Dreams of the Past (inactive)

[Shachza]

Tommaso's eyes widened in shock as the panter's weapon seemed to come up from nowhere to be pointed firmly in his direction.  He put his hands out, palms forward with fingers splayed, and took a couple steps back in a show of surrender.  His AUG flopped down from behind his shoulder to rest against his hip.

"Clearly."  He glowered.  "We may have been friends yesterday, though I'm not sure which you might be.  If this is the work of a Marauder then I suppose I can't blame you for not remembering.  It wouldn't be your fault."

When the panther's weapon went back down Tommaso stood for a moment and waited to make sure no actual violence would start.  Satisfied that he wasn't about to die he listened to the panther's report while gathering his own matress into a neat roll.  When the panther finished talking Tommaso spoke up again from where he was crouching.

"Remember this; I don't think that this is reality as it should be, but it is reality as it is for now.  Be especially wary of harming those in this group even if you don't recognize us.  You might wake up again and find that you've killed your best friend."

[Ren Gaulen]

Not having said much so far, Ray stood at the side of the group, not attracting much attention to himself and just watching others. This whole situation was beyond his comprehension. He was fairly sure he was nowhere near where he was supposed to be, since they were clearly not in the middle of a vast mountainous desert, and something was telling him they were not even on his planet. He had no memory of leaving his planet either; this whole situation was like something out of some science fiction novel he may have read. Still, he had no illusions about this whole ordeal being a hallucination. Having no explanation, he decided to just go with the flow until some explanation presents itself, avoiding trouble in the mean time.

As he watched, he saw some sort of a core of this rag-tag group form. At the centre of it were the large bovine female and a canine guy that could have easily been Ray's compatriot. "Kandela and Tor, they seem to know what they're doing, even if they have no idea what's going on. Better stick with them," - he thought, being used to having some sort of a chain of command. Others were gathering around them, some actually doing something productive, others just feeling lost and looking for support, at least from what he could tell. The two other females, a human and a three-eyed rabbit, were coping with the situation particularly badly, both being in some form of shock-induced denial. Meanwhile, the feline fellow, while doing productive stuff, was almost demonstratively unwilling to try and work with others; it seemed that he was rather hostile to humans for some reason. "Must be a cat thing," - thought Ray, chuckling a bit. Either way, he seemed to be rather unstable, and could be a threat to the entire group. The civilians would be troublesome either. But it was clear that none of them was here by choice, and Ray could not really be picky about his companions. For good or bad, they were all in the same boat right now.

Deciding to break his silence at last, Ray spoke up. "Excuse me, miss Kandela?" - he addressed her, deciding to consider the large female a leader of the group, - "My name is Raiden. I am from military, and have skills in scouting woodland combat myself, plus I seem to carry some close combat weapons. Perhaps it would be best if I scout ahead together with Bolt, so I could back him up, his weapon is unfit for close combat."

[Paladin Sheppard]

Wraiths further study of the map, plus his observation of the surrounds while up there tree and lack of activity, meant it did not match up with what he had seen. For one the town was far too small, the city on his map going on the scale was at least home to a few million. And further study of the river showed it to much smaller than the one on the map, which also ran north west to south west.  


During her rummaging of her pack Sifa found the standard survival pack, ammo for her CZ75, and what looked like a rather well stocked makeup kit, which oddly included wigs and false eyebrows and other items used in disguises.

Tor's Examination of his possessions ranged from the normal survival pack, to components to aid his connection to the spirits. The extra ammo he carried was just as varied, from .50 API (1 mag) .50 cal Match Grade (2 mags) and finally .50 cal HEAP (1 mag), plus a small scattering of .45 cal for his pistol (4 mags). Oddly he was also carrying a half lined half blank notebook.   


************************************************


Stopping as Wraith pulled out his sidearm Kandela threw up her arms letting her MG dangle by its sling. "By the light...Would you please knock it off, we all seem to be nowhere we are supposed be, can you all stop pointing these 'guns' at each other every time we disagree?"

