Hi and welcome to my first PSO fanfic. Please just R&R, and I will continue with it. Thanks!!
A brighter shine spilling over him like a cloak of bleached velvet as the doors slid shut behind him, as the lights of the Pioneer 2 Hunters Guild swam into life with the many brightly colored lights and neon signs that papered the walls of the Colony Vessel.
The young Ranger blinked as he looked around the small, yet extensively High – Tech surroundings, which had been his Way of Life since the annihilation of the Planet Earth – the former home of the human race.
Through the window of the room, the massive orb of the Planet Ragol silently stared at him from its place in outer space.
In all it's glory, the future home of the humans and humanoids that inhabited the Pioneer 2… and the survivors – if there where indeed any left by the time of their undergoing rescue attempt – of Pioneer 1. A beautiful planet, untainted with pollution, and only the machinery that had begun to build up the skeletal structure of the Earthling Settlers home. The native wildlife had at first been gentle creatures. The fierce, but gentle Hildebears, timid and cute Rag Rappys… what had happened to them? The more common Booma's, and Gigobooma's, and Gobooma's… The Savage Wolves, the Barbarous Wolves… not to mention those big plant things that spewed little Dragonfly thingies… What where they called again?
Their names did not matter. What did matter was the fact that they had all went nuts. Reports of Hunters, Rangers and Forces that had been sent to discover the reasons for the odd goings on, on the fair planet of Ragol told stories of brutal attacks, extensive injuries on the careless, and even deaths...
"Sir, can I help you?" the polite feminine voice caught the Rangers ears and he turned, pulling his black mask from his face. Tossing his blonde bangs from his face and from his right eye, he stared at the young secretary of the Hunters Guild.
A handsome young man, fairly new to the Hunters Guild, and only very recently presented with a license, armor, and his specialized weapon. His name was Loki Tiergan. Standing alone in the guild except room the young lady, dressed in his armor, in the colors of pale blue and white, with a black under suit, including the facial mask that would cover his face up to his eyes. His blue eyes, shaded by his blonde canopy.
"I'm sorry, what did you say?" he returned politely, somewhat distracted from his thoughts of the Planet before him as he spoke to the young lady who had caught his attention.
The secretary blinked at him with her commonly known features. Most women in this kind of job aboard the Pioneer 2 were women with cropped blonde hair dressed in a suit of blue, who spent most of their time behind a counter. This one was no different, leaning over it lazily, obviously bored with her work, but polite nonetheless, greeting him with a gentle yet tired smile, as VR screens and simulations whirled behind her, flashing missions old and new, completed and abandoned, and who had attempted them.
"I asked if I could help you with anything sir," she replied in her light – hearted young voice. "Forgive, but it would seem to me, that you are new to this game, am I right?" she inquired in friendly conversation, leaning on her elbows over the counter, ignoring the lists around her.
"Heh, yeh, is it that obvious?" he grinned sheepishly, his hand straying to the back of his blonde head as the secretary gave a chuckle.
"I've just never seen you around the Hunters Guild before is all. What's your Level?" she continued, inviting Loki to approach and to further continue their conversation. He complied to her invitation, walking up to the counter, and leaning over it next to her, his plated arms clattering over the counter.
"Ahem…three…I'm a Level three…" he mumbled his cheeks burning slightly at the fact that he was little more than a Rookie. "I only started yesterday…" he confessed as his listener watched him with interest, enjoying the company. She saw the embarrassment in his face, and released a soft sigh of empathy.
"Ah, don't let it get you down, everyone is a Rookie at some point, and no – one starts off a big – shot." She smiled pleasantly as his face lit up at her kind words of encouragement. "You received your first MAG then?" her questions spilling forth, and unto his ears, as he remembered being presented with his robotic pet the day before.
"Oh! Yeh, I did, cute little things aren't they?" he said, pulling from a space in his armor, a tiny android life form resembeling a computer mouse. Small, and shining black with brilliant yellow eyes. "Defence back - up or something, I dunno… I think they're supposed to attack if their owner gets beat up too much…"
"That's exactly what they do!" the young woman laughed, pulling up into a straight position. "Feed them when they're hungry, and they will reach higher levels, and…Gah, I don't know the full story, but there is an android on board who does. She talks to them and everything."
"She talks to them?" Loki repeated, a quizzical note to his voice. The only form of communication he and his own MAG had exchanged so far, where the occasional bleeps it released now and again, and it's friendly chirps it gave to him.
