Stargate Homeworld: Unpromised Land

While Ayden had the uncanny ability to push most thoughts from her mind to focus on the mission at hand, she wasn't quite able to do that today. Earlier in the day she had received an email from an unknown source that had not only sent chills up her spine, but made Ayden want to call the mission off and track down whoever had sent it to her. As he fingers tightened on the weapon she was holding she ran the words over in her mind.

You were a fool to bring him into this world.

You are a fool to think that he will be safe.

Ayden could handle threats to herself but the moment someone were to threaten her only child, all the cards were off the table. As she moved with the rest of her team, Ayden stayed on their six. Her attention was on the surrounding area, scanning for any sign of life or the team that had gone mission, but her mind kept reeling over those words. 

Who would want her dead? Who would want her child dead? It was no secret that members of the Stargate Program were targeted time and time again but most times it was by those 'aliens' that they encountered and members of the NID who simply had it out for them. The NID had been cleansed of corruption - or so they said - so who could it be?

As they reached their destination Ayden looked around. She had to focus on the mission. She motioned to what looked like a cave and flicked the light on at the end of her weapon. "We can wait out the storm in here." She spoke up as she moved towards it. She stepped inside and swept the area for any sign of well, anything. Nothing. The cave was deep enough for them to all fit in.

"Jackson, take a look at what's on the wall." Ayden shone her flashlight on the wall. There were etchings in the stone that matched the ones in the journal he had been holding earlier. What could they mean?

Farrah followed the group to the cave - her eyes wandering around the entire time. She could feel the storm in the air - much like Earth. It was that weird electric tingle that she oh-so-loved. Now, however, she was having mixed feelings on the matter. Especially since they were going to hide from said storm, in a cave.

Doctor Byrne had nothing personally against caves. They were lovely and often filled with the interesting odds and ends of nature. Plus it would be more secure than any of the currently crumbling buildings would be. Her only worry was the strength of the storm. For reasons she still wasn't sure of, Farrah simply assumed that every alien storm would be stronger than any Earth one. Hopefully the storm would blow over in a couple of hours, and they could continue their mission.

Releasing a pent-up sigh to relieve a bit of tension within her mind, she watched as others ran into the cave before her - making sure that there wasn't some space-bear nor angry locals.

They slowly began entering the cave, as no one was dramatically mauled by anything.

Jackson headed towards some markings on the wall, while Farrah glanced around the expanse of the cave. Shining her flashlight upwards, she began to wander - within reason.

The man who could read any language began informing them of the wall markings. Apparently this storm wasn't new news - nor had the cave murdered the people. However, there wasn't any clues to where their people were.

Hearing Adam's voice alert the group to something that was most likely interesting, Farrah stepped off of her path of wandering around the main area and found the man staring at a dark spot near the ground. Having already turned off her flashlight, she glanced up at Adam and asked, "Suspiciously dark shadow?"

Clicking on his flashlight, a SGC backpack that appeared to be half-eaten by the wall sat on the floor.
"Huh...well maybe we are on the right track," she mumbled to mostly herself, before glancing up at the wall before her, "Perhaps that wall isn't solid? Or something makes it un-solid? Or it was hungry?"

As the team fanned out across the cave to check for any sign of life and to read the inscriptions on the wall Ayden stayed by Jackson's side. She kept the tactical light from her weapon focused on the wall as he read over it and when he explained what it was she raised her brows. "Well we have some knowledge about those massive storms. I'm glad we missed them."

If any place was safe to wait out a storm it was the caves. They seemed sturdy enough and they were safe from the elements. Now the only question was what happened to their team? If they had encountered the same storm Ayden was sure that they would have sought cover in the caves. It was basic common sense.

Ayden walked over to where Adam was and she glanced down at the pack that seemed to be half-gone and she tilted her head to the side as she bent down to examine it. She tried to tug it towards her but to no avail. When she pushed it away and further against the 'wall' that was there it slid easily through it. "That's not creepy at all." She muttered under her breath.

If the science team had come here then there was no doubt they went through that wall. If the pack wouldn't come back out then neither would their team unless there was some passage out. "So what do you think, Lieutenant, should we go into the land of the unknown or let our science team be forever lost in Oz?" She was curious to see his input on going to the other side. 

As the team discussed their new prospective 'adventure', Adam slung his weapon and took a knee beside the bag.  Reaching out as Ayden had, Collier grasped the bag tightly and pulled with all of his strength, leaning back.  Easing up and letting go of the pack, the Lieutenant swiveled on his boot, making a crunching noise from the dirt and fine gravel on the floor of the cave.  "Hungry, one-way only walls and vanishing colleagues?" he began to respond.  "Forget Oz.  I'm getting much more of a 'through the looking glass' vibe from this."

After a few more comments, Adam nodded at the Lieutenant Colonel, "Yes, ma'am.  Only one way to go and on way to get there."  Awaiting her blessing, when it came, he tilted his head and said, "Copy ... "  Unslinging his weapon and holding it in his shooting hand by the grip, he approached the walk carefully.  There wasn't really any way to beat around the bush with this, so the Army officer leaned forward and put his hand against the wall, expecting some sort of resistance - there was none, and as the rest of his body fell into the wall, an "Aww shi--" was heard in aggravation before he disappeared.

Ending up on a decline after falling through, Collier stumbled and rolled down about eight feet.  Eyes widening as the man saw a steep drop off the cliff, he grasped and stopped his rolling.  Catching his breath and hauling himself to his feet, Adam quickly scanned the area, sweeping it with his G-36.  Seeming to be clear, he clicked his radio, "Collier here.  The area is secure, you can come through."  Nothing followed, and he sighed to himself, "They better be coming through.  Why do I have the feeling I'm getting Punk'd?"  The area he ended up in was much different than the first.  Ground seemed quite dead, and there were dark clouds causing the daylight to barely appear.  There appeared to be a fairly populous settlement about a klick down the hill cliff, with a path leading down to the right.

Anticipating someone coming through with the Stargate-like side effects he had felt, Adam walked back up and put his hands out like a wide receiver, ready to catch the first person.  As they flew through, the former Special Forces operator exclaimed, "Heads up!"  They stumbled but caught them, hauling them in and over to the side.  "Watch for the cliff, we need to clear people out as they come through ... "