"Did you see any signs of life while you were up there?" She asked in a more consolatory tone.

As Ray spoke up she turned her head in the canine's direction but keeping one eye on Salem. "Seems right now we are changing our minds on where to go...Mr?"

[SquirrelWizard]

Cinna watched the exchange between the Cow Demon and the others. "Well, I don't know about you guys, but maybe we should find someone to tell us whats happening around here? I mean, we can sit around and play 'who has the bigger' gun all day but, as amusing as that would be, I don't think it will help our situation much. Anyways," her stomach growled loudly, "We could all probably use some food. Which they might have. I mean, technically Saedra can eat beings, but as a clan we got out of that a long time ago... it caused too much trouble, your standard torch and pitchfork thing... so we banned it. Though exactly for those purposes, we also traveled through Being lands, so it helped our relations with them when they didn't feel like an entree." She tapped her cheek as she seemed to recall something, "although my estranged Uncle Jeff seemed to get back into it... though that would explain why he was estranged," Cinna shrugged, "Anyways, finding someone else would probably solve many of our problems!"

[Tezkat]

"You didn't find any food in your pack?" The coyote raised an eyebrow at at the strange three-eyed rabbit, but decided not to investigate further into her species' cannibalistic habits. He holstered his own weapon before the situation became any more tense.

"Certainly, it'd be helpful to find a native who can tell us where we are, at least, if not what we're doing here. Only problem is... for all we know they might be inclined to try shooting us first. Or eating us. Assuming we've all decided not to kill each other," he cast a meaningful glance at the panther, "it'd behoove us to work together to stay alive and solve this little mystery. Advance scouting would be a good idea." He nodded to the dingo. "Might also help to have some of us stay back to run overwatch in case things go bad or trouble shows up when we try to make contact."

He rubbed his chin. "None of us have any communications tools or magic, do we? We should decide on signals of some sort to alert each other of danger or give the all clear."

He studied the map with the others until it became apparent that their current position wasn't so easily identified. "I reckon our next step is deciding which way to go." He looked up. "Hmm. Give me a few minutes."

Removing his pack once again, he let it rest against a tree trunk after extracting the notebook he found earlier. He pulled the ghillie hood over his hat, making him look like a large shrub with legs, and began to climb. Having watched the panther descend, he already knew where to find a lot of the sturdy branches. It wasn't that he didn't trust the cat--okay, he didn't trust the cat--but Bolt wanted to see for himself just what they were up against.

Once above the canopy, he slid his rifle's targeting system off its rails before letting the weapon rest back in its harness. He then pulled out his notebook, made sure he was comfortable and secure on his perch, and flipped the protective covers off the scope. The naturalist turned warrior began cataloguing his surroundings with the same methodical efficiency applied to studying new habitats or scouting enemy encampments. Somehow, he had a feeling this strange adventure might feature both.

He first sketched out a quick map, using the sights' rangefinder to estimate distances. Where were all the people? It was early morning still, but lack of response to the thunderous explosions suggested that people had either abandoned the neighbouring settlements or bunkered down. Neither possibility would bode well for a pleasant chat with the natives. That bomber had been here for a reason, which meant some kind of strategically important assets in the area. He investigated each group of buildings in turn, zooming in when necessary to search for signs of life--if not live (or dead) bodies then lights, smoke, vehicles, fortification... anything to indicate recent activity.

His new companions would have to pick a direction and move out eventually. The nearby buildings to the northwest or the ones farther upstream presented the least risky candidates. Waltzing into town unprepared might prove suicidal. The canine sniper evaluated nearby high ground positions for suitability as sniper hides to run overwatch while the rest of the group moved in. The hills perhaps? More tall trees would do in a pinch, so long as his lines of sight weren't too restricted. His rifle had tremendous range--heck, he could probably drop someone in town from here--but limited communication meant he needed to secure perches closer to the group.

