"I'm up to exploring," Os says, gathering up his assault rifle. "You coming, Ran?"

Ghost Dragon says, "I will accompany you in your search of the area. Having a mage around is always handy. Call over the radio if you need assistance, James. If the rest of us cannot get to you on foot in time, I can astrally project and give magical aid."

'That, and there is no telling what is out there.' he thinks to himself.

Over the commlink, Cosmo's voice adds, "watch out for the big elephant thingies."

"Okay. Ghost, Ran, you're with me. Os," Chase lightly punches him in the shoulder. "I need you here omae. To keep an eye on-" He nods at Torque when the medic isn't looking, "-stuff. Get me?"

Chase looks back at the mage, "I know you can go invisible, but can you be silent as well? I don't expect any trouble, but...you can never be too carefull, right?"

"Good point, Cos. Any chance you could, uh...send yer board to, er, scope out the land 'ere? And while we're at it, Ghost: is there a viable giashere here? Can you whip up some watchers to, well, watch our six?"

Great. Now I'm talking like the hippie

Cosmo instantly stops in his tracks after walking for the last five minutes. Of course he only managed to make it ten feet in that time, but that's still quite the task for him.

"Aww, dude..." he breathes heavily and hangs his head. "Yeah, I guess I can, like, do that, man." The dwarf takes one last, longing look as the beautifully formed surf thats been calling out to him since they arrived before letting his board fall to the ground. Stepping onboard, it automatically latches itself to his feet as he begins to hover up off the ground.

"Dude... if only the pipeline back home was this beautiful, I'd give up burritos." There was a pause in his inner dialogue. "Shyeah, right. But I'd, like, totally consider it."

"Gonna start with the, uh... yeah... the... the signal I picked up last night. Prolly our best bet or sumfin'." With that, he nearly launches straight up into the air before zooming off into the distance...

Ghost Dragon says, "I can move silently. I was a bit too dazed to glean any useful information from the manaflow, or the gaiasphere, as some call it, last night. Checking now."

Ghost Dragon slides his perceptions sideways into the world of the astral and examines his surroundings in detail.

@ James, Leowulf, Chase, and Ran.

The path to the jungle only takes a few minutes to traverse. It looks as if it was well worn at one time, but has not been used in a long, long, long time. It winds it’s way down the hill side and runs abruptly into the wall of the jungle. The cries, hollers and hoots you heard yesterday are all still strong. An annoying buzzing insect cloud has also decided that you are good as food, and has started praying on you. One or two slaps a minutes seems to keep them mostly at bay. The bight seems harmless, and is more irritating then anything.

The longer you explore, the warmer it gets, not as warm as the desert, but warm and humid. Within an hour you are all drenched in sweat, and any exposed skin not covered in copious amounts of sunscreen is starting to burn. Unfortunately for those who brought sunscreen, it seems to act as insect musk.

It doesn’t take long for you to wizen up and enclose much of your skin as possible. A few more hours pass and the four man squad manages to break through the jungle into a small clearing. It looks as if this is where the path leads.

Two towering stone statues stand abreast of each other. They look like some sort of large squirrel. On top are men with fur riding them. Between them is a stone door, it looks like the entrance to a temple of some kind.


@ Leowulf,

The astral here is simply gorgeous. Lay lines are every where. The pure power of the man sphere invigorates you just by astrally perceiving. As you walk through the jungle you feel the presence of many animals, and you see many in the astral. At least ten different types of creatures stair back at you, apparently dual natured life abounds on the island.

@ Cosmo,

The little dwarf rides off on his board. His electronic sensors weaving a net as far as they can see. It takes him a little while but he finally gets to where he can see the whole of the island. It is crescent shaped, with a rocky shoal on the harbor side, and a steep cliff on the back. The majority is jungle with some clearings. From his vantage he can see no signs of civilization. Unfortunately for him the local flavor of Pelicans have taken an interest in him. After a few minutes the birds are swarming him, trying to ram into him, and generally causing havoc.

Ghost Dragon subvocalizes on his radio, "The manaflow here is amazing. Every bit as beautiful as the physical plane. There seem to be a lot of dual-natured animals here. I would suggest being careful not to anger them. I could summon some watchers, though I wonder if some of the local wildlife might be lured closer by them."

Once closer to the temple, he says, "Another temple. Do we go in? Let us be cautious if we do."

James mulls over the thought for a bit. "Anyone got a reason why we should enter the temple? Other than finding the dial home button, which is a little far from the gate if it is in there..."

Meanwhile back at the "camp" Torque revives from resting after his first aid and approaches the plants around the gate and begins to examine the local plants, trying to find out if any of them are edible, or contain useful chemical compounds.

The first two plants you test are normal floraculture. Breath in carbon dioxide, out oxygen. The third though reacts somewhat strangly to your chemical analysys. Without a lab or other more powerful tools it’s hard to say accuratly. The plant has a really interesting chemical makeup. A quick search reveals the plant is in abundance here.

Ghost Dragon says, "There is no other reason to believe that the dial home device is inside of that temple other than that it is nowhere else to be found. We can only come to that conclusion when we have finished looking outside. If we are finished looking outside, then we should go inside. We found nothing else, and this is where the path from the gate leads.

