Scene 2: A Doorway to the Heavens

As 1st Lt. Rodriguez input her command code into the MALP the green and black screen disolayed red characters reading "Priority! Secret: Eyes only!"

It did not come with the option to open or close the text. Instead in green characters on the black screen she was informed of her mission parameters. She recognized the Commanding Officer by name and Reputation Colonel Jack O'Neill. The orders were to find a method of activating the device from the other side, no change there. It informed her that the MALP was carrying a W87 mk. 1 Thermonuclear device. To be used in the event a hostile entity attempted to seize control of the gate. Discretion was given to her for employment and with it a Field Promotion to Acting Captain. The command authorization code to arm the device was "BROKEN ARROW." She was then informed that the nessage would erase itself in five seconds.

The MALP connected via radio to Alpha Site where she was patched through to Colonel O'Niell. "Expedition One, you've reached Sierra Golf Actual. How copy and sitrep, over." The signal was strong, loud, and clear. This close to the gate it would be, there was almost no distance between Alpha Site and, wherever they happened to be due to the wormhole.

Messer and Kowalsky exchanged a knowing glance, their body language suggested they began to listen intently. Kowalsky especially having been handpicked by SG-Actual for the mission. "The Grand Poobah himself." He snickered, and fished out a pack of cigarettes, Lucky Strikes. Which he ignited with a silver lighter that boasted his service in SFOD-Delta during Desert Sword.

Messer reached for his own pack, then thought better of it and kept them for later. He only had so many.

Justice continued to scan the horizon, plucking one of the sweet grasses and sucking on the stem. It apparently didn't taste bad as he wore a somewhat delighted expression.

As the connection was established the message self-deleted and gave the Operational Orders.

-OPORD BEGINS-

1st. Lt. Rodriguez: Standing Orders (Lead a Successful recon team to ascertain threat, materiels of value, and determine breakage if necessary)
1st Lt. Kowalsky: Standing Orders (Assist CO in duties roster, maximize securement of materiels, provide watch duty)
Chief Sergeant Donahue: Standing Orders (Provide and oversee supply as Senior Non-Com, Liase with Civilian Attachè as necessary)

Special Notes to Civilian Attachè:
As you are not sworn military operators authority is not mine to order you. However, note that you are still subordinate to the authority of the Commanding Officer and while military charges do not apply, making nice with the person saving your ass is highly recommended. We have generously provided Chief Sergeant Donahue to assist in your function as needed Solidarity is its own reward. Cohesion is possible if we try.

-OPORD COMPLETE-

SG-Actual Colonel Jack O'Niell USAF, Supreme Commander SGC

The gas composition sensor of the MALP read that CO² levels were significantly lower than Earth, at ~180 parts per million. It also read surface oxygen at ~0.8% greater than Earth. There was a warning that indicated exothermic reactions would have higher yield and volatility on the readout. Unfortunately, no further data could be given as the Magnetic Oxide Semiconductors had not been programmed to isolate potential contaminants. Trouble Shooting suggested deployment of an Advanced Alongside Track Scanning Radiometer for more precise active tracking. But it was unlikely that the MALP had been packed with one. And even less likely they had the resources to launch it into geosynchronous orbit.

The scent of menthol in the air, if this planet shared common traits with the ecology of Earth would indicate a dense presence of mint, cornmint, or pennyroyal plants. The lack of flying insects suggested that mint was the culprit, as its insecticidal properties would render the atmosphere toxic to arthropods.

About half a klick towards the treeline revealed they were not trees but towering fungiforms. Enormous stalks of fruiting bodies large as trees spaced with regular intervals, far more regular and spaced than any tree. The parasol domes of the tree sized fungus was a greyish-brown and conical. The gills and stalk of the fruiting body had dark blue stains on the flesh.

As you continued to approach the loamy scent of hyphae and glomus, with an undercurrent of honey masked the scent of menthol. It was a very rich earthy scent, halfway to delicious.

"Not normally one to judge on appearances, but those look like psychedelic mushrooms. Weird that we aren't getting high from the spores." Justice mused. "Though I have never seen a fruiting body of that size before. Outside of prototaxites fossils." As they drew yet closer it was apparent they too were fossils shining bright in the second sun, entirely petrified. They were long dead, an entire epoch of time had rendered them to beautiful grey and blue stones.

Ohbno!!!!

Ok so since I just killed your post I am going to allow you to position "the camera" and set the perspective as if Veronica is explaining to the audience that something immensely powerful just transpired. She touched a mind of immense power and during that brief instant of contact, some primeval sense in Veronica told her it was startled. She had gained a brief advantage over it. It recognized her. As soon as it did that it vanished.

Veronica can hear a buzzing sound and what feels like a warm pulse of energy radiating from her head down to the ends of her extremities. She also subtly feels more alert.

She also feels like she is being watched.

And given time to process the "noise" she can hear distinct structure within it. It was a low mechanical whir, like gears whirring perfectly. That deep chaotic but fully restrained sound, at the edge of violence. Immensely powerful bass droning out, with the peal of screeching metal. It screeched to an end. The closest noise sound of rapidly flipping channels through an FM radio scanning for coherent channels.

The structure of the noise quicky mutated. It played on, this time like the idling of an immensely powerful engine. It sampled the sound across 512channels. Resulting in a series of crescendoing bass beats, white, black, and red noise.

Intermittent rattles, exactly the same frequency her brain just knew was the sound of a dangerous snake. A snake that she could feel scrutinizing her now. There was a wet slap like how a stride sounds when a well made boot frees itself from the mud. Constantly reverberating in the background of it all was her voice, as she heard it in her head. Humming at the highest and lowest ranges of her own voice. Accompanied with a vision of the Sun, our Earthly Sun, a field of infinitely permutating formulae.

All the while the violence of the background music now is reaching crescendo, peaking. It never breaks into rage, but for several moments she could feel its judgement, the white heat of its rage directed at her.

And then they both, somehow found understanding. The violent sounding music erupted in itself at that moment, leaving a reverberation of "black noise" the structure continued the music, but the drone that had built to an explosion of noise was dropped.

It was replaced with the impatient sound of barely restained violence droning, judging, now lurking, patiently and activelt hunting. It wanted her to know it was aware, and learning.

Veronica came back to reality. No time having passed since she made contact with the entity."Why did you touch that?" Justice asked he had been agitated by the mushrooms just by their proximity and had been growing increasingly more jumpy. "Whoa, check it out." He continued in amazement as he pointed to the soft glow and exact palm print of Veronica that glowed soflty in cyan lifht on the flesh of the mushroom, fading rapidly back to its bluish grey marbling.

It was still cold to her touch.