Finally, he scanned the horizon to the east, shielding his eyes against the morning sun as he briefly searched for any sign of whatever had downed the bomber. There was something dangerous out there, dark and mysterious. Even without the spirits, he could feel it on the wind, an uncomfortable stillness like the calm before a storm.

Truth be told, he hadn't felt this excited in ages.

[AmberCross]

In the background, Chris decided it was time for an experiment or two. He had already tried electricity magic, but now he ran through a few other excercises and anything magic related felt confusing, like trying to cast spells during a violent storm except... different. Chris had long ago learned how to compensate for storms and hopefully he'd figure this through as well. On another note, a few flaps of his wings were enough to tell him flying was also out of the question. The air here felt.. thin. His wings refused to catch on to it somehow and he couldn't figure out why this might be. It may be that he wouldn't be able to fly until he could use magic to make the air work properly. Or perhaps this too would be something he could learn to account for.

In more current regards however, plans were being made and discussed. And while he did not particularly like the panther or the cow (Sunbless he seemed to recall her mentioning) due to their seeming tendency to value force over finesse, he felt both had good points and it was often best to let such people think they were in charge as it kept them from making trouble. As long as they listened to reason he would follow along willingly enough, but he did not live to be over ninety and a master of his craft to be bossed around by young hotheads with more brawn than brains. However he also recognized that they were in a bit of a tight spot and it would do well to work together.

So during a moment of silence while the coyote was climbing the tree, Chris stepped forward with an observation of his own. "Another thing to consider is just what the locals would consider 'local'. Just in our group of people we have examples of people from places where other members of our group don't belong. If possible we should try to figure out whether any members of our group might create an instant negative reaction. Or for that matter an unnecessarily positive one either. If possible I would like to avoid drawing undue attention on account of not having wings, or a third eye, or perhaps NOT a third eye or HAVING wings. It might also be good to check if whatever is causing us to understand each other (because I know none of you speak my language) extends to the local population and also what passes for local currency and if we have any."

[Tipod]

Angel stayed at the sidelines, still fumbling through his pack at the supplies. Flash bangs and cuffs? This whole thing felt like a bad joke, especially when he mulled over Sifa's answer. President Bush in 2008... Ralph Nader won in '08 under a platform of peace and ended a ten-year conflict with the freaks and geeks from Quebec. Everyone knew that.

Now, he wasn't sure of anything. Speaking to anyone outside of their group could get them rounded up and sent to a refugee camp.

"...I don't know about the rest of you, but it feels like someone's playing an ugly prank on us. And I don't like it." Angel shifted his pack with a grunt. "And if we're going to ask the natives for the skinny, then maybe we shouldn't ask a soldier. We should ask a civilian." A civilian would probably be less likely to shoot or arrest them on principle, and he wanted to avoid any conflicts with the local troopers for as long as possible.

[Lisky]

Wraith sighed a bit at the obvious passive-aggressiveness the group was displaying.  Was it not common knowledge that if someone is irritable, the last thing you do is violate their personal space.  He responded to the bull lady first, "Well, from what i could see, everything suggest the factory itself is deserted.  It's on fire, and there's no effort to save the building.  However, it looks like there might be a village or some other cluster of buildings a little further on.  I really have no complaints working with people, however, i would point out the violation of both personal space and concentration needs to be addressed.  If -you're- incapable of giving someone the a few moments they request to try and do something helpful, then perhaps you should turn your anger towards them.  I pulled a weapon because it was the quickest means to the result i wanted.  I no longer had someone looking over my shoulder, nor crowding me, and i was able to confirm that the town out there is not the same as my map. "

Wraith eyed the angel next as the dog was already climbing up the tree.  "Well, the other question i have, how many of you remember much of your past before arriving here.  I mean... from where i'm from, that aircraft is rather obsolete... ancient technology used in an absolute pinch for low cost production.  My gut instinct is telling me that the weapon that fried that thing was an ion gun, very similar to what my people use to damage or destroy unshielded electronics.... soo... while it's clear that we're different.... Establishing a baseline might be a good idea.  I mean, here's a simple question everyone should answer... what do we have in the ways of maps, and other information..."

