Chapter 65 : "El Camino" (Initiation Part 5).
The arrival to the new Layer takes immediately a toll over the Integrants of Marshack's Team.
The high Gravity of the Environment is countered almost in its entirety by the intervention of the Endodermis Suits they are wearing.
Making use of a Helmet with energetic cover on the face that is deployed with the assistance of the Slaidt to maintain a bearable pressure of gases for them, allowing a slow and ragged breathing performed by the companions of the Apex.
—This place is horrible!; Complain Oxxana having difficulties to stay upright without bending for the constant pressure she is feeling.
Aside Marshack, everyone is on the same condition, which is noticed fastly by Irithia and questioned by Ényel —Why you are not using the Helmet?.
—Is unnecessary; Reply with detachment the Apex, initiating his walk over the white path they land on.
—Bverxkka, wait, we should reunite with the other Teams and go together to the next destination; Suggest Katherine, struggling to not pant or faint during her Speech.
—Absurd Huratan; Retorts Marshack with incomprehension »—You berely can stand on your feet without collapsing, and pretend to stagnate your advancement on this task, wasting time and your own acceptable functionality for no reason at all …
»—Stop saying this nonsense, adapt and move out quickly if not, die here, either alone or with the company of another incompetent idealist with no reasoning capacity to make their own survival to prevail.
The Apex doesn't even deign to see her directly and continues his normal pace, if Katherine is not able to understand this simple fact as it is, there is no point in explaining anything to her in a more detailed way.
—Why is he acting like that?!; Asked Katherine to Irithia, her friend doesn't has an answer only an apologetical expression under the transparent energetic cover of the helmet.
—Maybe because he is not wrong on what he said though, to help others you have to help yourself first; Mentioned Zergirion »—If we crowd this path, we will surely attract unwanted attention, and considering how denied are our physical aptitudes here, it is absurd wanting to assist others or organize an action plan when we can't even walk naturally, the fastest we are out of this Layer the better.
Katherine obtains a downcasted stance and follows Marshack as it does the rest of the Team.
The Apex, and every Hûrngöth or D'Kin, can withstand the Gravity of this Environment due to the [Active Adarga], for him, anyone unable to subsist under conditions similar to Hûlfhednär is an Entity that doesn't deserve his attention, much less his time, Katherine does not understand this simple reality, and that is really exasperating for him.
The journey continues for several Vulq without interruptions, the tall and thick green grass stained with fluorescent yellow is starting to be annoying to watch, and the trills of birds that resonate loudly that are heard in the distance had begun to become closer and closer.
Another Standard Hour pass by, after all this time, there is no contact with other creatures or Entities on this Layer, and no matter how heavy the walk is receiving the constant pressure of the local Gravity, the path they are stepping on is extremely pleasant to walk on, diminishing a part of the discomfort of this march.
In the next Standard Hour, the Teammates of Marshack begin to slowdown, losing their top performance as their breathing becomes erratic, it is clear that they are about to reach their limit, even when they are not to far away from their destination.
In front of the Team lies a deviation that is outside the white path and is between the tall grass, showing signs of artificial modification due to the absence of vegetation, and at 640 Vul (320 meters) of distance, is present a robust Hexxal, with a thicker structure and a size considerably less larger than the previous ones used by the Team.
With renewed motivation, they advance the final stretch of their journey, crossing the Hexxal without further delay, arriving to another Layer.
On this new Environment, the first notorious change is the Gravity, being weaker if is compared to the Layer they were before.
The relief expirienced by Marshack's Teammates is immediate, and the stress they were felling dissapers way too fast.
Especially as they are received into a floating spiral island with a beautiful view of what is below or maybe is under, which is easily recognized by all, the Layer of before.
Marshack is the most surprised by this revelation, after all, he is currently observing the Hexxal they berely crossed in the previous Layer.
But he couldn't see the Spiral Island in which they are right now while they were on the path.
{Is the [Bicromy] failing again?, is this place similar to the Facility for Torpedos and Ammunition near the Sun of Hûlfhednär?, or is something completely different?}.
Questions invade the mind of the Apex as the incomprehensible event is analyzed over and over again to find an answer that he can't even start to fathom.
»—Look!; Signal Zergirion, pointing with his right hand another Hexxal that is further away in the other side of the Spiral Island.
The Hexxal is not the only Structure present, there is a relatively short Outpost in the middle of this floating territory, dividing the Island with an attached wall that is coated with an Energy Shield and protected by a series of Energy Barriers.
—That is a lot of security!; Commented Oxxana, as the Team approach the Outpost entrance, being visible several turrets of CWIS (Close In Weapons Sistems), drones patrolling the inmediations and a company of soldiers wearing silver armor and guarding the wall with obvious scrutiny.
Right at the door, 8 soldiers are stationed with an armor thicker than their comrades, carrying a big buckler on their backs that covers more than three quarters of their bodies that have on average 8 Vul (4 meters) of height.
One Soldier makes a gesture —See that, those are First Year Students from Barloen college, being here this early and so many is rare occasion to observe Rookie, normally only one or two pass after the first Standard Month, this is their first day, it is not over yet and they are already here, and uninjured on top of that.
—Couldn't be luck?, if the Gnardbejh or the Ravenous Condors didn't attack they only have to walk.
The Soldiers start laughing and the veteran reply —That is not the way "El Camino" works Rookie, and walking is already difficult with the stupid amount of Gravity …
»—The Gnardbejh are a Null Species, but they are not dumb, the Student without a helmet looks like a small Remanent, you don't fight one of those unless you don't have an alternative or you want to die …
»—And the Ravenous Condors never are going to fight a "Falconiform" unless they are a Hybrid or the Union with another Beast, and the legs of the same Student scream laudly enough "I am a Róc, get out of my sight".
The Rookie understand what his commander express —What we do in this situations?.
—Open up the door, and welcome them for they effort, calling for medical assistance and informing the Biotechnological Institute Of Varannassi for the third and last test of this Students …