Seth returned to his workshop after Calvin and Amy took off to the dungeon. He had lots to get done and no idea how long they would be gone for. His drones returned with detailed maps of the surrounding area and the area around the other settlements. Seth pored over the data, locating several promising settlements they had not made contact with yet. One particular settlement looked well fortified, they might have a strong core of people there.

"Ian, Marshall, come take a look at this," Seth called out.

The two approached Seth's workstation, surveying the holographic map projections.

"Those drones did some good recon work," Ian remarked. "What've we got?"

Seth pointed at the town's location. "This one seems to be a civilian settlement, maybe a few hundred people tops based on the housing density. And over here..." His finger moved to the military encampment. "Definite hardened defenses. Could be soldiers, could be bandits, who knows."

Marshall scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Man, if we could get some more soldiers on our side… that would be sweet. Let's send two groups out. I can take Tank to the fortified settlement in case of trouble. Ian and Reaper can head to the other encampment."

"My thoughts exactly," Seth agreed. "I'll let Tank know. You two get whatever supplies you might need together. We'll open a portal and send them through soon as they're ready."

Within the hour, Tank and three of his soldiers stood geared up by the newly constructed portal frame on Olympus' eastern edge. It was nothing much, just a platform for Ian's portal anchor. Seth went over the mission parameters one last time.

"You'll be coming out just east of that military encampment. Do some recon, check for hostiles, and try making contact if it seems safe. If it's a no-go, just grab whatever intel you can and get back here."

Tank gave Seth a firm nod. "You got it. We'll check it out and report back soon as we know what we're dealing with."

Seth's drone activated the portal, its shimmering aperture opened onto a dry, desolate landscape. Tank and his soldiers passed through without hesitation. Marshall pulled up the rear, giving Seth a nod on the way out. "Have dinner ready for us when we get back."

Emerging on the other side, they quickly rallied and took defensive positions, scanning for threats. The air smelled of dust and ozone.

"Nothin' but rocks and sand for klicks," Tank muttered. "Let's get moving before this place gets any hotter."

They covered the distance at a jog, sweat soon beading on their brows in the midday heat. As they neared their objective, Tank signaled his team to slow their approach and take cover.

Peering through his rifle's scope, Tank studied the low, angular structures in the near distance. He could make out armed sentries patrolling the perimeter and defensive emplacements set up to cover the approaches. Whatever this place was, they were dug in and prepared for trouble.

"Crash, you're up," Tank said quietly. "Get us a better look inside and keep out of sight."

The lanky soldier gave a thumbs up and activated his drone, sending the small recon unit buzzing towards the encampment's walls. Tank and the others monitored the video feed from the drone's low-altitude pass.

What they saw looked promising - people milling about inside, makeshift housing and workshops visible. No signs of violence or oppression that they could detect. As the drone panned across the interior, it picked up activity around what seemed to be a medical tent, people moving supplies and tending to others.

"Bingo," Tank muttered with satisfaction. "Let's go make some friends."

Keeping his weapon slung, Tank rose from cover and started walking directly towards the main entrance, his soldiers following slightly behind. Within a few moments, the sentries spotted their approach and quickly took defensive positions, weapons trained.

Tank held up his empty hands to show they meant no harm. "Easy, people! We're not here for trouble. Came across your little fort and thought we'd say hello!"

After a tense minute, a tall, severe-looking woman in dust-stained fatigues emerged from an outbuilding, eyeing them warily. "You got some kinda death wish, just waltzing up like that?" she demanded. "Who are you people?"

Tank gave her a respectful nod. "Name's Tank. We're from a settlement not too far from here called Olympus. Got a good thing going on and we're always looking to lend a hand where we can."

The woman's eyes narrowed slightly, but she seemed to relax a fraction. "I'm Sergeant Navarro. Most of us were military police back on Earth, trying to keep order after... well, you know."

She looked them over appraisingly. "How many of you are there? And what's your game here?"

"For now it's just us five on recon. As for our game, we're playing the only one that matters - survival. But we don't have to just survive, not if we start working together."

Navarro considered that for a long moment, then gave a curt nod. "All right, I'll hear you out. But we're gonna do this my way, nice and easy. You and one other, that's it."

She turned and gestured for two of her people to take up overwatch positions. Tank looked back at his team. "Marshall, you're with me. Let's go make some friends."

Tank and Marshall followed Sergeant Navarro through the gate of the fortified encampment, their boots crunching on the hard-packed earth. The inside looked even more organized than the exterior let on - rows of tidy tents and prefab structures, a motor pool area with several vehicles undergoing repairs, even what looked like gardens taking shape.

"Not bad, not bad at all," Marshall remarked, appraising their surroundings with an approving nod.

