Anomalous Trip (Part II)

[Dragnoxz]

2nd Lt. Bardlaw: “Oh, s***, don’t forget the real me back there, haha.” You make it away from the buildings. Bardlaw takes a defensive posture to cover while you pass. Hyla continues before doing the same, sort of leapfrogging. You reach a clearing.

[slicsinatra]

“Captain, what’s your status?” I take up defensive posture.

[Dragnoxz]

You receive a text through the wrist device from Captain Davis. It reads: “I hear ya. We’re being quiet.” You receive a video clip. A row of light gray skin giants pass him just meters away. He aims the video toward the waypoint, which is your location. They are heading your way. Another text comes in that says “They are moving fast. They’ll be on you in less than an hour. I’m placing another waypoint. Go there. We will follow them with the drones to update their course.”

2nd Lt. Bardlaw: “I’m thinking a f**king cave.”

2nd Lt. Hyla: “I’m thinking we triggered something. But I hope it’s a coincidence they coming this way.”

[slicsinatra]

“Let’s get going then. These people aren’t stupid. If they are still here they are probably watching. Just watch out for choke points and ambush spots that we could happen across.” I start making my way toward the next way point.

[Dragnoxz]

Captain Davis: “They’ve gone. Adjust HUD for FLIR style vision.”

[slicsinatra]

“Switching.” I switch my HUD to FLIR and continue heading to the next point.

[Dragnoxz]

The eye with the implant sort of blends with the other eye to make a hybrid FLIR and normal vision light spectrum to allow you to see the differences in temperatures and colors. It’s surreal, and you notice where creatures have walked and where you’ve walked, as if walking in snow, though the rays of the sunlight heat up the land. When a cloud passes you see the subtle changes in temperature, the friction of the bending trees as they sway in the wind, and when an area is hit with cool air. You can make out running water in the cracks of the terrain, though you can only see through it with the other eye. You can flip through the dark and light options and adjust the temperature sensitivity.

Captain Davis: “Caston, scan the area.”

[slicsinatra]

I begin to scan and look for signs of a max exodus or anywhere someone could hide.

[Dragnoxz]

You see many heat signatures, one is a latest signature of footsteps going into the forest. They don’t appear to be from a massive movement. It could be from a predatory animal trying to stalk or something else just passing through. But, it does look like it was there recently.

You also spot flying creatures in the distant flying around the tops of trees. They look like big bugs. With the sensors of the implants, you see a liquid drip from one of the leaves of a tree that has been broken by one of the creatures you see flying in the tops of some of the trees. A chunk falls to the ground. None of the flying creatures notice or care of your presence as they seem more occupied doing their own thing, so it didn’t drop it to lure anything to the location.

The sky becomes slightly darker, and the clouds illuminate a bright egg yolk yellow, with white and shafts yellow and grays at the edges of the higher clouds. The soft thunder of those distant clouds rumbles. Sounds of cicada like buzzing begins to fade in as night creatures begin to awaken. Trees sway from the wind.

[slicsinatra]

“We might have a storm coming in. Might want to reset somewhere secluded. My working theory is that these people may have known of a possible storm and have prepared. Got signs of a predator that was here most recently but it’s cleared. Storm might be unrelated but I’m shooting in the dark here.” I try to track where the max exodus could have went to. A hidden large trap door, or storm shelter. Maybe a fallback shelter in case of invasion?

[Dragnoxz]

You turn up nothing, and the heat signature of the footsteps has cooled.

Captain Davis: “The giants are half hour out. Why haven’t you moved to the waypoint ? I thought I set it a mile to the south of the town. Are the sensors working on your side ?”

[slicsinatra]

I motion my squad to start heading out. “We are moving now. Got distracted. Something just doesn’t seem right here Cap.”

[Dragnoxz]

Captain: “I have a gut feeling about something. Town empty, no locals.” He pauses. “Proceed to this waypoint, and make it fast. It’s risky. The giants will have passed by in 40 minutes, but you’ll know for sure what’s up, if what I think is happening is happening.” The old waypoint disappears, and a new one appears to the right of your position, south east of the town. It’s a sharp 110 degree angle back and to the right from where the last waypoint was heading, but it’s closer and more out of the way of the path of the giants. “Let’s see if our tech and battlefield smarts pays off.”

[slicsinatra]

“Let’s get it guys.” I begin running to the new waypoint. I check my kit and pop a carbon pill.

[Dragnoxz]

After about 20 minutes of running to the waypoint, you reach a clearing. Just past the clearing is the waypoint.

Captain Davis: “Just as I suspected. Those giants aren’t going for the town. They’re going for you.” He pauses. “Callus. Full throttle to the next waypoint. It’s about ten minutes out from you. Once you reach dense forest, or dip into the forest from a clearing, have the team continue to that waypoint. But not you. I need you to hook back, bout 200 meters and activate auto camo with the drone just before the next clearing. Observe the heat of the path your team takes with the FLIR. I have a feeling someone or something is following you. It’s nearly dark so it’s the best time to do this. The giants are 35 minutes out from you. Photo the perused, lock onto them with the drone and have it auto track. It’s to right tab, open drown functions, click tracking mode, hit follow target at safe distance. It’ll track’em. Standby and wait for a secondary tracker. Snipe that one quietly, and just hold till the giants pass, or till another swings by.”