Setting
Not wanting to sit around waiting to have her head chomped off, Dani pushed down hard on the pedals after the momentum followed through on the strike. If she got free before the raptor could react to the attack on two fronts, Dani would throw down her Stenomask with one hand and then gesture at the spear-wielding fellow: “Throw me your spear! I have an idea!”
The reason for its fear quickly became apparent as hiding in the foliage nearby Dani and Michael were being watched. They were face to face with a Xamatosaurus Rex, the most feared and dangerous predator in the valley. It forward facing eyes were staring directly at them, having been attracted by the sound of combat. It made no sound, it awaited their next move and stayed stock still.
The deafening boom was immediately followed by a brief roar, followed by a deafening crash, the shockwave from the crash moving out in all directions, tossing leaves, twigs, and other debris.
Roughly a dozen or so feet from the Xamoyos Rex, Michael, and Dani, an unusual metal structure could be seen in the scorched foliage, and soil. It's bottom still glowing red hot from it's entry into the planet's atmosphere. Steam rose from the impact where the strange pod landed.
But the show wasn't over, a metallic clank, followed by a loud pop followed, and the heavy armored front of the pod flew forward to reveal a slender figure clad in all black armor of some kind, the armor, like the figure was sleek, almost glossy black and worn with a glossy black full head helmet and visor. This completely obscured the figure's identity as they undid the straps that kept them restrained to the chair inside the pod.
The figure's eyes were on the large creature, it's form highlighted on a high-fidelity field of view, highlighted through the trees, and the grass. The figure reached above, grasping a long, sleek weapon encased in a dazzling fractal camouflage pattern.
The figure jumped from the pod, and landed with a soft crack on the ground, the muddy ground crunching under their weight. It brought it's weapon to their shoulder, and took keen aim at the Xamoyos Rex.
No... this wasn’t helping at all. There was a creature most likely planning on eating both of them for snacks, with little trouble at all. Dani started pedaling toward the man and beast, planning on making a stand with another human being than run off and leave them on their own. Then all hell seemed to break loose in an instant.
First, the sonic boom of an object entering the atmosphere. Then the follow-up roar of impact, the shock wave actually picking Dani up off her bike and into the back of the man with the spear. If he hadn’t been there, she was certain she would have ended up almost directly beneath the X-rex’s feet. Dazed from the impact, Dani still managed to untangle herself and get up in time to see the occupant of the pod draw and aim a deadly-looking weapon at the Xamatosaurus Rex.
“Wait! Don’t kill it please!” Dani shouted at the armor-clad figure, and startled stumbling towards them in an attempt to throw off their aim at the X-rex and hopefully only wound it instead.
The X-rex leaned its head back some and let out a thunderous roar, shaking the ground slightly from the sheer force of it. The intent was to scare, if that failed then combat was inevitable.
The figure angled down the aim of their weapon, no longer aiming at the beast, and unfazed by it's earth trembling roar.
Instead the figure called out in a distorted, reverberating voice.
"Get out of the way! Do you have a death wish!"
The figure adjusted it's stance, gaze affixed to the mighty x-rex, trying to get a better firing angle. They were watching every subtle move.
That was until they did the unpredictable, and raised their weapon into the air, firing a single shot, culminating in a blinding green flash of light, followed by a streak of light that shot into the sky, and sounded like a thunderclap that echoed through the valley. The figure lowered it's weapon back on the X-rex, waiting for it's next move.
Dani was only unconscious for a few moments, but apparently that was all the time needed for a frightening and vivid nightmare: She found herself standing in the stranger’s black armor, holding that highly advanced weapon. Dani was laying slaughter to any and all life she saw before her with that scary gun. What was truly horrifying (for her biologist mind, at least), was that there was some small part of her that was enjoying the slaying of these poor animals...
Most peculiar however were a specific set of eyes, whos gaze were fixated on the injured Dani. From what little of them could be seen in the shadows, there were a small group of humanoid figures with eyes shining much like a cats. They looked curious of her, but oddly not predatory.
Slowly, the figure started walking, raising their weapon up, and attaching it to their back with an audible click.
"We are not safe here." The figure said, the voice raspy, and almost robotic sounding through the vox filter.
They were now standing close to Michael and Dani, standing at almost six feet in height. They stooped down over the unconscious scientist, and began to examine her injuries.
The figure reached into a kydex polymer pouch on their thigh, and withdrew a small white box the size of a cigar case. The figure prepared a small syringe, and pressed it to Dani's neck, there would be a hiss as the combination of chemicals were injected. The figure examined the head for any bleeding, and would inject a foam like substance into any lacerations that quickly hardened, and stopped the bleeding.
The combination of healing nanites and a potent chemical the aschen called beta-cantin. Dani would find her minor injuries healed in a matter of minutes.
"There are creatures in the undergrowth, if you don't want me to dispatch them, then we must depart." The armor clad figure explained.
After coming out of the wooded area of the beach he would bear witness to the Prairie. It was a wide open grassland where dinosaurs of all kinds roamed about with a lake in the center of it.
Across from where he came from was a moving herd of Styracoxamos. Their large frilled heads swayed with every movement, their sharp horns very evident.