Navarro shot him a sidelong glance, her expression guarded. "We do what we have to to get by. Never know what's gonna come over that horizon next."

They approached a larger, more solid-looking structure towards the center of the camp. A few people milled about outside, but most kept their distance, eyeing the newcomers warily. Marshall responded with an easygoing smile and wave.

"Evenin' folks! Don't mind us, just a couple of neighbors coming to say hi."

Navarro shook her head but didn't rebuke him as she led them inside the building. It looked to be some kind of combined command post and barracks, with maps and status boards lining the walls. A few off-duty soldiers played cards at a corner table, but rose respectfully as their leader entered.

"At ease," Navarro told them curtly. "Deuce, get me a fresh pot of Joe, would you?"

One of the soldiers nodded and headed off to an tiny kitchen area. Navarro turned her attention to Tank and Marshall.

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"Have a seat, you two. Might as well get comfortable."

She took up a position leaning against a support column, arms folded across her chest as she studied them appraisingly. After an awkward silence, Marshall cleared his throat.

"So, Sergeant... mind if I ask what you and your people are all about here? Don't see many setups like this just sitting out in the middle of nowhere."

Navarro's eyes narrowed slightly. "You're right about that. We were part of the 513th Military Police Detachment back on Earth. When... whatever happened, we were deployed overseas on a training op with the Jordanian military. Next thing we knew, we were here."

She shook her head. "Lucky we had our vehicles and gear still with us, to be honest. First couple weeks were total chaos - figured out pretty quick this place wasn't anyplace on Earth. Lotta... strange things happening all around."

Tank nodded slowly. "I hear that. We had our own share of bizarre encounters when we first arrived."

"That's one way to put it," Marshall chimed in with a snort. "Let's just say it's a good thing we had Tank here with his," he paused, making finger-quotes, "'military expertise.'"

The soldier returned then with a battered metal pitcher and some tin cups, setting it down on the bare table between them. Tank immediately poured himself a cup, and sipped it black.

"I was an Army Ranger back in the day," he said. "Sergeant First Class John Sanders, if you want the long rendition. Spent more tours than I care to count tramping through Afghan rock quarries and villages looking for the bad guys."

He nodded towards Marshall. "Marshall here was an EMT, pulled his ass outta the fire more than once. But we got some other good folks too - snipers, commo guys, all sorts of skillsets that came in handy once we figured out what kinda situation we were in."

Navarro looked slightly taken aback as she processed that. After studying Tank for a long moment, some of the wariness seemed to leave her expression.

"Well I'll be damned," she murmured. "Didn't think we'd run across any other military personnel out here, to be honest." She straightened up, regarding Tank with a bit more openness.

"Like I said, we were running an exercise with the Jordanians, joint patrol tactics and all that fun stuff. Few months ago we're cooling our heels at one of their sector bases, waiting to kick off the next phase. Then next thing you know..." She shrugged.

"Well, you were there. I don't need to tell you what happened after that. Few dozen of us in-country, maybe a hundred and fifty Jordanian troops with us. Lotta civilians from the local villages too."

Marshall leaned forward intently. "Wait, so you're saying you got, what - two hundred folks here all told? And you're all just kinda... hanging out in this little fort?"

Navarro shot him a look. "For now, yeah. We rounded up who we could, got them inside the fence, worked on securing a perimeter while we got our bearings. Not like we had a lotta options."

Tank sipped his coffee thoughtfully. "I hear you on that. When the dust settled for us, we had a pretty good mix of skillsets too - firefighters, cops, few civvies who knew which end of a rifle was which. Hunkered down for a bit while we figured things out."

"That so?" Navarro looked piqued. "And you all are...?"

Marshall spread his hands. "Well, that's kinda why we came to see y'all, Sergeant. We're part of a whole city not too far from here. Got a good population going, few hundred people last I checked the books."

He paused to let that sink in, noting the look of surprise that flickered across Navarro's face.

"Way we see it, ain't no point in all of us trying to go it alone out here. I mean, maybe that made sense at first when it was just about getting our feet under us. But now that we're getting an idea what we're dealing with?"

Marshall shook his head. "No way any one group's got the numbers or resources to handle this mess solo. Way I figure it, we either work together or get picked off one-by-one."

Navarro considered that for a moment. "Fair point. And this settlement of yours, I'm guessing you want us to throw our lot in with them?"

Tank set his cup down. "That's the smart move, strategically at least. You get the safety of being part of a real community again - more numbers, more resources. In exchange, you bring your skills and personnel to the table. We're still getting built up, but you'd have a seat at the table right from the start."

Navarro looked pensive as she mulled that over. At length, she nodded slowly. "I'll admit, having to look over our shoulders every minute of every day is getting real old. If you've got a stable setup with more resources and bodies to throw at potential threats..."