"Uh – huh." The secretary nodded. "Don't ask me how she does it though. She's such a sweet natured thing, and she gets treated so badly by other people… It's such a shame…" she sighed, her smile fading for the first time. "Eleanor – yeah, Eleanor I think her name is… Ask her, she'll tell you everything about MAGs and how to use them." She advised. "What's your name by the way? If you don't mind my asking?"
"Loki Tiergan." The reply she received bore no offence of hint to mind her own business, and in truth he really did not mind to tell her. He did not even so much as know his new friend's name, and felt obliged that she wanted to know.
"Loki hmm?" she smiled. "Are you familiar with Ancient Earthly Mythology?" she asked, furthering conversation.
"Uh, no actually I'm not…" he frowned, his mind confused at what she could possibly be getting at by asking this odd question. "Why?"
"Because Loki was the name of an ancient Norse God." She grinned before continuing with her historical lesson. "He was an evil God who loved nothing more than to get in everyone's way. He even murdered the Chief god's blind son!"
"Why'd he do that?" Loki questioned, suddenly interested in the story, and the secretary simply shrugged at his idle question before continuing to speak.
"I don't know. He just did. Time after time he got punished. He even had his lips sewn together once. But he got what he had coming to him I suppose… He was very clever, I'll give him that." She trailed off with a sigh, a sinking suspicion that she was boring the young man.
"He had his lips sewn together??" Loki mused in mild surprise. "Nice…" he finished with sarcasm, as the lady gave a yawn. A few moments of awkward silence followed, as the two found themselves lost without conversation. The only thing to distract this vigil was the passing meteorite, viewed from the window.
"So what's your name?" Loki decided to return her question to her, enjoying her company still, despite the saddening fact that conversation had run its short course with the two for now.
"Alisha Roads." Came the quiet reply turning to him once again. Her smile was inexhaustible or so it seemed, her cheeks suspended by her lips in happy formation.
"Nice name," Loki commented, with a friendly nod, as he himself began to lean over the Counter with lazy content, replacing the MAG back within the recesses of his armor.
"Thank you. You seem to…"
The interruption of the sliding doors brought an abrupt end to the conversation for that day, as the white metallic boards pulled apart, and forth stepped a Sentry, clad in red and green, topped with a red beret upon his head.
"Mr. L. Tiergan I presume?" he asked stiffly, approaching the two, as both pulled themselves into firmer positions to suit the Sentry's standards.
"That's me," Loki nodded as the young man walked up to them in firm stride, his feet clicking off of the shining floor.
"Principle Tyrell requires your company Mr. Tiergan. Please follow me." He continued, his tone of voice cold and unfriendly, and his icy stare traveled to Alisha. "Ms Roads, if I am correct your shift has not yet ended, and idle conversation with fellow crewman is forbidden unless in cases of emergency or in the line of Duty. I shall have to report this violation of rules."
"What??" Loki almost cried out at the injustice of this very sudden statement, as he turned to Alisha, as she put up no resistance, and only sighed wearily, muttering a curse under her breath. "God, you should have stopped me, I'm sorry!" his apology bringing a brief smile and the silent shaking of a head, Loki interpreted as "Forget about it," as the Sentry, ordered his immediate journey to the Principle. Having little choice when brought up with the Principle Tyrell, Loki threw her a last apologetic glance, as he turned to follow the Red Sentry out into the open streets.
Alive and busy, residents making their way about their everyday life on board as the business thrived with the local stores nearby, the Healing Quarters just a few feet from the Guild. Overhead, the machinery speeded through the air, carrying essentials to wherever needed, and people whom for whatever reason could not use Teleportation Pads to their required locations and destinations.
The Neon lighting all over the Colony ship made up for a suns light, whereas the heating systems where all that where available to keep the citizens warm in the recesses of outer space. He did not notice the approaching female Ranger storm passed him with her fearsome glare and her – as Loki was about to experience, her fierce attitude.
