The moment Noah's boot touched Cannadah's iridescent sand, his system interface flashed to life:
[Location: Cannadah]
[Anomaly Detected]
[New Quest Generated]
[STRANGE STIRRINGS]
An unusual energy signature has been detected. Origin: Unknown.
Primary Objective: Locate source of energy signature
Secondary Objective: [Locked]
[Note: Energy signature shows peculiar resonance with your summon]
[Accept Quest? Y/N]
'Just what I needed,' Noah thought as he selected 'Y'. 'Another mystery to solve.'
The interface faded just as Kelvin stumbled next to him, caught off guard by Cannadah's slightly lower gravity. The lavender sky stretched above them, decorated with two moons – one a pale blue, the other a deep amber that seemed to pulse with its own inner light.
Two figures approached from the base's main entrance. A male and a female.
The male officer, commander Hayes, moved with the practiced stride of someone who'd spent years in command, his weather-worn face suggesting countless hours under alien suns. But it was his companion that caused a ripple of whispers among the students.
Lieutenant Chen couldn't have been more than a few years older than them, but she carried herself with an easy confidence that spoke of experience beyond her years. Her dark hair was pulled back in a regulation bun, and her standard-issue tactical suit bore the subtle scratches and wear of actual combat rather than training exercises.
"Eyes front, Romeo," Cora whispered to Kelvin, who was staring a bit too obviously. Several other boys weren't being nearly as subtle about their attention.
"Welcome to FOB Epsilon," the commander's voice carried across the landing pad. "I'm Commander Hayes. This is Lieutenant Chen, who'll be serving as your camp master during your stay."
During his introduction, Noah noticed how the commander's left hand occasionally twitched toward a scar on his neck – the kind that came from a close encounter with something that had too many teeth.
"Pleasure to meet you all," Lieutenant Chen smiled, her voice carrying a hint of amusement at the students' obvious attention. "I'll be handling your day-to-day operations and any concerns that arise."
During the basic briefing, one of Adrian's admirers – Maya, Noah thought her name was – raised her hand. "Lieutenant, is it true you're a second-gen? We heard some of the soldiers talking..."
Chen's smile widened slightly. "Yes, actually. Fire manipulation with a sub-specialty in magma control. Though hopefully we won't need either during your stay here."
The walk to their quarters gave Noah time to really take in Cannadah. The base itself was a marvel of practical engineering – hexagonal structures of neo-steel and carbon composites, designed to withstand everything from void beast attacks to the planet's occasional electromagnetic storms. But it was the environment that truly caught the eye.
The ground beneath their feet sparkled with each step, the sand containing tiny crystals that seemed to catch and hold light. In the distance, massive crystalline formations rose like frozen waves, their surfaces refracting the twin moons' light in impossible patterns. The air carried a sweet, metallic taste that reminded Noah vaguely of blood, though no one else seemed to notice it.
Their quarters turned out to be modified container units, each equipped with basic amenities. "Two to a room," Chen announced, her tablet displaying assignments. "Mission briefings will be sent to your combat bracelets at 0700 tomorrow. Any questions?"
Noah ended up with Kelvin, of course. The moment their door closed, Kelvin was already unpacking his "essential" equipment – a compact cube that unfolded into a surprisingly comprehensive workstation.
"The energy readings here are incredible," Kelvin muttered, his fingers dancing across holographic displays. "Look at these mineral compositions! And the crystalline formations... Noah, are you listening? Those structures could contain untapped power sources we've never seen before!"
"Fascinating," Noah replied, heading for the bathroom. The quest notification was still nagging at the back of his mind.
"Again?" Kelvin looked up from his screens. "That's like the third time since we landed . You know, if the local atmosphere is affecting your system..."
"It's fine," Noah cut him off, closing the door behind him. He needed privacy to check his system interface but kelvin always seem to come up to him with the most ridiculous things.
The energy signature his quest mentioned... could it have something to do with the strange taste in the air? Or maybe those crystalline formations weren't as natural as they appeared.
'One mystery at a time,' he thought, pulling up his interface. 'Let's see what else this planet has in store for us.'
The bathroom's fluorescent light faded away as Noah slipped into his void domain. The familiar pocket dimension materialized around him – a vibrant expanse bursting with life. Usually, this place brought him peace. Today, something felt different.
Nyx, his dragon summon – currently no bigger than a house cat – was acting strange. Instead of its usual playful greeting, the little beast was pacing in tight circles, its iridescent scales reflecting sunlight in nervous patterns. Every few seconds, it would let out what it probably thought was a fearsome roar but came out as an adorable chirp.
