Chapter 24 - Closer Look

Mari displayed exceptional combat prowess, effortlessly picking off creatures with her bow before the rest of the group even noticed their presence. Her skill quickly endeared her to Elena, who awed at her killing power. With Mari and Emilee's ranged shooting abilities, there wasn't much left for Trev and Elena to do as they travelled. Trev ended up taking care of all the looting while Elena made sure to appear busy to avoid it. Trev and Elena had decided to discuss the information Spruce had explained earlier that night when they were alone. It's not that Trev didn't trust Mari; it was just a sudden turn of events. Unable to avoid discussing their course of action for the day, Trev and Elena quietly talked about their plans. Today, their goal was to examine the door at the base of the dropship and its locking mechanism. If they could find a way to obtain a key, they would have a better idea of what they were searching for.

"Where are we headed?" Inquired Mari.

"To the dropship over there," responded Trev, pointing to the colossal craft in the distance.

Without questioning further, Mari paused momentarily and accessed her HUD.

"This way is the quickest," instructed Mari, without explaining.

"How do you know?" Asked Trev.

"Oh, right. At level four, you gain a mapping system, and I have previously explored this area, so it's on my map," explained Mari.

"Awesome!" Exclaimed Trev, his face lighting up.

Navigation had been a challenge for their group thus far. Acquiring a mapping system in the next level would significantly increase their efficiency in future endeavours. They followed Mari through an alley and manoeuvred around a few buildings, swiftly making their way into the shadow of the dropship. Peering over a tall fence near the warehouse they had originally come from, they witnessed the area teeming with creatures as the dropship continued to release them at a fast and steady pace. They needed to find a way to get closer without engaging in a battle with all the creatures. Since the door faced them down the road, reaching the backside might grant them easier and better access.

"Why are we looking at the dropship?" Asked Mari, questioning their situation.

Elena and Trev exchanged uncertain glances, unsure of what to say.

"Um, we just wanted to take another look, but we don't need to get too close," Trev replied. "Could you guide us around the backside?"

"Sure," agreed Mari.

They retraced their steps, traversed a road for a while, and then ventured through an alley, eventually arriving at a tall mesh fence. The area behind the dropship was less densely populated by creatures, but not entirely barren. After Elena picked the lock on the gate with a hairpin, Elena and Trev prepared to examine the dropship up close.

"If you two want to stay here, we are going to go take a quick look at something," insisted Trev.

"You're approaching the ship?" asked Mari.

"We want to take a closer look at it," replied Trev, settling down his backpack and chain.

"What's going on? What did Spruce tell you?" Emilee interjected.

Emilee's question complicated matters. Trev didn't want to lie to her, as he trusted Emilee. His goal was to halt this apocalypse and support Elena's objectives. To accomplish that, they needed to board the dropship, and they definitely needed Emilee's help. It didn't make sense for him to deceive her. While Trev contemplated his response, Emilee continued.

"The other night, I stayed up late reading the information tab. I specifically researched the events from fifty years ago when Evolution Corporation announced that Earth would be a future expansion. I noticed inconsistencies in the stories of the board members about meeting Nichard Rixon. Evolution Corporation is lying about what happened in that meeting, and my goal is to find what they are lying about. The only way I can do that is by boarding one of those dropships. So, did you find a way on board?"

Trev and Elena exchanged glances again before responding, both nodding in agreement.

"Yes, we found three ways to get on board, we are investigating one of them today, as the other two are much more troublesome" replied Trev.

"What is your plan once on board?" asked Mari.

"We want to find out if there's a way to stop this apocalypse," Trev replied.

"And I want to locate the board members so I can kill them," Elena added, mimicking a stabbing motion with her hand for effect.

Emilee and Mari exchanged glances.

"So we have a common goal then," Emilee remarked.

"What is your reason for wanting to get on board Mari?" Inquired Trev.

"I believe there will be valuable gear on board that will help me become the best," Mari replied.

Her response, while it was not what Trev expected, he couldn't refute her, there may be some interesting items on board. Her desire to become the best was intriguing in itself—it seemed she fully embraced the game. While her motivations didn't entirely align with theirs, she would likely prove to be a valuable teammate.

"Well. I suppose, welcome to the cause," replied Trev. "We won't be long."

"Thank you," replied Mari.

Elena and Trev passed through the gate and paused for a moment, scanning for their target. Their actions immediately attracted the attention of nearby creatures, which Elena swiftly dispatched. With mid-morning sunlight illuminating this side of the dropship, they knew time was limited before the sun moved above, obscuring the area in darkness. They needed to move now. On the cylindrical base, Trev discerned the faint outline of a door—this was their objective.

Forsaking his ploy to save his second item point, Trev promptly invested it in his gloves. They expanded in size, assuming a dark forest green colour and accentuating the knuckle buster-like ridges on the surface. He chuckled as his hands now resembled the oversized Hulk gloves children played with. Examining the transformed gloves, he discovered their new name: [Hulking Mantis Gloves]. He rolled his eyes. At least the Evolution Corp had a sense of humour.

With their goal in mind and weapons in hand, Elena and Trev exchanged determined glances and began sprinting toward their objective.