Unknown Origin

Unknown Origin: The Journey

Three days later, Marlin had passed his basic training course for the Recon Team. Now he was ready to head off into the desert, in hope of learning who he is, and who his family was. He had also made great strides with endurance testing, after being made to continue his training and daily routine while being kicked, punched, whipped, and abused by the mechanic squad and Jinny who wanted to join in on the fun. For whatever reason, she really seems to enjoy beating him up. A very strange person indeed. Be it from her stressful duties as commander, or just the whims of a psychopath, she is very scary to Marlin. Despite what he would like to admit, the pain he went through was crucial for his sudden 3-day training necessary to join the Recon Team. Also, the timing worked out perfectly for Marlin, because after his little stunt on the stern deck, lots of repairs needed to be made. By the time he had finished training, the crane on the launch system was fixed. The stern launch deck had more purposes than just launching the scout lane, it also allowed for heavy cargo to be moved on and off the ship. Although the port side was almost entirely eaten by one of the large sand dunes, it was still quite the jump and usually, only those who knew the dunes well would jump. Not to mention, coming back up a dune that steep is a pain even for experienced jumpers.
When a new team had been assembled to go investigate the wreckage, Marlin was on edge all day. There was a great part of him that wanted to know more, but there was another part of him that was scared to know the truth. What if his family were criminals? What if they had killed people? However, the ever-growing curiosity would always force these thoughts out of his mind. His mind was dominated by a singular idea.
“If I don’t try, I’ll never know what to do”
Marlin was scared beyond belief about what he might find, but that didn’t slow him down. He has set his mind on a goal and nothing will stop him until he achieves his goal.
His day began early before sunrise today. They were ready to go out, and they began dropping down the scrapping vehicles, and bikes from the Recon Team. Normally, there would only be a party of 6 going out, but this time because there are scrap and other materials involved, another scrapping team was going out as well.  If the option were available, Marlin would have chosen to use the scout plane, but that’s off the table for obvious reasons. Instead, he was using an old motorcycle that has been refitted for optimal work in the desert, otherwise, the sand would get in places it doesn't belong. At this point, all vehicles have been unloaded and lowered down by the crane, and they were ready to leave. As long as they stayed in formation they would be safe. This time, the Recon Team brought Horned Natrix repellent, just in case there was another attack so they wouldn’t be caught off guard again. Although it was wise to bring Natrix repellant, the smell was absolutely terrible. Made out of rotten plants and herbs, it was an assault on the senses.
“No wonder the Natrix snakes avoid this thing, I wouldn’t be surprised if there is anything out there that wouldn’t avoid this thing,” he thought.
Despite having automotive vehicles, the wreck was still two days away. Which meant they would have to camp in the desert, unprotected and exposed to danger. But most importantly, Marlin couldn’t listen to the hum of the engine out in the desert.
Luckily, maybe after what happened with the Kittyhawk, they did not encounter any Horned Natrix snakes or other beasts that wanted them dead. A very good first night out for Marlin. After the second night, Marlin woke up to a strange feeling on his leg. Usually sleeping above the engine created a perfect resonating sound for Marlin, and he always got perfect, undisturbed sleep, but for now, he had to deal with what he had. He decided that now was a good enough time to wake up, so he reached over and lit his lantern. In the tent he had set up, with his cot in the middle of the room, he was right about the strange feeling on his leg. Immediately, Marlin remembered what he was taught during his training, and did his best to remain calm. A scorpion had decided to cozy up on his leg while he was sleeping. Inside his head, Marlin was screaming and yelling and panicking, but if he made any sudden movements, this small scorpion could quite possibly kill him here and now. Carefully, Marlin gently coaxed the scorpion onto his hand, whereas he slowly stood up, opened his tent, and stepped out. Just as an extra precaution he took a few steps to keep it from coming back. Once he was far enough away, he yelled, threw the scorpion somewhere off in the distance, and ran back inside his tent. Such a great way to start off the day.
After breakfast, they packed up and continued on. By now they weren’t too far from the wreckage, and it was soon visible in the distance. But Marlin being the idiot that he is, forgot that in order to keep driving at optimal speeds, you need to be constantly clearing the sand off the wheel by gently turning every few seconds. Marlin became so entranced by the wreckage in the distance, that he forgot to do this. The front-wheel bogged down in the sand, causing him to get launched in front of his bike. As he was flying through the air, he noticed something creating its own light from within the wreck, and it seemed to be blinking.
“Oh great” thought Marlin, moments before he ate a faceful of sand.
“You idiot! Well, I’m not stopping for you so keep going straight and meet us there alright?” said Xenia, as she was passing him by. Just like that Marlin got left behind in their dust as the squads drove past him.