriad Reality

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I wasn't here. Did something bad happen?

@Webmaster

A lot of people went missing. Apparently, two imbeciles took a roaming concert to this place. Their story is they were attacked.

Myriad Reality

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*Whips out a notepad and starts scribbling*
If I had to bet my life on it, given the trajectory, the ruble, wind conditions...
*Holds the eraser of the pencil against my cheek*
I'd say something broke.

@Webmaster

Not uncommon for this place.
*Drops the slab back into the dirt with a thwap*
But it sounds like you don’t know.

Myriad Reality

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Well you know what they say, "with bones that squish, no pain that's dished!" Or something like that.

@Webmaster

That sounds familiar.
*Lifts the metal with one hand and looks up and down its surface*
So I have to ask. Do you know anything about what happened here?

Myriad Reality

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I'm okay! I've got squishy bones, so don't even worry yourself one little bit.

@Webmaster

*Squats down next to a chunk of dislodged metal and slides on a pair of gloves*
That'd be a downside for most people.

Myriad Reality

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Hehe.
*Brushes some dirt from my hair*
Surprise...

@Webmaster

… Are you alright? The ground here is frozen solid. Rough fall.

Myriad Reality

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*Nods and runs in that direction*
Lucaaaaaa—
*Trips and faceplants*
...
*Stands up, brushes myself off, and walks with an assertive stride*
Ahem.

@Webmaster

*Raises an eyebrow and looks toward you from the wreckage*
Surprise, surprise. Look who it is.

Myriad Reality

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*Inhales a huge gasp of air and exhales it all in one go*
I thought you were going to shoot me! Your type look all so official and this has to be some kind of restricted airspace. There's clearly too much traffic in the area for unregulated aerial travel.

@Webmaster

Soldier: *Looks up and around at the sky*
No, nothing of the sort, right now. Some would disagree, but Lucas likes you folk.
*Tilts my head in his direction*
You should go chat with him.

Myriad Reality

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*Wipes a bead of sweat from my forehead and curves into a clean landing, and the transparent dome of the ship slides up and back beneath the rest*

@Webmaster

*The soldier helps guide you into a flat landing spot, then waves as you emerge from the pod*
Soldier: Thank you for coming down. We would have come to find someone after a while, but you saved us the trouble.

Myriad Reality

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*Flies down in a personal space craft, not much larger than a pod*

@Webmaster

*One of the soldiers posted up facing your direction hails you from the ground*

Myriad Reality

*A sleek, silver transport ship bearing stripes down its side of purple and gold warps into view with a pulse in space over the mountain base. After a while of resting in orbit, it tilts forward and descends toward the ground, doing a lap around the mountain where the base itself lies. I stand next to the pilot of the ship and point to the now-frozen wreckage of the Cerberus family's floating concert stage*

There it is, just like the reports said. Go ahead and set us down.

*The ship loops around near the base of the valley where the rubble lies and lands on flat earth several dozen yards away. From the back of the ship, I step out, along with an escort of four heavily armored and armed soldiers, who set up a perimeter around the ship. I slowly step forward, analyzing the wreckage from where I stand some ways away*