"Move it!!" a swift order coming from the woman slightly shorter than himself, her red eyes in a glare behind her thick – lensed glasses beneath two pale lilac – colored bangs under a black beret, and a long ponytail behind her. Dressed in the compulsory suit for the Female Rangers in the colors Black and a pale blue, she threw him a glare from her red eyes on her white complexion, her red lips revealing gritted teeth. Her accent was strange to him, and he pondered on what her nationality might have been on Earth as he watched her stalk through the streets to the main Teleportation Pad – the Teleportation Pad to Ragol. He watched as she stood in the center of the rising bars of light and in her accent, speaking clearly, she said: "Forest: One." And he watched her dissolve into nothing as he was brought back to his orders by the uncaring and harsh voice as it spoke:
"Please proceed Mr. Tiergan. The Principle Tyrell awaits your arrival." Came the stiffly spoken voice of the Sentry, before Loki stepped upon the Pad, caged with forever - rising bars of laser matter. Taking a last look at his surroundings, and pulling his tight black mask over his face, he closed his eyes, and felt himself dissolve painlessly and his atoms rearrange themselves into his body into the Principle's Quarters.
Walking along the lightened pathway, approaching the three desks, the central desk of which held behind a large middle – aged man.
Swallowing his lump of nervousness within his throat, his feet walked for his body, as he approached the Principle Tyrell himself.
The man robed in somber green and purple, had eyes set in a permanent glare, his piercing twin orbs looking out at the approaching ranger. His large forehead creased in a soft glare of worry, as Loki came close enough to hold conversation. The conversation did not seem as stiff as the sentry, as the Principle called him by his first name – not his title and surname, and his instructions brief and to the point.
"Are you Loki the Ranger?" his voice rough and unfriendly, his words quickly spoken, and barley understood by Loki. "I'm Principle Tyrell. We have a bad situation… we need to act quickly. Did you hear about the explosions on Ragol?"
"Um…y…" the simple pronunciation of the letter "Y" seemed enough to abbreviate the word "yes" for the Principle.
"Very well, pay attention and listen to me. We've lost contact with Pioneer 1: we have no idea what has happened!" This was already commonly known information, yet Loki did not talk back to inform him of this, and continued to listen to the man's words. We've sent manned Search Units, but communication seems to have cut off near the surface…"
Loki remained silent, standing before Tyrell, his avid listening untainted, and waiting for him to continue, and continue he did with temporarily rhetorical questions.
"What happened on Ragol? What occurred on Pioneer 1? Are the people on board alive? The Council made a decision to send a manned Search Team. You are a skilled Ranger, and we need your help."
A skilled Ranger?? This was news to Loki, who had only passed his entrance exam to the Hunters Guild by a hairs breadth. He was only Level Three… A Rookie! And the Principle thought him a Skilled Ranger?? Flattery was not the word to describe Loki's feelings as the look of confusion spread across his face beneath his mask.
"We have no choice…we need a Planet to settle on…" Tyrell said sadly, lowering his eyes to Loki in the posture of a failed man. They had no choice… THAT was why they had called upon his assistance. They needed all the help they could get. Loki was not insulted by the Principle's choice of words, and an understanding came upon him. There where lives at stake – a few billion lives at stake as the other half of the Earths residents had been aboard the Pioneer 1, and no – one was going to allow them to die – not without one hell of a fight to be put up.
'I guess I'm going down to Ragol then…' Loki's thoughts echoed within his head, as he turned around to leave, only to be called back by Tyrell, a note of urgency in his voice, and Loki spun around to meet the further needs of the Principle.
"Uh, could you…?" his call came to a pause, as Loki stared, waiting for him to finish his request to him. Tyrell, said nothing, clearly wrestling with his thoughts, or so his facial expressions read, as though clinging to an idea, that may be worth the trouble, but may have had disastrous consequences. Finally, the muscles in his face relaxed back into his usual stern features. "No. It's nothing. Take care and Good Luck." He dismissed to Loki, with a look of deepening sadness in his eyes that Loki could not interpret the cause of.
Obeying the orders of his Principle, Loki returned with an official sounding "Yes Sir", before turning on his heal, and making his way to the Teleportation Pad. Entering the Pad's space, and pacing into its center, he closed his blue eyes, and opened them to once again find himself in the busy streets, no – one noticing the Rookie twenty – year – old man leave the Principle's Quarters, and head for the main Teleportation pad that would take him to Ragol and begin his mission.
Followed by his good friend the Red Sentry, who once again took up his post by the gateway to the Portal, he stuck out his arm, and his seemingly permanent glare caught Loki's eye.
"Only A – Class Hunters are permitted to go to Ragol." His voice was almost sneering as Loki found himself beginning to get a little irritated by his authority, and persistent bullying.
"I have permission. You heard yourself from Tyrell, so don't start with your crap, 'cos I'm not in the mood for it." Loki rebuffed within a calm and composed voice, yet with creeping force behind his words. The Sentry obviously did not like the tone and the reply he had just received, raising his chin a little as to look down on the Ranger.
