Ghost Town

"That is incredibly reassuring..." Sab said. After closer inspection she looks up and asks, "Anyone have an idea of what VEC is?"

"Vixen Exchange Company," Mortal replied, walking about the bodies, "I don't see any of the council here."

"Vixen Exchange Company," Sab thought for a second, "I feel like I've heard that name before..."

--

Noct nodded, "Affirmative, I'll get things cleared up on this end, then move out."

--

Zell looked at Linox, "Vixen Exchange, why do I know that name again?"

"Sounds like a mail order prostitute service to me" Quill snarks.

---

"I'm not a stealthy guy" he says. When the door slams he sighs.

"Well that ain't good"

*The conversation catches Ryder's ears and he turns around to join the others. He notices the glass on the floor and the thoughts of what could have caused it starts to worry him. More troublesome was the mention of Vixen Exchange.*

Ryder: "VEC...on the surface, just a trade company that specializes in scientific research and medical equipment technology. They're constantly under observation for black market deals, extortion, profiteering, and more relevant here, illegal and unethical experimentation."

Jade: "So this is their fault? They made the monsters?"

Ryder: "Doubtful, but they were probably the nosey bastards that opened up the wrong door in those mines instead of alerting UGA officials."



Linox: "Bad guys. Trade company that runs a lot of illegal operations. I've run across them more than once for immoral actions in their medical experiments. Not sure, what their interest would be on Rexil."

Erin: "All I know is, they signed the checks. But, you're right. Mining colonies isn't exactly their area of operation."



*Great, something was not happy. Yet, Syn prayed they were just far enough away from whoever was in here that they wouldn't pay for this.*

Syn: "Damn it, what the hell, sheep?!"

*Syn readied her weapons and moved slowly down the hall as the commotion was getting louder and it sounded like wind was be pushed through the rooms.*

"Don't look at me I didn't slam the door" He got his weapons ready too.

---

"Well that's worse than prostitution... I think..." Quill chimes in again. His thoughts, and more importantly, were drawn to Jade's ass again.

"They're a lovely bunch," Mortal added. When she walked by Quill she put a hand under his chin and lifted his head, "Eyes up. I'd be real upset if I lost my biotic because he was caught off guard, staring at a girl's ass."

"Ah, now I remember them," Sab said, "I remember reading about them a while ago. Something about a shady contract deal with some Asari colony that didn't go well."

--

Zell smiled, "Right, right, I remember now. Aether did a few deals with them a long time ago. Before I was really old enough to get included in the adult conversations."

Noct walked in on the conversation at this point, "What is the news here?"

"The mine seems like where all the bad things started. A VEC security team was sent in. Linox thinks they would have been documenting everything, and Erin says we can find the feed at the VEC building down the road," Zell responded.

"I just got off the line with Ryder, my communication link to the other team that made it down here. He confirms your what you said about the mine, and wants us to go in and check it out," Noct crossed her arms, "It may be smarted to head over to VEC and look at that footage though, to know exactly what we're getting into." Noct thought for a moment then nodded, "We'll go to the VEC building and see what we can find there, but first," She turned to Erin, "Erin, do you have any biotics with you?"

*Syn sighs and continues down the hall, keeping her pistols close. The wind stops and when Syn comes to the first room, the door is open and inside the destroyed office is a very large Winged Monster curled up asleep. Syn gasps at the sight, causing the creature to stir a little and she runs right into Gazelle’s chest, forgetting he was behind her.*


*Jade looks over at Mortal and Quill. She blushes and goes back to looking out the window.*

Ryder: “Yeah, but they’re good at covering their tracks. Most evidence is circumstantial and never enough to take them down.”

*Jade looks around curiously as she hears a beating of wings. Then screams and dives to the side as a large Winged Monster bursts through what is left of the window and starts snapping at Sab, the closest to it.*


Linox: “Aether working with a poor reputation company, not surprising. Concerning, but not surprising.”

