“Owl team, this is Owl two. Owl five is to recon the area, Owl’s three and four set up a perimeter. Go.” Before Ronin could gather himself to speak after touch down, Owl two had taken the opportunity away. Annoyance burned in Ronin’s throat as the pod doors all around burst open in a cloud of pressurized air.
He’d barely taken stock of his surroundings when three fully armored figures rushed away. Looking around, Ronin found the hatch release and pulled the lever. Pressurized air escaped his pod with a hiss, and his ears popped as he adjusted. Looking around he saw that they had landed in the concealed depression he had set up for them before he’d entered the pocket world. His team didn’t know about that however, so it wasn’t odd that they were treating this like a hostile drop.
“Sir,” a hand appeared in front of his opened pod. The fourth armored figure stood outside, offering him a hand. A large number “2” decorated its Left breast. “If you’ve gathered yourself sir, I will assist you in collecting the parachute and checking the cargo.”
Annoyance turned to anger as this member of Ronin’s own team gave him orders. Sure, he wasn’t used to military actions, but the captain would have never tolerated one of his men acting in this way.
“Thank you, Owl two.” He said as he pulled himself out of the pod, ignoring the proffered hand. “But I feel quite capable of moving on my own.” Taking a few steps forward he made to continue, “and as for you taking…”
“Sir,” Owl two’s voice cut over his own. “I hate to interrupt sir, but you are still on the team channel. Please switch to direct coms while only addressing me, its distracting to the team.” Another wave of heat washed over Ronin’s face as he switched away from the team channel.
“Be that as it may Owl two, I…” he was interrupted again by the heavily synthesized, androgenous voice.
“Sir?” Owl two said from behind him.
“What?” He snapped whirling around, ready to tear a strip off the damned soldier.
“You forgot your rifle sir.” Owl two replied, holding out the weapon.
“Oh… thanks, Owl two.” Deciding to quit while he wasn’t too far behind, Ronin took his rifle and motioned to Owl two, “lead the way.”
“Yes sir,” Owl two replied moving forward. Ronin took the opportunity to look around. They were in a cave with a hole in the ceiling, a hole just big enough for the ship to fit through. The cave itself was something like one hundred yards in diameter with walls that arched up into a dome. Right at the top of that dome, was the hole. Several incredibly tough braided steel ropes extended outside the opening. They were attached to the parachute that had guided them down. It looked like it had gotten stuck out there somehow. After examining the hole they’d entered, Ronin checked out the rest of the circular chamber.
There were two small tunnels leading out from this one. He already knew where they led, having created them himself, but since his team didn’t know that he kept the knowledge quiet. Besides, he doubted Owl two would give him the time of day even if he did tell… him, her? He didn’t know, he had chosen to select his team randomly and had worked on their set up without ever checking.
That train of thought was derailed when he saw what Owl two was up to. They’d clipped their rifle to their equipment harness and were busy climbing up the dome, towards the ceiling entrance. Ronin’s stunned brain had to process that for a moment before he realized what was going on. The parachute was outside the hole, which meant it was visible to everyone outside. The stealth pods had an active camouflage system that worked during landing, but the unit only lasted so long and had now expired. With a curse, Ronin clipped his own rifle and started after Owl two.
The climb was easy. Ronin had spent his whole life living in caves, so he was no stranger to rock climbing, but his newly enhanced body made a dramatic difference. Fingers digging into the stone, he propelled himself up with his arms alone. With bones woven of carbon fiber, organs and muscles made from biomechanical components. Nanorobots or nanites, swarming around ready to fix any damage that might occur. He was easily five times stronger than the healthy version of himself from his crystal ship hotel room. He could barely feel the weight of his full body armor as he hauled himself upwards.
Reaching the lip of the dome, Ronin swung himself up and out into the sunlight. He couldn’t resist a quick look at his surroundings from this vantage, so he did a full three sixty before squatting down to help Owl two get the parachute down the hole. He thought about the surrounding area as he worked. It was a completely alien world than the one he was born into, but it was his home now. His own private adventure world. He grinned as he finished and crawled back down into the cave.
The pair worked in silence while they waited for the rest of the team to return. Tightly rolling up the parachute and winding up the steel ropes, they tucked them away. The drop pod and what it held was all they had in the world, so nothing could be neglected or wasted. Ronin was excited to start taking things out and looking at them, but Owl two had advised against it. They wanted to wait until the others reported back.
“Owl five reporting in.” It had been nearly six hours by the time the report came in. “Surrounding area scouted; we are safe for now. Heading back to make a full report.” Relieved that the waiting was over, Ronin stood up and shook out the imagined stiffness that he should be feeling but wasn’t. Getting used to this body was going to take a while.