Turning towards the 3 eyed rabbit, Wraith continued, "And, are there any topics of your beliefs that would be considered, taboo... off limits.  I mean... earlier you were talking about andels, and demons, and stuff... you'd said something about rampages and such... i could have sworn i had more tact than that. Head more ability than to cause senseless violence."  He gave a shrug as he fished out a small ration, and took a little drink of water.

[Ren Gaulen]

"Raiden," - Ray said, answering Kandela's question, - "Well, my name is Raymond, but usually I'm called Raiden. And I was just saying, for when we are ready to head out. I think we should all tell what skills and equipment we possess, so it would be easier to decide on roles for each member of the group."

He then turned to Wraith. "Hmm, you may be right. If we all tell what we remember of where we were supposed to be, it may serve as a starting point to finding out where we are now. If anything, it would help us with establishing some common ground," - he paused. It made him think of what he actually remembers of where he was from. He had memory of a war-torn world, of scorched battlefields and ruined cities, but details were somewhat vague. "Well, last thing I remember is being on board of a landship crossing the desert towards one of our frontline bases. And the level of technology of weapons we have and that plane we saw is not too far from what I was used to. Hmm, speaking of equipment.."

Ray opened his backpack, which he has been neglecting until now.

[AmberCross]

Chris nodded to the panther. Perhaps this one did have sense after all, if perhaps he just assumed he was the only competent person around. "An astute point," he replied once there was another break. "Where I come from we can do many things with technology, but we don't actually do so. While I imagine it's possible someone could strap wings to a metal body and get it to fly, I can't see why anyone would want to, now or anytime during our history as there have always been better alternatives, even at the speeds that ... thing was traveling at. Though I suppose since most of those ways used aetheric technology which relies on magic to work, those means would not be applicable here. Indeed I cannot sense the world lines or magic fields here at all."

[Shachza]

"So I got a little excited.  The gun was unnecessary."  Tommaso gave the panther a dirty look.

"As to what I remember, I remember a great deal.  Much of it feels more like something I saw rather than something I did, but considering I do not have any memories relating to the here and now, I suspect that what I 'saw' is the proper reality.  That airplane is considered advanced among the Masses, but the Enlightened have access to true cutting edge technology by virtue of our advanced understanding of reality.  I could probably build one of those by myself in my basement over a weekend."

Tommaso shifted his pack to a more comfortable position.

"Unfortunately I'm severely lacking in the proper tools and raw materials at the moment."

[SquirrelWizard]

Cinna giggled, "Oh I dont need to believe in anything, demons are everywhere... heck they're like one of the most common race around. You cant walk down the street without seeing some demon beating the pulp out of another demon, or renovating the local architecture; or at least hearing or reading about it. Though, angels are on a decline for some reason, I dont know why, nobody has really ever explained it, to me at least." she seemed to stare at Wraith with her middle eye, "But your aura is too weak for a full blood demon, which is why I said you were a half demon. They're not as bad as full blooded demons mind you," Cinna hesitated, "unless they want to be. Some seem to have a chip on their shoulder and want to try and cause as much destruction and mayhem as their bigger cousins. But that," she motioned to the sky where the plane had flown overhead, "Unless they've come out with some sort of mechanical gryphon, I haven't seen anything like it. I mean, regular Gryphons that big are bad enough... they're aggressive and reaally stooopid..."

[Inumo]

Sifa stood slightly off to the side, letting the other conversations wash over her. After a while of standing, though, she asked, "Weren't we about to go somewhere?"

[Paladin Sheppard]

Bolt's examination with the scope gave him a greater view of the town and surrounds. It was petty evident why no one was responding to the Bomber's crash and explosion, the gardens and grass were overgrown, and most of the buildings had crumbing paint, indicating that the place was abandoned...Wait, there was a small knot of people, maybe five in all near some sort of bar/tavern, but they seemed more intent in watching the smoke and drinking than any worry over the fire. After while they went inside the building which seemed the be the only one cared for.

