Ghost Town

Gazelle headbutts the tank shattering the glass then yawns as he wakes.

"Feh, Cyro sleep, last time I let those damn assholes get me drunk" he steps out of the tube and flexes a bit then does a check to make sure all his limbs and appendages are still in once piece... all of them. He didn't want 'freezer burn' on any part of him.

Gazelle looks around before locating his clothes, armor, and guns before changing without concern for anyone who might be in the room. That settled he turns, "What's the situation?"

---

"Well, I can think of a few things we could do..." Quill says, his sexual innuendo thinly veiled.

"Dura, stasis field," Noct ordered. With that, Dura sprang forward a few steps and put the animal in a biotic stasis, locking it in place. "Please pay more attention, Dr. Linox." With that Noct put a hand on his shoulder, and turned him to face the beast, and pointed at it to make sure he didn't miss it, "There are natural dangers here, and it would be prudent to stay mindful of them."

--

Mortal simply shook her head at Quill's remark, "If we stay focused there may be a chance we won't have to find out Jade. So lets try to get our work done."

Sab continually checks the area in front of them through her scope, wanting to make sure they didn't stumble into anything unawares.

*Linox is unphased by the event and simply activates his Omni-Tool and starts scanning the creature.*

Linox: "Fascinating...excellent specimen. Strong, intelligent, healthy. Seemingly, unaffected by whatever is happening on planet. Possible this anomaly is only affecting colonists and rescue parties."



The city is eeriely quiet. Nothing disturbs Sab's scans of the streets ahead and the group arrives safely at the Colonial Council building. It is a massive building, reaching twenty stories high and each floor taking up about 1,000 square feet. The main doors have been ripped off their hinges and lay on the stairs leading up to it.

*Ryder looks up at the towering building and sighs.*

Ryder: "They should be on the top floor, if they are still here."

*Ryder cautiously moves forward, checking corners as he moves across the lobby to the elevators. The panel is locked out and unresponsive.*

Jade: "Looks like we're taking the stairs."



*Syn blushed a little and looked away as the Ovisian started checking himself to make sure everything was in working order. Everything. She turned back when he started getting dressed. She started noticing that he was much stronger than any Ovisian she had ever seen. A Krogan for his species.*

Syn: "The city is lost. Some kind of evil creatures have killed everyone and knock out all technology. I have yet to find a way off world. The name's Syn, and you're going to get me out of this Hell."

"Gazelle the Godspeed, just call me Gazelle. I can do that. There's an emergency shuttle in the residential area kept under lock and key" he finishes checking his guns and rests his sniper rifle across his shoulders.

---

"Looks like it."

"After seeing those monsters I wouldn't be surprised if it was only the cities and populated areas that were targeted," Zell said.

--

Sab is unfazed by the announcement, but disappointment is written on Mortal's face. "Alright, lets get moving then," She said in response.

Linox: "I'm curious to see the state of Stoneport now. Survivors are unlikely, but we must be optimistic."

*Linox turns back around and starts off for Stoneport, making more notes in his Omni-Tool, but admittedly more aware of his surroundings.*



Power is out in the entire building. The stairway is dimly lit by red emergency lighting.

*Ryder turns on the light on his Vindicator and activates his helmet's low-light vision, the combination allows him to see pretty well. Jade has pulled out a small flashlight in her left hand and lets it follow wherever her eyes go, he father's revolver in her right hand. They start making their way up.*

Jade: "What do we do if they're not here?"

Ryder: "One step at a time, Jade. Still, we check their personal houses next. Mortal, you got the rear?" Ryder asks as they ascend a few flights and he swears the darkness below them looks like it is moving around like a floor of snakes.



*Syn wasn't sure what she was expecting from this Gazelle, but that wasn't exactly it. She was so much more hopeful of...of what? That he could magically transform into a ship and take them out?*

Syn: "I haven't checked it, but these creatures have wiped out power across the city, maybe even the planet. Except for emergency sub-systems."

'Would an emergency shuttle fall under that category? Wouldn't these things be smart enough to deactivate all escape options?'

