24-23

a g g r e s s i v e (Adjective.)

ready or likely to attack or confront

"What do you mean? I thought we would be going as a team!" She bumped the rolling chair away from the table and started a message group to the site closest to them. Site 24-23.

They occupied a lake that is well known for the rocks protruding from the crystal clear water. They were similar to the dorsal fins of sharks, so that is what the lake was named. 'Shark Fin Lake'. The pair that searched the lake were a married couple. Both were allowed to go, because one was needed to be a diver and the other had to be someone they trusted with their life while simultaneously having a doctorate. Elain had never seen the couple split up during their training days and she had to give props to the dedication. The name they had created, on the other hand, was incredibly unoriginal; though there wasn't much she could say on that front. They named their findings a basic name simply translated to Latin. Still, at least they changed it to a fancier language. She preferred site 24-23 rather than that. She wanted to read their report on their own findings, but never found the time. She had the worst and best of luck on this planet; constantly getting hurt while simultaneously finding some of the best discoveries man will ever know. If she could get the report to Head Quarters, that is.

She watched with a small grin as he looked over at her in horror at the thought of going alone. "Why would we go together? It only takes one person to learn about what we are going to do." There wasn't any real need to have to go to site 24-23. All the sites had a messenger chat connected to the other in case of emergency for times like this. Maybe sending her assistant away was a bad idea. It didn't matter much to her. She wasn't going to be around someone who constantly questioned her actions. "I am still a biologist, Milo. If Head Quarters is still up and running, I don't want to be behind in work. Come on now. It isn't like there is something to worry about. The site has very few aggressive creatures above water and I doubt that their laboratory is at the center of the lake."

Milo still seemed panicked and let his eyes wander back and forth between her and Arcane. The humanoid watched their interaction with confusion. Elain nearly forgot that he was there with the silence he gave. "I guess you're right, but still." She hit send to the group, it was simply. Just asking if they had heard the news about Head Quarters and wondering if they wanted to make a plan just in case they wanted to make a plan. "Do you really want to be left here with him?"

She looked over at his cautious expression that bored into the side of Arcane's face and laughed at him. His expression quickly turned to one of confusion and anger. "You really think you being here would change my likely-hood of surviving if he decides I should die? No." She let out another chuckle, then turned back to the messenger as it pinged again.

'Yeah, we heard. We were just about to contact you in a few other sites about what we were going to do about it.' Elain grinned. Her assistant reached over and moved the monitor back his way, so he could read it too. Before they knew it, Arcane moved to understand why they were gathered around the unknown technology.

Still, Elain had the keyboard. 'I was thinking one person from every site collects in one spot to make sure that everyone has a safe place.' She sent the message, but her hands still hovered over the keyboard. Trying to think of something else to write. 'I think it would help make sure that everyone knows their way in case of emergency. Along with allowing everyone to get their voice out. Your site is the safest, correct?' Sent.

"I'll go get the vehicle started," Milo said with a huff of breath exiting his nose. Then the boy marched out of the lab, nearly hitting Arcane on the way.

She sighed, taking her seat back in the spinning chair and continued the messaging. "I'm sorry you had to witness that, sir. I really didn't want the first humanoids known to man to get a bad first impression of us," she admitted to the creature behind her. Of course he didn't understand her, but that was alright. As long as she got the apology out there, that was all she needed to let the guilt slip away. Then she addressed herself in a soft mumble, "Oh, I can't wait to finally get back to work. It feels like I haven't done anything in forever." Arcane stared down at her with furrowed eyes, but she ignored him.

A few minutes later, she heard the door slam open. Thinking it was just Milo being angry, she almost ignored it. Then she heard the tell tale language of Arcane's people. She really needed to find an actual name for his species before someone else decides to do it. This one's skin was nearly white with little to no freckles. It was a female with the same white fabric covering her chest like it covered below her waist. Her hair was put into thin braids and reached the floor. Eyes similar to Arcane's, but seemingly smaller with a softer shape. Thinner lips, but the same line that stretched over her cheeks. "Shios! Eurt saw ti kniht t'ndid i tub, sneila emos ta kool og ot tnew uoy em dlot enoyreve. Enog erew uoy dna evih eht ot kcab emac i." The female opened her four arms wide for a warm welcome, but Arcane was still straining his eyes to understand the monitor. Elain thought he just didn't hear her at all, but then he answered.

"Skadj, deen uoy od tahw? Rood eht gnimmals ni emoc ot evah uoy naem t'nseod. Sey." His tone was distracted, but Elain took in their words as though she understood. Then he stood straight again, well as straight as they could when they were a few feet taller than the ceiling, and turned to give the female his whole attention.

The female shrugged and began letting her eyes wander all around the small laboratory, her tail swishing around and nearly taking out one of her rather expensive microscopes. Elain slowly moved around the planet's native and slid the microscope farther up the desk. Not saying a word and not getting too close. The stranger's eyes snapped her way to watch her closely, as if she was just seeing her for the first time. "Ti si tahw?" Elain watched a sharp finger point her way. It would not be fun to die now, but it wasn't like she would be able to do anything about it if they decided so.

"Nefelibata a reh sllac rehtaf," Arcane responded.

The female native sneered down at her. A look of disgust that Elain could render easily. Thank goodness for these people to be interested in her for some reason. Otherwise, it was obvious that she wouldn't hesitate to strike her down. Not like she had anywhere lower to be. These beings were the tallest humanoids that Elain had come across and, as a short person, that was saying a lot. She has seen a lot of biologically modified humans reaching incomprehensible heights.

Many people enjoyed the idea of changing their body or their children's bodies in the womb to help them survive in an environment where the only remotely beautiful thing left were those around us. Killing off our host, Earth, really was our mistake as parasites. It truly is a desperate time for us now. Now we searched for a new toy to wear away and destroy without the repercussions, because we know the rich can pack up and move again. Like fleas jumping from an old mutt to a fine young pup. Elain was never really into the body modifications like other men and women. Of course she considered it, she was an acne-filled teenager before all of this. She just never really had the choice. Her parents weren't wealthy and kicked her out just as she arrived into adulthood. Just in time for her to ship herself off into the military.

She was pulled from her thoughts when Milo burst into the room with a raging expression, which dropped as he was glared down at by the new native in town. Elain would have giggled, if it wasn't for her depressing thoughts. "You brought another in here?" He harshly whispered to her, eyes widening as the woman took a step forward. Whatever she was about to do was stopped by a snarling Arcane.

"You really think lil' old me is going to be able to stop these humanoids from making themselves at home? Hell. I know I'm big, tough, and scary, but you give me too much credit, friend." Then Elain flinched at her own sarcastic words. She sounded like a teenager whose parents hadn't let her go out the night before. She sighed, "I didn't mean that, sorry. I've just been losing it ever since Headquarters decided to go awol." She really had to be better than this. He was her work partner and she couldn't treat him like he had intentionally robbed her of something. Why was she even mad at him in the first place anyway? Oh yes, that attitude of his.