The Pandora Expedition

[-Ruken-]

July 26th 29487

This is the audio mission report of Sgt Eric Quinn, AKA "Equillian", retired. My team consists of about twelve people. All walks. Some of these people are not military. This makes me nervous. A soldier knows how to follow orders and I fear this mission is going to get complicated. Patchin swears to me that he hand-picked these people, but some of them are from Rubi-Ka. I'm not sure what to think.

I left Tir after the Tir Accord was signed, disgusted I might add. I knew the peace wouldn't last, but I figured it would hold till I was long dead. Now a clan organization called the "Tempest Wolves" has persuaded me to return for "one last mission". They're looking for a device called "The Infinity Locator". I'm not sure what it does, but they believe it's on the other side of the Jobe portal. I swore I'd never go through that portal, but the money is just too good. Besides, what else was I going to do. One last tour of duty is sounding good, but those idiots that opened the portal... when will they realize that science just screws with people?

We're nearing Rubi-Ka and my NCU is starting to come back online. Suppose it's time to make final preparations. I'll make another mission report when I get planet side.

[-Ruken-]

July 27th 29487

This is the audio mission report of Sgt Eric Quinn, AKA "Equillian", retired.

Well - we're here. I'm down to 4 men. Myself and Patchin, then a combat medic of sorts named Rostiline. She's plenty accomplished, but a doc with a fully automatic weapon is unsettling. There's also Leo... Leogere. He's a politician... Never did like his type, but we need him to get around all of the political goffeedung I've got to deal with. Plus, Patch swears he's not useless in a combat situation. His sidearm says otherwise.

We got hit by aliens on the way to Rubi-Ka. No one told us anything about aliens. I lost 75% of my squad.... *sighs* They knew the risks, but I didn't think it would happen so soon. We managed to get to Athen and to the Tempest Wolves headquarters there. The Wolves had our operating budget fixed so it didn't matter if we had 4 or 40. I'm still hoping we hear from survivors.

We're spending the night in Tir. It'll be nice to rest in my home town, but tomorrow we're back here in Athen then to Jobe.

[-Ruken-]

July 28th 29487

This is the audio mission report of Sgt Eric Quinn, AKA "Equillian", retired.

No one reported in last night. Seems we're on our own, although the Wolves gave us plenty of gear including some bastardized fusion of Alien, Rubi-Ka, and Xan technology. These weapons spin, and they're an eerie blue, but they're light, and seem plenty powerful. Long way from the Nova Flow / IEC Flashpoint setup I was used to here.

*klaxon sounds*

Well, I need to get going. We're moving out.

[-Ruken-]

August 10th 29487

This is the audio mission report of Sgt Eric Quinn, AKA "Equillian", retired.

We've been travelling site to site for almost 2 weeks now. Time is weird here. I've been up for about 30 hours now. We hit an ancient temple of some kind. The Medusas there were highly aggressive and our assault didn't go as planned. We'll have to head back to Rubi-Ka as the weapons we have aren't holding up to this level of assault. Patch took a good hit too. Rost is holding him together for now but he'll need a medical facility to put his leg back on.

I didn't expect things would turn out like this. We're about halfway back to the portal, but that Temple will fall before I'm dead. We just need to regroup... and sleep

*static*

[-Ruken-]

August 11th 29487

This is the audio mission report of Sgt Eric Quinn, AKA "Equillian", retired.

We made it back to Athen, Patch is doing fine. The Wolves HQ outside Athen was hit though. The whole building was leveled. The Vanguard say it was a power leak. I disagree but what do I know of such things. Regardless, it seems they're all dead. Now we're stuck here, no financial support no direction, and the Wolves were our way out off planet. What exactly am I supposed to do? Should I have us continue looking for the Infinity Locator? Hell, I don't even know what it is or does! We were just mapping. Damnit, Soldiers don't do well without direction. I'll make another report if I ever get out of here.

[-Ruken-]

August 12th 29487

This is the audio mission report of Sgt Eric Quinn, AKA "Equillian", retired.

We arrived back at the temple. Well... we're calling it a temple, but it's really just another infested location. Gah, why does it have to be so difficult. Anyway, Leo, Rost, and myself hit the "Temple" again last night. We were really just looking for holes in their defenses. They don't really have them, but Patch is almost out of the med center. I think they're replacing most of his leg's inner workings with... something. Either way, they assure me that he'll make a full recovery.

As for the temple. We'll just keep shooting till we can get in.

*static*

[-Ruken-]

August 13th 29487

This is the audio mission report of Sgt Eric Quinn, AKA "Equillian", retired.

I met with Patchin at the hospital today. He was already dressed in full armor. Patch's leg was back on and he wanted take a short trip to the Shadowlands for some "physical therapy". I argued with him for a few minutes but he's too stubborn. He grabbed a rather large pack and we headed back to the temple for some target practice.

When we got there, we ducked behind a small hill, just out of sight. Patch began unzipping the pack. Pulling out two weapons, they looked like the perenniums we already had, but these... they were different. A few extra tubes here, an extra clip slot there. He held one out in each hand, checked their weights as if that was going to tell him which to take, he handed one to me.

We laid aim at our targets. I closed one eye very carefully. In the dead silence after that, it seemed like forever. Forever was broken by the sound of Patch unloading a magazine on one of the Medusas. It dropped immediately and 3 others began to charge. We must have spent 3 more mags a piece but the Medusas never even made it to us. I looked over to see Patchin grinning.

"How did you get these?!"
"I have connections."
"You were in a med center!"
"Doctors have connections."

*static*

[-Ruken-]

August 19th 29487

This is the audio mission report of Sgt Eric Quinn, AKA "Equillian", retired.

We're finding our flow out here in the Shadowlands, but I miss Rubi-Ka. Leo filed the paperwork to liquidate the Wolves' assets. I was about to buy the tickets off-world, but I've decided to stay on Rubi-Ka and explore the Shadowlands. Some days I feel if this world had a million heroes, it wouldn't be enough. We may not be heroes, but we're certainly making a dent.

I've got a meeting with the doc today. She seems to think she can upload a basic primer on what we know about the Shadowlands, though I can see soon, Patchin and I will be focusing more and more on protecting Rubi-Ka itself. After all, she's our home. Hmm... I should find an apartment.

[-Ruken-]

September 4th, 2014

*gruffer voice, southern US accent, comes through*Guess I'll have to keep this going. I owe him that much. *clearing his throat* This is the audio mission report of John "Khorak" Macander.

Last few days have been tough. About a week... maybe two ago Eric Quinn, Equillian... He got hit by an unredeemed patrol. Took him out, never returned. The team came and got me. I was their former employer so I guess that's why. We went to the Garden in Schoel. No sign of him.

We're working deeper into the Shadowlands now. I've decided to join them in his place. Least till we find him. Not that we're looking. Something is drawing us forward, we're not sure why, or what.