'Something's got you worked up, huh?' Noah watched as Nyx completed another circuit, its tail twitching with agitation. 'And here I thought this was going to be a quick check-in.'
The system's earlier notification niggled at the back of his mind. An energy signature similar to his summon... 'No,' he thought, shaking his head. 'That's too convenient, too easy. The universe rarely hands out gifts like that. Though...' His gaze drifted to Nyx, who still hadn't acknowledged his presence. 'You've never acted like this before.'
A quick check of his system interface showed no hunger warnings for Nyx, but that did little to ease his concern. 'Speaking of sustenance...' Noah frowned, considering his situation. 'Back at the academy, "acquiring" additional cores had been relatively straightforward – if not exactly legal. But here?' He ran a hand through his hair, frustrated. 'The base would have tight security on their core storage, and I doubt they'd take kindly to a student poking around their supplies.'
His thoughts drifted to their actual mission. 'What exactly are we supposed to do here?' The base itself was a statement – humanity planting its flag on yet another world, daring the Harbingers to challenge their expansion. Noah suppressed a shiver. 'I've seen the footage, heard the stories. Miss Brooks isn't the only veteran whose memories of Harbinger encounters have been... altered. Something about their presence does that to people.'
'Focus,' he told himself. 'One problem at a time.'
With a last look at Nyx, who had finally stopped pacing but was now staring intently at something Noah couldn't see, he began the process of returning to reality. The verdant landscape slowly dissolved around him, colors bleeding away until he found himself back in the bathroom stall. He took a moment to steady himself, then pushed open the door.
'Forty-seven minutes,' he realized with a wince. 'That's going to be fun to explain.'
He made his way back to his room, already rehearsing excuses, only to stop short in the doorway. There, leaning against the wall with practiced casualness, stood Micah Reed. The upperclassman's gear made Noah's gear feel suddenly inadequate.
'It's still a level 3 right?' he thought as he stared at the gear knowing fully well that even beast gears at the same level still varied from one another over different aspects.
Turning his attention back to the upperclassman, Noah noticed his polished head caught the overhead lights, a detail Micah seemed to embrace rather than hide. All of Kelvin's equipment had vanished, and Noah's roommate sat stiffly on his bed, looking anywhere but at their new team member.
'Great,' Noah thought, catching the way Micah's eyes lingered on him a fraction too long. 'Either he's sizing me up as a problem, or...' There was something else in that look, a curiosity that the upperclassman tried to mask with authority.
"Forty-seven minutes," Micah said, checking his combat bracelet. "That must have been quite the bathroom emergency."
Noah bit back several responses, none of them particularly respectful. 'Right, because you've never spent time in your own domain,' he thought acidly. The hierarchy between years was clear – Micah had every right to comment, and they both knew it. Still, something about the upperclassman's perfectly maintained appearance and carefully measured movements suggested someone equally familiar with private training.
"Tomorrow," Micah continued, his tone carrying that particular blend of authority and condescension that only privileged upperclassmen seemed to master, "the real expedition begins. I won't have my perfect record tarnished because my assigned team can't keep up. Are we clear?"
'Perfect record,' Noah thought, studying the way Micah's fingers tapped against his combat bracelet. 'Nobody maintains a perfect record without some serious private practice. What are you hiding under all that polish?' But aloud he only said, "Yes, sir."
"Good." Micah pushed off the wall with elegant precision. "0700 hours. Don't be late." He paused at the door, glancing back. "And Pithon? Your tech setup violated three different protocols. Consider this a warning."
The door hissed shut behind him, leaving Noah to process that last comment. 'Three protocols? He'd have to have done a pretty thorough scan of Kelvin's setup to know that.' Noah moved to his bed, mind racing. 'Or maybe he's just fishing. Trying to get Kelvin to reveal something.'
Kelvin finally looked up from his intense study of the floor. "He's been waiting here for twenty minutes," he offered quietly.
'Twenty minutes? To deliver a thirty-second warning?' Noah sat down, absently running his fingers over the worn edge of his combat bracelet. 'No, Officer Perfect Record definitely had another agenda.'
The silence stretched between them until Kelvin cleared his throat. "About my tech... how much trouble am I in?"
Noah couldn't help but smile. 'At least he's direct about it.' He shook his head. "Depends on what you've got running. Anything I should know about?"
Kelvin's eyes darted to his equipment stack. "Just some... modifications that make life easier." He paused, fidgeting with his tablet. "Though maybe I should run a security check, just in case."
Through the room's small window, Cannadah's twin moons cast their ethereal light, creating shifting patterns on the wall. Noah watched them, keeping his thoughts about Nyx carefully at bay.
There were too many things to worry about right now.