Morale didn't exactly shoot up as the princess began to list the side effects. "I think I understand," Conway said. "I understand that there are several... side effects of teleportation. I'm familiar with the effects you just mentioned. I just hope we all survive the transition in one piece."
As the princess uttered the apparent literal magic words to activate the circle, Conway couldn't help but ask. "Wait, why do I have to close my eyEEEESSSS —"
His vision warped. In an instant, he was seeing his body seem to fade away before his very eyes. He lost all feeling in his everywhere. He felt himself shifting between time and space itself. All the while his HUD was going completely haywire, though he wasn't exactly paying attention. He was too busy trying to comprehend just what the fuck was happening to him.
Another agonising moment later, it was over. He felt feeling returning to his body, solid ground beneath his feet. He didn't realise he was holding his breath. Conway exhaled and breathed heavily. Then he blinked several times to regain his bearings.
He was indoors, that was for sure. The room they had reappeared in was poorly-lit by several torches, and there were wooden tables and chairs pushed to one side. A number of guards were stationed around the area.
Conway wondered why his armour's low-visibility mode hadn't kicked in yet.
Then he realised that his HUD was missing. His armour's exoskeleton was fine, but his HUD seemed to have shut off during the transition.
As he reached up to reactivate it, the feeling immediately hit him hard. Nausea, vertigo, and a massive migraine. And more. Every single side effect described by the princess had materialised all at once. It was even worse than that one time he went out for a night of drinking with a few friends and forgotten to detox. Coughing once, Conway turned to his squad. "Is everyone okay?"
Few of his squad replied affirmative, the others mostly with grunts or other sounds of discomfort.
"Oh, god, feels like my fucking insides just got scrambled." Muttered Adler, swaying slightly.
There was the sound of heaving behind him. Erickson was bent over with his hands on his knees, while Ash was next to him with her hand on his back. "Just fine," He groaned. "Just fine and dandy."
Relieved that they were still in one piece, Conway took a second to reboot his systems. "Where are we?" He asked.
"Sir, I've just detected another massive surge of energy." Miller reported. He suddenly flashed orange. "Whoa, what the hell?"
"What is it?" Decker asked, leaning in.
"Apex Squad... they're gone."
"Define 'gone'."
"Well, their vitals and IFFs just completely disappeared off the scopes. It's like they just phased out of existence." Miller blinked and glanced upwards. "Wait, I'm detecting their signatures again." The holographic map shifted and moved, moving into the city and stopping directly on the diagram of the capitol building of the city. There were several blinking dots that represented each member of the squad within.
Decker frowned and stood upright. "They just travelled more than two dozen klicks in a near instant."
The A.I. was busy typing on several holographic panels. They didn't really serve much of a purpose for him, really, but just like his avatar, were supposed to convey action and help the humans on the ship better understand what he was doing. "It's pretty sketchy, but from what I've been able to gather, I believe the circle converts a person or object into an energy pattern and then 'beams' them to designated target location, in which it is then reconverted back into physical matter." Several charts and diagrams appeared, each one showing how the system worked. "In short, basically what our scientists have been trying to do for years."
"And these natives, despite their level of technology, have already managed to accomplish." The captain scratched his chin in thought.
"Exactly!" Miller nodded. "It might have something to do with this 'magic' of theirs."
"Magic?"
Miller brought up a set of images of the princess summon a ball of electricity from apparently nowhere that had been captured by Apex Squad's helm-cams. "The natives claim it's magic, but it seems to be more of a type of undiscovered energy unique to this planet. I've run a scan, and it's basically in everything, from the people to the animals to the plants. Heavier sources seem to interfere with sensors."
Decker stood up straight and placed his hands behind his back. "I want a full composite scan of this magic. See what it can do."
"Aye, sir."
As the princess uttered the apparent literal magic words to activate the circle, Conway couldn't help but ask. "Wait, why do I have to close my eyEEEESSSS —"
His vision warped. In an instant, he was seeing his body seem to fade away before his very eyes. He lost all feeling in his everywhere. He felt himself shifting between time and space itself. All the while his HUD was going completely haywire, though he wasn't exactly paying attention. He was too busy trying to comprehend just what the fuck was happening to him.
Another agonising moment later, it was over. He felt feeling returning to his body, solid ground beneath his feet. He didn't realise he was holding his breath. Conway exhaled and breathed heavily. Then he blinked several times to regain his bearings.
He was indoors, that was for sure. The room they had reappeared in was poorly-lit by several torches, and there were wooden tables and chairs pushed to one side. A number of guards were stationed around the area.
Conway wondered why his armour's low-visibility mode hadn't kicked in yet.
Then he realised that his HUD was missing. His armour's exoskeleton was fine, but his HUD seemed to have shut off during the transition.
As he reached up to reactivate it, the feeling immediately hit him hard. Nausea, vertigo, and a massive migraine. And more. Every single side effect described by the princess had materialised all at once. It was even worse than that one time he went out for a night of drinking with a few friends and forgotten to detox. Coughing once, Conway turned to his squad. "Is everyone okay?"
Few of his squad replied affirmative, the others mostly with grunts or other sounds of discomfort.
"Oh, god, feels like my fucking insides just got scrambled." Muttered Adler, swaying slightly.
There was the sound of heaving behind him. Erickson was bent over with his hands on his knees, while Ash was next to him with her hand on his back. "Just fine," He groaned. "Just fine and dandy."
Relieved that they were still in one piece, Conway took a second to reboot his systems. "Where are we?" He asked.
----------------------------
"Sir, I've just detected another massive surge of energy." Miller reported. He suddenly flashed orange. "Whoa, what the hell?"
"What is it?" Decker asked, leaning in.
"Apex Squad... they're gone."
"Define 'gone'."
"Well, their vitals and IFFs just completely disappeared off the scopes. It's like they just phased out of existence." Miller blinked and glanced upwards. "Wait, I'm detecting their signatures again." The holographic map shifted and moved, moving into the city and stopping directly on the diagram of the capitol building of the city. There were several blinking dots that represented each member of the squad within.
Decker frowned and stood upright. "They just travelled more than two dozen klicks in a near instant."
The A.I. was busy typing on several holographic panels. They didn't really serve much of a purpose for him, really, but just like his avatar, were supposed to convey action and help the humans on the ship better understand what he was doing. "It's pretty sketchy, but from what I've been able to gather, I believe the circle converts a person or object into an energy pattern and then 'beams' them to designated target location, in which it is then reconverted back into physical matter." Several charts and diagrams appeared, each one showing how the system worked. "In short, basically what our scientists have been trying to do for years."
"And these natives, despite their level of technology, have already managed to accomplish." The captain scratched his chin in thought.
"Exactly!" Miller nodded. "It might have something to do with this 'magic' of theirs."
"Magic?"
Miller brought up a set of images of the princess summon a ball of electricity from apparently nowhere that had been captured by Apex Squad's helm-cams. "The natives claim it's magic, but it seems to be more of a type of undiscovered energy unique to this planet. I've run a scan, and it's basically in everything, from the people to the animals to the plants. Heavier sources seem to interfere with sensors."
Decker stood up straight and placed his hands behind his back. "I want a full composite scan of this magic. See what it can do."
"Aye, sir."