NOVPUB"So you’re saying that we’re going to play around in a boring place while our city experiences the biggest crisis since the arrival!?" Rusty’s voice was coarse and he was angry all the time, but it showed that he really cared about his city’s safety.
"Why don’t we just turn back and say some cryptids were blocking our way or something?" Young proposed.
"You guys don’t get it. This might seem like a useless exploration to you, but this is way more important than your think. This place used to be farmland..." Uriel began his explanation, but was cut short by mayhem.
"Now you sound just like grampa, ’this land used to be farmland’." She said the last part mimicking her grampa’s voice.
"Maybe, but isn’t it strange to you guys that this turned into a swamp so quickly?"
"Isn’t it the same everywhere else? I’ve heard about the barrenlands to the west and the permafrost up north." Young said.
"Well, I don’t know about the permafrost, but the barrenlands were the product of constant fights against cryptids. It think it’s safe to assume the same happened everywhere in the world, because our planet’s geography has changed a lot in the past fifteen years."
"So, now you’re saying we’re going to investigate a phenomenon as big as that? Do you realy think they would ask something like that to a newly appointed lieutenant and a handful of corporals?" 𝖓𝔬𝔳𝔭𝔲𝔟.𝖈𝖔𝔪
"Of course not, we’re not here to find out why has the geography changed. We’re going to find out the name of your city."
"Our megacity’s code is 0700." Young hurriedly answered.
"What does it matter what the name of our city was? This is useless." Rusty scoffed.
"Alright," Uriel finally had enough. He stopped the hovercraft and then continued speaking. "We all know that megacities are built on top of old cities, but they’re so huge they sometimes cover more than one.
Because of your location and culture, it’d be safe to assume this used to be the state of Louisiana, but other than that it’s impossible to tell the actual location." By that moment, Uriel had already began questioning himself whether the names of the cities truly had been lost by accident or if the government or some corporation was actively tryng to erase them from history.
"I see..." Young placed her hand on her chin on a pensive manner. Because of her trait, she looked as immature as she did when she was actually the age she represented now, but now she was actually a lot wiser and smarter than she used to be back then. "I grew up in Baton Rouge, so I always assumed we were there. But if what you say is the truth, then... this shouldn’t be a swamp."
"Exactly, but the thing is, the swamp seems to be gaining terrain. In fact, your entiry megacity is now surrounded by swamp.
That’s why I’m searching for any landmark to the west, so we have a point of reference." Uriel said, omitting the fact that he was beyond obsessed with archaeology and that the main reason why he was looking for historic remains was so he could acquire more artifacts to become stronger.
"Then... I guess I could take you to an old building. It’s a bit retired, but we can make it there and back before nightfall," Young said scratching her cheek Making Uriel suspicious of her. Realizing this, she continued speaking. "It’s nothing weird, just an old manor in the middle of nowhere. The thing is, you’ll have to promise not to get me in trouble for telling you this."
"Hmm... sure." Uriel promptly agreed and made way so Young could drive the hovercraft.
Uriel’s patience had been tried by the group several times in just half an hour, but it paid out since now he had a guide who knew the area and was willing to take him to a POI. His intention was to just explore the surroundings, but he was aware that the most likely outcome would have been a complete waste of time.
With a guide things were different. Having someone who knew the fastest and safest path on the team was always a good thing, especially if he wasn’t familiar with the area. To Uriel, the swamp was just swamp and he only managed to reach the megacity thanks to its huge size, but up to that moment Uriel hadn’t thought on how to find his way back to the zeppelin.
Having his patience tested a little was a cheap price to pay, even more so when they reached their destination.
Just like Young had said, it was just an old manor in the middle of the swamp, though Uriel’s expert eye was able to notice so much more than that. As an archaeologist he coudn’t help but gasp at the hand made carvings on the wood, the beautifully crafted fence and the detailed architectural design of that place.
Most of it was either destroyed or damaged, but the main building remained standing and not even the forces of nature could hide its past magnificence to an archaeologist.
"This is incredible, this must have been built in the late 1700’s, maybe early 1800’s!" Uriel exclaimed with a burning passion that none of the soldiers around him shared.
"Huh, yeah... I guess... It’s actually not that bad. We come here whenever we’re sent to explore the bayou to the west..." Young explained and then Mayhem added.
"That’s why we’re still alive."
"No, the reason why we’re still alive is because we don’t put up with incompetent sergeants or lieutenants." Rusty said in a scoff.
Uriel could have taken any number of measures to make them fall in line, especially Rusty who was getting increasingly more violent, but Uriel remained in awe at the building in front of his eyes. For a full minute he didn’t move from his position and he wished he could stay for a couple weeks to study it entirely, but he was aware he didn’t have that luxury.
"Alright team, I want you to make a perimeter around each object or structure using this," He said after handing them a huge roll of yellow tape he pretended to take from his backpack, though in reality he just acquired it from his souvenir shop and then continued speaking. "we’re staying here tonight."