"Unless the dial home device was so overgrown with vegetation that we missed it, then it may have been either removed or placed far away on purpose. We may not need the device. Cosmo said that we might be able to dial the gate manually. Our supplies are beginning to run low. How much water have we all used in the desert and in this hot tropical environment in the last day? Out supplies will run out eventually, so it is in our best interest to try making peaceful contact with anyone who might live here. Either way, I think that entering that temple is inevitable. At best, we may find people in there who are willing to communicate instead of shoot first. At worst, we all die. We are dead anyway if we cannot find a way home."

He smiles at James and says, "Worth a shot, eh?"

While waiting for James's response, he takes a look at the temple on the astral plane and adds, "I can send a watcher in first if you want."

Torque examines the plant a bit more closely, then moves over to Whisper.
Torque: "Whisper, you still have your chemistry kit handy? There's something strange about this plant, I'd like to check them out."

Deftly dodging and maneuvering away from the onslaught of kamikaze pelicans, Cosmo manages to find the time to interupt conversations taking place on the commlink. "Uhm, like... whoa. Hold on a sec." There was a pause as he did a tuck-and-roll maneuver just in time to avoid an incoming attack.

"Watch out for the birds, man. They're, like, on crack or sumfin'. But, uh, yeah, what was I gonna say, man... uhh... oh yeah, like, I'm havin' trouble findin' the signal I picked up last night. Don't see much of nuffin' tod... oh dear..." His voice grew silent again, apparently as a prelude to some more maneuvering. "Okay, like, I think they're tryin' to steal my burrito or sumfin'. That's my working theory right now. But that ain't happenin', man... that just ain't happenin'. I'm gonna lose these birds and meet up wif you guys at that... place... thingie... you're at. Yeah. Okay, uhm, yeah."

At that, his signal goes dead. Anyone who looks up can see that he is, indeed, being attacked my a flock of insane pelicans hellbent on taking the little stoner down. But then, just as the majority of the flock was coming straight for him, he makes a rather dramatic swan dive and floors his turbines as he heads down towards the ocean, taunting the pelicans with his burrito as if trying to trick them into following him.

Over the comm: "I'm with Ghost on this one. We're already here, we might as well have a look inside."

The pelicans give up the chase with Cosmo's last maneuver. They were unable to perform such a dive. The little dwarf arrives at the temple a few minutes later, a little winded, but other wise okay.

Ran says nothing, simply loosens her blade in its sheath, and waits.

Ghost Dragon says, "If you can think of any other reason not to enter, now would be the time. Stay here and provide cover if you want. I will summon a watcher now to check the temple for us."

In only a few minutes, the spirit forms on the astral plane.

"Go and check that temple for me please. Tell me everything that you see inside," he orders.

While he waits for the spirit to return from the recon, Chase turns off the mic and turns to the dwarf. "Hey Cos, did you make anything out of the gauntlet from the last world?"

The watcher forms from ectoplasmic goo and performs the requested operation. It zooms inside the structure. A few minutes pass by before it returns.

"The building has many life forms, but they are all very small. It is a maze of hallways and corridors. In the center of the maze is a round device with symbols on it."

"Bingo."

Chase turns to James, "You wanna rally the troops before we do this?"

Ghost Dragon says, "Just a moment," with a raise of his hand.

"What sort of life forms were they?" he asks the watcher inquisitively, "And were any awakened?"

"Small fury animals, no bigger than a foot, and some of them were awakened," came the reply.

Ghost Dragon says, "Small furry animals. Probably rats or some other rodents. Squirrels perhaps, judging by the statues. The symbolism of people riding on the backs of giant squirrels is intriguing. I wonder what we will find inside. Let us be cautious as we search. Anyone who wishes to enter the temple should follow me."

He starts walking toward the temple slowly and carefully, still trying to remain quiet.

On the way, he asks the watcher spirit, "Were there any wards or alarms that you could sense?"

"None that I could sense." Comes the reply.

The doorway is old, cobwebs and an inch of dust mark it as being unused in a long, long time. The inside smells clean only because there is no door to keep the outside out. The jungle has crept in slowly over the decades. After a few meters the jungle all but vanishes and all that's left is grey, uneven stones.

"Everyone watch your step, the jungles moved in here too."

James takes point, keeping the selector on his Alpha set to GL and thanking the stars he brought this batch of concussion grenades.

Ghost Dragon slowly moves into the temple, being careful to keep quiet, and also making sure he doesn't step on anything that might fight back, like a small awakened critter. He looks around the corner and tries to see if the dialer they seek is present.

Like the watcher promised, the interior of the temple twists and turns like a pretzel. If it weren't for his guidance you would soon be lost. As it is it only takes a few minutes before you find the center of the building and the DHD.

"Ghost Dragon, are we close yet?"
This routine repeats until he recieves an affirmative.

"I'll go in first, Ghost please follow, and everyone else fill in and cover."

"Are we clear on the plan or not?"

The frustration and impatience is evident over the radio waves, and dripping from his vocalizations.

Chase almost sighs and turns on the mic, "Rodger."