"Just don't get yourself killed or anything. After all Ms Rico Tyrell wouldn't want that many deaths on her conscience would she? Especially the ones of overconfident hopefuls."
"Rico Tyrell?" Loki repeated. "Red Ring Rico??" her public nick – name given to her for her great skills as a Hunter, and many heroic deeds that the people of the Pioneer 2 gossiped of, and discussed amongst themselves. "What does she have to do with this?"
"Oh, you haven't heard then? – Oh of course not, you being a lowly Rookie and all…."
"You'd better watch it pal!" Loki threatened, feeling his fists tighten and his muscles stiffen in anger as the Sentry delivered a smirk towards the young man.
"I'm sure," he smiled. "Anyway, seeing as you obviously haven't heard, Ms Rico Tyrell, the Principle's only child was aboard the Pioneer one, and has gone missing – some consider dead – others remain hopeful. Tyrell wants her delivered to him safe and sound. That's what he was going to ask you before you left, but of course, the average selfish man always looks out for none other than Number One, doesn't he?"
"Y'know what? You really need to get a life!!" Loki groaned, almost deliberately bumping into the Sentry as he walked through the gate. "Sorry." He snapped, lying behind through his teeth, as he stepped onto the Teleportation Pad, and he remembered the young woman with the accent – Scottish? Irish? Loki didn't know but he did know that anyone using this thing had to begin in the forest, as to find the first trail of clues. He remembered how she had stood upon the Pad, and clearly spoken "Forest: One!"
Feeling a small commotion in the pocket in his armor of which he kept his MAG, the tiny creature squirmed out into the open of it's own will, and drifted up to his head.
"Ready little guy?" Loki asked, ignoring the muffled laugh of the Red Sentry outside talking to a colleague, picking up 'That moron in there's talking to his MAG!!"
As though understanding it's master. The tiny black robot chirped at him, and drifted behind his head. "Ok then…Forest: One!" he commanded, closing his eyes, and feeling himself dissolve once more into nothing, and seeing only in his mind the swirl of purple and blue rings… he was flying… flying through the entity of time and space, through each ring, until suddenly feeling his legs rematerialize onto solid and firm earth, and almost instantly the rest of his body with it as he found himself standing in the Serene peacefulness of the Ragol Forest.
It was indeed an incredible and beautiful sight to behold.
Fresh grass and flowers bloomed in the dewy morning, as the wide range of harmless insects buzzed around, and birds flew overhead. The air was unlike anything he had been forced to breathe on Earth or in the Pioneer 1. It was a fresh and untainted experience that seemed to awaken him from the inside. The warm spring season was certainly alive, and Loki came to think this as Loki caught his reflection in a clear watery river at his feet, babbling next to him as it's waters tumbled over its rocks, and continued to run it's infinite course.
Loki stepped from the Teleportation Pad onto the grass. His surroundings where so inactivating, surpassing Earth in what former beauty it had once maintained.
Carved out of the hills and rocks of the forest, a Natural route for him to walk through stood before him, and his area map, was always there for him to view. Walking down the pathway, coming to a gate of blue laser bars he paused, coming to a clearing with two mechanical doors – both locked. But it was not this that Loki's attention had come upon.
He had spotted a young woman – different to the Female Ranger he had encountered earlier. This one was maybe a younger. A Hunter a long dark reddish ponytail hanging behind her slender frame, clothed in black and red, silver bracelets up her arms, and wielding a pair of Photon Daggers, almost completely surrounded by a number of the local Wildlife.
Becoming desperate in her situation, finding it difficult, to fight off two Booma's, a Gobooma, and three Savage Wolves. Her skill with the weapons wasn't weak, with very quick twists and turns to avoid the claws and teeth of the monsters.
Swerving with her hips to dodge the Gobooma, and thrusting her daggers in a defensive formation to block off the attack of a Savage Wolf, she found herself dropping with a cry, as the animals found themselves clawing at her, as she released a muffled cry for help.
Loki snapped out of his trance, raising his handgun and taking aim towards the Wolves, compulsively trying to leap upon her, as Loki began to fire, the Photon Bullets striking off of their heads, as they turned to their attentions to him, as the girl scrambled to her feet, and making distance from the Booma's and herself, before, rushing in, spinning her body, and drawing a slash across the chest of the first as it gave a growl and collapsed, and turning to the one at her right swiping her blades at it's face as it moaned, staggering backwards to a wall, before shaking it off and coming again, as she screamed in pain as the Gobooma ran it's own blades down her back, it's claw delivering such force to knock her to the ground.