Syn: "How far to the residential district? Nightfall is coming soon, and we don't want to be moving after dark."

"She's got rear alright" Quill quips cheerfully.

---

"Far, but the shuttle has its own power system... and even if it doesn't I can probably jury rig it to fly. You say creatures? What are we exactly talking about?" Gazelle asks.

The group follows along, Dura keeping the animal in stasis until they were well on their way.

--

"Yea, I've got it," Mortal said, ignoring Quill outright.

Sab was near the back as well, looking through her scope on a 1.2x zoom, in night vision.

The crew arrives in a few hours at the edge of Stoneport. The streets are abandoned and silent. Not even the wind is blowing through the urban jungle that the plant life has all ready begun to reclaim. The sun is setting over the horizon and there is probably only minutes of sunlight left.

*Linox looks at the empty streets and makes the note in his log.*

Linox: "Communication center not far from here, we could try to establish link to the Alliance. Or the hangar is that way, we can secure a ship."



Jade: "Hehe, I got that one!"

*Jade gets excited when she catches on to Quill's comment. Her smile goes cold as growls rise up the stairwell from below. The shadows snaking around the ground have formed up into the mist creatures from before and are making their way up the stairs.*

Ryder: "Damn. Move, get up the stairs now!"



Syn: "I'm...not really sure. I've never seen anything like them before. Some local survivors I was with last week said the same. And they're more than one type, but I think the ones that are their leaders look like the great apes from Earth."'

*Syn looks out the window as she sees the sun setting over the hills beyond and there is literally only seconds of daylight. The howls have all ready begun. Fear strickens her face.*

"Dammit," Mortal growled, unloading a few rounds into the shadows, "Hurry up, and get your asses up those steps."

--

"Communication is probably wiser," Noct said, "If those monsters can stop ships in space I see no reason why they can't down here."

"To be fair you do too" Quill says to Jade as he behind the back biotic blasts one of the shadow creatures as he moves swiftly up the stairs.

---

"We'll stay in the lab for now."

*Linox transfers the council building location to the rest of the crew and falls into the center of the group, letting Noct take the lead as he mumbles into his Omni-Tool. The sun sets and howls fill the chilly air, that seconds ago was silent as the grave.*

Linox: "I don't recognize that call. No species I have ever encountered."

*For the first time since they've gotten off the ship, Linox has abandoned his Omni-Tool and instead taken out his Stingray pistol. His STG training kicking in, Linox is in combat mode.*



*Jade doesn't notice Quill's comment as fear swells up inside her and her mind begins to regress to the day she became an orphan. Streams of tears roll down her face. Ryder takes notice and simply pushes her up the stairs, not seeing any time for an emotional breakdown.*

Ryder: "Fuck this! Get inside, now!"

*Ryder pushes open the door of the next landing and does a quick check of the room. It is clear for now, so he drags Jade inside. She falls to the floor and scoots herself next to a work desk.*



*Syn nods her head slowly and then comes back into focus and tries, unsuccessfully, to push a heavy and large bookcase infront of the windows.*

Syn: "Okay, but we have to stay out of sight and not draw attention to ourselves. These things are clever and ruthless, we won't survive the night if they find out we're in here."

Quill blasts a few more before getting inside the room too and going over to the emotionally distraught Jade to act as support.

---

Gazelle helps barricade the lab.

Everyone gets into an alert stance, guns at the ready. "Everyone keep your eyes open. Dura, take up the rear, we're making our way to the council building."

--

Mortal and Sab scurry in as well, "Get something to cover the door!" Sab gets a hold of a chair and props it up under the knob. Mortal let out a small sigh, "I doubt it'll do any good, we should keep moving."

The group makes its way down the streets, abandoning the mission for communications to regroup with the rescue team at the council building. When they round a corner and it comes into view, they can see the mist and hundreds of the shadows pouring into the building's entrance.

Linox: "No good. Should turn back, drawing attention to ourselves would be...lethal."

*Linox starts backing up until he bumps into something large and solid behind him. He slowly turns around to see a large, ape-like creature towering over him and lets out a shriek that only a Salarian could.*



Ryder: "Exactly what I was thinking."

