Vidramare's Latent Element: Element

Vidramare had been exploring a newly discovered solar system his ships systems had picked up a couple days before. His attention was fully focused on a possible stable planet that may contain life, or in the very least could, contain life. After a couple cycles of monitoring the planets atmosphere, by studying how solar energy moved though it, he deemed it safe enough to drop on. The atmosphere of the very vibrant planet seemed to contain more oxygen and nitrogen then the average. This slight deviation in atmosphere, made life possible but could in some ways completely change how organisms evolve. His excitement was not easily contained, had someone been with him they most definitely would compare is excitement to that of a child’s.

After making the appropriate preparations, he boarded a drop pod and set his destination for a forestry, mountainous, environment that had caught his attention. It seemed to have a mild weather system, plenty of water and sunlight, and mild temperatures. Any time he decided to drop on a planet he always made sure to drop in a similar environment such as this. With a lush but mild environment, it guaranteed a possible food source and survivable climate. Both very valuable incase of ship failure, if he had to be stranded, ideal conditions make surviving much easier. It also increased the chances of finding intelligent life. If there weren’t civilizations or the start of one in the most ideal place on a planet, then most likely there isn’t intelligent life anywhere.

It wasn’t long till the pod laded gently into a small fielded area on the outer edge of a very large and mildly dense forest environment. If there was intelligent life, he hoped they would be fairly easy to find and prayed they had a less then complex language. He had studied enough languages he could speak almost any language at this point. He has a very in-depth understanding of language, any simple language he can learn in a matter of days, as for the more complex. It could still take months to learn, months he did not have. 

Once the pod settles and levels its self he begins shutting things down, and setting things up just incase he needs to make an emergency exit. After several moments and lots of nobs and buttons being turned and pushed, and a course set. The small pod would enter a sleep or stand by mode. In the event of an emergence all he would need to do is hit a single button that would start the pod and throw it in to auto pilot, taking him straight back to his mother ship. 

One last deep breath he opens the pod and pulls out a small device that looks like tablet with an antenna. The automatic system of the pod already did an air quality scan and gave the all clear but he wants to be extra sure. Holding the antenna like attachment out the door, tapping the screen on the device, the scan would commence. After just seconds, 3 beeps would sound letting him know the scan is complete and the air safe. 

“In theory I should be fine…radiation level normal…no odd toxins or particles in the air…CO2 seems low actually and oxygen is high…” 

Muttering to himself, leaning on the door way of the pod, his eyes would trail around the environment. The only sound being the light wind and his finger tapping the device in his hand. While in though, he’d take in the beautiful green and gold field that gave way to a dark and deep forest. The late morning light, casting shadows through the trees that seems to dance across the forest floor with every gust of wind. 

“fuck it…ill take a air pack and just keep a close eye on any symptoms of O2 poising...”

Rolling his neck and shoulders, he’d return into the ship to gather his supplies and adore his armor and saber. His supplies being his field bag containing things need for field study, the air pack, some food and water, but most importantly, his journal.

 His gaze would linger on the leather book in his hand, rubbing a clawed thumb over the cover. To most it would seem the book its self was what was important to him, but in truth it was not. The book changed every few days. While the information in the books was important to him, the book its self has little meaning. Instead, it was the single red ribbon that bound the book closed that means the world, the universe to him. A small, sad but fond smile would cross his features as he momentarily got lost in a sudden memory. After the moment passes, he'd raise the book to his forehead and close his eyes. Resting the ribbon to his brow for jest a moment before placing it in the leather holder on his hip. 

Once he had everything together, he’d slowly step off the pod, and into the lush, swaying grass a few feet below the pods exit. Taking another deep breath and glance around, the excitement along with a wide smile would return to his features.

“Let’s hope the rest of the trip remains so calm and beautiful…” 

Hoisting the bag more up on his shoulder, he’d begin trekking towards the forest, letting his muttered words be swept away on the breeze and fall the def ears of the silent land around him as he walks on. His steps soon becoming filled with purpose, an energy of anxiety and joy fueling his expedition.

 

 

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The first few miles into the forest were pretty average, there was little wildlife. Undecided if there just wasn’t any or possibly scared off by his precents, at first it didn’t bother him. However, after a while of nothing it started to become uneasy. The planet should most definitely have some form of wildlife. The conditions were too perfect for there to be just nothing. It just wasn’t possible. That’s what really started to eat at him. The only logical conclusion would be that something happened. To wipe out what seemed to be possibly all wildlife on a planet…that was truly a unnerving thought for him. Then there was the concern of, was it still here? And would or could whatever seemed to wipe out the animal life also kill him?

