Marco looked down at his watch, it hadn't even been a day since they had arrived. The group hung around lazily, with nothing to do, some of them were on their tablets, having been stashed in the Carriers' storage unit. Cooper read a book while facing the landing zone. Kailey read to Bodhi who was dozing off by the tree line, covering his face with arm. Darren stood by Marco, he was looking over all sorts of documentation while Marco kept an eye out towards the distance.
The area around the landing zone is vast, usually devoid of any altered activity for extended periods of time. Even someone like Cooper with his lack of combat prowess could probably hold his own out here with the appropriate supplies. There was no reason to take that chance, it was better if they stayed together and hunkered down at their location.
Darren and Marco had discussed the possibility of calling down the extraction shuttle, they both looked up at a singular white speck far far off, hundreds of miles from the floor. That was their ship, with the press of a button, the shuttle would arrive in a manner of minutes. However, if *they* could see it, so could Tyson. They didn't know what he was doing, where he was going, or if he was even paying attention. Did he need to sleep? rest? Considering he left the group to their own devices, they assumed he didn't need to eat. Darren turned off his tablet and spoke to Marco.
"There is no information on anything so much as related to human altered." He sighed, "There is no records either of any altered transforming into humans either. At least on record, altered who are subdued on earth tend to just, poof." He signals with his hand as if an explosion, Marco nodded in agreement.
A class altered who are eliminated explode into mist, with no trace of any remains. Causing chaos and mayhem, handlers are tasked with assessing their threat level and eliminating them in a swift manner. While this does include collecting any samples that could help in the O.S.D's research, altered leave very little if anything at all aside from several casualties and hundreds of millions in damage. Marco thought back to his classes, his teacher having been to the void himself. Rough drawings and dark figures scattered the board in front of him, the few gifted students including himself noting everything down. The class system was not useful in earth or it's surroundings, an altered being on earth meant an A class at the bare minimum.
"Well we don't really have much else to do other than wait." Said Marco, Bodhi grunted and stood up. "Wait for what, exactly?" He stretched his arms and walked towards Marco. His brow was furrowed in frustration, "We may not have been here for very long, but I need to go home for a good meal." Marco chuckled, "You seem awfully relaxed for the predicament we are in."
Bodhi shrugged, "I don't really have much waiting for me at home so this little 'vacation' is not so bad." He emphasized vacation with air quotes, Darren said "Do you have any ideas other than calling it down and waiting for that guy to arrive?" Bodhi looked up at the sky, he was unable to see the ship from here, he tugged on his beard with his left hand. "What makes you think you can't reason with him?"
Darren raised an eyebrow, "Maybe so, he's clearly stable, but then what happens? How do we know he is not gonna cause a void surge?" Bodhi looked at Marco who shrugged in agreement. Communication in and out of the void was not possible, any data that came in could only come out with them as waves didn't travel through the nearly atom less void. It was true to it's name in almost every sense aside from hosting the Parallel within.
Cooper stood up and faced the crowd, he took a deep breath in. "In the fissure, Tyson told me two things, both related." He walked up to the group, lifting his index finger, "It 'helped' him, and second, it would 'help' us" lifting his middle finger. The group looked confused, Cooper waved his fingers as if it would help them understand. "Who exactly would help us and HOW would they do so?" Asked Darren, Cooper shrugged, "I'm not sure, the last thing I saw was him holding on to the altered embryo's hand, I told him to place the hook on it's core and he shook his head. When he grabbed it, there was what looked like a whirlwind around his forearm, I couldn't see how far up it went since it was on his other side." The group was almost stunned, Darren turned to think and Marco scratched his chin.
"Tyson didn't have any family did he?" Asked Darren, Marco shook his head, "Not on record." "Is it possible he wants to, as Cooper said, 'help' someone back on earth?" Before he could answer, a strong gust of wind came from behind them. They all turned, looking up as they saw Tyson squatted over the trees. He had a big smile and waved, "Hi guys." He overlooked them as if he were a gargoyle. The upper half of his suit was now completely gone, he was toned and muscular, but he didn't weigh much. Cooper took a step back as Kailey got back with the group. The instant the gust of wind came upon them, Darren and Marco both took their pistols out and pointed them at him.
He lifted his hands and made a scared expression as if to mock them, "Officers that will not be necessary." He jumped down from the trees, his heavy boots kicking dust up as he landed. He strutted cockily to the group with his hands up, he lowered them as the handlers holstered their guns. "Good, no reason for aggression. So-" he clapped his hands, similar to how Marco did when trying to get their attention. "Let's talk business."
Despite the tension in the air, there was no reason for Tyson and Darren to be scared at the moment. They weren't afraid of what he might do, more of what he could. "What business? Bringing you to earth type of business?" Stated Marco, Tyson nodded and pouted his lips. Darren shook his head, "No can do, too many risks involved." Tyson chuckled, well I know you have to return at some point, and that ship is gonna go without you in about a month's time one way or another." He looked up at the spot in the sky. Cooper walked in front of Kailey, gripping Marco by the shoulder, "is that true?" Marco didn't answer, holding his vision on Tyson.
"From my point of view, you have as much reason to trust me as you do him." He grinned. The handlers knew of this fail safe, at the end of the day, if a full crew were to die the ship would have to report back in one way or another. "I don't want to have to go home in a state of..." he looked down at his hands, stopping himself. "State of what Tyson?" Marco asked loudly. "You might be my captain, but I don't think you're really in a position to be asking me questions." Tyson crossed his arms, "If you can bring me back up to the ship, I promise I wont be causing any problems for anyone." He walked up to the crew, between Tyson and Darren, he approached Cooper who Kailey stood in front of.
"The others made the mistake of not being as calm about their situation as you guys." He eyed her up and down. He turned to Marco and Darren, they were the only ones who had the authority to call down the shuttle. "We can't let-" Darren started before Kailey interrupted him, "If waiting down here means staying with him and having to brave out this place, I think we would all rather wait in the ship." Bodhi and Cooper nodded in agreement. Bodhi ruffled, "We weren't exactly ready for this other bombshell."
The only ones who had known that the ship would leave were the handlers, there was almost never a situation where they would have to hold out long enough for it to actually come into use. This was likely the only exception. "What do we do now?" Asked Darren through the duplex. "While we do have a choice, do we really?" Darren's face was pensive as he looked at Tyson who was standing in the middle of the group now. Tyson spread his arms as though expecting an answer soon, "I can wait, you can't." Darren's face furrowed in frustration, he sighed as Marco placed a hand on his shoulder. "We will call the ship back."
A mix of relief and anxiety washed over the group. Yeah they would be in a more comfortable place, but they would also have to live with the looming threat of Tyson directly over their heads. Tyson clapped "Woo!" as if to raise the group's spirits. No one cheered with him, he frowned and turned to Marco. "Ill be waiting right here," he walked past them and went over to where they were just sitting and plopped down.
"You sure this is the right call?" Asked Darren over the duplex. "Of course not." Answered Marco. He took out his tablet from his back and with a few presses, the screen light up green. A few minutes later, the air rumbled as the shuttle seemingly came down from the heavens. They were ready to head back up.