*Ryder starts off across the room of office desks, but Jade has remained in her spot, sobbing into her knees.*

Jade: "They're here. They killed mommy and daddy and now they came for me. They'll take me, take us all into the darkness."

Ryder: "We don't have time for this shit! Somebody grab her and lets get moving!"



*Syn watches as the mist makes its way down the street and the ape monsters follow after it, using the ledges and roofs of the urban jungle.*

Syn: "They're leaving...heading towards downtown. Somebody alive must have been stupid enough to be seen. It should be safe to move now."

*Syn opens the door, barely peeking her head out. Inside her hood, her infared goggles light up the dark hallway with ease. It's clear, for now.*

Quill scoops Jade up showing surprising strength for his lithe form, "No one will get you because I wont let them. Promise."

Quill then shot Mortal a look that said 'I may be a pirate and a perv but I'm not heartless'

---

"Then its in our best interest to follow them. Sounds crazy but there's strength in numbers"

Noct reacts with a biotic charge, and Dura reacts with a biotic push from the opposite side. The Ape creature now knows what it is like to be caught in the middle of an unstoppable force, and an immovable object.

--

Mortal pays the look no mind, and continues on. Sab does smile at bit at the chivalry, despite its over dramatics.

*Noct and Linox get covered in a black goo as the creature explodes under the pressure for the counter-acting biotic powers. The commotion has caught the attention of some of the shadows entering the council building and now the mist is spreading back towards the Aether mercs.*

Linox: "I might suggest a retreat is in order!"

*Linox activates his Omni-Tool and tosses an Incinerate fireball at the mist.*



*Jade buries her face into Quill's chest, while Ryder slams open the door leading to the opposite stairwell.*

Jade: "Thank you."

Ryder: "It's clear, for now. Lets keep moving up. Mortal, take point."

*Ryder covers the descent of the stairwell, occassionally switching to check the direction of the other stairwell.*



*Syn hesitates, not being fond of the idea of going towards the monsters.*

Syn: "Screw them. Trust me, every monster in this city is moving in on them, now is our chance to move unseen and get to that shuttle."

*Syn checks the hallway outside the lab and starts making her way towards the residential district, not really caring if the Ovisian would follow, she could hack into the shuttle bay on her own.*

"Trust me" is all Gazelle says.

---

Quill walks with Jade between Mortal and Ryder.

Sab squeezes somewhere in the middle, and Mortal takes lead, both moving at a steady clip.

--

Zell shook her head, "Wait, no, don't use incinerate. When I did they only got bigger."

Zell is right and the creatures in the mist only grow slightly bigger from the fire.

*Linox turns on his heel and shoves his Omni-Tool against an auto-lock and frantically messes around with it. Within seconds the doors to the building they stand in front of opens and he runs inside and starts up the stairs.*



They climb the stairs with out anymore trouble. The mist hasn't persued them. The group enters into a large and open chamber room. The many decorative furniture and artwork have been tossed around and destroyed. A podium, fractured and splintered, stands infront of a half circle of chairs, all either burned or crushed.

*Ryder looks around at the destruction and frowns at the scene. If there were any survivors, they are long gone.*

Ryder: "The council may have had time to escape during the attack. Take a look around for any clues."



'Trust? How do you trust another species you just met? I don't know anything about the Ovisian, let alone this one.'

*Syn sighs in defeat. Something in her gut tells her that he can do this.*

Syn: "Fine, but if we die... I'm kicking your ass."

"Deal" he says.

---

Quill nods and puts Jade down finally, "Let's look for clues"

Ryder: "Yeah...I just said that."

*With the absence of the mist, Jade has taken to her normal self and slowly wanders around the outer area of the chamber, mostly gazing at some of the artwork still in semi-decent shape than actually looking for anything important.*

Jade: "These are beautiful."

"They're aren't the only things that are."

Mortal and Sab fan out and begin looking for anything telling, both ignoring Quill for the time being.

--

The rest follow after Linox, with Dura putting up a biotic barrier around the doorway.