         He carried on anyway, his confused curiosity, out weighing his fear of what biological disaster could have effected a planet like this. He even stopped and took soil samples, multiple plant samples, water samples. However, nothing turned up to have any evidence of anything deadly in the environment. He was utterly baffled. If it wasn’t a microbe, it has to be a life form that was to blame. He had so many questions, but all would take months if not years to find answers to, he doesn’t have that kind of time in the current moment. He needed to be heading back to his planet soon.

         He sighed and started packing his things up getting ready to leave the strange planet, disappointment weighing heavy on him, right as he began to stand, a gust of wind would shake some branches, allowing him to catch a glimpse of something glowing between the leaves. 

         “what…what could possibly be emitting enough light to be seen in broad day light…” 

         Quickly he’d finish packing his things up and make his way to the glowing object. As he gets closer he sees its an odd stone covered lightly by brush and leaves, with a strange rune like pattern carved into, its that rune pattern emitting the strange green glow. He’d be completely entranced by it, like he is under some strange spell. His wide eyes would lock onto it, even if he wanted to look away he wouldn’t be able to. 

         Normally he wouldn't just grab or touch something so strange and odd, but in his weird trance like state he would reach for the stone, his actions fueled by an unknown, indescribable desire. The moment his clawed fingers brush the surface, a line of green light would quickly shoot across the ground away from the smaller stone. His attention would snap in the direction the light crawls only to spot a strange circle of stone pillars. The green light would crawl swiftly towards a small stone pillar in the center, hitting the base and crawling up the pillar to illuminate the strange rune carved into it, before shooting off branches of light that crawled to the tall pillars around it.

         “wha-…what is this???”

         The shaky confused whisper of a voice would crawl from his throat, much slower then the odd light had crawls across the ground. Before continuing towards the newly reviled pillars he’d glance back down at the stone under his fingertips. The smaller stone had lost its light and now just looked like a normal stone with a weird symbol carved in to it. His brows would nit together and he’d glance between the pillars and stone several times before slowly standing from his crouched position. He didn’t believe in magic or anything resembling such nonsense, he was a man of science after all. But in this moment his mind was drawing quite the huge blank, he had no possible explanation or idea for what was happening.

         Slowly he’d approach the odd pillars, easing into the center of the of the circle made from the 5 pillars. Once in the middle, a low hum from the green energy could be heard. Taking his time, he would slowly examine the smaller pillar in front of him at the center, before slowly casting his gaze over each of the large ones. He could make anything of the odd markings. All that could be speculated was they were symbols with possible religious meaning. 

         After looking over the pillars his attention would be pulled back to the short one in front of him. While the other 5 were easily much taller then him, this one stopped almost perfectly as his waist. As he looked at it, the over barring feeling to touch it soon resurfaced. Slowly a shaky hand would extend to the pillar, unlike the stone you could easily feel the energy from the pillar, it had almost a magnetic pull on his hand. He’d glance around at the other pillars, nausea building in his stomach, touching the pillar seemed like a horrible idea but it seemed like what he should do. What he needed to do. With a deep swallow and shaky breath, his hand would sit flush down on to the pillar. Instant regret fallowed. 

         The green light shot up into his arm. Leaving a hot trail though his body. He could feel the searing hot pian of the light crawl though his body, like the shock of electricity. At first his body was so in shock he couldn’t scream, his voice was trapped in his throat for what felt like minutes, before finally coming out in a roar of agony. His mind would go fuzzy as his nerves felt like they were being fried. After serval agonizing second all the pain would suddenly stop, and his body would fall to the ground, almost lifelessly. 

         He laid there for several minutes, his mind and body reeling with what just happen. After a long moment he’d slowly sit up, his head foggy and throbbing. His face would contort in pain, and a hand would quicky moved to hold his head above his brow. His stomach rolling over making his eyes shoot open wide, managing to turn his body to the side just in time to not throw up in his own lap. After vomiting a shiver would rake though his body and the hand on his brow would go to lightly hold his abdomen.

         “The fuck was that…”

         His voice would hold raspy grimace, fallowed by a low pained groan. Squeezing his eyes shut he’d haul him self up into a proper sitting position, letting his head stop swimming before opening his eyes again. The first thing he did notice was his journal at his feat and the red ribbon now glowing white around it. A look of more bewilderment would adore his features once again, he had been to 100s of planets but this planet was by far the weirdest. He’d reach out for the journal but upon doing so vines would spring up out of the ground, shooting towards the book and wrapping around it. A startled and confused shout would leave his chest as he reels backwards, falling back onto his elbows. His eyes wide and breath caught in his chest. As he watched the vines wrapped tightly around his book slowly wilt and die, he noticed for the first time the new green vines and plants that seemed to be covering everything around him. As he looked around he took note of what looked like a nature bomb went off, and him set right in the center of it untouched.

         “At least I have a clue to what might have happened to the life here...”

         He definitely needed to get home now, his voyage would have to be cut short, whatever just happened to him now became top priority. His brother most definitely was going to think he was crazy, but maybe he was crazy…