THE ARRIVAL [quote]The Seven Raiders came hurtling out of the Rift, not straight down but sideways, flying through the putrid air and skidding or tumbling to a stop. Acro used his boots to save himself from crashing to the ground landing upright, but the same could not be said for the rest… Wripper and Warlock lay on top of one another aching from the impact; Warlock shoved him off quickly. Ronin tumbled to a stop face down in the filth and corruption, nearly vomiting from the stench, He got up and began vigorously swiping the mud and detritus of his face and cloak, as he held back his lunch. The Raptor slid sideways his war rig nearly buried in the muck. He recovered quickly. Nighthawk landed gracefully, the boosters of his mech guiding him gently to a stop. Virus landed gracefully as well, his body effortlessly adjusting to the different gravity in a microsecond. [/quote] [quote]Stepping through the muck and surveying the surroundings, Acro was confronted by the unsettling sight, A vast darkened mire of decay and rot; the spindly roots of the corruption covering everything. A long furrough in the soil stretched for hundreds of yards before them, most likely the impact divot from Wripper’s Titanfall. This was confirmed a few seconds later as Wripper made visual contact with the Titan-mech returning; weapon drawn and securing the area. “So this is the Deep, eh?” Acro said from the corner of his mouth He observed a creeping tentacular root searching its way along the ground. “Charming…”[/quote] [quote]Jade crashed through the port unprepared for the drop she tumbled over Ronin knocking him back into the muck; he gave of an exasperated growl. Warlock scraped mud and filth from his jacket; “Indeed, and it appears our return vector is now gone” He was right; after Jade had landed on Ronin the Rift had vanished, almost as if it had been waiting for the last of them to enter.[/quote] [quote]Virus wandered his surroundings as if in a dream; the word ‘fascinating’ on his lips, he examined the tentacles of corruption. “What a curious world this is.” Nighthawk rebuked him. “Hey, Viral-video, focus up; we’ve got a job to do.” “I was merely examining the unique lifeforms, there are many amazing single-celled organisms here, including your brain, potentially toxic…” “Well that’s just fascinat- Hey!” [/quote] [quote]Ronin gruffly called the exchange to a close, as he extracted himself from beneath Jade who was stunned from the fall. “…We are stranded; there is no telling what dangers exist here.” The agonized cry of a nearby beast answered him. “…Or who dwells…” As he finished the heroes simultaneously looked down, to behold the creeping corruption of the Deep enveloping their ankles, pulling them down; the horrible slithering sensation and sting as the tiny hairs attempted to take root. “What is this?!” Wripper screamed as a tentacular root seized him by the neck pulling him to the ground. Jade and Raptor both trumpeted in horror as the slimy roots constricted them.[/quote] [quote]Ronin drew a Katana charged with electricity he stabbed at the roots and they conducted the energy shocking himself and the others, before he; struggling, withdrew the blade. “Are you trying to kill us!?” Nighthawk shouted. Virus watched with curiosity as the Deep began enveloping his arms; he vibrated with a supersonic shift and the corruption fell to the ground a pasty black substance; standing up to full height he walked about casually and curiously observing the Corruption slowly constricting his compatriots. “fascinating…” he muttered.[/quote] [quote]“ANY TIME NOW!!” Warlock shouted; but Virus just lazily leaned on his scythe shaking the creeping corruption from his feet occasionally, and watching with his careful eye the process by which the Deep took it’s victims. Meanwhile Ronin and Acro had freed themselves; Acrocanthus by burning the corruption with his hover boots and Ronin with a swift slice of his non-electrified blade. Rushing to Warlocks Side Ronin cut him free with a quick graceful motion of his blade. Acro freed Raptor and the moved onto the Struggling Nighthawk, as Ronin and Warlock assisted the mortally frightened Jade, cutting her free with a combination of steel and magic. Wripperoni’s Titan gripped him with a massive hand and pulled him up from the corruption as the vines and roots snapped with nasty pops.[/quote] [quote]They Raiders recovered from the experience and began looking at the awful vines, beneath their feet with a wary interest. The slithering vines seemed to suddenly pay them no heed, as if simple organic roots… “Be wary of the vines…” Sherlock gave them all the stern warning. “And you- I should have expected you to betray us.” he pointed an accusing finger at Virus, who blinked emotionless.[/quote] [quote]“It is best for us to know the exact extent of this corruptions abil-“ “-not by sacrificing our fellow man!” “Detective,” Virus spoke calmly; “you are rather selfish to impede knowledge, aren’t you..?” “Do not mock me” “Could you sacrifice your hand to save another?” Nighthawk stepped in… “Hey, hey! Ladies, come on, were all cool here, lets stay that way… Warlock, you’re right Virus should have helped; he won’t make that mistake again, won’t you virus?” Virus said nothing and turned back to the slithering corruption. Far to left Acrocanthus was gathering his own samples and research. [/quote] [quote]“I think he likes you…” Nighthawk said sarcastically… then returned to his mech stepping carefully around the corruption. Warlock returned to Ronin who was reassuring the know skittish Jade. “It’s alright, Jade; just step carefully and shake it loose when it tries again.” Ronin eyed the vines on the ground, and got the strangest sense that they were watching them; waiting patiently for them to forget and be ensanared once more. Jade snorted with derision and carefully watched her feet. “Warlock, we must come up with a plan,”[/quote] [quote]Acrocanthus rushed up to meet them. “It’s alive!!!!” “Yes we know” Ronin gave him a reproachful look. “No, no, that’s not what I mean it’s not just organic life, there are synthetic materials and elements woven into the genetic structure, it’s a hybridized synthetic organic life form.” Acro showed his results on a small handheld viewer he brought, the figures and graphics dancing across the screen. “Wouldn’t that make it cybernetic?” Ronin gazed at the mysterious gene sequence Acro had discovered.[/quote] [quote]“Well technically, but it doesn’t appear to carry any known form of energy not present in the organic material- Cybernetics implies independent wired implants, and augments, this lifeform evolved alongside, inside, outside of; I don’t even know- whatever the non-organic materials came from, the cells are literally laced with them…I’ve never seen anything like it” Acro’s shocked expression worried Warlock.[/quote] [quote]“Can it be killed?” Acro seemed startled somewhat by the question but quickly rationed away his fears. “It isn’t indestructible… That said, it seems to spread very quickly, it’s almost as if… -blam!-!” Acro kicked away a tentacle attempting to ensnare his ankle again, The tentacle fell and slithered on non-chalantly as if to say ‘I wasn’t doing anything…’ Acro shivered slightly, “it’s definitely aware of us…” “We should get moving” Wripper suggested. His Titan was alert and pivoting to watch the horizons. “Can you raise the brotherhood, Ronin?” “I’ll try…” [/quote] [quote]Virus poked about paying his comrades no heed, he had already discovered the information they were so fervently sharing with one another, the cellular makeup of the tentacle vines were making his nanomachines bristle with muted excitement. He would make use of them somehow…[/quote] [quote]“This is Knight Ronin, to Lancer command, Pancake; can you hear me? “*ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH This is Pancake SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH -aider tea SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH -espond KSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH*” “Pancake is that you? Patch me through to base!” “*KSSHSHHHHHHH I repeat Raide-KSSSHHH please- resp-KSSSHHHHSHHSHSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH*”[/quote] [quote]Ronin flipped the Radio to off, “Looks like we’re on our own…”[/quote] [spoiler]Continued in Chapter 3 part 2: THE HATEFUL MIRE...COMING SOON! Thanks for reading![/spoiler]