He glared at Owl Two, who had come over to stand beside him. They were of a size, and if it wasn’t for the numbers on their chests, it would be impossible to tell them apart. Ronin was thankful that the helmet was fully transparent from the inside, allowing for full range of motion. Yet fully opaque from the outside, keeping Owl two from seeing the glare. The soldier hadn’t left Ronin’s side the whole time. Making him wonder if he wasn’t being babysat.
Before the silence could become awkward, the remaining three members of the team ran in. Ronin watched them as they entered, getting a good look at them for the first time. Although all five of them were dressed the exact same, there were obvious differences between them. Owl three was enormous, they had to be at least seven feet tall and ran in large steps. It looked like the ground should be shaking at their approach, but the steps were quiet.
Owl four wasn’t as tall as Owl three, but their frame was far thicker. They could be mistaken for a gorilla wearing armor if they were seen in a dark room. Unlike the long-distance eating strides of Owl three, Owl four ran while hunched forward. Ronin could almost imagine them using their hands to help them walk faster. Finally, his gaze landed on Owl five. The smallest member of the group, Owl five looked to be somewhere around five-two, with a small frame. Their steps were short, but they nevertheless ate up the distance quickly. Looking between the three members of his team, Ronin almost let out a giggle. The rifles they carried were all the same model, but they looked so different carried by his team. The gun looked like a toy in Owl three’s huge hands, while Owl five looked like the weight of it might bring them down at any moment. Coming up to stand in numerical order beside Owl two, the four members of his team all saluted in unison with a fist pressed to the numbers on their chests.
Ronin stood there, unsure of what to do for a full three count. When a small shift in Owl two’s Posture snapped him out of it. Raising his hand to his own chest, he returned the salute. Looking them over, he couldn’t help but be impressed. Despite their size differences they looked very uniform. The armor they all wore was identical. A medium gray under armor coverall hugged their bodies tightly. Large woven metal and carbon fiber plate covered all the vital areas and were flat black/ gray. Everywhere in between was also covered in armored plates, of a more flexible design allowing for freedom of movement. These dark gray plates still offered great protection despite their flexibility.
“At ease, please.” He waited for them to relax before turning his attention to Owl five. They had been the one Owl two had sent on recon. “What did you find out there, soldier?” He asked, already having an idea of what they would say.
“Yes sir,” they said in a voice just as robotic as Owl twos. “We landed at the deepest part of a mountain valley. The mountain’s arms spread out to either side of us before looping back around into a narrow pass, some ten miles from here. The pass has been blocked off by a small human settlement. It looks like they use this valley to raise plant-eating animals. That is only a guess, but from the fact it is the only entrance to this place, and they are on the outside of it. Coupled with the fact that I didn’t see any signs of predators in here it seems likely.”
“Also.” They continued, surprising Ronin with how quickly they gathered that information. “I found a cave, halfway between us and the town. It looks like the towns folk have been using it as a mine, but it looks to have been infested by goblins. I got in close for a look though, I’d say there are no more than ten of them. A family group who found a way in through a back tunnel if I had to guess…”
“Keep to the facts Owl five.” Owl two interrupted the report with a rebuke. “If Owl one wants clarification on any point, he will ask for it soldier.” Ronin was really getting angry now, he’d been very impressed with Owl five’s assessment. Especially since he knew how accurate it was.
“Sorry, Owl two.” Owl five said, snapping off another salute. “Apart from the goblins and humans the entire valley seems to be clear of threats. The walls are sheer drops all the way around, barring flying, the only way in or out of this valley appears to be the goblin den and the human town.”
“Thank you, Owl five.” Owl two said before Ronin could speak. “Though I thought I told you to stick to the facts. How do you wish to proceed sir?” Owl two rebuked Owl five again before turning to Ronin as if nothing odd had happened. Ronin thought about how he wanted to answer for a moment before he responded.
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“You said you think we are safe for the time being?” He asked Owl five, when they nodded, he continued with a sigh. “Good. Firstly then, I would like to say excellent work Owl five. That was some excellent scouting. I would also like to say that going forward I want to hear your conjecture. So don’t attempt to stop it again Owl two.” Having said that, Ronin reached up and removed his helmet.
“Next,” he said as he took a deep breath of the mountain air. “I want everyone to take off their helmet and introduce themselves. Give me a name and your specialty. I’ll start. My name is Ronin, if I were forced to pick a specialty it would either be researching or scavenging. Ok, let’s start with Owl five and work our way back up to Owl two.” Having spoken, Ronin put his helmet down and looked over to the shortest member of the group.