Ray's pack had the same basics as the rest, but his also included some sort of global positioning system...but no batteries for it.



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Kandela, always one for action over waiting, sighed as the canine (dressed as a bush no less) scampered up the tree.  She tried no to flinch at the though of demons roaming freely across what ever world Cinna was from, nor how unconcerned she was about it, and while she didn't like the idea of eating people, she knew of Trolls who did...

While looking up again at the Canine/bush, the irritating human opened her mouth again. "Well it seems our options have changed again.." The Tauren said as she looked over and down at the woman.

[Inumo]

After a few minutes of awkward silence, Sifa finally said, "Look, we've been sitting around here long enough. Can we just make a decision and go? Or at least talk? We're worse than Eve and her gaggle of friends." Looking around, she decided upon the rabbit woman. "Cinna, was it? How're your ears?"

[Lisky]

Wraith packed his bag, and slung it over a shoulder.  He was less concerned with the others at this point, they all seemed to be occupying themselves.  Something the canine said caught his attention, land-ship.  That was a term used for troop-transport skimmers.  He approached Ray with a bit of a smirk.  "So, do you remember anything else beyond your own world.  Any other worlds, other battles, other empires, anything like that?  I remember over a dozen worlds myself, and i'm curious if you're from somewhere perhaps a border  world."

[Shachza]

Tommaso rolled his eyes slightly as Sifa said her piece and then turned away from the cow-lady despite the latter's apparent annoyance with the former.  The young lady did have a point though.

"I am ready to leave as soon as he comes out of his tree."  Tommaso nodded in the tree's general direction as he walked over to stand beside the towering Tauren.

He was a bit intimidated standing next to a living minotaur myth like this, especially without his augmentations.  Also, she looked like she could bench press him.  He was determined to make good with those who seemed the strongest and most capable in this group though, and at the moment he was more than willing to leave the panther alone.  The next most obvious member of the group was definitely the Tauren.

"You seem very calm about the situation."  he looked up at her sideways; facing the tree they were all watching.

[Tezkat]

Finished with his survey, Bolt stowed his notebook and screwed the rifle's targeting system back into place. He hopped off his perch, calling upon the wind to--oh, right, he couldn't do that anymore. He caught himself and heavily firmly on a branch below, somehow making it look for all the world like he'd meant to do that. Whew. He climbed the rest of the way down with much more care.

"Well, the settlements around us are all overgrown. Doesn't look like any of them have seen use in a while." He pulled out the surprisingly detailed hand-drawn map, complete with little distance markers. "They might still hold clues or supplies, so long as we're watchful for booby traps and the like. Even the town looks abandoned, but I spotted five, maybe six people on the far side over here." He tapped the position on his map. "Couldn't get a good read on them, what with all the smoke from that crash, and there's no telling how many more are still inside. To be honest, it looked to me like they were just milling about drinking."

[Paladin Sheppard]

Kandela looked down at Tommaso, "Would you prefer if I was ditsy and thinking this is some sort of prank like some people?" Kandela asked with a head nod and sly grin in Sifa's direction, "Or that I was panicked and spraying bullets from this thing" She hefted the HK21, "Or that maybe I have been to other worlds where the laws of nature don't make sense and survived.." She finished with a grin as Bolt hit the ground.

"Well if nothing they may know where we are and what are the laws of the land. And if nothing else you said they were drinking, I'd say even at this hour of the morn, if it is indeed morning here, its a bit stiffer than fresh water and I for one need a drink."

She turned back to the rest of the group "Anyone else coming?"

[Tezkat]

"Ah." The coyote cocked his head. "So the plan is to waltz on over and say hi. If it's normal for the people of this world to be packing these kinds of weapons, that'll be an interesting encounter for sure."

He smiled with a shrug. It wasn't as if any better options had presented themselves.