*Linox mumbles into his Omni-Tool, making a note of a possible connection between Aether, VEC, and the events on Rexil.*

Erin: “Well, yeah... Sam and I have some biotic skills, why do you ask?”

Quill replies to Mortal, "You're just mad I'm not staring at your ass."

Without missing a beat he bionic blasts the creature when it pops in.

---

Gazelle backs up with Syn slowly so as to not wake the thing up.

Sab fired off two shots, before stumbling backwards over a body in shock. Quickly scrambling to her feet she shouts, "The hell is that thing? It doesn't seem like one of those shadow monsters, perhaps a native animal?"

Mortal had been busy unloading into the thing, "Doesn't matter, just put an end to it. We can't spend too much time here, we're attracting attention from those things the longer this firefight lasts."

--

"Those monsters out there only seem to react negatively to biotic blasts," Noct said, "I just want to make sure that you and these people can stay safe "

Zell furrowed her brow, "Hey, it isn't like that! Aether is good, well, goodish, everyone knows that!"

--

Dura and Illy, who had been told to wait downstairs guarding the entrance were starting to get impatient. Dura radioed Zell asking what the hold up was, "Hey, Zell, is everything alright up there?"

Zell turned away from Linox, "Huh, Dura? Yes, everything is fine up here. We'll be leaving shortly it seems."

*Ryder joins the fight and unloads rounds from his Vindicator into the creature. The combined efforts are successful and the creature falls out of the window, screeching the whole way down to the ground.*

Ryder: "That was no animal I've ever seen before. What the hell did VEC do here?"

*Screeching fills the night air and the beating of wings create an ominous beat.*



*Syn holds on to Gazelle tight, like he was the only thing that could keep her safe. The beast stirs again, fluttering its wings full force as a screech pierces the air. The wind moves through the halls as more creatures stir and return the screech. The sound of windows and glass crashing join the orchestra of chaos.*



Erin: "As safe as we can be here, I suppose."

Linox: "Noted. Still coincidence is undeniable."

*A new variety of screeching has pierced the chilly night and caused the creatures trying to get into the apartments to leave and have their attention focused elsewhere. Outside a window, they can be seen heading down the street towards an elegant and tall building. Gunfire can be seen at the top floor.*

"Time to book it" Gazelle says as he picks Syn up and runs like hell.

---

"I suggest we make a tactical retreat, commander" Quill directed towards Ryder.

"Agreed," Mortal said, "We've got to get out of here, this is no place to defend against an onslaught of those things, and I refuse to make a last stand on some backwoods colony." With that Mortal scanned the room for an escape route.

Sab tried to buy a bit more time by getting closer to the opening in the window and sniping holes in the wings of any beasts she saw.

--

Zell looked around, "What the hell was that?"

Dura peeked out the window closest to her, "Seems there is a gunfight in a building some distance away."

"Yea, but that screech sounded close, like it was right on top of us?" Zell said.

Noct looked at Erin, "The upper floors, would something be able to get into them unnoticed?"

*Sab’s efforts aren’t useless but are in vain. The sky is quickly filling up with the creatures as they pour out of nests from all over the city. The few that are taken out, just alert the rest to the groups location. Mortal scan shows that the only way out is back the way they came, the mist has started to trickle into the audience chamber.*

Ryder: “Damn, right. Looks like we’re blowing our way through… I’ll be damned if this is my last mission.”

*Jade bolts towards the window, pushing Sab aside and dives out. She lands on one of the hundreds of flying monsters navigating the streets between the buildings. They both crash to the ground. Ryder runs to the window.*

Ryder: “Crazy girl! Well, today is as good as any to die.”

*Ryder follows suit and dives out the window.*



*A few of the flying monsters move into the hallway and chase after the pair. Syn fires her pistols over Gazelle’s shoulders.*



Erin: “I don’t know…everything past the 10th floor is locked, but we secured everything below.”