“Yes sir,” Owl five said as they removed their helmet, revealing a green face and bright red hair done in a pixie cut. She stared past him with pale pink eyes as she spoke “My name is Brie. I am the team scout, and my specialty is hunting.” She finished with another salute. Ronin stared at Owl five, caught completely off guard. Green skin, red hair, pointed teeth and slightly tapered ears. There was no doubt… Owl five was a half goblin woman. Her height and the only slightly tapered ears, with pink eyes instead of goblin red, gave away her half breed status. He’d intended to say something, but Owl four had already begun to move.
“Sir,” he said removing his helmet to reveal a gray green face. “My name is Grush. I am the team’s weapons and armor specialist. Repairs and routine maintenance are where I specialize.” He also saluted as he finished speaking, fist slamming into his chest. Ronin managed not to stare this time, but he was still shocked. Grush was a half breed as well, half human and half ogre. That explained the stooped posture and the bulging muscles.
“Sir,” said Owl three also removing his helmet. “My name is Steady aim. I am the team’s combat specialist.” Finishing his introduction with a salute, Steady aim put his helmet right back on. He was a Kaldarr, a space fairing race that in nearly all respects were fantasy orcs. He didn’t doubt Owl three was a combat specialist, that was all that Kaldarr were, Combat fanatics. Ronin turned his attention to the last member of the team. Owl two hadn’t moved or spoken, instead they just stood there until Ronin spoke to them.
“Owl two, please remove your helmet and give me a name and specialization.” He said with a hint of ice in his voice. He didn’t have a good impression of Owl two so far and was looking forward to seeing what they looked like.
“Sir,” Owl two said without raising his hands. “My designation is Owl two, and I have been assigned to you as your assistant. I specialize in several areas, including but not limited to; command, combat, recon, planning and logistics.” After speaking, Owl two fell silent, they hadn’t moved once through the introduction.
“I see,” ronin said. He wasn’t sure if Owl two was intentionally trying to make him angry or not, but he did know that it was working. Taking a breath, he tried again. “I asked you to remove your helmet Owl two. I would like to see your face. To ascertain your race and gender. As well as to simply become more intimately familiar with you as a member of my team.”
“Sir,” Owl two said after a long pause. “Perhaps there has been a miscommunication… on your part.” He added unhelpfully. “I cannot remove my ‘helmet’ because I’m not wearing one. I am an android. Specifically, a research assistant, model thirty-two. As I am not a biological being I do not have a gender. However, you can feel free to use male pronouns with me if it will make you feel more comfortable. Sir.”
“Well great, I’ve got a robot butler.” Ronin thought after Owl two stopped speaking. In almost any other situation, he would have been excited to find he had someone like Owl Two under his command. It was just that the damn android was super annoying. That wasn’t likely to change either since androids weren’t alive. They were simply advanced hardware running off equally advanced software. If Owl two was programmed to act this way, then that was how he would act.
“Alright.” Ronin said at last, after coming to terms with his fate. “It is nice to meet you all, I look forward to working with you.” He avoided looking at Owl Two as he spoke those words. “Let’s go introduce ourselves to the neighbors, shall we?” He was looking forward to this, having cheated a little to set up the first adventure beforehand. Ronin already knew what to expect from the valley.
“Certainly sir,” Owl two answered. “However, protocol dictates that we…”
“Thank you, Owl two,” Ronin interrupted. “For reminding me of another point. We are going to be here for a very long time. So, I want us to dial back the military discipline a little. Ok?” He said with a smile, then hastily added. “But continue to announce who is speaking over the coms, as that could get confusing.”
“Sir, I am afraid I must insist that…” Owl two started again, only to be cut off with a raised hand.
“That is an order soldier, understood?” He snapped, no longer concealing his frustration with the android.
The remaining members of the team had stood there passively during the entire exchange. It was a little unnerving how disciplined they all were. Ronin was really starting to regret not having hand crafted each of them into the perfect followers.
“Yes, sir. I understand… however…”
“Great.” Ronin said, clapping Owl two on the shoulder. “Then lock up the pod and let’s go meet these humans.” He couldn’t wait to go exploring. Besides, he’d read every adventure book he could find back home. None of those heroes ever sat around planning all day. They went out and adventured, and that’s what he intended to do.
“Very well,” Owl two said. “Owl five, lead the way. Owl three, bring up the rear. Owl four, stay here and secure the base. Go.” Stifling his annoyance at the pushy robot, Ronin chose to look on the bright side. At least Owl two was competent at giving orders. The team jumped to his orders as soon as he had finished speaking. Owl two himself having moved over to stand just behind Ronin. “Sir,” he said motioning towards the southern tunnel.
“Yes, of course.” Unclipping the rifle from his equipment harness, Ronin followed the retreating form of Owl five down the tunnel. Owl two following close behind, it appeared that he really did have a babysitter.
Entering the tunnel, the light from the dome’s opening gradually faded into blackness. That didn’t prove to be a problem for the team, however. One of the cybernetic upgrades Ronin had added to everyone was enhanced eyes. Among other things, they had a night vision mode. Once the light dimmed to a certain level they activated, bringing the dark tunnel back into full clarity.
