Spaciarum was a vast, vaguely-defined expanse of desert that dominated the northern basin. A voracious wind howled across its featureless plains, swirling grit that tore away anything unfortunate enough to be caught in the open. The mighty Sol, giver of all life, was merely a faded pale disc trying to pierce the thick murk of the atmosphere. A heavy chugging sound, the heartbeat of an ancient combustion engine, grew louder; culminating in a whoosh of sand and dirt as a large vehicle rumbled past. It was angular, rusted and looked like the person who built it did so in a hurry and without a plan. Four thick tires churned up the rusty sand, leaving it hanging in the air above the tracks left in the vehicle’s wake. Inside the open cockpit of the All-Terrain Land Auto …show more content…
Goadas would probably say he was a mug for saying such, though, so he kept the notion to himself. Then, finally, they saw it. A fountain of green miasma with bright blue strings of energy forking from it like slow lightning, fiercely alive with something unearthly. It spewed from the ground angrily, seeming to evaporate as it ascended. As they got closer, they were able to see the plume in more intricate detail. Groping, clawing strands lept out from its core, sending out shrieks and crackles that sounded all too alike human voices. Goadas brought the ATLAR to rest a dozen meters from the phenomenon, as the pair lept out of the open sides. The green anomaly seemed to growl at their presence, then shot another angry pulse into the air. Even when it wasn’t spewing or shrieking, the sound of it was deeply unsettling. With a nod to his companion, Milo took a step forward and tapped a button on the side of his visor. The display showed a simple readout of the energies he was witnessing, and it made him frown. ‘Doesn’t look good,’ he stated simply.