Lt. Commander Ayiana Sevo - Conflux
Aaron Schimmel
((Moss Fields, Gateside Dimension))
The group had escaped a herd of prey and predator plantimals by summoning a group of large rocks with the power of their (Vylaa’s) minds. It had served its purpose well, and once the herds had dispersed, they found themselves in the position of, well, stuck. Fortunately, Vylaa found a way down by hopping onto some rocks halfway, then finally making it to the ground. Just a few moments after the last of them reached the ground, the boulder pile rumbled, sinking back into the ground to disappear as if it was never there.
Sevo: That’s interesting. You think whatever was controlling it knew we needed to get down, and kept the boulders up?
Then again, if there was really an intelligence behind it, they would have let the boulders sink back down with the trio still on it, gently letting them down to the ground. Maybe it was just timing.
Kairis: I don't know. ::She stared at the ground, the moss swelling up like water to cover the bare patch where the boulders had been.:: Maybe it's another response to our thoughts. We're done with it, so it vanishes?
zh’Tisav: Or like they were toying with us?
It didn’t feel like it, but with such an alien environment, there was no way to be sure.
Sevo: Right, with that excitement over, we need to find the “highway” again. Everyone, bring out your tricorders!
Kairis: We should double-check, but I think it's where we last saw it? ::She gestured.:: The forest hasn't moved, and I can still see the depression in the ground that marked the main vine trunk.
zh’Tisav: And the map doesn’t seem to have shifted either.
Kairis was right on the first count, and checking the map on her tricorder, Ayiana confirmed the second point. It made sense, since they had actually “moved” very little.
Kairis: That's a good thing, right? It means our theory was right, the closer we are to the trunk, the more fixed the surroundings are. ::She tilted her head in thought.:: Maybe that's why the boulders disappeared. Everything on the main line wants to return to its base state.
Sevo: So far so good! One step closer to getting out of here.
zh'Tisav: In any case, it helps us. ::She took a step toward the depression.:: At least one thing in this place is constant.
Indeed, through the ordeal, the depression had remained constant. In fact, from their current position, very little had changed from their perspective. The copse of trees was still where they were past the depression (and probably still contained the predators).
Sevo: With that herd gone, it should be okay to head into it and follow the trunk. Be ready for anything, just in case.
Kairis: Response
They quickly but carefully made their way into the depression, and no further fauna assaulted them (so far).
zh’Tisav: ::Points.:: It was this direction, right?
Ayiana consulted her tricorder, checking the strength of the EM flux in either direction. It was stronger in the direction Vylaa was pointing, which meant that it was indeed the way to the gate, assuming their theory of the source of the flux was correct.
Sevo: Looks like it, yes.
Normally, Ayiana had a pretty good sense of direction, but in a place where “direction” was merely a suggestion, she didn’t trust it.
Kairis: Response
They continued for a few minutes in silence, watching the surroundings as well as their readings. Puffs of red dust and spores sprang up beneath their steps; Ayiana once again thankful to both be in her envirosuit and having suitably conquered her claustrophobia.
zh’Tisav: ::Halting.:: I can see a light up ahead. Is that the gate? Or some other hell spawn this place made up for us?
Off in the distance, there was a faint light ahead, but it was difficult to see. The constant spores in the air made the atmosphere thick and dusty, like a light fog.
Sevo: Possibly. We’ll need to get closer to confirm.
Kairis: Response
They walked through the depression until it opened up into a large circular basin, at the exact center of which was the light source. It certainly looked gate-like, like she remembered. Ayiana could see the technological construction the outpost scientists had built to stabilize the HOLE IN REALITY, but it was heavily smothered in local flora. Vines and tendrils reached out of the ground, entwining themselves around the gate. Slight pulses of light beat from nodules and a few red tendrils, suggesting some sort of energy was flowing.
Sevo: I’d say that’s it.
zh’Tisav / Kairis: Response
She carefully approached with her tricorder out. As she did, Ayiana noticed that several trunk lines converged at the gate from multiple directions. It was certainly a nexus of some sort. Ayiana walked around the large construct, passing her tricorder over it.
Sevo: A lot of energy is being pumped into it, like we expected, but power levels are decreasing. They’re not at the levels we detected on the other side. Maybe one of the teams managed to find the power source.
zh’Tisav / Kairis: Response
Sevo: Well, now that we found the gate, and how to reach it, has anyone figured out how to deliver such crucial information to the other teams?
zh’Tisav / Kairis: Response
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Lt. Commander Ayiana Sevo
Mission Specialist
U.S.S. Gorkon
V239109AS0
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