FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

One hour before the geth arrival in the system.

Mila looks outside from the back-passenger seat of their vehicle's ATV. The vehicle rocked and squeaked as it rumbled across the desert terrain as she comments "Some jungle paradise this is supposed to be. Relegated to just a few rivers, most of which the Salarians have taken over for themselves," she remarks with a sigh, "This was supposed to be a new beginning for everyone."

The brown scaled raptor driver glances over at her before replying, "Did you really expect things to be easy when we got here?"

"No, its just, so many high hopes dashed."

A red scaled raptor, a bit older than those around him speaks up, "Well we weren't expecting such drastic changes to have occurred to the planets due to the alien technology. Thanks to the human pathfinder we've already established that that is the cause for the problems, and have shown promising signs that it is reversible."

A green raptor with a red jacket remarks, "Its why you are with us on this expedition. To find any more of these alien structures and try to access them. The sooner we get this planet back in working order the sooner we can awake more of the pods and start building a real home."

The red raptor looks at Mila, "It is exciting though, to be able to work on an unknown civilization. One with such immense technological power that they could morph the entire eco system of a planet!"

"Which makes me wonder if they had this much power what happened to them? They disappear like the protheans? If so I don't like the feel of it."

"There is little reason to believe these disappeared like the protheans, for one it was far more recent, and they left a lot more working technology behind. Understanding the mystery of what happened will give us an edge in negotiating zoning rights on the planet."

The green raptor nodded, "I hope your tech skills Come in handy when it comes to understanding their technology. I heard you were pretty good about foreign technology. I heard you even managed to study the geth up close."

Mila jumps and tenses at the word geth.

The brown raptor back hands the green raptor's shoulder as the green raptor gives a soft growl, "Hey!"

"Shut it."

"What? Its important to know she knows her stuff."

"She wouldn't be here if she did not. She's not questioning your skills with a gun is she?"

"No, but I don't see the point in--"

"I said shut it. We came here to a new world, we don't have to talk about our past if we don't want to."

Mila continues to look out the window as this happens, her claws rub against each other as the conversation behind her continues.

The red scaled raptor interrupts, "She'd have not been chosen to go if she wasn't already proven in her skills. You worry about doing your job and we will worry about doing ours."

"Fine," the green female raptor remarks as she looks ahead, "How much longer till we reach the next research point?"

The brown raptor replies, "According to our next navigation point, just a few more minutes, it should be over this ridge. Scans from the ship indicate this one might be one of those alien structures."

"So, did the last set of scans."

"They were, but not the ones we were looking for," the red raptor interjects.

"We were lucky enough as it is to get latched onto this project, we better not screw this up. I don't want my ancestors to say, "Well we had our chance but then she had to make a mess of things."

"Ha, your ancestors? What makes you think someone is going to want you?"

"You know I was thinking just the same about you," the green raptor responds with a smirk.

The brown scaled raptor rolls his eyes shrugging off the comment as they come over the crest. There they see obelisk like structures jutting from the ground. The red scaled raptor leans forward in his chair, "That's it. It looks exactly like the example images we were given, quick, get there before the other races figure out we've found one."

The driver looks back at him, "They aren't going to realize in two seconds and if they did it take time to send someone. Why do you think they sent us? Our time isn't as valuable, so they use us to waste it doing the searching. Also, we need to be careful, there have been reports of automatic synthetic drones guarding these things."

Mila twitches as the words, "Y-yes, we should be cautious."

The green raptor complains, "Really? We get this far and now we are going to play the cautious game? We didn't come a bajillion light years just to play it cautious."

"We'll do a once around then move in if it looks clear, okay? Honestly we should wait for back up before going in."

The red raptor states, "There is no time for that, and as the leader of this expedition, do what you absolutely must to ensure our safety, but I won't tolerate delays that involve waiting for back up."

"Waiting for back up should be a must," the brown raptor grumbles as Mila looks over her shoulder at him and the others as they scouted the area around the grey metal like structure. Glowing blue and green lights seen through the cracks between the plates that form the outer layer. The green scaled raptor viewing the area via binoculars as they drove.

"From over here it looks like the structure is still active just like the other sites, this is good, really good."

"We'll see how good when we get in there," the green raptor responded as after a good fifteen minutes they move into the center of the structure. Large rocks litter the area, caused by centuries of erosion and rock slides from a nearby cliff face. They pull up to the side and step out. The brown and green scaled raptor moving out and checking the area as the red approached the structure, "Amazing," he remarks.

Mila follows the group as she looks around, her tail flicking anxiously, "This is going to take a while," she remarks as she looks up at the tall structure.

"We could do a life time of research on this, and still not be done," the red raptor cheerfully states.

The green raptor looks over her shoulder at them, "Well I for one don't want to be here for a life time."

"Yes, yes, I get that, we'll see what we can figure out over the next day or two, then report our findings."

Mila's nostrils flair the dry air causing her nose to itch as she walks around her footsteps crunching on the rocky ground as she notices a hexagonal structure in the center. Pulling out a scanner from her backpack she gives a quick scan of it, "This appears to be one of those panels the human pathfinder has found at other structures."

The red raptor's head perks up from off to the side as he was examining something else, "Really? I wonder if its still working," he remarks as he rushes over to the panel.

The brown scaled raptor looks over at the pair standing near the alien console, "Careful, don't touch anything you don't have to touch, if there are any hidden locals I don't want them to know we are here."

"Calm yourself, if there was anything we'd have seen it by now," he says as he eyes over the console which seems to give off a soft hum in his presence. The green lights lit up as his hand drew closer, his claws brushing over a layer of dust as more lights started to glow."

Mila's tail twitches, "Professor what are you doing?"

He looks up at her, "Just brushing away some dirt, nothing special," as he does a few more as more lights light up till the hum changes chorus and a new noise fills the air. The other two raptors look around as suddenly small floating drones appear, their eyes glow red as they shoot off a few lasers, causing the party to hit the ground, Mila rushes over to a nearby rock as she looks around frantically, her claws tensing. The red scaled raptor attempts to rush over but is struck down.

The two raptors fire at the drones knocking out two that were buzzing in the air, "Damn machines," the brown scaled raptor remarks as the attack seemed to cease after that quick attack.

The green raptor growls, "Brushing off dust he says."

The brown raptor looks over at the professor's dead body, "Not much we can do right now, Mila keep your head down, that may not be the last of them," he commands as the hum fills the air once again, "Damn it." The raptor pulls out his intercom as he yells into it, "This is research team six. We are currently at research site 52 and we are under attack by drone machines. We need back up immediately," he looks over to his side as Mila peers over the rock her claws scraping across the stone, "Raptour I told you to keep your head down!"

An explosion goes off nearby as heavy thud of mechanical foot steps is heard. The ATV no more than a burning pile of twisted metal as the green raptor remarks, "That was our connection to command."

"I know, lets just hope they heard it and send something."

"Send what? What can they send in time?"

"If we don't fight and hold out we won't know!" he yells back. As Meanwhile Mila keeps her head down her body shivering as gets flash backs, the sound of machines filling the hallways. The gunfire, rushed to the evac as the entire base was coming crashing down around them...

"No, not again," she mutters to herself as the two soldiers desperately fight to keep the mechanical monstrosities at bay.