Chp. 3: Expedition, A Key for Thought

The rocks and sand that lie in the vast desert beyond our silver buildings has something that is just begging to be unearthed; ready to breath and live...

~ PART ONE ~

"I'm gonna die," Lena whimpered.

"You are not going to die," Ran told his daughter as they sat in a white van driving behind a convoy of trucks that had digging equipment on the back. The white-haired girl groaned, leaning her head against the window. She wore a pair of black/red overall with a dark grey hat on her head along with brown boots; folding her arms across her chest. Her father wore a pair of khaki shorts with a white shirt and black boots.

"Yes, I am. I'm gonna die of complete boredom! ...You should've let me stay at home with Mom and Miki."

The white-haired man frowned then patted her head gently. She let out a small mewling noise, moving away as she growled. "No patting!" Ran chuckled lightly at her. "Sorry," he said with a smile. "You're too cute, Lena!" She inched away from him when he let a strange-sounding cackle from his throat.

He's gettin' more and more weirder by the day, Lena thought. She sighed softly then looked out of her window to the vast desert, possibly the only wasteland near Terak Bay. From what Ran told his daughter, there was a group of archeologists who were digging in a cave just 200 miles from Terak Bay's capital. At the same time, a sudden surge of energy was detected at the site dubbed "K9-47". The strange scientist then told Lena that the energy source could be the source he was looking for.

"I don't get it, Dad," she said stretching. "When you built the Stargazer, didn't you have a mind of the energy source?"

"Of course! I'll use the Fold Drive along with the energy source and combine them!" The white-haired man smiled lightly then turned his gaze back to the road as a serious yet concerned look came onto his face. He glanced at Lena who looked out the window again, a frown on her round face. Lena...you managed to surpass soldiers chosen to test pilot the Stargazer, he thought. But...you didn't give a reason when I asked you 'why'...

"I don't have a reason; just felt like an impulse to pilot that thing."

Ran immediately went silent which had caught the white-haired girl's attention. "Dad, you okay?" The white-haired man blinked then looked at Lena with a small smile. "Hm?" She stared at her father for a few seconds, folding her arms. "What were you thinkin' about?"

"Oh, just...a random train at thought," he replied. The white-haired girl looked at him for a minute before turning her head back to the window. The convoy was reaching the excavation site; a large white tarp covering it. A sudden rush of excitement ran through Lena's bloodstream. This feeling...it's so...warm. She placed her hand against her chest gently as she let out a few calming breathes.

"Feeling alright?" Ran asked. The white-haired girl nodded slowly then looked out the window. "Yeah...just a bit excited."

"Oh? I thought you were 'gonna die of boredom'?" He snickered when he heard the girl mutter under her breath in quiet, annoyed curses.

After the convoy reached the excavation site, the hired diggers and workmen began to unpack the equipment. Lena got out of the van as she stretched; yawning loudly. The area looked desolate yet had life running through it.

What little life, really.

Yup, she thought. I'm gonna die here.

During most of the day, Ran worked with archeologists and other scientists--who worked for Terak Bay's council--while Lena wandered through the site, listening to her headphones. She weaved her way through workers then stopped as she sat down on a small hill. The white-haired young woman yawned loudly then looked down at the bag her father gave her.

Use the tools in here so you can dig too, Lena!

Ran's words echoed in Lena's head as she sighed. "Good god, Dad..." She laid down, yawning again. She stared up at the blue sky then raised her hand, moving it around like a plane. The white-haired girl smiled lightly only to hear a semi-loud beeping noise from her bag. "Eh?" Lena sat up, opening the bag and rummaging through it. She moved her hand against a soft glow then took out a rectangular device colored grey/black which had the Greyhouse logo on the back.

"I've seen this thing before," she muttered turning it front and back. "But...what was the name of this thing again..?" She snapped her fingers. "The Energy Detector, that's what it is." She looked around before standing up and picking up the bag.

If the machine was going off like this then...there must be an energy source nearby...

She began to walk down the hill towards where the beeping noise was leading her. She glanced up at her surroundings which had begun to change as she walked further away from the site. Rocky cliffs and ridges the size of a very large truck or building.

"Geez," Lena said aloud. "It's like something out of an--AGHHH!!"

The white-haired girl missed her step and slid to the bottom of a crevice, laying face first in the red dirt. She groaned loudly; dust coming out from under her head. "Owww...." Lena pushed herself off the ground slowly. She wiped the dirt from her face, coughing as she looked around. "Missed it...." She saw that the pack along with the device were a few feet away from her. She sighed, standing up then walked over to the items. She picked them up.

"Mmph...nice predicament, Elena: falling down in this giant ravine out in the middle of nowhere..."

The white-haired girl suddenly felt light-headed, holding her head tightly and leaning against a nearby rock. What the...?! Lena moaned in pain as images of stars, a planet scarred but similar to hers in environment, and her standing with people whose faces were blurred out. She heard garbled laughter all around her before her mind's eye was bombarded with images of explosions and blood. The white-haired girl finally let out a scream of terror. She fell to her knees as she clutched her head tightly.

"What's...what was...that?!"

~ Part 1: End ~

A/N: Sorry for the long wait. Happy reading. :D