GATE: The United Nations of Earth

Chapter 35: "Priority: The Storm".

Author's note: Hi guys, sorry for taking too long. I've been extremely busy recently, but I've finished this chapter! Enjoy.

--Somewhere, Southern Falmart--

It has been 2 days since the convoy left the village to head towards the next one before they head straight for the Valley of The Gods. Himmar did warn them about bandits that has infested the land since the downfall of the Empire. However, the ride was uneventful as no bandit dared to attack the SIF.

"Commander" Rob says as Ava is focusing on reading a holographic book.

"Yes?" she swipes the book close and looks over.

Rob enlarges the sensor screen "There's no life sign at all the next 20 klicks".

"No animals?" Ava asks.

"No animal, bugs, nothing. It's just trees and land, this is unusual" Rob replies.

"How far is our next stop?" Ava asks.

"40 klicks out, commander, the village should be within sensor range soon" Rob replies.

Ava thinks for a moment then turns to the back of the APC "Rory, Kaian, you guys been here before, right?".

"A few times" Rory replies.

"Once" Kaian replies.

"Were there animals, people around this part when you were here?" Ava asks.

"Definitely, the land surrounding the Valley of The Gods is very fertile and lively. Why? What's wrong commander?" Rory asks.

"Our sensors aren't picking up any life sign, there's nothing out there" Ava replies.

"That's odd" Rory replies then looks around the outside through the holographic windows "everything looks normal...except for that storm" she says pointing at the big storm ahead "for almost a thousand years I lived on this world, there were never a storm in this region".

"She's right, commander, the storm doesn't make any sense. It came out of nowhere and TACNet is showing that the fleet and the satellites aren't picking up the storm. Like...it doesn't exist" Rob replies.

"Commander, we need to go outside" Kaian says.

"Village in range yet?" Ava asks Rob.

Rob stares at the screen for a moment and then replies "it is now, there's a few dozen life signs, commander, they're humans".

"Alright, pull up and send a drone" Ava orders.

The convoy stops next to a large bolder and set up a quick defensive perimeter. The sky is grey, with strong wind but light rain as they're still about a good dozen klicks away from the storm. Rob launches a drone from the APC and sends it in the direction of the village to get a visual of the situation over there.

Rory and Kaian have already jumped on top of the bolder to observe the storm and the surrounding area. After she's sure that the area is secured, Ava activates her thrusters and jumps to the top of the bolder with them.

"What's your take on this?" Ava asks both of them.

"Well, the storm is not magic we're not seeing a mana aura from it" Rory replies.

"Commander, the drone is down" Rob reports from the APC via radio.

"What do you mean the drone is down? It got shot? Lightning?" Ava asks then she remembers the flame dragon "got eaten?".

"No idea ma'am, as soon as it entered the storm edge all its signals were cut" Rob replies.

"That's odd, send another and see what happen" Ava orders.