Project - Prometheus Ch. 07

"Ah! Well then, we need to go south. It's at least three to four days walk in good weather to get there. Can you... show more of Talemkha? I see none of the landmarks or mountains on this... model," she stated. Nodding, Alex zoomed out some more until Lumi stopped him at around ninety kilometers. She jabbed her finger at one of the large ridges that dotted the landscape.

"That's it right there! That is where we would walk in, but since we have a ship, I assume that we would... fly?" she inquired excitedly. Moving the map to encompass the topographical map of the Dead Snows, Alex stroked his chin in thought. Lots of ridges and jutting ice formations dotted the area and he couldn't spot anywhere they could put the Hermes down. Turning to Inari, he asked her opinion.

"Any thoughts on where we could put down inside the area?"

"Hmm. I'm thinking over here looks like a good candidate," she pointed at a smallish plateau just seven hundred meters from the entry point. It was slightly raised compared to the rest of the area and would afford them a good vantage point should anything spot them there. "It might be a bit of a tight fit with all the spires and outcroppings around it, but I can do it."

"Excellent. Then that's our insertion point. How is everyone doing on ammo?" the young captain asked his crew.

"I've still got several clips worth of ammo for my rifle and this point offers a good vantage for me to work with," Pree chirped as she scrutinized the map.

"I burned through a lot of my rounds during last night's battle, so I'll need to be thrifty with what I have," Inari supplied.

"Same here," Natalya seconded.

"I was flying the ship, so I still have every round I took," Taal'ani piped up in response.

"Commander?" Alex turned to his security chief.

"I have a good deal of rounds left. I emptied two clips last night, but I was careful with my shots. And I still have to put this baby to use," she pulled out her shotgun, and it unfolded to full size in a matter of seconds.

Nodding, Alex knew that he still had at least one additional ammo box left for Stormbreaker and he hadn't even used Wolf's Fangs yet. Plus, he had Yggdrasil which prompted him to focus on Korsa, who was currently going through checks with her weapon.

"All right then. Let's get everyone suited up and ready to go," Alex ordered. In a flash, everyone had stood and was busy grabbing their armor pieces and fitting them back together, arming up. As they all stood up, the table and the round chairs sank into the floor, becoming a solid part of the ship again.

"Alex," Valessa said, catching his attention. "I know that you and yours are going along with my daughter to the Dead Snows and while I shouldn't fear for her safety in your company, I still will. I ask that several of my warriors go along with you, to help ensure her safety."

"Pick four," he stated after mulling it over for a few moments. "The fewer people there are in the team, the less we have to worry about anyone wandering off or getting lost. Preferably those who know how to use the firearms that were loaned to them. I'd we rather engage any enemies we encounter at a distance."

Nodding curtly, Valessa stepped outside and relayed her command to two of her honor guards. They raced off quickly after receiving their orders. They returned a few minutes later with four warriors from last night's battle; two men and two women, each of them still carrying the weapons that Inari gave them from the Darkstrider. Valessa told them where they were headed and told them their duty, which they accepted with grim faces. Luminia was her only daughter, and she needed to be sure she would return safely.

They all swore on their lives that Lumi would come home safe. She then instructed one man, Brahktem, to fetch her daughter to come outside as she wanted to speak to her. As they went inside amid all the bustle and hustle, Inari, Kasumi and Priya asked them to hand their weapons over for inspection and cleaning. While the guns were being inspected, Brahktem delivered his message and Lumi stepped outside.

"Luminia, I know that you are set on going to the Dead Snows and I also know that you now may seek to find that beast that killed your father," Val spoke.

"Mother..." but Valessa stopped her there with a raised hand.

"I ask you, please, don't go looking for it. I lost your father there, I will not lose you either. I know that our new allies have formidable weapons, but you should have something of your own, to protect yourself."

With that, Valessa picked up the bundle that was leaning against the Hermes. She unwrapped it and within, lay a sword, that belonged to her father. He had crafted it with the scraps and detritus he had found in the Dead Snows and it was a deadly weapon in combat. It was the same blade that Lumi had brought back with her on that fateful day he had told her to run.

Trembling slightly, Luminia took the proffered weapon and unsheathed it, hefting it for the first time in years. She stepped back and took a few experimental swings and was happy to see that the blade hadn't deteriorated or lost its balance. Ramming the blade back into its sheath, she hugged her mother tearfully, thanking her for the sword. Receiving the sword was more than just a necessity. It was a sign that Valessa now saw Luminia as her own woman and trusted her to honor her family and her father's memory. That she was ready.

With that, Luminia climbed back into the ship before sliding the door closed. She waved to her mother as the engines powered up and the thrusters came online. Valessa, her honor guard and anyone nearby cleared the area, so they didn't get blown away. Within moments, the Hermes was airborne and on a flightpath, heading south. Valessa only hoped that she was doing the right thing, in letting Lumi go.

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Inari found that flying the Hermes wasn't too unlike flying the Darkstrider as many of the controls were situated in the same place. The skies were clear, and the sun was shining brightly, which had her in a good mood. It was a perfect day for flying though she supposed she should get telemetry data from Jaesa before she went around on a joyride.

Alex, Kas and the rest of them were in their armor and doing their final weapon checks, while reiterating to the Artucian warriors what they had learned the night previous. Kas was taking her time in making sure that all four of them understood their weapons when they landed. She wanted no one getting shot or hurt by accident.

"We should be there in less than a minute," Inari announced as the radar holo pinged that they were arriving at their destination. As they got closer, the holo pinged again, more insistently this time. Inari looked at it in puzzlement and wondered if it was malfunctioning. She did a quick diagnostic check to see if anything was out of line and that the programs were running correctly and received an affirmative from the computer.

They closed in with the area and suddenly, Inari's radar lit up like a Christmas tree, with multiple pings showing up on the radar.

"Captain, you might want to come up here and have a look at this," she called out. Alex approached from behind, no longer in his armor and asked her his question.

"What is it?"

"You might want to see this sir," she gestured to where the holo was. Alex studied the holo for a moment before he placed his hands into it and zoomed in slightly. The entire holo was rendered in more detail and after staring at it a moment, his eyes widened to where they almost fell out of their sockets.

"Do you have a visual Commander?" he asked, his voice in a state of awe.

"Should be coming up momentarily sir," Inari replied as she dropped their altitude into the Dead Snows. As they descended, they both got a good look at the area and could see why the Dead Snows got its name. It wasn't the resting place of just one ship, but of dozens. Various makes and models were strewn across the landscape, some looked like they'd barely been there decades, while others looked like they'd been there for centuries.

"You said you were hoping to find enough salvage to fully repair the Perseus and the Darkstrider? I'd say you got your wish, sir."

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And that is where it ends for the moment! I thought this chapter could do with a bit of a slower pace as there has been a lot going on ever since the first chapter! A little bit of lore and culture for Lumi and her people I think was warranted, considering the amount of time I put in in making them as real as possible.

I will be stepping into another world story wise but don't fret as I already have up to chapter twenty outlined for writing. I just need to find more time to get it done. * Sighs * One of the reasons why I hate work is because it doesn't let me get as much done as I want, but hopefully, I'll be able to step away from that as I continue on.

Anyways, thank you for taking the time to read my work and I do hope that you've enjoyed it! I'm open to constructive criticism and will seriously consider any suggestions made about various story arcs. Please feel free to rate and comment on my work down below. If you like what I write, don't be afraid to follow and share, though your views, ratings and comments are quite enough for me.

In the meantime, this is C.H. Darkstrider, signing off to grab a beer and some quality time with the wife! ;) You will attain whatever you most desire, as long as you believe in yourself. Cheers!