"We can pick up the road into town from these buildings, a few minutes' northwest of here." He traced a path along his map. "If they've got sentries about, it may be best to wander in the front door and not put them on edge. I can scout ahead with... Raiden, was it?" He nodded to the dingo. "Get a better view of what we're up against."

He pocketed the map and hoisted his backpack into place.

[Ren Gaulen]

Ray nodded to Tor. "Yes, that sounds good." He was itching to move already, just standing there and talking was not getting them anywhere. He then fished the GPS device from his backpack. "I seem to have this thingie in my backpack, an automap or something. But it does not seem to have batteries. Maybe somebody got any batteries in their backpacks? If no, we should see to getting some if and when we have a chance, this device might come in handy."

[Shachza]

"You have experience in the Dimensional Sciences?"  Tommaso was a bit incredulous at Kandela's response.  So many other questions were suddenly flooding into his head.  "We'll have to talk more later.  I want to hear what it is you 'remember.'  Maybe later over drinks though; I could use one myself."

The shotgun-toting dingo drew Tommaso's attention next.

"I might be able to make you some batteries.  Though, once again, even with my knowledge of Enlightened Science I would need some time to craft them from scratch."

[AmberCross]

Chris listened to the conversation in fascination. Some of it sounded familiar to applied artifact structure back home, and some of it (such as 'dimensional sciences') skirted through what was only vaguely theorized by some. He got the impression a whole lot of people wanted to head towards the village they had found so he began to amble off in that direction. He fairly suspected there was no danger nearby or it would have found them already from all the noise they had made. Plus he was walking slowly so he wouldn't get too far away and the group would catch up in no time. Sometimes all people needed to get moving was one person to actually start. Still, sometimes that didn't always work so it was quite possible he'd have to wait for them anyway.

[Lisky]

Wraith rather calmly and passively let the others go on their way.  He considered what was happening.  They were forced to work together, and if the pair were scouting ahead, he wondered if either considered the possibility of hostility on the part of the locals.  Neither were carrying a silenced weapon, and if they happened to run into obvious trouble, they would alert every single armed person within a good 300 yard radius under the best of circumstances, and everyone within a mile or so if they happened to catch a particularly calm moment to pull the trigger.

Wraith spoke up at the thought oh having to clean up someone else's mess, "I think my skill sets might also prove useful for scouting.  If nothing else, i'm quite capable of providing a overwatch within a reasonable distance, and if my observations are correct, i'm the only one who was lucky enough to find them self with a suppressor for a weapon.  Perhaps i'm just used to a different style of warfare, but i think taking things quietly would be a smart first move."

[Ren Gaulen]

Ray glanced at the panther. He was not too keen on the idea of taking him along for scouting, silenced weapon or not. "A silenced weapon is good for a first strike, and I hope we won't need to strike first; best not to anger the locals before we figure out what's going on, right? And if the locals prove hostile and start shooting at us, your silenced weapon won't do us any good anyway. And if a push comes to shove, I don't need a weapon to kill somebody silently." Ray was speaking matter-of-factly, bearing a perfectly neutral expression. Making a pause, he then shrugged. "Well, it's not up to me.. me alone to decide whether you go or not," - he said, looking at Tor and Kandela, - "I guess you have some skills in sneaking.." - (Being a cat), Ray thought to himself, - "Well, if you go with us, just try to refrain from shooting at the first person that looks at you funny, alright?"

[Lisky]

Wraith replied to the canine, "There's a difference between raw intimidation, and the use of a weapon.  Perhaps you don't share ties to where i'm from, but personally, Humans put me on edge.  The hairless ones have been trying to eradicate us modified beings for centuries. Now, combined that understanding with the recent situation where -someone- showed a total lack of respect for personal space and personal request.  I felt a display of force was necessary.  There's nothing naturally hostile about me, i merely felt encroached upon, and responded in kind.  Simply put for future reference, if i make a request, I expect some form of acknowledgment before you violate said request.  If you're going to be disrespectful, and expect perfect cooperation in kind, then you're quite sadly mistaken in how things work."