Loki was dealing with the problem of the Wolves at the moment to notice, his agility not able to compete with that of the Wolves, trying to remember not to turn his back on them, knowing that they took the opportunity to attack at that point. Aiming the gun, and delivering three Heavy Attacks to one of which leapt at him that he was able to dodge, breathing out a small gasp of relief as it dropped before him, and running out of the way as the other two came forth. Loki's finger hammered at the trigger mercilessly, and hint of panic at his mind as the Wolves dodged his attacks, and shaking off the misses and non – effectives.
The two leapt at him once more, their claws seemingly going through his armor, and Loki felt himself hit the ground, momentarily stunned, as pain throbbed in his abdomen of where the attack had struck him, and feeling a warm trickle.
'Oh Great, I'm bleeding! First encounter of the day, and I'm virtually defeated already!!"
Pulling himself to his feet, and once again, firing rapidly onto his handgun, not taking care to aim properly, just as long as the animals died he didn't care, casting an eye to the girl not noticing a second Wolf dropping dead on the ground, he saw the final monster, the Gobooma that she had been fighting, fail with a cry, next to it's Booma cousins, immediately ignoring her bloodied wounds to come to his aid with the final Savage Wolf, as Loki gave a thankful nod at the coming in of the Cavalry.
It only took one swift swipe to extinguish its life, as Loki's attacks had obviously weakened it considerably.
The two paused for a moment, to stare at each other, both breathless and bleeding, but alive, and knowing that they had each other to thank for it. It came to mind that this girls was none more than a Rookie also, but Loki was more concerned about just how attractive he thought this girl was… She was defiantly younger than he was, perhaps in her mid to late teens, and wide green eyes, blinking thankfully at him on her pretty face.
"Thanks for that," Loki smiled, holding his bloodied side, pulling himself out of his transfixion, to begin the introduction of himself. She grinned wearily at him, pulling her fringe from her eyes as she stared a t him.
"I should be thanking you, God knows what would have happened if you hadn't come along," she spoke, before grimacing in pain at her wounds as blood dribbled from her back down her side. "I'm sorry to have to ask, but do you have a Monomate please? I kinda used them on my MAG…" she inquired looking up to him with a hint of desperation in her eyes.
"Oh yeah, sorry I should have offered already… Guess I'm a little doped today…" Loki babbled, producing the Medicinal package and handing it to her.
"Thank you," she nodded, taking it from him, and releasing it's functional purpose over her body, as the wounds seemed to grow new skin, healing it all instantly without leaving so much as a single mark.
Loki followed her example, using a Monomate of his own to heal his own wound, before looking up to her, as she smiled nervously at him.
"I'm Jiann Yang. And thank you again for saving me," she smiled, her cheeks burning slightly with a pleasurable rouge color.
"No problem. I'm Loki Tiergan!" Loki replied, removing his mask to her, and holding out a hand. "Glad to meet you!" he greeted, deciding to make a new friend here. She obliged, taking his hand in hers, and going through a friendly handshake to make the friendship an official one.
Further conversation, was then forbidden on the spot, as a new group of Booma's burst from the very ground itself, and two Savage Wolves leapt from over the surrounding rocks, circling the two, as the Booma's performed rose their claws to the sky and roared, before slowly ambling towards them as though sleepwalking.
"Aw crap…." Loki muttered under his breath, slightly worried at the situation, as was Jiann, brandishing her Photon Daggers, and holding a defensive pose. "I've got more Monomate if you need em' after we're done?"
"Thanks, I'll bear that in mind," she replied with an unsarcastic tone, and rushing in, with three heavy attacks to the nearest Wolf, pausing before continuing the assault, the Wolf dropping dead, on the fifth swipe, as Loki immediately open fired upon the second, refusing to stop until it fell motionless to the ground.
"Four Booma's, I'll take the two on the left, the two on the right are yours." Jiann ordered, wasting no time, and knowing that she would not be surrounded this time. Carelessness had taken its toll once. Never again, as she ran into face the two.
To be Continued....
How do you like it? DO you like it?? Please Review and let me know, this chapter wasn't to the best of my ability, I may change it later when I have the time, but others will improve. Please don't flame me by the way!