Waiting Shapeless

Chapter 15. Gnumus

"Excellent." Replied Byralnus.

Another shiver ran up her spine as she studied the black maw that they were marching towards.

"It's okay." Muttered the soft voice of Heva from her side.

Tyler looked down and gave the little Terilli a weak smile. "Thanks, Heva."

Bryalnus' com system on his suit cracked ominously as if it was receiving input, but it turned off without any voice.

"Wait... Byralnus..." Paused Tyler, her mind switching to the officers. "How are the PPF officers going to get here?"

"I believe they were planning on teleporting in, Jacobs. Why do you ask?"

She thought for a moment. "If we weren't able to fly the Scouter into Short's zone," asked Tyler slowly, "will they even be able to teleport in?"

Byralnus stopped, his mind paused in thought. The rest of the team turned to look at him.

They were next to the wreckage now, the entrance gapping before them.

"Officer Toin, this is Captain Byralnus." Called Byralnus quickly with his suit. "Were you planning on teleporting to our position?"

"Affirmative Captain. Three of us have already gone though and should be there soon, if not now. The rest of us are waiting for them to signal back upon their arrival."

"Officer Toin, do not teleport to our coordinates!" Warned Byralnus, speaking quickly into the messenger. "We have made a mistake. Our target is keeping anything using technology from reaching its location. If you try to teleport to our location you will be lost in the outskirts of the zone's boundaries. I repeat, do NOT teleport to our location!"

He released the button and waited. There was silence on the other end.

"Blast!" He cursed.

Then the crack of the speaker broke though the quiet.

"Captain Byralnus, are you positive that my three men are not in your vicinity? If all went well, my men should have been there by now."

The crew looked around them. The burned out Circuit ship was beside them and nothing but miles of dry dust to the horizon. The silence was so thick and heavy it irritated Tyler's ears.

"Could they be on the other side of the ship Captain? ...Or inside it?" Jirabi asked quietly.

Tyler studied the dark, gaping breach in the hull of the ship. The inside was filled with charred metal; the ship's instruments were unrecognizable and melted together.

It seemed to Tyler like there was a pathway through the rubble that led deeper into the body of the ship. She folded her arms in puzzlement. The Circuit species were permanently attached to the ceiling of their ships; they would have no need for pathways on the ground. So what was using the pathway? Was it that thing she saw duck out of view only moments ago?

"Officer Tion?" Byralnus called though the messenger.

"I hear you captain. Any sign of my men?"

"Officer." Byralnus spoke respectfully. "We can neither see nor hear them. It is possible they are inside the wreckage, or somehow otherwise out of our view. But we have yet to come into contact with them."

"Aye." Spoke Officer Toin. His voice held a hint of remorse. "The mission isn't over. The rest of us will make our way to your position by another means."

"Remember Officer" warned Byralnus, "There is some sort of selective technology barrier around this location. My team and I had to approach by foot."