Having answered the master, he readies to move into posistion as soon as James goes mobile.

Cosmo had only just started to catch up despite a steady pace from the start. By the time he arrives, he's finishing off the last bite of his breakfast and dusting his hands off on his shorts.

"What's wif the commando stuff, man? Not pickin' up much of nuffin' in there. Don't see no signals or nuffin'. So, uh, like... nevermind." He decides to give up trying to convince the toy soldiers to stop playing around and just waits at the door leading into the temple proper. Every few seconds he sends an ultrasonic ping through the complex, doing his best to map out the joint while waiting.

Chase crouches down so he's on the same level as Cosmo and turns of the mic.

"Its like this, see?" His voice is almost a whisper. "We're just taking precautions 'cause we don't wanna get blasted. I think that alien thing on the last world freaked a lot of people out. I didn't actually get into a knife fight with 'im so I can't tell ya what they'r like up close. But he did look strong and fast from where I was."

He adjusts the HK across his lap. "Get it? Its like when you do...well, whatever it is you do with that brain of yours. Playing Soldier is what we do." Chase shrugs and smiles before getting up and ressuming his posistion.

"Oh, I totally get it man. It's just pretty easy to, yanno, see 'em comin'. I so have their energy signatures down pat. I'm more worried about, uhm, yanno, those birds an' stuff. I think the fauna here is kinda, uhm, rabid or sumfin'."

Ghost Dragon follows behind James, giving cover with his weapon drawn and watching the room for activity on the astral.

"Energy signatures...hrmph. Are you saying those guys back there were different enough from huma-er.., " Chase looks at the dwarf. "..Metahumans that they have a different sig? I know trolls and heavy chromed hombres show up a little off on scanners and stuff, but..."

He takes his hand off the HK to scratch his chin, "Can you be a li'l more specific?"

"Nah, but spottin' 'em when they're, like, already there is a pfft of a probl'm. I was talkin' 'bout their... transporter... ring... thingies. Pretty sure I could spot one of 'em coming a mile away, not to mention those pyramids they cruise 'round in. 'Sides. We got this thingie now," he pauses to show off the gauntlet he's currently sporting.

"Only thing I'm seein' 'round here is the local flora and fauna, mean as they are."

Chase nods, "I read ya." He looks up at the temple, "Could this thing or something inside make the animals twitchy. Like a...a...an 'Angery Animal Radio Station' that only they can hear? I think I simmed something that a few years back. I think it was called 'The Island of Mandy Morrow'. This mad doctor chica mutated a bunch of strippers on this island into...like, angery fury strippers. It was out there, omea. If we get outta this and I can find it, I'll let ya borrow it."

The blood drains out of Cosmo's face and his expression transmutates into one of absolute horror. Or at least it would have if there was any perceptive change whatsoever to it.

"Uhm. That's okay, man. I'm cool."

At that, the little dwarf goes quiet and shifts his Taurus into his other hand. The barrel seems to just be aimed haphazardly at nothing in particular, but he does seem to have some mediocre understanding of gun safety. It may not be much, but its there despite his lacksadasical handling of the huge revolver.

James makes a mental push, kicking his wires into overdrive, turning on light amplification, setting the range on his Smartlink to five meters. He then moves into the room, swiftly and as smoothly as his enhanced physique will allow.

The sand colored camo drapes his body as he falls to a knee, sweeping the area with the Alpha's barrel and his own enhanced vision.

With the exception of the DHD, the room is quite empty. On the other side of the DHD lies a large ring, similar to the one on the previous planet. The DHD itself appears to be in good working order.

Chase looks down to Cosmo, "I don't suppose its as simple as dialing home?"

"I'd be outside surfin', uh, I mean workin' on that if you guys didn't need me here. 'Till I get a chance to go through all these addresses, and stuff, it's gonna be pretty tough to get home. 'Sides..." he says as he slowly paces his way towards the DHD and starts fiddling with it to see if he can get any response, "I dunno if its got the range to actually, yanno, activate the... the big round thingie."

Ghost Dragon says, "For right now, let us set up a camp, preferrably in here. There are less bugs and we are protected from the hot sun. We can fortify ourselves and hold here until Cosmo has the chance to decipher the addresses for our trip home. If we are careful and do not disturb anything, we may be able to avoid a confrontation like the last one. They may not even realize that we are here."

"Sounds like as good a plan as any," Chase nods at Ghost Dragon. "Any way we can jam the teleporter rings so we don't get another round of close encounters?"

It takes half the day to relocate the whole camp to the temple. The bug that have been preying on the team have seemed to wane under the noonday sun. But return as soon as it starts to go down. Standard insect repellant seems to act more like steak sauce then repellent. The bights leave large red welts that itch, but they don't seem to to hurt beyond that.

After the first night it get's better. The insects don't venture into the temple so their is sweet relief from the constant silent bighting. The second day passes just as quickly as you settle into the new surrounding. So far, with the exception of that first day, nothing larger the a lizard seems to be in the jungle. At night you can hear the occasional rustling of feet, the small furry squirrel like creatures seem to be very curious about you, but otherwise leave you alone.