*The survivors trapped in the building have begun to scramble to the chaos outside. Children crying, men barking orders, women panicking. There must be a few dozen people on this floor alone, who knows how many up above.*

Gazelle runs like his namesake.

---

Quill follows suit.

Mortal dashes for the window, but skids to a stop when she sees Sab faltering, "Come on, we've got to go!"

"Not like that! Are you all mad?!" Sab shook her head, "I'll fight my way out! I'll... do something sane!"

"I don't have time for this," Mortal grabbed Sab by the collar of her armor, and pulled her close, "Hold on tight, Ovisian, odds are we won't get another shot."

"Wait, what are you doing. No, wait, stop!" And with that, Mortal jumped out of the window, Sab tucked underneath her arm. After a second of screaming, survival instincts kicked in, and Sab tried her best to use her good eyes to steer them to a monster that would save them. With so many in the sky though, it wasn't hard, and the two women wound up catching one.

--

"Get all your biotics to the 10th and bottom floor," Noct ordered, "You have to fortify your perimeter; don't let these things break through." She then turned to Zell, "Zell, take Iliad and get to the top floors. Let me know what is going on up there."

Zell nodded, radioed for Iliad to come upstairs to meet her, then they both rushed off up the stairs.

*Jade is all ready blasting away at the encroaching mist as Ryder brings a bird to the ground, shooting it in the head for good measure as he dismounts, followed by the rest of the team. *

Ryder: “Well, not much better off, but now we got room to run.”

*Ryder shoots down some of the birds flying too low for comfort and starts his way north up the street.*


*Syn keeps up the pressure on the birds. The only way they have to go is back the way they came. Once they get to the roof, the sky is filled with the large monsters.*

Syn: “See…this is why nobody trusts Ovisians…”


*Erin listens to the orders and runs into the crowd of panicked people gathering out in the hall.*

Linox: “She’s no leader, we have to get these people under control and to safety. We need to get to that security center soon before this day gets even worse.”


*The ascent up the floors is quick and easy, minus navigating the panicked crowd of survivors, there are no monsters in the secured floors. Zell and Iliad are at the 10th Floor landing where the doors have started to be locked. This floor could be a danger, but the obvious danger, the source of the banshee like screams, is coming from still higher up.*

"That was the easy part. Now we gotta get to ground level" Gazelle says quite plainly.

---

Quill crashes a bird into the ground and dismounts smiling.

Mortal's and Sab's landing was not graceful in the least. Due to two people weighing the monster down, the thing crashed and tumbled, sending the two women into the ground rolling. Luckily both were quite fine, "Ryder, where are we heading?" Mortal asked.

--

Noct nodded, "I agree that the security center would be ideal, but if we leave now those things will pick off our group two by two before we made it half way there," Noct said. "We need to wait until the coast is clear, then make way for the center, until then our group is just too big, and the hazards just too great."

--

Zell relayed that all seemed fine and Noct said, "Advise that all those unfit to hold a gun make their way to the middle floors, then hunker down up there. No sense in going up higher to piss off those monsters, just stay put and hold the line." Zell and Iliad went about doing just that.

*Ryder pauses for a second to open fire on a swarm of the birds that take a lunge towards the group, sending them into a retreat to the sky.*

Ryder: “Right now, anywhere but here!”

*Jade blasts away some of the encroaching mist and starts pushing Sab and Quill forward.*

Jade: “Run, run, run.”


*Syn looks down over the ledge. The mist and apes are all over the streets and the sky is swarming with the flying monsters.*

Syn: “Any ideas?”


*Linox steps towards a window, looking down over the streets.*

Linox: “No telling when this will die down, could be hours or days. I can move quickly, stay out of sight. I will go alone.”

*Linox turns back, a determined look on his face and holsters his pistol as he marches past Noct.*


*The banshee screams have moved from above to sound more muffled and come from outside. There is a lot of shuffling and objects crashing in the room beyond the door on the 10th Floor landing.*

"Yes, Hold on tight... again"

---

"Running now!" Quill blasts a few birds before running.