“This is sooo cool,” Ronin said softly. “I wish I’d had these back on earth.” He giggled excitedly as he moved.
“Owl one, this is Owl two. Please repeat last.” The mechanical voice of his second entered his helmet, reminding him he still had his com set to team channel. Everything he said was being broadcast to his entire team.
“Nothing, carry on.” He said with a blush, mentally triggering his coms off. He didn’t know why he was having so much trouble with the coms. He’d ripped the entire system off the same adventure book as the stealth pod. In the book it was an intuitive, think and speak, that in reality, wasn’t working out quite right. He let it go with a shrug, it was his first day as an adventurer. There would be plenty of time for him to figure out all the insignificant details. Exiting the cave into the sunlight, his eyes automatically readjusted to the light. Ronin was glad that his eyes, at least, didn’t need manual adjustment.
“Owl team, this is Owl five.” The previously mechanical voice of Owl five had been replaced over the helmet com by Brie’s feminine, if guttural, tones. “I’ve explored both tunnels from the landing site. One heads north and the other south. They are both single entry and exit points and both enter this valley. The valley itself is roughly ten miles in diameter and is heavily forested with a large lake in the center. Apart from the two tunnels. I found one additional tunnel, presumably a mine, containing a goblin den.” Ronin listened as Brie rattled off details about the valley, they had landed in.
“No wonder it took her six hours to do recon.” Ronin thought as she talked, “she must have circled the entire valley.” His attention wandered away from her continued report, as he exited the tunnel and entered the forest. There were trees everywhere, and none of them were familiar to him. There were trees in all colors and shapes that hadn’t existed on the earth that he knew. He’d even read a book on the flora and fauna local to his hemisphere. Yet still, he didn’t recognize a thing.
He stopped near a squat tree that had bright pink leaves shaped like a triangle. They were large enough to use as a blanket. Reaching out he tugged on one, it resisted his pull before popping free. Ronin was shocked, considering his new strength, how strong did these leaves have to be to resist him?
“Sir, please focus on the mission at hand.” Owl Two said, his voice as mechanical as ever.
Not bothering to answer, Ronin let the leaf fall from his hands and continued after Brie.
“…I estimated two hundred townspeople in total, based on the number of buildings.” She had been reporting the entire time, but he hadn’t been paying attention. After she told the town’s population, she stopped speaking. Too embarrassed to admit that he hadn’t heard most of her report, Ronin cleared his throat.
“Good work Owl five,” he said. Remembering he had turned his helmet com off; Ronin turned it back on the team channel and repeated himself. “Good work Owl five. Your attention to detail does the team a great service.” He intended to complement her, but he also meant it. She had discovered in a few short hours what had taken him a day to create back in his hotel room.
The team moved at a brisk pace. To their cybernetic bodies it was barely a light jog, but back on earth Ronin would have considered them to be running at a dead sprint. It took them just under an hour to cross the ten miles that separated the town from their drop pod. The time might have been shorter, except Owl five led them in a series of zig zags through the forest. Confused, Ronin had asked Owl two about it.
“Owl five is using this tactic to avoid the local wildlife. Although none of the beasts appear to be predatory in nature, we haven’t learned their disposition. They might be highly territorial, and the mission is to meet the locals, not engage the wildlife… Sir.” Grinding his teeth against the belated “sir,” Ronin instead focused on the android’s point. It made sense when he thought about it. There seemed to be a lot more to adventuring than he thought. It was true that he had picked all the creatures in this valley. However, it was also true that he hadn’t researched them very much. He’d simply picked creatures off the herbivore list that looked cool. He had no idea what kind of temperaments they had.
Motioning his thanks to Owl two, Ronin did his best to restrain his curiosity and mind his surroundings. He had plenty of time to enjoy the valley, but right now he had an adventure to start. A grin spread across his face as he thought about it. He was in a whole new world. A world that wouldn’t kill him, simply for breathing its air. In his mind he was already battling dragons and saving damsels. His new life was going to be so much fun. In fact, he might never leave this place. It was better here than back in that tiny hotel room, and way better than his old cave on earth.
“Hold. Who’s there, and how did you get into our pasture?” The voice startled Ronin back into reality. He’d been so caught up in his daydream that he’d zoned out again. Looking up he saw a huge wall made of thick timbers bound together with ropes. It spanned the narrow gap where the two arms of the mountain came close together and rose some twenty feet into the air. Looking around, Ronin noticed that they had long exited the forest. They were standing in an expansive grassland, the nearest trees a good mile behind them.
“Well, so much for paying attention to my surroundings.” He thought in self-deprecation. As the man on the wall hollered down at them again.