She shrugged. "Well, I'd be stupid not to at least hear you out, right? Not saying I'm ready to turn this place over or nothing. But maybe it's time we expanded our horizons a bit."

Marshall grinned. "Hey, that's all we're asking for, Sergeant. An open mind and a chance to show you what we've got going on. I think once you see our setup first-hand, you're gonna like what you see."

"Is that so?" Navarro arched an eyebrow. "Well, why don't you put your money where your mouth is, friend? I'm gonna want the full dog-and-pony show on whatever y'all have got cooking over there. Soon as we can get a convoy put together, you can give me the grand tour."

She looked back and forth between Tank and Marshall. "And you can damn well bet I'll be bringing enough firepower to handle any... surprises that might pop up on the way."

Tank chuckled. "Wouldn't have it any other way, Sergeant. You just tell us when you're ready to roll out. Also, no need for a convoy. We've got special transportation."

Marshall and Tank exchanged a look, barely containing their grins. Navarro eyed them both suspiciously.

"Alright, what's with the shit-eating grins, you two? Don't tell me you're about to pull something crazy."

Tank shook his head, rising from his seat. "Not crazy, Sergeant. Just efficient." He gestured for her to follow. "C'mon, we'll show you."

Navarro frowned but stood as well, motioning for two of her troops to join them. The five of them exited the command building into the waning daylight outside. Marshall waved over the three soldiers who had remained beyond the fort's walls during their meeting.

"Alright guys - we're headed out. Get ready to move."

The three gave him a nod, checking their weapons and kit. Navarro's frown deepened as she looked between Tank and Marshall.

"The hell's going on here? You two planning on going AWOL with my people or something?"

Tank shook his head, producing a small spherical device from his pack. "Not at all, Sergeant. Just going to expedite this little road trip is all." He armed the device with a casual flick of his thumb. "Might want to stand back a bit."

Navarro opened her mouth to protest, but Marshall put a hand on her shoulder. "Trust me, you're gonna want to see this."

Tank pulled his arm back and launched the sphere in a low arc. It landed about twenty feet away and immediately erupted in a shimmering burst of energy. Slowly expanding from that point, a circular portal began taking shape - a window into what looked like the interior of a large city gate.

Navarro's troops instinctively brought their weapons to bear on the phenomenon, but the sergeant herself could only gape in shock. Marshall grinned at her expression.

"Pretty wild, right? Fellas, let's saddle up!"

He started towards the portal, the others falling into step behind him. Navarro shook herself out of her daze and hurried to catch up.

"Wait just a damn minute! What in the hell is-"

But Marshall had already stepped through the shimmering portal entrance, disappearing from view. Tank paused and looked back at the sergeant with an amused expression.

"See for yourself."

With that, he passed through the gate as well. Navarro looked around at her soldiers, who seemed equally confounded. Squaring her shoulders, she strode forward and stepped across the portal's threshold.

She emerged into what seemed like the interior of a large fortified keep or small castle. High walls of dense stonework surrounded them, with walkways for sentries along the ramparts. A handful of armed guards immediately focused on the new arrivals, but made no hostile moves when they recognized Tank and his team.

"Sergeant Navarro? Welcome to Olympus."

Navarro turned at the sound of the new voice. A tan-skinned man with neat brown hair cut a lean, trim figure in well-worn fatigues. Though he didn't look particularly imposing, there was a sense of quiet confidence about him as he approached.

"Name's Seth. I'm the city's master artificer and one of the council members." He offered Navarro a firm handshake, which she accepted slowly, still looking around in amazement.

"I... I don't understand. This was just a wasteland a few minutes ago. Now we're in a whole damn city?"

Seth chuckled. "I imagine you've got quite a few questions. But I can assure you, this is no mirage." He swept his arm out to indicate their surroundings. "This is the reality we're all living in now. And it's far stranger than anyone could have imagined."

Navarro opened her mouth to respond but was interrupted by a series of distant booms - like artillery fire. She instinctively dropped into a crouch, scanning for threats, but Seth merely waved a hand dismissively.

"Relax, it's nothing to worry about. Just the city's outer defenses unloading on some roving pests. We'll get you up to speed on-"

He was interrupted as a massive form hurtled over the walls in the distance, slamming to the ground hard enough for them to feel the impact underfoot. It was a gigantic, misshapen beast, all teeth and claws and rage given hideous form.

The thing roared its defiance, beady eyes fixing on the new arrivals as several more of its ilk started raining down around it. Seth swore under his breath, "Tank, you got that?"

Tank nodded, lifted his autocannon, and punched three rounds straight through the first beast, dropping it dead where it stood. Seth's drones swarmed the others, dispatching them in seconds.

"As I was saying, welcome to Olympus, Sergeant."