"No, take Dura with you," Noct said, "Staying out of sight is her specialty, and if those shadow things come back you're going to need a biotic."

--

Zell and Illy ready their weapons, then move to the door. Zell takes cover while Illy opens the door, stepping into the doorway, gun drawn.

--

Sab breaks into a sprint, using long, bounding strides. Running was something most Ovisians were pretty good at, and Sab was no different, quickly building up speed and dashing down the road.

*Ryder looked over his shoulder to see Sab moving up fast.*

Ryder: “Sab, scout ahead! Find a safe place to hide out!”

*Jade uses her biotic energy to propel herself forwards, narrowly missing some debris one of the birds knocked down.*

*One of the ape creatures leaps from one of the buildings, aiming to take Quill down.*


Syn: “I have a bad feeling about this…”

*Syn grabs onto Gazelle and resists the urge to shut her eyes.*


*Linox nods his head in reluctant agreement*

Linox: “Very well. We’ll stay in radio contact.”

*Linox makes his way down the stairs to meet Dura at the front door.*


*Inside is very dark with no light source inside and nothing but the moon over Rexil to provide light through the windows. The source of the noise stopped when they entered and now only the sounds of the chaos outside fills the floor. The floor itself is an average hallway, littered with junk from the apartments, each with their door open.*

"Here we go!" Gazelle swings her into his arms and leaps off the side of the building falling fast. A couple of the birds dive bomb him and he uses them to slow his descent by jumping off them till he he slams into the ground leaving a small impact crater...

... in front of Sab.

"WOOOOO"

"I think we have company Ryder" Quill says nonchalantly as he blasts the ape in the head with a well placed biotic blast.

Sab skidded to a stop, and wound up tripping over some debris. Mortal grabbed her by her arm and helped her up, gun fixed on the new found Ovisian tank, and Drell girl.

Sab regained her footing, "Who are you? It doesn't matter, we can't talk here. We need to find someplace safe." With that she continued on her sprint, looking for somewhere to hole up.

--

"Noct, this is Illy, there is nothing up here," She said, radioing in.

"Alright then, come back down," The Asari radioed back.

--

Dura was readying her pistol. When she heard Linox's footsteps she looked up, "Noct already radioed ahead. Lead the way Dr. Linox."

*Ryder turned himself around, sights trained on the newcomers. They weren't monsters, and at this point that was all he cared about.*

Ryder: "We'll sort it out later, just move your asses!"

*Jade runs past him, trying to keep up with Sab as best as she could.*

*Syn remains silent, her recon hood hiding her identity, she could keep the mysterious factor to bring her an advantage should anything go bad soon. She lets go of Gazelle and starts running after the other Ovisian.*


*When the two turn around to leave, one of the ape monsters is standing before them. Towering over the girls, it easily grabs them by their necks and pins them against the wall.*

Ape: "Stenok til'm uela quert oni lasni. Baratol senir go nala tei."



*The second floor is full of civilians panicking about the situation. Noct can over hear debates about making a run for bunkers. One of the debates, between a large Krogan male and a group of humans, is taking a turn for the worse.*

Krogan: "I don't give a damn what you idiots think. Going out there is suicide, you won't make it two feet."

Human Male: "Maybe for your ton of ass! We're fast, we can make a run for the bunkers and wait there."

Krogan: "Ha! Wait for how long? You're not going anywhere, opening those doors will kill you, the others, and most importantly, me!"

Human Female: "That's all you've ever cared about, Barute. Yourself!"



Linox: "Thank you for the help, Dura. We will have to move fast. If we're lucky, we can get our answers in time to help the others."

*Linox moves to the door and slowly pushes it open, sticking his head out to check if the coast is clear.*

"Run now talk later, I like that plan" Gazelle nods and takes off catching up with Sab fairly easily. "Never thought I'd see another Ovisian here of all places."

"Pre-fuck talking later, run NOW!" Quill said as he too more or less caught up as he was running on a biotic burst.