Do Your Duty

8.3.5 SW
Evening
East Wombwood > Mobile Research Camp

With the rain picking up intensity outside, Devereaux had to concede that he was going to be confined inside. His hopes to tend to a few matters in the field would just have to wait. The loss of his agenda didn’t weigh heavily on his mind thanks to their current predicament.

He stood not too far behind Vail, getting an over the shoulder view of the screen. He noticed a little detail and couldn’t help but share his two cents out loud. “Those smaller dots' trajectory is an acute angle at first and then an obtuse from the larger dot … non? Definitely looks like they are distancing themselves over time from it. Yet... if it were a predator, wouldn’t it be going after them? It seems like it’s has a resolute path that is going to collide with our present location?”

He looked to the others with a slight concern in his eyes. Perhaps one of them could verify what he proposed, or debunk it.

“If so, it’s still a ways out.“ said Montana as he typed at his console.

The icon symbolizing the pup mapping device pulsed and changed its heading quickly back toward their position.

As it approached the area where the movement had been, it detected the presence of several small beasts heading toward the pup and away into the woods. Their shapes suggested something feline-like.

“Viper cats…” mumbled Montana. “…fleeing from something for sure.”

The pup moved on, remapping areas as it passed, updating its changes on the screen. The pipping from the motion scanner stopped suddenly and the pup circled the area. Upon the screen, there appeared a strangely shaped icon that Montana couldn’t discern. It kept very still, but seemed to turn it’s odd head toward the pup as it hovered.

“What the hell…” he said quietly.

In a flash, the motion tracker pipped but the pup signal glitched out and was lost, the icon representing the unknown creature was left as a streak on the map.

“Oh goddamn it!” Montana cursed. “Bastard destroyed my pup.”

“So... wh-wh-what was it? Whatta we looking at here?” stuttered Barden.

“Whatever it was, it was tall and fast.” replied Montana.

Grace’s terminal chattered as a message came across.

“Admin says to stay put. They intend to send the security team to investigate the ship after they are finished with something out by the reactor. I say ‘fuck’ that. Let’s head back before THAT, whatever that thing is comes HERE.”

"Will we be able to take this thing on?" Vail started in a panicked voice. "Maybe, maybe we should hide?" The thought of even the Viper cats fleeing from this entity made her feel queasy. Viper cats were one of the colony's most vicious predators, what was about this unknown beast that scared them. She cupped her hands together and tried to calm herself down.

Dev could feel the panic rising in the room like the building of a wave moving towards the shoreline. He didn’t want to add to it, so he had to try his best and calm his nerves. It was easier said then done after the new scan from the pup mixed with his imagination. To spook not one, but a pack of viper cats was enough to have him on edge. But to also be aware enough to go after a pup, something that was void of any strategic reason to attack for eating. This thing was aggressive.

“Based on how fast it is traversing the landscape, would we even be able to outpace it in the rain? If it is an indigenous apex predator, then it probably has adaptations for hunting and tracking in this environment.” He directed at Montana’s expertise. “Or if it is dangerous, would we have a better chance of turtling up here?”

Looking to Grace, “I feel you. Admin is going to send a security team to investigate the ship after they get done with something else, sounds like a polite way of saying that we are on our own.”

He thought for a second before inquiring of the group, “Hey, would it be possible to rig up the lights and maybe emit noises to spook whatever it is from getting closer? Like how wild animals are scared to come too close to a campfire?”

“Whoa! Hang on now. Isn’t it your uh, your JOB? To take, to take care of these things? Security and all that?” Barden asked Montana, lowering his coffee mug, not sounding a bit unnerved. “And you.” He turned his attention to Vail, “It’s YOUR job, your DUTY, to uh… y’know, study these things. Analyze and understand ‘em? You just wanna abandon your research? Have us abandon ours? Head back at the first sign of somethin’ weird? We’re on an alien planet here, people! If Admin says to stay put, I trust ‘em. Besides, I got work to do out here. Didn’t set up that boring machine for nothin’. You got guns right? Let’s use ‘em.”

Montana was somewhat impressed by the annoying geologist’s unexpected stance on the matter. Barden was right, Montana was in charge of their safety but that never left his mind for a second.

“Barden’s right. But it looks like we got a conflict of interest here. I’m willin’ to stick it out here. Never met a predator yet that myself or my team couldn’t handle. But this is YOUR safety, people. I’ll leave it up to the TEAM to decide. One vote says we stay. What about the rest of you?”

“Is someone going to answer my question? Is it even possible to leave our current position without significantly making this situation worse?” asked Devereaux.

“Doesn’t seem to be moving incredibly fast at the moment. Truthfully... No idea.” responded Montana.

Devereaux didn’t appreciate his questions being ignored, but there was a lot on everyone’s mind right now so it was understandable that it may have slipped notice. A little persistence paid off and he at least got a vague answer. Devereaux needed more information if he was to feel confident in making such a significant decision; stay and potentially have to defend their position or disobey commands fleeing out into the rain with an unknown threat.

Everyone that braved the unknown was safety-minded on a basic level; however, it would be prudent to ask the expert. “What do you think is the most strategic move here Montana?”

He was leaning towards staying as he looked at the others. In terms of taking flight, Montana would probably be fine. He and Grace could most likely keep up. Barden was a definite liability when it came to physical exertion. And Vail, well she would probably be ok if her smoking lungs didn’t have an issue with the change in the barometric pressure due to the rain.

"Personally... I wanna see what the hell this thing is... But it ain't my job to risk a team of scientists to satisfy my curiosity. It'll take some time to get back to the road. Longer in this rain. But if we're goin', those ATVs and the truck can definitely handle it. 'Specially if we leave the trailer and the tech behind. It'll just be slow goin'." replied Montana.

"Yeah... fine. We stay. Try to catch the thing or scare it away." Vail relented with a sigh. She hated to admit it but Barden had a point. It WAS her job and she was just as curious to learn about this thing as Montana was. "Let's get those lights on. Devereaux, cover me with that tranq while I start the generator. I don't need any surprises."

She headed toward the door of the trailer with her flashlight and the motion tracker. The rain was still falling in a drizzle with a few scattered fat drops and the sky was fading to full cloud covered night.