Checking one of his magazines, the feline shrugged and leaned against a tree.  "I'm an infiltration specialist, beyond just being a cat.  Something akin to special forces, with a bit of specialized training outside of combat.  I also happened to have a few other useful skills and tools at my disposable."

Flexing his claws outside the trigger guard, the feline smirked, and looked around at the others, gauging their reactions.

[Shachza]

Tommaso grunted at the panther's posturing and rolled his eyes in exasperation.

(OOC:  short reactionary post is short.  I want to do more, but I also don't want to break the conversations I'm already a part of.)

[Paladin Sheppard]

With little dissent or other options voiced the group moved along the creek downstream towards the town, the sounds of wildlife returning as the explosions settled down.

With careful movement it took only half of an hour to reach the outskirts of the town, as they passed the factory they could see cars in the parking lot yet all had become rusted and decrepit. As for the factory it was now impossible to tell what it had produced.

Standing at where the main road led into town a sign indicated its name started with the letter W, but that was all as someone had sprayed some sort of unintelligible symbols over the rest, but the population level was clear and supposedly close to a couple of thousand people were meant to live here.

Now as they were closer the level of neglect was even more evident as there were a few cars in the road, some of which had crashed into homes or other buildings, and almost everything was overgrown.


((Small GM story nudge ))

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Kandela working through some kind of instinct, pulled the bolt back on the HK21, checking there was a round chambered. "I do NOT like the looks of this, look!" The Tauren pointed to one of the crashed cars "There is still a corpse in there, and that vehicle looks like it has been there for some time. Why would they leave them like that?"

She turned to Bolt "Where did you say those people were?"     

[Lisky]

Wraith was already on edge.  He noted the distinct lack of activity, and the abundance of locations for people to hide.  His movements kept him in a lower crouch.  He moved on the balls of his feet, the only noise came from the sound of his carbine's bolt locking a round into the firing position.  "Being careful, and quiet. I don't like this at all.  Too quiet, too empty.  There's too much room, and not enough people.  If one wanted to spring an ambush, this is the place to do it.  Take a few pot-shots, then move."

His ears were swiveling back and forth, searching like a radar dish for anything sound that might signal trouble.  He sniffed the air, looking for unnatural scents, such as soap, plastics, or the general stench of human that didn't match the party members.  His eyes were pinging from building to building, tree to tree, searching for something that seemed out of place.  His hands rested on the rifle's pistol and fore-grips, he wasn't really sure of what to expect, but with a thumb on the safety, and eyes darting around, he's be ready to kill, literally, at the flick of a switch.

[Tezkat]

Bolt had stowed his ghillie suit after leaving the woodlands. His multicam vest and pants alone would offer better concealment and mobility in urban environments. He remained on alert, silenced pistol in hand. It seemed everyone was on edge. This was potentially hostile territory, after all. He advanced down the road, hugging the buildings on one side to restrict avenues of attack and remain close to cover if needed. He glanced up often, scanning the upper floors and rooftops for locations he might have chosen as a sniper hide. He still needed a secure perch to run overwatch for the rest of the group, all too aware that any potential enemies might be thinking the same.

He padded over to the car where Kandela was standing. "Other side of town. That way." He pointed down the road and peered through the shattered windshield at the corpse--his first close up look at a native of this world, living or dead. Perhaps the remains or the clothing would tell him about about what kind of person this have been. "Wonder how long that's been there. They either left it as a warning for us, or they just don't care. Neither bodes well for a particularly warm reception." He frowned. "You in a hurry to meet them? Might be safer to explore a bit first. Maybe even let them come to us."

He took time to examine the storefronts on the main street. The state of the stores could reveal a lot about the mystery of what happened here and the people who remained. Had everything been left in a hurry? Had stocks been ransacked? If so, what had been taken... or at least, what had been left behind? With a little luck, they might even find some of those batteries the dingo needed.